After the fireworks of the Arab summit, the tense wait for the attack on Baghdad resumes. But, as our correspondent in Doha discovers, the Qatari capital hardly feels like a town poised for war Amid a flurry of insults, leaders of predominantly Muslim countries wrapped up business last week and headed off to Doha airport in a stream of shiny limousines. They left in their wake an uncertain Islamic consensus floating in the hot Doha breeze and a deepening certainty that war with Iraq is inevitable in the coming three weeks. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting, held at Doha's glitzy Ritz Carlton hotel, was noticed more for the verbal firefight that erupted between Iraq and Kuwait, and less for the "unified" final statement condemning military action against Iraq. Izzat Ibrahim Al- Douri, vice-president of the Iraqi Revolutionary Command Council, addressed the Kuwaiti delegate in a manner at odds with the seriousness of the event when he said, "Shut up you monkey. Curses upon your moustache, you traitor." Indeed, at times the conference seemed almost a sideshow to the growing US military and media presence in the region. Although American soldiers are keeping a low profile outside of their bases and US television networks such as CNN and ABC were shunted out of the five-star hotels into humbler lodgings so as to accommodate the delegates, at times conference proceedings gave observers an uneasy sense of déjà vu. The focus may have briefly shifted to the OIC, but Doha, a sleepy town that has wholeheartedly thrown in its lot with the anti-Iraq group, appears poised to explode onto the world stage. Rapid modernisation and development have gone hand- in-hand with the oil-rich emirate's pro-American foreign policy in the past few years. Luxurious apartments, vast, well-stocked malls and fast- food outlets have proliferated alongside an explosion in the construction of compounds for Qatar's burgeoning foreign community. Meanwhile, Doha's huge five-star hotels -- built in striking 1980s style -- are fizzing with expatriate life. Doha's effervescence -- even as the clouds of war gather to the north -- seems almost to reflect the country's buoyant fortune. As one expatriate who has just moved to Qatar said, "Doha will be the next Dubai, mark my words. They'll benefit from their support for the United States at a time when Saudi Arabia is having doubts over whether US troops should be based on its soil." Along the majestic corniche that curls round the bay stand the pioneers of what appears set to become a futuristic-looking skyscraper city. Young palm trees bathed in purple, pink and yellow light sway along the thoroughfares as late- model sports cars and SUVs glide by. Meanwhile, a constant stream of workers from the sub-continent form the muscle of the economy. While Qatar may be a beneficiary of US-style Westernisation, it is being shunned in Arab political circles for its unabashed pro-Americanism. Last year's Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit was boycotted by every head of state except Oman's, while last week only a quarter of the countries in the world's largest Islamic grouping sent their leaders. The emirate has been criticised for allowing the United States to base its CENTCOM (Central Command) headquarters on the outskirts of Doha from which the Pentagon will coordinate the campaign against Baghdad. In response, Qatar has made a show of sensitivity about its decision to host US troops on its territory by refusing media access to one of the main US air bases. "It's the first time they've done anything like this and they are understandably being very cautious," one source said. Baghdad's threat to treat as an enemy any country that permits US forces use of its territory to launch an attack has resonated with the political elite here. The government is acutely aware that throwing its wholehearted support behind the US may be a misplaced throw of the dice should Saddam prove as resilient as he did during the 1991 Gulf War. But for the time being, Qatar is luxuriating in the pre-war calm. Last Thursday, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti and the Bolshoi Symphony orchestra filled the Ritz with an awestruck crowd, while this evening Lebanese diva Fayruz will serenade an exclusive crowd that paid QR500 ($140) for the privilege of listening to her voice. Meanwhile, the European golf tournament is kicking off this week, despite over 50 players having pulled out, including such luminaries as Nick Faldo, Steve Ballesteros and Darren Clarke. It's all part of the drive to put Qatar on the tourist map. New hotels and tourist sites are mushrooming from the dust, and the country has increased its hosting of conferences and sporting events in recent years. Merely the building of the ambitious West Bay complex is costing $130 million while another $110 million has been earmarked for similar projects. The extension of the existing airport is costing $750 million and will be completed in time for Qatar's hosting of the 2006 Asian Games. The economic boom, in seeming defiance of the war drums, is being felt across the board. The national carrier, Qatar Airways, announced its expansion to serve new destinations, including Rome and Islamabad at a time when Iran Air suspended its flights to Kuwait. Qatar was one of three Gulf countries, alongside Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, to be hit by Scud missiles during the 1991 Gulf War. But these days, and with the might of the US army behind them, no one in the emirate feels particularly threatened.
