Trump Signs Signs to defend Qatar against any armed attack

US President Donald Trump is committed to dealing with any armed attack on Qatar as a threat to the security of the United States, according to a document published on Wednesday which says that US forces could intervene to defend the Middle East nation.

Qatar welcomed Trump’s order on Wednesday, describing it as an important step in strengthening defense ties and bilateral cooperation, said its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Executive Decree – which seems to considerably deepen the American commitment to Qatar – comes after Israel tried last month to kill Hamas leaders with an air strike in Doha.

This strike, launched with little ahead of the Trump administration, caused dismay in Washington given the close American relationship with Qatar, which welcomes the largest American military base in the region.

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The document was dated Monday, the day Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House and presented a proposal to end the war in Gaza. Qatar was a key mediator between the United States and Israel and Hamas during the war.

“The United States considers any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical Qatar State infrastructure as a threat to the United States’s peace and security,” the order said.

“In the event of such an attack, the United States takes all legitimate and appropriate measures”, including diplomatic, economic and, if necessary, the military “to defend the interests of the United States and the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability”.

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The document said the senior American defense and intelligence officials will maintain contingency planning with Qatar to ensure a quick response to any attack.

Saudi Saudi Arabia has long requested similar guarantees in the context of Washington’s efforts to normalize relations between Riyadh and Israel, but such an agreement has not materialized. Last month, Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact with Pakistan with nuclear arms.

Jetliner gifted to Trump from Qatar

Although the president can negotiate collective defense treaties like the one who created NATO, he demands that the Senate’s confirmation becomes the law. A decree can be repealed by any American president in the future and it is not clear which would force the United States to respect the commitment.

Trump’s order goes beyond an order in 2022 by his predecessor Joe Biden who appointed Qatar as a great non-nato ally, allowing increased military cooperation but not promise to defend Qatar if he was attacked.

There was no American military response when Qatar was attacked by Iran in June after an American strike on nuclear installations in Iran.

The Trump administration in May officially accepted a luxury Boeing 747 Jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the military is working to prepare it for use as a new air force to transport the president. Trump rejected legal and ethical concerns about the transfer of the plane.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Doha after the Israeli strike and said that an improved defense cooperation agreement was finalized with Qatar.