U.S. President Donald Trump signs an executive order pledging U.S. defence of Qatar after an Israeli strike in Doha [Image by AP News]
(The Post News) – U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week on Wednesday promising that the United States will defend Qatar against foreign attacks, a guarantee that can be extrapolated to US military intervention.
The order, dated Monday but published on Wednesday, says Washington will consider “any armed attack against the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as threatening the peace and security of the United States.”
Trump’s directive promises America will use “all lawful and appropriate means, including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military, to protect the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”.
Triggered by Israeli Airstrike
Trump responded after Israel conducted an airstrike in Doha last week, which targeted Hamas commanders and killed six people, including a Qatari security official. The strike, taken without U.S. approval, increased tension in Washington and threatened Qatar’s position as a broker in the Gaza ceasefire talks.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the White House on Monday, Trump directed a call in which Netanyahu apologized to Qatar. Trump later had direct contact with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, about ceasefire negotiations and regional security.
Qatar’s foreign ministry praised the order as “a milestone in reinforcing defence cooperation.” The Al Jazeera network reported it as a vow of Qatar’s protection against future aggression.
The language is reminiscent of NATO’s Article 5, where members are obligated to defend each other when attacked. But Qatar isn’t a member of NATO, and Trump made the vow in a solo capacity. Compared to a ratified treaty, the executive order doesn’t bind future presidents and therefore its staying power remains uncertain.
One of the world’s wealthiest countries, Qatar, boasts vast natural gas reserves. It hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the biggest American military installation in the Middle East and the location of Central Command operations.
President Biden’s administration declared Qatar a “major non-NATO ally” in 2022 as a gesture of appreciation for its aid as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan. Trump has forged unusually intimate relations with Doha, however, through diplomatic contact and commercial deals.
Regional Impact
The move comes after Saudi Arabia’s intensification of defence cooperation with Pakistan in order to procure Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella. Other Gulf countries can now insist on similar U.S. guarantees to ward off dangers posed by Israel and Iran, analysts say.
“Qatar has received very special assurances from Trump,” said Bader al-Saif, a professor at Kuwait University. “But without Congressional approval, the long-term cost of this commitment is unclear.”
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