Qatar and UK To Seal A Defensive Pact
MEP: Khalid bin Al Attiyah, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has traveled to London where he signed a joint defense agreement with Michael Fallon, the British Secretary of State for Defence.
The Qatari official met with General Nicholas Houghton— Chief of the Defence Staff–, Philip Hammond — the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs–, General Gordon Messenger— Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy & Operations). —, and Philip Dunne —Minister of State for Defence Procurement.
The Qatari senior official also discussed the ways to purchase Eurofighter Typhoon jets and establishment of a British military base in Qatar.
In the recent months, Doha expressed its willingness to purchase the advanced Eurofighter Typhoon air fighters. Qatar hosts the headquarters of the United States Central Command in The Middle-East and the Horn of Africa.
Paris also commands a small military base in neighboring UAE. Sheikh Tamim Al Thani, the Qatari Emir, in his recent visit to London met with the high-ranking British officials where he signed a treaty of mutual co-operation and security.
Doha also agreed during the bilateral talks with the Turkish officials to provide Ankara with an air base in the Persian Gulf.
The silent competition between Qatar from one hand and KSA, UAE from the other hand, rendered these countries as an open field to western armies with the false assumption that western presence shall entail security for the feeble Arab sheikhdoms. With respect to the military items, Doha intends to procure; it sounds Qatari want to further protect themselves against their Saudi and Emirati neighbors.
