Joe B Garza Explains Qatar, Syrian Conflict
TeAccording to a June 29th article in the New York Times, the country of Qatar has emerged as a budding force in the current unrest in Syria. According to U.S. intelligence and Middle Eastern officials, Qatar has been supplying Syrian rebels battling President Bashar Assad with heat-seeking, shoulder-fired missiles. The U.S. has implored its Mideast allies not to supply these weapons to the rebels, fearing that the missiles will end up in the hands of terrorists who could target civilian aircraft with them. This concern is especially pronounced given that the Syrian rebels are comprised of several loosely-allied groups, including militants linked to al-Qaeda. Ironically, the Obama administration encouraged Qatar’s shipment of arms to Libyan rebels who eventually overthrew Muammar Qaddafi.
A great many of the arms shipped by China, including the heat-seeking missiles, are Chinese-made. While Syrian opposition forces report mechanical defects in these weapons, the weapons work well enough to cause the U.S. grave concern. Internet videos have surfaced since early 2013 showing the rebels with functioning missiles.
As to why Qatar is backing the Syrian rebels, speculation among U.S. officials is that the country’s rulers believe that Assad will eventually be overthrown, and that they wish to forge ties with the eventual victors early on. In addition, the ruling family in Qatar favors a strong role for Islam in politics, in contrast to the secular Assad regime. More generally, Qatar, flush with wealth from its oil industry, may be eager to assume a role as a key player in Middle Eastern politics.
Unfortunately, the U.S. has limited leverage over Qatar because it is already indebted to the country for hosting peace talks between the Taliban, the U.S., and the Afghani government.
Joe B Garza