The Times (London) September 17, 2002
Bush prepares for war at Pounds 900m airbase in Qatar
By Nicholas Blanford
THE sign simply reads "Army camp" in scratched English letters, giving little hint that just a mile away across Qatar's baking desert sands a Pounds 900 million US Air Force base is under construction: the potential nerve centre for an American-led attack against Iraq.
Visitors are not welcome at al-Udeid airbase. Signs planted alongside the main road inform the curious that al-Udeid is a "restricted area". A recently built two-lane road, lined with overhead lamps and with barely a tyre mark on the fresh tarmac, leads to the entrance of the base. The tailfins of transport aircraft can be seen shimmering in the noon heat haze. At least 13 aircraft are lined up beside a dun-coloured hangar made of hardened concrete.
Qatar, a tiny oil and gas-rich peninsula about half the size of Wales jutting into the Persian Gulf, has proven to be a key Arab ally for Washington as President Bush mobilises international support to overthrow Saddam Hussein.
Many Arab countries have expressed unease at Washington's Middle East policies, in particular its failure to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. But Qatar, with a population of 770,000, is unapologetic over its close relationship with the US. "The Gulf is not a very safe place and we are a very small country," a senior Qatari official said.
According to Globalsecurity.org, which posted satellite photographs of al Udeid on its website, the hangar can house up to 40 aircraft within its estimated area of 7,000 square metres (76,000 square feet). The hangar's stark geometric shape contrasts with the featureless desert landscape surrounding it. Its design is supposed to reduce the building's visibility and radar signature.
About 2,000 personnel live on the base, according to the spokesman at al Udeid. When it is finished, about the end of the year, the base is expected to house up to 10,000 troops.
Neighbouring Saudi Arabia initially balked at the prospect of the US directing a campaign against Iraq from its soil, but Qatar has placed no operational restrictions on the US military, which has led to the expansion of al-Udeid and the transfer of communications and intelligence equipment from the Prince Sultan airbase in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Udeid has grown into a potential alternative headquarters for the US Central Command, which would have operational responsibility for an attack on Iraq.
Hassan al-Ansari, the head of the Gulf Studies Centre at Qatar University, said that the Qatari authorities have encouraged the US to adopt a more even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian problem. "But every country has to follow its own interests," he said.
Qatar's interests lie in developing its extensive fossil fuel reserves. The country has a two thirds share of the North Dome gasfield under the seabed of the Gulf, the largest known gas reserve in the world. The remaining third lies in Iranian territorial waters. Given Qatar's wealth, the military relationship with the United States is seen as a valuable form of insurance.
"Iran is a country of 80 million people sitting on top of us," a Qatari political analyst said, "but the Iranians won't bother us while we have American bases on our soil."
Saddam is also regarded by Qatar's rulers as a potential threat. Qatar was struck by Iraqi Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War and although officials want Iraq to abide by United Nations resolutions, there is little sympathy or tolerance for Saddam's regime.
"Inherently, the system in Iraq is a threat to the Gulf," a Qatari official said. But not all Qataris agree. For some, the prospect of an attack on Iraq is an unwarranted act of aggression against an Arab country.
"Iraq is not a threat to Qatar, not even to Israel," Muhammad Musfir, of Qatar University, said. "If he's allowed to stay in power, Saddam will spend the next 15 years rebuilding his country and not bothering anyone."
Instead of providing protection, hosting American forces on Qatari soil may invite attack, especially if al-Udeid plays a role in a military strike against Iraq.
The Pentagon announced last week that 600 staff from Central Command's headquarters in Florida will travel to al-Udeid in November, ostensibly to participate in a military exercise. The decision, however, has only heightened speculation that Qatar will play a leading role in a military strike against Iraq.
"It's almost inconceivable for the Americans to build this base and then not use it," a European diplomat said.
© Copyright 2002 Times Newspapers Limited
