United States Department of Defense

UNITED STATES AND THE STATE OF QATAR CONDUCT MILITARY CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

The United States and the State of Qatar will conduct bilateral military-to-military talks March 5-6 in Washington, D.C. These talks are the third Military Consultative Committee meeting between the two countries. The first MCC was held in Washington, D.C. in April 1994 and the second was held in Qatar in April 1995. The Qatari delegation is headed by Brigadier General Hamad bin Ali Al-Attiyah, Chief of Staff of the Qatar Armed Forces.

As an example of the close military cooperation between the two countries, a U.S. Central Command-deployed, 30-plane Airpower Expeditionary Force has been operating in Qatar since early February in support of Operation Southern Watch. This is the second AEF the United States has deployed to Qatar during the past six months. These deployments augment existing U.S. forces in the region and support the U.S. policy of maintaining a continuous and substantial presence in the Arabian Gulf.

The MCC and the AEF deployment reflect the ongoing expansion of military cooperation between the United States and the State of Qatar. The United States also enjoys a robust bilateral exercise program with Qatar. In December the United States and Qatar concluded an amphibious landing exercise, Eastern Maverick 97-1, which included forces from the USS Essex Amphibious Task Group, the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, and various Qatari military units.