The Qatar Armed Forces brought together military forces from several countries for a bilateral exercise called Buzzard 4, also known as Ferocious Falcon, held May 10-26, 2015.
The exercise included elements such as responding to and overcoming various natural disasters and countering terrorist threats in cooperation with other countries. Participants came from 27 countries and included Qatar’s civil government departments.
The exercise ended with a strategic seminar for senior leaders that focused on regional security and stability topics. Part of the event was attended by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, as well as Qatar’s Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al-Thani.
Qatar Brig. Gen. Jassim Ahmed Al Muhannadi, who heads Qatar’s national defense and crises management, said the exercise achieved all of its goals.
Bangladesh brought nearly 350 military personnel to the exercise. “Security breach in any part of the world has a cascading effect on the other part,” Brig. Gen. Abdullah Al Yusuf of Bangladesh said. “Any security threat in the Middle East will have its effect on Bangladesh, since we have migrants working there.”
Sources: Qatar News Agency, The Daily Bangladesh