Doha Can Take It!

[Photo: Florian Wehde]

Currently one of the UK’s most popular podcasts, The Wargame tests former senior policymakers’ responses to a hypothetical Russian attack on the British mainland. While both sides limit their ‘turns’ to conventional military and non-kinetic activities, options for “going nuclear” are frequently discussed.

A wake-up call for some over the UK’s inability to contend with external aggression, The Wargame also feeds into popular culture’s long-held fascination with apocalyptic scenarios. An intoxicating mix of near misses -think Able Archer- and growing proliferation made the Cold War ripe for dramas like Threads which pulled no punches in their depictions of nuclear conflict. As the Soviet threat faded, doomsday culture increasingly focused on the rise of machines, walking dead, bodysnatching fungi, and so on.

Despite the gloomy futures often awaiting protagonists, a key theme running through post-apocalyptic culture concerns resilience. It doesn’t matter if the earth is irradiated, power grids have been wiped out, or society has regressed along Hobbesian lines, life goes on. Humankind tries to make the best of difficult situations and, where possible, seeks a semblance of normality.

While comparisons between Iran’s recent attack on Qatar’s Al Udeid air base and hellscapes created for entertainment are of course inappropriate, the Gulf state’s ability to keep calm and carry on was nevertheless intriguing. As the country’s air defenses sprang into life Doha’s shops and restaurants initially remained open, many delivery drivers stayed on the road, and people stopped to observe the unfolding drama in the skies. And then things got back to normal.

Alongside the armed forces, Qatar Airways was the other major domestic organization forced to respond to the Iranian attack. Closure of Qatari airspace prompted the shutdown of Hamad International Airport, diversion of flights, and implementation of complex contingency measures. Yet just two days after the attack, Qatar Airways’ Chief Executive Officer published an open letter declaring that the plan had worked and normal services resumed within 18 hours.

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