Qatar has drawn in extra police from every corner of the globe to help with the sporting event with the tiny Gulf nation expecting an unprecedented influx of 1.2 million visitors. 9 Some of the toughest police units, including Turkey’s special operations unit known as Polis-Özel-Harekat, will be sent to QatarCredit: Getty 9 French police struggled to control violent clashes between fans at Euro 2016Credit: Reuters 9 Troops from the Pakistan Army will also be deployed to bolster numbers for the World CupCredit: Twitter Officers from the US, Britain, Turkey, South Korea, France, Italy and Pakistan will form a patchwork police force recruited to keep order in the month-long football extravaganza. The extra police officers will provide security at Doha’s eight stadiums and hotels where the 32 national football teams are staying as part of “Operation World Cup Shield”. Some of the toughest police units, including Turkey’s special operations unit known as Polis-Özel-Harekat, and French riot police behind the Liverpool fans’ teargas, will step up security. The group of terrorized Turkish cops is mainly used to fight terrorism at home, but has been criticized in the past for human rights abuses – particularly against those in Kurdish areas. Armed with rifles, pistols and its own attack helicopter and numerous armored vehicles the POH is armed to the teeth. The group also has its own tough female unit – one of the few security forces in the world to do so. Along with 3,000 riot police, Turkey has provided its own warship to bolster security at the World Cup for six months.
TCG Burgazad, along with 250 troops, has already been deployed to Doha for the past month. According to a report by Nordic Monitor, an NGO that tracks terrorist activity, the special forces unit will not be held responsible for its action or for any damage to the Gulf state. During a debate on security protocol, opposition MPs criticized the use of Turkish police as “mercenaries”. French officers specializing in anti-drone policing will also make up the bulk of their own 191-strong force. Bomb disposal experts, sniffer dogs, a counter-terrorist unit and cops specializing in tackling football hooliganism will all be deployed. French police came under scrutiny just months ago after shocking footage showed Liverpool fans being teargassed outside the Stade De France in Paris at the Champions League final. Children as young as nine, pregnant women and the disabled were among those pepper-sprayed at the match against Real Madrid. The crowd became restless after paying fans were late entering the stadium in time for the match. Liverpool legends Jamie Carragher and Robbie Fowler then blasted the French government as “liars” who refused to accept any responsibility for the mess. Boris Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, said the violent scenes were “deeply disturbing and disturbing”. Popular French football magazine So Foot even mocked the riot police and asked: “Was anyone thinking of showing the footage of the Champions League final in Qatar?” The deployment of French forces to the Qatar World Cup falls under a security partnership signed last year and passed by the French parliament in August after a bitter debate. Opposition MPs have highlighted the moral implications of sending French officers to protect the country’s “air-conditioned cemeteries” – referring to the tournament’s brand new facilities.
And they also raised concerns about the treatment of female police officers in Qatar – a country known for its strict Islamic code and harsh attitude towards women. France’s interior ministry confirmed to France 24 that its forces in Qatar will include female officers. The ministry said the decision to deploy French security personnel followed a “request from the Qatari authorities” and would help ensure the safety of fans – including French nationals. During Euro 2016, French police struggled to handle violent clashes between Russian Ultras and England fans in Marseille. Horror footage showed Russian fans brutally attacking English crowds with chairs and metal bars before French police sprayed rioters with tear gas and water cannons. Britons Andrew Bache, 51, and Stewart Gray, 47, were both left in a coma after being attacked by Russian thugs.

POLICE FORCE OF BALOMENA

Turkey is to send 100 special operations police, 50 bomb experts and 80 sniffer and riot dogs to monitor any terrorist activity. It will also undertake chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense operations in the tournament. The country’s police officers are being taught English and given instructions on what to expect when they arrive in Qatar, a Turkish source told Reuters. They said: “During the tournament, the Turkish police will only receive orders from their Turkish superiors temporarily serving in Qatar.” “The Qatari side will not be able to give direct orders to the Turkish police. “All expenses of personnel deployed … will be covered by the State of Qatar.” 9 Fans clash with French police in Marseille in riots that leave two Britons seriously injuredCredit: Reuters 9 The police unit is being trained to carry out anti-terror operations in Turkey and is armed to the teethCredit: Getty 9 French police monitor Liverpool fans during the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in MayCredit: AP Nearly 800 Qataris have also been trained by Turkey in subjects ranging from “sports security” to “intervention at social events”. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s cabinet approved a draft deal last month that will allow the government to provide troops for the tournament – although the numbers have not been confirmed.
Morocco also supported sending officers to Qatar, with local media reporting that several thousand could be deployed. And South Korea has sent military police officers with experience in counter-terrorism and maintaining public order to help train Qatari cops. According to Yonhap, the detachment consists of “veteran soldiers with experience in overseas military units, anti-terrorist task force, arresting violent military criminals, presidential office guards and various national event guards.” Spain considered sending 115 officers – but ultimately declined.

ANTI-TERRORISM BUSINESS

As the first Middle Eastern country to host a World Cup – and the smallest nation to do so – Qatar has no previous experience of hosting events of this scale. Members of the Qatari police force already met with police officers in New York in January to exchange tips on security during major events. And in July, the US signed agreements with Qatar to “detect air passengers linked to terrorism, trafficking, identify watch-listed travelers and monitor potential security risks at Hamad International Airport.” The UK, whose forces regularly hold exercises with their Qatari counterparts, has also said it will send units from the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force to support counter-terrorism efforts. A British police unit to be deployed will act as a barrier between fans and potentially overzealous local forces to ‘de-escalate’ trouble at the tournament. Fifteen specialist UK police “engagement officers” were drafted in to “calm things down if necessary”. Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts, the UK’s top football police officer, said: “Our officers will be there to try and get involved and calm things down if needed. “We are not the morality police and we are not going to tell people not to protest. “This is a local enforcement issue. We just want to take care of the supporters. “The last thing we want is for someone to unintentionally cause offence, so if we see that there’s something that might cause a problem, we can go and try to de-escalate the situation.” The last thing we want is for someone to cause unintentional offense, so if we see that there’s something that might cause a problem, we can go and try to de-escalate the situation Cheshire Chief Constable Mark Roberts Mr Roberts said the “potential for misunderstanding is probably greater” in Qatar. “We know England fans have often gone to a square and had a drink, but that’s not really an option because you don’t have the off-sale in Qatar in the same way. “If you have 2,000 fans in one place, even in the UK, the police would have to come and sometimes when England played away, our fans responded a bit. “We just want to avoid that.” Hundreds of Qatari nationals have also been called in to man security checkpoints at stadiums. Recruits will man security lines and check fans for drugs or weapons hidden in ponytails, jacket linings or even fake bellies, according to training footage seen by Reuters. In early September, civilians were ordered to report for duty before dawn at the national service camp north of the Qatari capital Doha. A source said citizens were told it was their “patriotic duty” to help with the World Cup. “Most people are there because they have to be – they don’t want to get into trouble,” the source said. The current batch of citizens are on four months’ paid leave from their jobs at key Qatari institutions such as state-owned QatarEnergy and the foreign ministry, the source said. Recruits report to national service camp five days a week, where they attend training sessions – and are taught to approach fans with “positive body language, focus and a smile”. The training also includes hour-long marching exercises on the parade ground. A Qatari government official said: “The recruits will provide additional support during the tournament as part of the regular schedule, as they do every year at major public events such as the National Day celebration.” 9 French riot police have also been forced during yellow vest protestsCredit: Getty Images -…