Qatar proposing dubious regional security pact

Sara Wahid

Doha tries to get out of the isolation it has been suffering since 2017 by hook and by crook.

Its latest attempts in this regard include a proposed regional security pact that hides behind it many ill intentions.

On May 9, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdelrahman al-Thani talked about the need for a regional security pact that helps regional states get over the crises facing them, including the coronavirus pandemic.

He added during an online seminar on policies and diplomacy in the Gulf region that regional states have a major chance to expand their cooperation through direct dialogue within a regional security framework.

He did not, however, mention the proposed pact in detail and whether it will include Iran and Turkey, both regional states.

Secrets

Political science professor at Cairo University Tarek Fahmi said the proposed Qatari pact has many objectives behind it.

The proposed deal, he said, is a lot similar to an American suggestion for forming a common Arab NATO-like force.

The force will combine the Arab Gulf states, along with Egypt and Jordan, Fahmi told The Reference.

He added that the same proposed force will give the chance to some regional countries, including Israel, Turkey and Iran, to be present.

Fahmi noted that the proposed pact raises many question marks, especially after Israel lobbied for a good neighborhood agreement with Gulf states.

Qatar continues to feel isolated because of the boycott imposed on it by the anti-terrorism quartet, which contains Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, Fahmi said.