Key developments
since March 1999:The Mine Ban Treaty entered into force for Qatar
on 1 April 1999. Landmine Monitor has discovered that the United States has
antipersonnel mines stockpiled in Qatar, and has plans to add to that
stockpile.
Mine Ban Policy
Qatar signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 4 December
1997 and ratified it on 13 October 1998. The treaty entered into force for
Qatar on 1 April 1999. It is not known if Qatar has enacted national
legislation implementing the treaty. Qatar was one of the 139 countries to vote
in favor of UN General Assembly Resolution 54/54B supporting the Mine Ban Treaty
on 1 December 1999.
Qatar did not attend the First Meeting of States Party to the Mine Ban Treaty
in Maputo in May 1999. Qatar did not participate in any of the treaty’s
intersessional meetings in 1999 and 2000. Qatar has not submitted its Mine Ban
Treaty Article 7 transparency measures to the UN Secretary General, which was
due by 27 September 1999. Qatari diplomats offered no explanation for this
inaction.[1]
Qatar is not a party to the 1980 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW),
but did attend the First Annual Conference of States Parties to Amended Protocol
II (Landmines) in December 1999 in Geneva. Qatar is not a member of the
Conference on Disarmament.
Production, Stockpile, Transfer, and Use
Qatar is not believed to have ever produced or
exported antipersonnel mines. The Qatari Armed Forces are not known have ever
imported, stockpiled, or used AP mines. Qatari military engineers do train for
tactical demining operations but this is conducted in France, Jordan, and the
United Kingdom.[2] No Qatari
soldiers suffered mine injuries during the liberation of Kuwait in
1991.[3]
Landmine Monitor has discovered that the United States is stockpiling 216
ADAM projectiles containing 7,776 antipersonnel mines at the Al Karana area in
Doha, Qatar as part of U.S. Army Pre-Positioned Stocks Five
(APS-5).[4]
Additionally, based on U.S. Air Force plans for its war reserve ammunition
stockpiles in the Persian Gulf region, U.S. Gator antipersonnel mines, as well
as Claymore mines, may be introduced and stockpiled at the Al Udeid area in
Qatar in the near future. U.S. Air Force documents indicate that the Al Udeid
storage facility will eventually contain 142 CBU-89 Gator mine systems, each
with twenty-two antipersonnel mines, and 141 M18/M18A1 Claymore
mines.[5]
Qatari diplomats stated that the “mine issue has not been discussed
between Qatar and the
USA.”[6] It is not known
if the government of Qatar regards the U.S. equipment stored on its territory as
being under Qatari jurisdiction and control. It is also not known if any
bilateral arrangement exists between Qatar and the U.S. such as a basing
agreement or status of forces agreement. The equipment is stored on territory
that is leased by the U.S.[7]
It is also not known if Qatari nationals are involved in the operation or
maintenance of the storage facilities hosting the U.S. equipment as employees of
joint venture companies formed with the U.S. company that won the Air Force
contract, DynCorp Technical Services of Fort Worth, Texas.
Mine Action
Qatar is not mine-affected. Qatar donated
$200,000 to the (Slovenia) International Trust Fund for Bosnia-Herzegovina in
1999.[8] It is not known if
there have been additional donations or any in-kind contributions for mine
action.
[1] Interview with Minister Khalifa Ahmed
Al-Sowaidi, Chargé D’Affaires and Brigadier General Hamad A. Hinzb
Al-Marri, Military Attaché, Embassy of the State of Qatar to the U.S.,
Washington, DC, 16 February 2000. [2]
Interview with Minister Al-Sowaidi and Brigadier General Al-Marri, 16 February
2000. [3]
Ibid. [4] U.S. Army Operations Support
Command, Solicitation DAAA09-99-R-0118: “Maintenance and Supply/Service
for Army Pre-Positioned Stocks (APS-5) Equipment in Doha, Qatar,” 21
January 2000. Exhibit N, Technical Exhibit #11 of this solicitation titled
“Ammunition in Qatar” shows the presence of 72 M691 ADAM projectiles
(forty-eight hour self-destruct time) and 189 M731 ADAM projectiles (four hour
self-destruct time). Each ADAM projectile contains thirty-six antipersonnel
mines. [5] U.S. Air Force Air Combat
Command, Solicitation F44650-99-R0007: “Operation, Maintenance, and
Support of Pre-Positioned War Reserve Materiel in Southwest Asia” 9 August
1999. Section E, Appendix 1, Enclosure 5 of this solicitation shows the planned
on-hand balances of munitions stored at the Al Udeid facility to include 142
CBU-89 Gator units (with a total of 3,124 AP mines) and 141 M18/M18A1 Claymore
mines. [6] Interview with Minister
Al-Sowaidi and Brigadier General Al-Marri, 16 February
2000. [7]
Ibid. [8] Letter to Landmine Monitor
from Ambassador Saad Mohamed Al-Kobaisi, Qatari Ambassador to the U.S., 9
September 1999.