Qatar sits on a small peninsula jutting off the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula into the Persian Gulf, wedged between the two regional powers: Saudi Arabia and Iran. Qatar's size and strategic location have made it fundamentally insecure throughout its history, and since the coming of its oil and natural gas wealth, the ruling family in Doha has sought to remedy this problem in a variety of ways. Qatar tries to maintain good ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, it hosts a sizable U.S. military contingent, and it conducts a foreign policy intended to create a perception of Qatari influence that exceeds its actual ability to project power. This desire to create a perception of power explains Qatar's recent moves in eastern Libya, where Doha has slowly positioned itself as one of the main players in the diplomatic game being waged in various corners of the Muslim world.