It’s not the purpose of this blog to talk about politics. However, there have recently been some outrageous press comments made about Qatar. These started after it emerged Rudy Gulliano has a security contract with the Qatar petroleum, protecting a gas processing facility, and I couldn't resist the urge to comment.
There really has been some ridiculous press: Rudy Giuliani's Al Qaeda Connection? screams Radar Online, while the All Spin Zone maintains that "old Rudy Guiliani has huge connections to Al Qaeda" and that he "claims to fight terrorism while cozying up to the terrorists".
These accusations of connections to Al Qaeda are based on events that took place in 1996, six years before the start of Rudy Giulani's contact with Qatar Petroleum. An Al Qaeda terrorist was hiding out in Qatar, and it is alleged that a sympathiser based in the government gave the terrorist the nod before he could be arrested.
The unsubstantiated allegations may or may not be true, although Qatar strongly denies them. However, it’s also worth mentioning that Qatar is one of America’s biggest allies in the Gulf.
It was Qatar that opened its borders to America’s troops and planes when they were kicked out of Saudi Arabia, and it was from Qatar that America bombed Iraq. Qatar is also now one of the leaders in anti-terrorist measures in the Gulf, and the American state department says that Qatar has given America significant intelligence support since 2001.
Furthermore, since the current Emir took over in a coup in 1995, Qatar has become one of the most moderate countries in the Gulf. The country has improved human rights, made steps towards democracy with limited elections and given women more rights.
The Emir and his wife Sheikh O’Moza have stated that they see democracy and education as a way of combating extremism in the region. Very unusually in this part of the world, they have also made tentative steps towards relationships with Israel.
In fact much of what they are doing is the very anti-thesis of what Al Qaeda want.
Quite apart from the politics of the situation, gas-rich Qatar is hugely important for America’s future energy. Qatar holds the third largest gas reserves in the world – the other two countries are Russia and Iran, hardly America’s best friends. Gas exports from Qatar will single handedly turn America into the largest importer of gas in the world. Simply put, American’s can’t afford not to do business with Qatar.
While Qatar is not a perfect country, I believe it is beyond the bounds of reason to suggest that Americans should not do business with a country which may have abetted a terrorist 11 years ago but is now a strong American ally. And what is wrong with helping Qatar protect gas processing facilities that will one day provide America with fuel?
If we do take the view that doing business with Qatar is wrong, then I think business people should also think twice about doing business with countries that start illegal wars, whose secret services kidnap and torture suspects in foreign countries and who hold prisoners in detention for years without trial – i.e. with America.
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Qatar Doha Middle East Giuliani
