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Qatar Navigates Persian Gulf Minefield

Geography forces balancing act; gas wealth make it a player

By Lucas Laursen, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 5, 2008 7:00 PM CST

(Newser) – The challenges of being Qatar, a peninsular nation bordering Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf, could be a hint of the diplomatic discourse to come, Bloomberg reports. The emirate cannily attends to the demands of its Saudi and Iranian neighbors, and it hosts US military forces; it also has learned to use its natural-gas wealth to avoid favoring one side exclusively.

“Our ambition is to have prosperity for our people," the prime minister says. "We would like to be friendly with everyone.” That aim has had the country walking a fine line—backing terrorist group Hezbollah in its war with Israel and inviting Iran's president to a summit aren't exactly popular in Washington. "They have to be very careful," one analyst said.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, shakes hands with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al Thani, right, during in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Feb.... (Associated Press)

U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, holds a press conference in Amman, Jordan, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008. Bodman started a five-nation tour through the Middle East in Jordan followed by Saudi Arabia,... (Associated Press)

Qatar. (CIA World Factbook)

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Qatar Navigates Persian Gulf Minefield

Geography forces balancing act; gas wealth make it a player

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Quiet Qatar Plays Key Mideast Peacemaker Role

Iconoclastic emirate works to calm conflicts

US Flexing Muscle in Gulf, Sends Message to Iran

It's beefing up defenses of Arab nations in the region

Gulf Oil Powers Pump Green Into Clean Technology

States invest billions to keep atop energy-economy heap

Gates: Iran Still a Threat to Security

Nukes aside, defense secretary lists Tehran's destabilizing activities

OPEC Declines to Boost Oil Output

$80 crude seems to be producers' new target; $3 gas isn't going anywhere soon

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Qatar Navigates Persian Gulf Minefield

Geography forces balancing act; gas wealth make it a player

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Iran • Saudi Arabia • Persian Gulf • Hezbollah • Qatar • natural gas • al-Jazeera • Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jaber al-Thani • Sheik Hamad

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Quiet Qatar Plays Key Mideast Peacemaker Role

Iconoclastic emirate works to calm conflicts

US Flexing Muscle in Gulf, Sends Message to Iran

It's beefing up defenses of Arab nations in the region

Gulf Oil Powers Pump Green Into Clean Technology

States invest billions to keep atop energy-economy heap

Gates: Iran Still a Threat to Security

Nukes aside, defense secretary lists Tehran's destabilizing activities

OPEC Declines to Boost Oil Output

$80 crude seems to be producers' new target; $3 gas isn't going anywhere soon

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?