The latest from Victor Davis Hanson

[CPT Holzbach]

Any small autocrat with good relations with US who fears either of the big neighbours. Kuwait. Qatar. Oman. Bahrain....

True, if they have the facilities.

Because, unlike Iraq, these two countries have functioning central governments with popular support and functioning militaries that are able to counter such threats.

So does the USA, Britain, and Spain. And look what happened. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Qatar are right next door. Im sceptical that the greater "secret police" powers of an autocracy would be a sufficient safeguard.

[aktarian]

True, if they have the facilities.

Kuwait was staging ground for OIF so I guess facilities are there. USN ships regulary dock at Bahrain so facilities are there.

So does the USA, Britain, and Spain. And look what happened. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Qatar are right next door. Im sceptical that the greater "secret police" powers of an autocracy would be a sufficient safeguard.

VDH is talking about IEDs, not terrorist attacks such as those you mention. And I suspect that in Iraq lot of Iraqis look other way when they see somebody planting IED, something that wouldn't happen in other Gulf countries.

[Mondor]

So does the USA, Britain, and Spain. And look what happened. Meanwhile, Kuwait and Qatar are right next door. Im sceptical that the greater "secret police" powers of an autocracy would be a sufficient safeguard.

In short setting off an IED in Kuwait or Qatar would be viewed as a criminal act and be treated as such. Those countries have the stability and institutional infrastructure to be able to match the appropriate type of force (police or military invistagative/intel units not trigger pullers) to the crime.