The Qatar Armed Forces (QAF) Chemical Defence Unit and the US Central Command’s Exercises Directorate co-hosted Exercise Leading Edge 2015, a multilateral, inter-agency event to discuss combating the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
The intent of the event, which culminated with a table-top exercise with the participating nations, was to encourage endorsing nations to ensure adequate legal and policy frameworks exist within their own governments to prevent the trafficking of WMD and illicit transfer components used in Weapons of Mass Destruction.
This is the first time Qatar has co-hosted this event with the US Central Command.
Preventing the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction and the illicit trafficking of dual-use materials from which WMD can be made is an important shared goal of the US, Qatar and all of the nations represented in the exercise.
Ensuring that governments have the required tools to prevent Weapons of Mass Destruction proliferation enhances security in the Gulf region and across the globe.
“We are grateful for Qatar’s leadership in hosting this important event, and we are confident that the meeting will be a milestone in expanding the reach and effectiveness of global counter-proliferation activities,” stated US ambassador Dana Shell Smith during the opening ceremony.
