Washington, July 15
(IANS)
US and Qatar have signed an arms deal on Qatar's purchase of US
Patriot defence systems and Apache helicopters to the tune of $11
billion, the US Defence Department said in a statement on Monday.
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel hosted
Qatar's Minister of State for Defence Affairs Hamad bin Ali al-Attiyah
at the Pentagon on Monday to sign letters of offer and acceptance for
Apache helicopters and Patriot and Javelin defence systems worth $11
billion, Xinhua reported.
"Today's signing ceremony underscores the strong
partnership between the United States and Qatar in the area of security
and defence and will help improve our bilateral cooperation across a
range of military operations," said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby
in a statement.
Secretary Hagel also used the meeting to express
his appreciation for the support that Qatar provides US forces in the
country. "Today's visit followed Secretary Hagel's visit to Doha last
fall, where he met with al-Attiyah to sign and renew the US-Qatar
Defence Cooperation Agreement," Kirby said.
"This is a critically important relationship in
the region," the official said, adding that the secretary is pleased to
be able to continue to make the US-Qatar ties stronger.
US Vice President Joe Biden welcomed al- Attiyah
at the White House and the two sides discussed regional issues,
including Syria, Iraq, Libya, and the Gaza crisis.
During their meeting, Biden noted that the signing
of the arms deal will help strengthen strategic relationship between
Qatar and the US.
The weapons deal was the biggest for the US in
2014 and would enhance its security and diplomatic ties with Qatar to
counter the threat across the Gulf from Iran, experts said.
SOURCE - IANS - here.
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COMMENT
US scores it's biggest 2014 arms deal with Qatar - $11 BILLION.
Cooperation between Qatar & US strategic in region because of alleged Iran threat. [Also reserves of gas. Also US regional control. Important regional US ally. Also big money.]
So what's the background?
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FURTHER INFO
State of Qatar is a sovereign Arab country, located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the north-easterly coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf.
Qatar is home to USA's biggest military base in the Middle East.
[Blogger's note: Historically has been under British and Ottoman rule.]
Qatar was also an early member of OPEC and a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It is a member of the Arab League. The country has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.
Qatar hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, which acts as the hub for all American air operations in the Persian Gulf. Qatar has bilateral relationships with a variety of foreign powers. It has allowed American forces to use an air base to send supplies to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Qatar signed a defence co-operation agreement with Saudi Arabia, with whom it shares the largest single non-associated gas field in the world.
It was the second nation, the first being France, to have publicly announced its recognition of the Libyan opposition's National Transitional Council as the legitimate government of Libya amidst the 2011 Libyan civil war. Qatar's relations with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are strained, owing to the perceived closeness between the Qatari government and the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Qatar Armed Forces are the military forces of Qatar. The country maintains a modest military force ...
Qatar has recently signed defence pacts with the United States and United Kingdom, as well as with France earlier in 1994.
Qatar plays an active role in the collective defence efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council; the other five members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and Oman.
The presence of a large American military base in the country provides the country with a guaranteed source of defence and national security.
In 2008 Qatar spent US$2.355 billion on military expenditures, 2.3% of the gross domestic product. Qatari special forces have been trained by French and other Western countries,... also helped the Libyan rebels during the 2011 Battle of Tripoli.
Oil was discovered in Qatar in 1940, in Dukhan Field. The discovery transformed the state's economy. Now, the country has a high standard of living. With no income tax, Qatar (along with Bahrain) is one of the countries with the lowest tax rates in the world. The unemployment rate in June 2013 was 0.1%.
Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the world as of 2013, according to the CIA World Factbook and approximately 14% of households are dollar millionaires.
In 2012, Qatar retained its title of richest country in the world (according to per capita income) for the third time in a row, having first overtaken Luxembourg in 2010.
Oil production will not long remain at peak levels ... as oil fields are projected to be mostly depleted by 2023.
However, large natural gas reserves have been located off Qatar's north-east coast.
Qatar's proved reserves of gas are the third-largest in the world...
1991 ... North Field gas development.
1996 ... Qatargas ..... began exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan.
Further phases of North Field gas development costing billions of dollars are in various stages of planning and development.[wikipedia]
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This is embarrassing, but I didn't even know Qatar existed.
It sure sounds important to the US.
Also, I think 'liquified natural gas' is what hydraulic fracturing or fracking is all about (I think).
Quick check:
Anti-fracking activists rally with opponents of LNG export ...
Free Speech Radio News - 9 hours ago
That's leading anti-fracking groups to form an alliance with opponent of LNG export terminals. Melinda Tuhus reports from D.C
...[I've not read the Free Speech Radio New's story, so I haven't linked. It's just what come up on my Google.]
Fracking is why the Ukraine is also important to the US - as well as strategic/military regional importance in the Ukraine.
