Posted on 05/30/2008 1:00:14 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
For Iran, it's a no-brainer: Qatar hosts the largest U.S. base in the Middle East (8,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed there) and is also viewed by some as being friendly with Israel... Also, while Qatar is the only country [besides] Iran, heavily investing in Syria, and thereby propping up the Assad regime, it does not seem to pay off. Quite the contrary. In June 2006 the Kuwaiti daily Al Seyassah reported that Qatar had foiled a destabilization plot against the regime and that Qatari authorities had arrested about 100 Syrian workers and five Syrian intelligence officers. This plot was reportedly conceived by Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law and chief of Syria's security services, Assef Shawkat, with the help of Hezbollah's mastermind, Imad Mugniyeh... since March 2006 Qatari refineries and vital oil installations have been protected by batteries of Patriot missiles... According to British sources, the stock of weapons, missiles, and combat planes in the six neighboring countries to Iran is now three times what it was at the onset of the Iraq war in 2003.
(Excerpt) Read more at metimes.com ...
Bahrain names Jewish ambassador ( And it’s a Woman...)
BBC | Thursday, 29 May 2008 22:58 UK 21:58 GMT, | BBC Staff
Posted on 05/29/2008 10:27:54 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2023389/posts
Destroy Iran’s nukes to save our cities
UK Telegraph | April 27 2008 | Alasdair Palmer
Posted on 04/27/2008 5:35:51 AM PDT by knighthawk
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2007591/posts
UAE sets out to become first Arab nuclear state
Financial Times | 3/25/08 | Simeon Kerr
Posted on 03/26/2008 3:39:54 PM PDT by kiriath_jearim
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992118/posts
from late 2007, mentions Imad Mugniyeh.
Texas A&M has a branch campus there.........
Until then Qatar probably need not worry too much?
Attacking key targets on the Saudi Peninsula would be the most cost
effective way for Iran to hurt the West.
Quite a few. My daughter went there for R&R during her last Iraq tour.
Bahrain is where all the banking is done...
Qatar passes a lot of oil, putting the entire world at risk.
The Iranians know the Shiites have risen before in Saudi Arabia (for example, during the “Mahdi” mosque takeover in the late 1970s) and has loads of trained foreign nationals ready to unleash on their fellow Arabs. First job is to stop the oil from flowing; second is to start “spontaneous” uprisings throughout the Middle East; third is blackmail the EU and China into supporting it in the UN and whatnot. The US response has to be quick and decisive, and leave no doubt as to who caused the problem and who is now in charge.
Saddam never had the capability to deliver a nuclear warhead (had the warhead, didn’t have the kaboomium to make it go; had the missile, probably, but no working warhead), but he sent saboteurs across the desert to blow Kuwaiti oil wells, even when he was getting their support during the Iran-Iraq war.
I don’t know, but I think the complement is quite fluid, lots of people passing through, not so many stationed there long-term.
Not much “there” there, how big is the campus? :’)
Qatar
This page was last updated on 15 May 2008
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/qa.html
map:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/maps/qa-map.gif
Population: 928,635 (July 2008 est.)
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions: Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 320,383; females age 16-49: 167,475 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 16-49: 258,159; females age 16-49: 143,999 (2008 est.)
Legal system: based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Economy - overview: Qatar is in the midst of an economic boom supported by its expanding production of natural gas and oil. Economic policy is focused on development of Qatar’s nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors. Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar one of the world’s faster growing and higher per-capita income countries - equal to the EU in 2007 per-capita income. Sustained high oil prices and increased natural gas exports in recent years have helped build Qatar’s budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Proved oil reserves of more than 15 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 22 years. Qatar’s proved reserves of natural gas are roughly 25 trillion cubic meters, about 15% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and became the world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in 2007.
Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2007 est.)
Trafficking in persons: current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation; the most common offense was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited; other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse
tier rating: Tier 3 - Qatar’s rating was downgraded to Tier 3 in the 2007 report for continuing to detain and deport victims rather than providing them protection; the government also failed to increase prosecutions for trafficking in a meaningful way in 2006; workers complaining of working conditions or non-payment of wages were sometimes prosecuted under false charges in retaliation
I stumbled over this sentence. If we attack Iran, I don't expect there to be ANY suicide boats and air missiles left after the first five minutes.
I seem to recall the Iraqi command and control structure and all missiles were gone in the first 30-120 minutes.
I agree, there will be major carnage, major damage, but probably not total. And that assumes it is detected in time. For that to happen, the US has to take the initiative, and I wonder how likely that is.
Admittedly, I had an extra glass of Sake last night (well, two), and I may not be thinking clearly, but I can't for the life of me understand what your driving at above.
I even went to your "personal page" and read a bit. You seem to make a lot of sense there....help me out with "your Qatar problem".
:’) Qatar is a major supplier (mostly) to eastern Asia, a big player in LNG. All that traffic (not just Qatar’s) squeezes out of the Gulf, and Iran’s first move will be to disrupt the world oil supply. Qatar is a sitting duck, doesn’t have any significant military capability (just that US presence), and it’s a short boat ride.
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