One week after ex Pakistani Prime Minister Shabaz Sharif’s visit to Qatar in August, last year – 8 Indian Navy personnel were arrested by Qatari authorities on August 30, 2022. Their death sentence comes 2 weeks days after the Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, Lieutenant General (Pilot) Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet held talks with Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir in Rawalpindi on October 12, 2023
Qatar has sentenced eight former Indian Navy personnel to death after accusing them of spying on the oil-rich kingdom’s secretive project involving the acquisition of Italian-made, high-tech submarines with advanced metamaterial coatings designed to make them difficult to detect by potential adversaries. While Qatar has not made the allegations or the charges public yet, information available in the public domain adds a complex layer to this case.
What do we know about Qatar’s ‘Secret Submarine Project’?
The ex-Indian Navy officers stand accused of espionage in relation to Qatar’s confidential submarine program. As per a report in The Print, intelligence sources revealed that Qatar was working on this highly secretive project, which involved the procurement of advanced submarines with metamaterial coatings.
In 2020, Fincantieri SpA, a prominent shipbuilding company based in Italy’s Trieste, had entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Qatar for the production of submarines. This MOU was reportedly part of a more extensive project encompassing the construction of a naval base and the maintenance of Qatar’s military fleet, including orders for four corvettes and a helicopter carrier, as part of a significant naval expansion initiative.
As per reports, Qatar State Security, the nation’s intelligence agency, claimed to have intercepted electronic communications that pointed to the naval officers’ involvement in espionage activities related to the submarine program. However, the purported evidence has not been shared with Indian authorities.
Qatar, Italy and a secret submarine deal?
As per an old report in The Print, despite the 2020 MOU between Fincantieri and Qatar, it has been clarified that the agreement has not been implemented. Nevertheless, reports emerged suggesting that new-generation submarines for Qatar were being constructed by M23 S.R.L at a factory in Bergamo, Italy in collaboration with CABI Cattaneo, a submarine manufacturing company. Representative computer-generated graphics were presented during a briefing by CABI Cattaneo to the Italian defense ministry in 2021.
These submarines are believed to be smaller variants of the U212 Near Future Submarine, a joint effort between Italy and the German firm Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. The U212 submarines are equipped with an air-independent propulsion system, enabling them to conduct extended operations without needing to surface. Additionally, they possess electronic capabilities that allow them to function as motherships for autonomous undersea drones.
All eight former Indian Navy personnel found themselves in trouble while working at Al Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services, a prominent defense services provider based in Doha. The company provided crucial training and services to Qatar’s armed forces. Dahra Global Technologies and Consulting Services played a pivotal role in advising on a Qatari initiative aimed at acquiring high-tech Italian-made submarines renowned for their radar-evading capabilities. As per several media reports, the ex Navy men were tasked with overseeing the induction of advanced Italian U212 stealth submarines into the Qatari Emiri Naval Force (QENF).
Pakistan link to the death sentence given to 8 ex Indian Navy personnel?
It’s significant to note here that on October 12th, 2023 – Chief of Staff of Qatar Armed Forces, Lieutenant General (Pilot) Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet met Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir in Rawalpindi. Both sides committed to enhancing defence and security cooperation.
On August 22nd last year, then Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif travelled to Qatar on a two-day official visit to the Gulf country. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, had invited Shabaz Sharif. He was accompanied by a high-level delegation on this first visit to Qatar since assuming office. During his visit, former Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Qatari investors to explore the opportunities presented by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
One week after Shabaz Sharif’s Qatar visit, eight former Indian Navy personnel were arrested by Qatari authorities in Doha on August 30, 2022.
Death sentence to Indian Navy Veterans to blackmail?
The timing of this death sentence given to the eight ex-Indian Navy officers in Qatar is raising suspicion. It comes bang in the middle of the Israel-Hamas war.
In the last 14 months, when India extended support to its former navy officers, it faced a unique challenge when dealing with Qatar. It became apparent that Qatar viewed this case as a strategic ‘bargaining chip’ to wield against India. Security experts are of the view that this intricate geopolitical maneuvering also involves Turkey and Iran, who not only disapprove of India’s solid bilateral relations with the UAE and Saudi Arabia but also are unhappy with support India gave to Israel after Hamas launched its assault on October 7th, 2023.
In essence, this unprecedented sentence against our ex-Navy officers is being perceived as a “diplomatic tool” wielded by Qatar in its intricate regional game, with implications that extend far beyond the case at hand.
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