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President Trump signed an executive order this week providing Qatar with a NATO-style security guarantee against foreign aggression.
The order makes it US policy to guarantee the “security and territorial integrity” of Qatar against “external attack” and follows the controversial Sept. 9 Israeli missile strikes targeting Hamas leaders in Doha.
“The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,” reads the order, which was published by the White House on Wednesday.
“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability,” it continues.
The order further directs cabinet officials to “maintain joint contingency planning” with Qatar “to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to any foreign aggression” against the Gulf state.
Trump signed the order on Monday, the same day Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House and expressed “deep regret” about the strikes during a three-way call with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, set up by the president.
On the call, Netanyahu also “affirmed that Israel will not conduct such an attack again in the future,” according to a White House readout of the conversation.
A Qatari security official was among the six people reported killed in the strikes, which targeted Hamas leaders as they gathered with Qatari mediators for another round of cease-fire discussions.
The order describes Qatar as a “steadfast ally” and praises the role the Middle Eastern nation has played as a mediator in foreign conflicts. It does not specifically cite the recent Israeli strikes as the impetus for the new security guarantee.
“As the President stated, he has assured Qatar that attacks like the recent one will not happen again on their soil,” a White House official said in a statement. “On Monday, President Trump hosted a historic trilateral phone call between the Prime Ministers of Qatar and Israel, which helped to put Israel-Qatar relations on a positive track.”
Similar to Trump’s order, NATO’s Article V provision considers an attack on any member of the alliance as an attack on all members.
It requires members to defend the ally under attack, including potentially through the use of military force.
Trump secured more than $243.5 billion in deals with Qatar, including a $400 million 747 jet that the president hopes to use as a temporary replacement for Air Force One, during a March visit to the Gulf state.
