It is an epochal event that could be a catalyst in
the Persian Gulf region specifically and in the wider Middle East. Amongst
several issues emanating from the can of worms, I am detailing few on the
subject of geoeconomics.
Gone are the days when Qatar boasts of her image as
neutral turf for known and unknown antagonists to parley together in hotels and
exclusive apartments. Afghans to the East, Persians closer home and antagonists
from Levant all had outings, meetings and serious diplomatic and geoeconomics discussions.
Hamas was given an exclusive place for them to work in alliance, perhaps under
the tutelage of the Qataris.
When Israel
targeted the assemblage of Hamas bigwigs this week it opened up a can of worms
triggering emergency sessions not only far away in the White House
but within the portals of every capital with special emphasis in Middle East. Despite
the outpouring of condemnation from elsewhere, for America it was just business
as usual.
Military and political angles apart the attack shattered
the only lynch pin Qatari
wheel has in functioning as a blossoming state: Neutrality. In
fact the Qatari rulers mindful of their small size but with the vast natural
gas reserves closer to their shore in the Persian Gulf some of it is shared with
Iran, were always associating with powerful armies in the world including USA
& Turkey to ensure a semblance of security. Assurance apart, the Americans
neither had the gumption to defend Qatar from Israeli onslaught nor are keen to
allow others to get involved.
Outnumbered by almost 1 to 5, Qataris were getting
their day to day tasks done using cheap labour from South Asia. That is a thin piece of ice on which
Qataris are walking around. Assume if a major breakdown takes place the immigrant
labour would vanish into shadow.
To camouflage, false sense of security, Qatari dream
castles were built upon a combination of geoeconomics structure where she would
enjoy Singapore style
admin wherein no foreign country is dare to mess around. Besides every
nation has diplomatic and commercial representation in the city state.
The other ingredient is Swiss style tourism bolstered
on the inviolability of neutrality which is so famous that the victorious
allies masterminded it as government system in Austria after her defeat in the
WWII.
Qatar had about 11,637 square kilometres of land area
in a peninsular shape whose southern tip borders on Saudi Arabia. It was vulnerable
then and as it is now to the mechanization of the Saudis. Citing Qatar's
alleged support for terrorism as casus belli Saudi imposed an embargo that
lasted 4 years from 2017. During
this period it was only Iran that gave Qatar sustenance including bottled water.
Qatar has got nothing to do other than supplying natural
gas and providing space for colloquium of interlocutors who make negotiation
and deals for colossal amounts. Put it simply, Qatari power rests on the two pillars of geoeconomics of natural
gas and venue for business negotiation.
Hence her business strategy was fully immersed in her clout as a geoeconomics purveyor. By a single attack Israel has succeeded in rubbishing Qatar to a nonentity.
Cheers!
Muthu Ashraff Rajulu
Business Strategist
Mobile: + 94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
Blog: Business Strategist
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