QATARI FM DEFENDS PRESENCE OF FOREIGN BASES;

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000138 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL IZ QA TC SUBJECT: QATARI FM DEFENDS PRESENCE OF FOREIGN BASES; URGES ARABS TO PREVENT IRAQ BREAKUP ¶1. Qatar's First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister defended Gulf countries that invite foreign forces on their soil saying countries have the sovereign right to protect themselves against invaders, such as dictators like Saddam Hussein. Shaykh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani was speaking on the first day of the ninth annual Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) conference on Gulf security. Shaykh Hamad also stated that the division of Iraq would be very bad for neighboring countries and was unacceptable. ¶2. Shaykh Hamad's defense of foreign military forces in Gulf countries, including bases in Qatar, and his warning about Iraqi fragmentation, came during a lively question-and-answer period following his remarks on the challenges of globalization for the Gulf region. A member of the audience commented that foreign military forces' bases in the region posed the greatest threat. Shaykh Hamad steered the issue away from a potential critique of U.S. forces based in the Gulf and toward the person -- Saddam Hussein -- whose actions against Kuwait in 1990 and whose defiance of international norms caused Gulf states to invite foreign military troops on their soil. "The decision to go to war was taken by one person and that led to disaster," Shaykh Hamad said of Saddam Hussein. "We want to protect our people by means we deem appropriate. The threat is still there," he said in a reference to terrorist organizations. Qataris are sovereign people who take their own decisions, he added. "We are not ashamed to have military forces and their bases in the region because history will not forgive us if we allow dictators to cross borders and rule us." ¶3. Shaykh Hamad also responded to a question from a reporter from Al Arabiya television station about the danger of Iraq fragmenting. "Division is very bad for neighboring countries," the Qatari leader said. "Division is not acceptable." He said Arabs had to play a role to avoid this danger because they share a responsibility in ensuring the stability and security of the region. Shaykh Hamad said "security and stability of the Gulf is the basis for development and growth of our society and is the most strategic challenge facing the area." He said it is not only a GCC challenge, but a challenge for the entire Middle East. Linked to the region's development and prosperity are the issues of democratization and good governance and accountability. He also called for the elimination of isolation, discrimination, and extremism. "It is not a mirage we are talking about. It is a fight we are prepared to tackle, along with its repercussions." WAHBA