Biden names Qatar major non-NATO ally as energy crisis looms
Washington DC: President Joe Biden on Tuesday designated Qatar a major non-NATO ally, a largely symbolic honour but one that was meant to convey his administration's gratitude for the tiny Persian Gulf nation's assistance with evacuations from Afghanistan and in ending last year's Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Biden announced the designation during a meeting with the ruling leader of Qatar at the White House. It comes as he looks for the gas-rich nation to step up again to help the West as it faces the prospect of a European energy crunch if Russia invades Ukraine.
"Qatar is a good friend and a reliable partner," Biden said hours before officially informing Congress of the designation. It's long overdue.
The move could be helpful in Qatar's bid to get US approval for a more than USD 500 million sale of MQ-9 Reaper drones The request has been languishing since 2020, when Trump was still in office.
A senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the decision, said the non-NATO ally designation was not tied to Biden's hopes for Qatar to help European allies with an energy contingency plan should Russia invade Ukraine. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said the designation was for Qatar's help in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Qatar played a central role in aiding last summer's US military evacuations of Afghans who helped the US war effort along with American citizens.
Qatar also hosts the biggest US air base in the Middle East and served as a go-between with the Taliban for the last three administrations as they tried to wind down America's longest war.
Qatar is the 18th country to receive this designation, the last being Brazil in 2019. The designation provides benefits in defense trade and security cooperation, including eligibility for loan programs and priority delivery for certain military sales. We're very happy and proud of this great relationship, said Qatar's ruling emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"We will continue working together to find ways and means to bring peace in our region."
The country was an essential go-between with Hamas during last year's 11-day conflict that administration officials worried could have turned into a longer and bloodier war. Now, with some 100,000 Russian troops massed at the Ukraine border, experts say Qatar the world's second-biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, or LNG is eager to help again but might only be able to offer limited assistance if Russia further disrupts the flow of energy supplies to Europe.
