The Gulf state has evacuated more than 70,000 Afghans and foreigners from the country.
The Pentagon appreciated Qatar’s efforts in Afghanistan following the bilateral Military Consultative Committee (MCC) meeting in Doha from July 20-21.
The US delegation expressed gratitude for Qatar’s continued support in receiving US forces as well as essential and ongoing support for its operations. The United States aims to resettle individuals from Afghanistan,” the Pentagon said on Thursday.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed security challenges in the region, including a ceasefire in Yemen and counter-terrorism pressure on the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.
“As the highest-level bilateral defense dialogue between the governments of the United States and Qatar, the MCC strengthened the U.S.-Qatar bilateral defense partnership through discussions on responding to threats common threats, increase security assistance, expand military cooperation, and develop other strategic bilateral initiatives,” the Pentagon said.
After the Taliban took over Kabul last August, Qatar was able to conduct the largest airlift of people in history. The Gulf state has evacuated more than 70,000 Afghans and foreigners from the country.
Qatar and the US also signed an agreement in the most recent Strategic Dialogue late last year, allowing the two sides to represent Washington’s interest in Afghanistan after the US closed its embassy following the Taliban takeover. .
The Gulf state also hosts Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military post in the region.
In recognition of its important role in Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA) this year after he met the leader of the Gulf state, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Washington.
Qatar becomes the third Gulf country to be added to the current list of 17 MNNAs, which includes Bahrain and Kuwait.
The MNNA designation offers Washington’s foreign partners a number of interests in areas related to security cooperation and defense trade.
The US Congress also issued a statement in December, calling on lawmakers to include Qatar in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2022, reflecting the strategic importance of the country’s role. Gulf States in the Middle East.
“We note that the United States and the country of Qatar have forged a sustainable, long-term, and forward-looking strategic partnership based on long-term and mutually beneficial cooperation,” the statement said. US legislators read.
This comes as US President Joe Biden signed the bill for fiscal year 2022, authorizing $770 billion in defense spending.
World Cup Security
Meanwhile, Qatar and the US have held recent talks on securing the 2022 World Cup, the first tournament to take place in the Middle East.
In January this year, members of the Qatari police force met with the New York Police Department (NYPD) Transit Department team in the US to exchange expertise on safety and security best practices. in major events.
Recently, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signed an agreement with Qatar on security for the World Cup.
DHS will help “identify airline passengers involved in terrorism, human trafficking, identify travelers on watch lists, and monitor potential security risks at Hamad International Airport, ” as it explains in a general statute.
Both sides also agreed to commit to working together against unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) threats, and “DHS is committed to sharing lessons learned and best practices on C-UAS.” to help secure the Qatar 2022 World Cup.”
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