3 ms·

Qatar isn't exactly a friend to US interests in the middle east. Be careful of awarding them the title of "ally".

boomboomsubban 10y ago
They have two US air force bases, and we just sold them eleven billion dollars of arms. There is no question that they are an ally, there's just a chance that will change.
Cyph0n 10y ago
Ehhh Qatar hosts one of the largest USAF bases in the Middle East. They are definitely a close US ally.
- kchoudhu 10y ago
  I'm well aware: I live in Qatar. All I'm saying is that it is important to look at what the left hand is doing even while praising the actions of the right hand.
bogomipz 10y ago
Centcom has had a forward air base in Qatar for the better part of 20 years now(circa 2000.) The US also has also sold the Qatari government billions of dollars in arms. I would say that's a pretty big indicator that they are a strategic ally of the U.S., despite whatever complexities that relationship has. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-qatar-idUSKBN0FJ2M820140714 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-qatar-idUSKBN0FJ2M8201... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Sayliyah_Army_Base https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Sayliyah_Army_Base
- bigbugbag 10y ago
  Despite hosting this strategic military installation, Qatar is not always a strong Western ally. Qatar has allowed the Afghan Taliban to set up a political office inside the country and has close ties to Iran, including a shared natural gas field. According to leaked documents published in The New York Times, Qatar's record of counter-terrorism efforts was the "worst in the region". The cable suggested that Qatar's security service was "hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar#Foreign_relations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar#Foreign_relations
  - bogomipz 10y ago
    >"Qatar has allowed the Afghan Taliban to set up a political office inside the country and has close ties to Iran" You should have looked a little further: "Senior leaders of the Taliban are currently stationed in Doha, Qatar. The original purpose for the Taliban leaders’ presence in Qatar was to open an office that would facilitate reconciliation between members of the Taliban, Afghanistan, the U.S. and other countries. However, shortly after the opening of the Taliban office in 2013, the office was closed by the Qatari government."[1] >"According to leaked documents published in The New York Times, Qatar's record of counter-terrorism efforts was the "worst in the region"." That cable was part of the wikileaks dumps and the quote was widely seen as both suspect and confounding: "The details offered in these cables are particularly strange when compared with a 2008 Congressional Research Service report for Congress. The U.S. State Department called Qatar's terrorism support since 9/11 "significant," according to the CRS report. Since the attacks, Qatar established both a Combating Terrorism Law and the Qatar Authority for Charitable Activities (QACA) in March of 2004."[2] >"and has close ties to Iran, including a shared natural gas field." So you are faulting a country for having shared business interests with their neighbor in the region? You realize shared business interests represent stability right? You also realize that the Iran is fighting Isis in both Iraq and Syria right? sources: [1] "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_in_Qatar" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_in_Qatar" [2] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/qatar-worst-on-counterterroism-in-the-middle-east/67166/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/qa...

They have two US air force bases, and we just sold them eleven billion dollars of arms. There is no question that they are an ally, there's just a chance that will change.

Cyph0n 10y ago

Ehhh Qatar hosts one of the largest USAF bases in the Middle East. They are definitely a close US ally.

kchoudhu 10y ago
I'm well aware: I live in Qatar. All I'm saying is that it is important to look at what the left hand is doing even while praising the actions of the right hand.

bogomipz 10y ago

Centcom has had a forward air base in Qatar for the better part of 20 years now(circa 2000.) The US also has also sold the Qatari government billions of dollars in arms. I would say that's a pretty big indicator that they are a strategic ally of the U.S., despite whatever complexities that relationship has. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-qatar-idUSKBN0FJ2M820140714 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-qatar-idUSKBN0FJ2M8201... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Sayliyah_Army_Base https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_Sayliyah_Army_Base

bigbugbag 10y ago
Despite hosting this strategic military installation, Qatar is not always a strong Western ally. Qatar has allowed the Afghan Taliban to set up a political office inside the country and has close ties to Iran, including a shared natural gas field. According to leaked documents published in The New York Times, Qatar's record of counter-terrorism efforts was the "worst in the region". The cable suggested that Qatar's security service was "hesitant to act against known terrorists out of concern for appearing to be aligned with the U.S. and provoking reprisals". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar#Foreign_relations https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar#Foreign_relations
- bogomipz 10y ago
  >"Qatar has allowed the Afghan Taliban to set up a political office inside the country and has close ties to Iran" You should have looked a little further: "Senior leaders of the Taliban are currently stationed in Doha, Qatar. The original purpose for the Taliban leaders’ presence in Qatar was to open an office that would facilitate reconciliation between members of the Taliban, Afghanistan, the U.S. and other countries. However, shortly after the opening of the Taliban office in 2013, the office was closed by the Qatari government."[1] >"According to leaked documents published in The New York Times, Qatar's record of counter-terrorism efforts was the "worst in the region"." That cable was part of the wikileaks dumps and the quote was widely seen as both suspect and confounding: "The details offered in these cables are particularly strange when compared with a 2008 Congressional Research Service report for Congress. The U.S. State Department called Qatar's terrorism support since 9/11 "significant," according to the CRS report. Since the attacks, Qatar established both a Combating Terrorism Law and the Qatar Authority for Charitable Activities (QACA) in March of 2004."[2] >"and has close ties to Iran, including a shared natural gas field." So you are faulting a country for having shared business interests with their neighbor in the region? You realize shared business interests represent stability right? You also realize that the Iran is fighting Isis in both Iraq and Syria right? sources: [1] "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_in_Qatar" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban_in_Qatar" [2] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/qatar-worst-on-counterterroism-in-the-middle-east/67166/ https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2010/11/qa...