August 28, 2011 5:24 pm

Gamble on Libya pays off for Qatar

By Simeon Kerr in Dubai

The capital of Qatar was arguably as important a rebel base as Benghazi during the sixmonth campaign to oust Colonel Muammer Gaddafi from power. When Col Gaddafi in February threatened the eastern city with columns of tanks, Doha stepped up to become the emerging rebel movements strongest ally. The tiny emirate, long known for its edgy regional foreign policy, has moved up a gear through diplomatic, military and logistic support for the National Transitional Council. The political gamble has paid off as Qatar, perhaps the richest country in the world, emerges as a player able to deploy more than the soft power of TV channel Al Jazeera, which has fanned most of the regions revolutions. From mass communication to logistics, Qatar has been central to the rebels success. Mahmoud Jibril, head of the NTCs executive committee, has spent most of his time in Doha, spearheading the rebels international diplomatic and political offensive. Military co-operation, from Nato air support to the provision of increasingly advanced arms, developed into closer on-the-ground support in the run-up to the final march on Tripoli. Qatar, along with other western allies, helped train the western mountain rebels that spearheaded the assault on the capital. Qatari special forces were reportedly sighted on the final front lines at Col Gaddafis Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli, leading the advance of rebel forces into the compound that symbolised the ageing dictators 42year grip on power. Western powers, mindful of an arms embargo, have demurred over supplying weapons to the rebels but Qatar did not hesitate, delivering large amounts of munitions and specialised equipment. Doha also hosted a Free Libya satellite channel; opened credit lines for the rebels and allowed them to channel financing through Qatar; supplied diesel to keep power cuts to a minimum; and laid on regular flights to the rebel capital. Qatar is set to benefit from its new-found ally in north Africa, perhaps through reconstruction contracts and hydrocarbons deals.

It seems likely there will be a lot more Qatari financial interest engaged in Libya, said David Roberts, deputy director of the Royal United Services Institute in Qatar. There is now a huge amount of goodwill within Libya towards Qatar. NTC officials have already said they are likely to tap their close regional allies which also include Turkey, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates as they seek to reconstruct the country. Few believe, however, that a cold-hearted promotion of national interests lay behind the emirates steadfast support for the rebel cause. An emotional attachment to change may have also driven Qatars policy, diplomats said. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir, had previously been regarded as a backer of the Libyan regime, launching a joint investment vehicle between the two countrys sovereign wealth funds. In 2009, he mediated between Libya and Saudi Arabia after Libyan intelligence had in 2003 attempted to assassinate the Saudi crown prince. This has shown how quickly Qatari policy can turn one minute he was the Libyan backer, the next he is leading the Arab charge against Gaddafi, says one former Dohabased diplomat. Sheikha Moza, the emirs influential wife, spent some of her youth in Benghazi, for decades the centre of anti-Gaddafi sentiment in Libya. Her father, Nasser al-Missned, developed a friendship with his joint venture partner in the eastern city, who hosted Ms Moza for some of her schooling, according to relatives of the family. As Qatar seeks to back the NTCs transition from rebel council to provisional government, Doha last week convened the first post-Gaddafi meeting of rebel allies to ask the UN to unfreeze $5bn for emergency humanitarian and civic services. Khaled al-Attiyah, Qatars international co-operation minister, said: The NTC has be given enough material support and moral support to carry out their responsibilities. Additional reporting by Heba Saleh in Cairo

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