Nicola Nasser: Qata, Sponsor of Political Movements

major ally of America. In his inaugural address on January 21, US President Barack Obama made the historic announcement that a decade of war is ending, and declared his country's determination to show the courage to try and resolve our differences with other nations peacefully, but his message will remain words, that have yet to be translated into deeds, and has yet to reach some of the US closest allies in the Middle East, who are still beating the drums of war, like Israel against Iran and Qatar against Syria. In view of the level of coordination and cooperation since bilateral diplomatic relations were established in 1972 between the US and Qatar, and the concentration of US military power on this tiny peninsula, it seems impossible that Qatar could move independently apart, in parallel with, away or on a collision course with the US strategic and regional plans. According to the US State departments online fact sheet, bilateral relations are strong, both countries are coordinating diplomatically and cooperating on regional security, have a defense pact. Qatar hosts CENTCOM Forward Headquarters, and supports NATO and US regional military operations. Qatar is also an active participant in the US led efforts to set up an integrated missile defense network in the Gulf region. Moreover, it hosts the US Combined Air Operations Center and three American military bases namely Al Udeid Air Base, Assaliyah Army Base, and Doha International Air Base, which are manned by approximately 5,000 US forces. Qatar, which is bound by such a most intimate and closest alliance with the United States, has recently developed into the major sponsor of Islamist political movements. Qatar appears now to be the major sponsor of the international organization of the Muslim Brotherhood, which, reportedly, disbanded in Qatar in 1999, because it stopped to view the ruling family as an adversary. The Qatar Brotherhood marriage of convenience has created the natural incubator of Islamist armed fundamentalists against whom the US, since September 11, 2001, has been leading what is labeled as the global war on terrorism.