A gunman opened fire Wednesday on US and Qatari soldiers guarding an air base in this Persian Gulf country. The soldiers shot and killed the gunman, both countries said.
No other casualties were reported in the late morning shooting. The attacker's motive was unknown.
The violence at Al-Adid Air Base, which is being used by US military aircraft, came days before Qatar is to play host to global financial decision-makers at key trade talks. US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick will head the American delegation for the discussions with 141 other nations.
Some members of the World Trade Organization had been wary of coming to the Gulf state because of heightened tension in the region linked to US strikes on Afghanistan. Qatar supports the US war on terrorism, and American troops involved in the campaign are in the country.
The gunman fired at a security position manned by two US personnel and a Qatari soldier, according to the US Central Command.
The official Qatar News Agency said the gunman fired several times at the air base and that the guards shot back, killing him instantly. It identified the gunman as Abdullah Mubarak al-Hajiri, a Qatari.
The Hamad Medical Establishment, a state body that supervises hospitals in Qatar, said in a statement that al-Hajiri had been diagnosed as suffering from symptoms of disturbed personality and unbalanced character. He had been admitted to a psychological clinic in 1990.
In Washington, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke declined to answer a question on how many US soldiers or planes might have been at the base at the time.
The air base's security was "never compromised" during the shooting, Central Command said.
The base is about 30 miles south of the capital, Doha, where the WTO meeting kicks off on Friday.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the shooting did not immediately appear connected to the WTO meeting.
The shooting took place several hours before the American WTO delegation was scheduled to arrive at a different military facility, Fleischer said. "The delegation we have sent there landed safely without incident, proceeded to their hotel."
(Xinhua News Agency November 7,2001)
