The myth of Gulf exceptionalism and US protection is over

Growing up in Doha, Qatar, during the 1990s and 2000s, I recall how the presence of US troops in public spaces would puncture the rhythm of normality. While the country has always been diverse, with people passing through and blending into the background, American soldiers never quite could. 

Their visibility was hard to ignore. I saw them in malls and supermarkets, their wrinkled shirts tucked into jeans that sat just below their stomachs. I remember seeing massive sleeve tattoos, and caps pulled low with Oakley sunglasses on top. 

At the time, I did not really understand what I was seeing. I do not recall when I first learned about US bases or their function. But even as a child, the presence of these soldiers felt different, almost theatrical. They moved through public spaces with an ease that bordered on entitlement. 

It would be years before I understood that what I was observing was not incidental, but part of a broader belief system about protection and stability in the Gulf.

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