“We will not participate by any means to harm Iran from Qatar," the First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani said in London.
"Let us hope we solve this diplomatically and through peaceful means," said the minister. Qatar is a host to US Central Command (Centcom) that oversaw military action against Iraq in the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He refused to elaborate on whether Qatar can stop Washington from using the base in any attack.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem also voiced concern that bloody sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi’ites in Iraq could spill out across the region if nothing was done to resolve the differences.
“I think that is a wound which will stay a long time in our body (the Middle East). It is very important we don’t allow the crack between Shi’ite and Sunni (to open) because it could lead to war," he said. "But at the moment I cannot see this light at the end of the tunnel. A lot needs to be done on the ground by the Iraqis and the Americans, or (rather) the alliance."
