US to help identify terror-linked air passengers as part of World Cup security deal – Doha News
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The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) signed collaborative partnership agreements with Qatar on Tuesday in an effort to improve security during the World Cup in November.
“Under a Joint Security Program( JSP), DHS and the Ministry of Interior of the State of Qata(MOI) will partner to identify air passengers linked to terrorism, trafficking, detecting watchlisted travelers, and monitoring potential security risks at Hamad International Airport,” DHS explained in a joint statatement.
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This announcement comes after a Doha meeting between DHS Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani to discuss shared security priorities during the World Cup and beyond.
During this meeting, Silvers and the head of Qatar’s National Cyber Security Agency(NCSA) H.E. Abdurrahman Ali Al-Maliki signed a joint statement of intent on cybersecurity cooperation.
This agreement will improve communication in various areas, including information sharing, advisory services, and human capital development.
Meanwhile, both parties agreed on further commitment to collaborate on countering threats from unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS), and “DHS is committed to sharing lessons learned and best practices on C-UAS to help secure World Cup Qatar 2022,” the statement added.
Silvers further promised that the Transportation and Security Administration (TSA) will provide support for screening, baggage inspection, insider risk management, and other security-related priorities.
TSA also committed to host a Qatari delegation at a US airport to share best practices in airport safety and security, provide technical assistance to the Qatari Civil Aviation Authority, and contribute personnel to bolster a Joint Operations Center that will provide daily screening.
Additional assistance will be provides by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to help detect suspicious travellers, port courtesy procedures for VIP personnel, and air cargo, passenger, and seaport interdiction.
Security assistance during World Cup
As part of the alliance’s close partnership with Doha, NATO recently confirmed it will help Qatar with security measures during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“The support will include training against threats posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) materials, which will be delivered by Slovakia and NATO’s Joint CBRN Defence Centre of Excellence in the Czech Republic,” the North Atlantic alliance explained in a statement.
Britain’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy is also set to provide counter-terror policing during the competition, Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom announced in late May.
In the region, Turkish Interior Minister Suleiman Soylu announced that his country will temporarily send 3,250 security personnel to Qatar for the sporting event.
Those to be deployed during the tournament include 3,000 riot police officers, 100 Turkish special forces, 50 bomb detection dogs and their operators, 50 bomb experts and other staff – all of whom will be on duty for some 45 days.
Soylu also added that Ankara has also trained 677 Qatari security personnel in 38 different professional areas, without providing further details on the specificities, according to Al Jazeera.
Morocco has also reportedly agreed to deploy a team of cybersecurity experts to Qatar ahead of the World Cup, Rabat-based media said.
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