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Qatarâs Emir Gives Bush Arab View on Iraq
EFLThe emir of Qatar has become the first Arab leader to visit Washington after the war. Analysts said the move was designed to show support for the U.S. and to signal to other Arab nations that America was willing to hear Arab postwar concerns. It also revealed Qatar as a small country with big ideas that had the clout to win an audience with President Bush. ``(It was) ... an occasion for the Americans to hear from the Arabs, behind closed doors, how the Arabs feel after the end of the war in Iraq, their worries and their concerns,'' said Gulf-based political analyst Qassem Jafaar. Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani met with Bush a day after holding discussions with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and congressional leaders. He also was traveling to Britain and France to meet with leaders there. Like other Arab countries, Qatar is pushing for the quick establishment of a locally run administration in a unified Iraq. Bush ``is more prepared to listen to what Qatar has to say, and will find it easier to accept'' than from other Arab nations, Jafaar said. We'll listen to our friends. In an affirmation of its ties with Qatar, the United States announced two weeks ago that its air operations base would move from Saudi Arabia to Qatar's al-Udeid base. About 3,000 coalition troops are operating out of Qatar now. Like most Arab countries, Qatar favored a diplomatic solution to the war in Iraq, but unlike the others, it did not hide its cooperation with Washington as Saudi Arabia did. Mohammed al-Musfir, a Qatari political analyst, said talks with the United States would also be smoothed by the fact that — unlike other Arab countries — Qatar has no vested interests in Iraq. ``It position is clear. It doesn't seek economic assistance from the United States, and is not worried about its internal security from instability in Iraq,'' he said. So we should listen, filter what they say through the BS meter, and take care not to offend them.
Posted by: Steve White 2003-05-09 |
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