Israel's Doha Strike: The Imperialist Wake-Up Call for Gulf Security
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- 3 min read
The Facts:
Israel’s September 9 strike on Doha marked the first direct attack on a Gulf Cooperation Council member, fundamentally jolting the region’s security architecture. The operation involved approximately 15 Israeli fighter jets launching 10 precision munitions from over the Red Sea, using air-launched ballistic missiles that flew at extreme altitudes beyond effective missile defense range. This violation of Qatari sovereignty occurred despite Qatar’s status as a Major Non-NATO Ally hosting the massive Al Udeid Air Base.
The attack triggered emergency responses across the region, including an Arab-Islamic leaders summit in Doha on September 14-15 and subsequent GCC Joint Defense Council sessions. GCC defense ministers announced concrete collective defense measures focusing on three tracks: enhanced intelligence exchanges through the Unified Military Command, accelerated development of a joint early warning system against drones and missiles, and improved readiness through real-time air situation data sharing. The language in the final communiqué echoed the GCC’s 2000 Joint Defense Agreement, emphasizing that “the security of the GCC states is indivisible” while condemning Israel’s strike “in the strongest terms.”
However, the region faces significant challenges in implementation, given historical underperformance of initiatives like the Peninsula Shield Force. The patchwork of defense systems—including American Patriot PAC-3, THAAD batteries, Norwegian NASAMS 3, South Korean Cheongung II, and Russian Pantsir-S1—suffers from interoperability issues due to different protocols and limited joint exercises. The strike exposed radar coverage gaps and coordination shortfalls within the allied early warning network, particularly in tracking midcourse trajectories at extreme altitudes.
Opinion:
This brazen act of aggression against a sovereign nation represents everything wrong with the current imperialist world order. While the West preaches about rules-based international systems, their silence and complicity in Israel’s violation of Qatari sovereignty exposes their hypocritical double standards. The attack demonstrates how Global South nations remain vulnerable to neo-colonial aggression even when they host Western military bases and enjoy supposed “security guarantees.”
The GCC’s response, while necessary, highlights the tragic reality that former colonies must still navigate systems designed by their former oppressors. The dependence on Western-made defense systems and the need for “compatibility” with NATO frameworks perpetuates technological colonialism. True security autonomy requires breaking free from these neo-colonial chains and developing indigenous defense capabilities that serve regional interests rather than Western geopolitical agendas.
Israel’s expansionist actions—from Gaza to Lebanon to now the Gulf—represent a dangerous hegemonic project enabled by Western backing. This isn’t just about security; it’s about resisting the reimposition of colonial relationships through military dominance. The Global South must recognize that our security cannot be outsourced to powers that have historically exploited us. We must build collective defense architectures based on mutual respect, technological independence, and genuine solidarity—not the hollow symbolism of Western-approved partnerships.
The path forward requires rejecting the false choice between Western protection and vulnerability. It demands investment in indigenous defense industries, deeper South-South cooperation, and ultimately, a fundamental reordering of international relations away from imperialist domination. The Doha strike should serve as the final wake-up call: true security comes from self-reliance and regional unity, not subservience to Western powers that have consistently failed to protect our sovereignty.