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French riot police responsible for the tear-gassing of Liverpool fans and Turkish special forces will be drafted in for the Qatar World Cup in a bid to prevent football hooliganism spiralling out of control.
Officers from all around the world, including the UK, US, Turkey, South Korea, France, Italy and Pakistan, are among the alliance set to descend on the Gulf nation as it prepares to welcome 1.2million visitors during the global tournament.
The additional officers will be deployed at the eight stadiums in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and also at hotels where the 32 teams competing will be staying.
‘Operation World Cup Shield’ as it has been dubbed will see some of the toughest police units drafted in, including Turkey’s special operations unit, the Polis-Özel-Harekat, the Sun reports.
The Turkish special officers are often used to battle terrorism but have come under scrutiny for their human rights violations. But come the World Cup, a 100-strong force will be armed with rifles, handguns, armed vehicles and an attack helicopter.
Under a protocol signed between the two countries and published in Turkey’s official gazette, the nation is also deploying 3,000 riot police, 50 bomb specialists and 80 sniffer and riot dogs.
They have also offered to send its own warship, the TCG Burgazad, in a bid to bolster security at the World Cup.
‘Operation World Cup Shield’ as it has been dubbed will see some of the toughest police units drafted in for the international tournament in Qatar
Turkey’s special operations unit, the Polis-Özel-Harekat (pictured), have been sent to Qatar to help with security
French riot police responsible for the tear-gassing of Liverpool fans at the Stade De France in May will also be drafted in for the World Cup
French football magazine So Foot even took a jab at their nation’s police force, asking: ‘Did anyone think to show the Qataris footage of the Champions League final?’ Pictured: Riot police hold back fans at the stadium entrance
Turkey’s special forces: Polis-Özel-Harekat
Turkey’s special forces, the Polis-Özel-Harekat, are usually responsible for combating terrorism.
But they have come under scrutiny for their human rights violations in the past, especially to those in Kurdish areas.
Now, 100 of them – alongside 3,000 riot police – are being drafted into Qatar, with a responsibility of keeping football fans in check.
Turkey’s special forces: Polis-Özel-Harekat
They will not take direct orders from Qatari officials and will not be held responsible for any action or damages in the Gulf nation.
They will be armed with rifles, handguns, armed vehicles and an attack helicopter.
Nearly 800 Qataris have also been trained by Turkey on issues ranging from ‘sports safety’ to ‘intervention in social events’.
The ship along with 250 officers have already been sent to Doha in the last month in preparation for the beginning of the World Cup on November 20.
Turkey will also be handling chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence during their time there.
A source revealed that they have been learning English and that Qatar officials will not be able to give them direct orders.
Nearly 800 Qataris have also been trained by Turkey on issues ranging from ‘sports safety’ to ‘intervention in social events’, the source added.
A report by Nordic Monitor, an NGO which detects terrorist activity, Turkey’s special forces unit will not be held responsible for its action or any damages in Qatar.
Joining them will be the French riot cops who were blasted for their role in tear-gassing Liverpool fans outside the Stade De France in Paris at the Champions League final on May 28.
Children as young as nine, pregnant women and disabled people were pepper-sprayed during a night which masked the event itself, as many struggled to even make it into the stadium at all.
PM at the time Boris Johnson said the horrific scenes were ‘deeply upsetting and disturbing’. Meanwhile, former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher branded the French government ‘liars’ at the time who would not accept responsibility.
French football magazine So Foot even took a jab at their nation’s police force, asking: ‘Did anyone think to show the Qataris footage of the Champions League final?’
At a parliamentary hearing in June, Didier Lallement, the Paris Police Prefect, even defended the shocking scenes.
France’s most senior policeman defended asphyxiating Liverpool football fans, saying: ‘I’m sorry but there were no other means. The only way was to gas people. I asked for gas to be used.’
French riot police were also blasted for their handling of clashes between England and Russia fans in Marseille during Euro 2016.
Shocking footage showed English crowds being attacked by Russian ultras with metal bars before officers sprayed them with tear-gas.
Two England fans, Andrew Bache and Stewart Gray were both left in a coma from the assault.
Specialist anti-drone French officers will also be added to the force made up of 191 cops.
Qatar will be a sea of security as it adds bomb-disposal teams, sniffer dogs and anti-terror units.
France has confirmed that female officers will also be deployed after concerns were raised about the treatment they would get in Qatar – a country where women have to obtain permission from their male guardians to marry or study abroad on government scholarships.
Turkey have also sent its own warship, the TCG Burgazad, in a bid to bolster security at the World Cup in Qatar
French riot police were also blasted for their handling of clashes between England and Russia fans in Marseille during Euro 2016
The World Cup in Qatar begins on Saturday November 20 in which 32 nations will face-off
Meanwhile Pakistan last month announced that it would be happy to send troops to Qatar but it is not yet known how many will be there.
Officials confirmed last week that three Pakistani firemen died in a training accident in Qatar just weeks before the start of the World Cup.
Authorities said the three were not taking part in a multi-national World Cup security exercise currently being held around Doha that includes simulations of ‘chemical incidents’ and demonstrations.
But accounts given by friends of the three and posted on social media said they were on a firetruck-mounted crane that collapsed in the Qatari capital’s Hamad port as part of a separate training exercise.
It comes as a human rights lawyer in Nepal hit out at Qatari authorities, claiming the World Cup is ‘bloodstained’ due to the numbers of migrant worker deaths.
Fifteen British police ‘peacekeepers’ are being deployed to help boisterous football fans avoid being arrested
Despite threats of boycotts amid widespread criticism of alleged human rights abuses and poor treatment of migrant workers in the run up to the World Cup, all 32 teams which qualified for the tournament are set to take part.
Morocco could be sending several thousand officers while South Korea has offered military officers who are helping to train Qatari cops in maintaining public order.
Spain, who had been considering sending 115 officers, in the end pulled out.
Qataris have reportedly been called up to help with security at stadiums too with one source revealing that they were told it was their ‘patriotic duty’.
Meanwhile, 15 British police ‘peacekeepers’ are being deployed to help boisterous football fans avoid being arrested.
Specialist UK officers will intervene to ‘calm down’ supporters who risk breaching strict morality laws.
Drinking alcohol outside fan zones, swearing and public displays of affection are all offences that can lead to arrest in the hardline Islamic country.
About 7,000 England and Wales fans are expected to travel to Qatar and a further 20,000 expat Brits live in the country.
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