"There was very little the Gulf state of Qatar could have done against the ballistic missiles Israel fired at it around two weeks ago. According to media reports, around 10 Israeli fighter planes flew over the Red Sea on September 9 making sure they were not in any other country's airspace before firing missiles in what's known as an "over the horizon" attack. This way, ballistic missiles travel into the earth's upper atmosphere or even outer space before coming back down again."
"Because the missiles flew in unexpectedly, from over the horizon, Qatar could do little to defend itself. As it is, one of Qatar's most important safeguards against Israel has nothing to do with sophisticated missile defense systems. Israel's biggest ally, the US, has its largest regional base in the country and recently granted Qatar the status of a "major non-NATO ally.""
An Israeli over-the-horizon ballistic missile attack flew over the Red Sea on September 9, launched by fighter planes that avoided other countries' airspace. Ballistic missiles traveled into the upper atmosphere or near space before returning to strike. The eventual targets were members of Hamas meeting in an upscale neighborhood in Doha to discuss a possible Gaza ceasefire; six people were killed, apparently not the intended targets. The unexpected trajectory left Qatar with little ability to defend itself. The United States maintains its largest regional base in Qatar and recently granted it major non-NATO ally status, but that did not prevent the strike. The attack undermined Gulf assumptions about US protection and pushed Gulf rulers toward greater strategic autonomy and hedging.
Read at www.dw.com
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