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[twdnewh_k]

Football clubs with sponsors of airlines from dictatorship countries look pretty foolish now.

Not sure what this has to do with anything. Under that logic then no American company (or many others) should sponsor any sport or club or event ever.

 

[Dopus]

Turks are getting a bit feisty.

This is all going bad. Much as I dislike US hegemony, this is what happens when the overiding power disengages from the region. All the young upstarts start strutting about, and I worry that there is no referee/bully/sarge (depending on your view) to keep the fools in check.

That dominant power should never have been there in the first place.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Football clubs with sponsors of airlines from dictatorship countries look pretty foolish now.

Looking foolish?
That ship already sailed
https://youtu.be/WS2CQQfQzEM

 

[Aceofspades]

There is a story going that Qatar was plotting with Gaddafi against SA.

Not sure how credible it's though.

There was an approved voice tape with previous Qatar emir saying basically this. Its not far fetched that his son will continue same path.

 

[Syder]

Qatar Foundation does a lot of good stuff as well tho.

 

[Pomerlaw]

Is shit about to hit the fan in Syria? Seems like too many things are converging, including US and Russia...

BEIRUT, Lebanon — American-backed forces have begun an assault on Raqqa, the Islamic State's hub in northern Syria, and signs are that they could capture the long-sought target with relative ease. Yet the militant group's commanders, who have already withdrawn their toughest forces from the city, and most everyone else in Syria's multifaceted war are looking ahead to an even more decisive battle in the south.

There, a complex confrontation is unfolding, with far more geopolitical import and risk. The Islamic State is expected to make its last stand not in Raqqa but in an area that encompasses the borders with Iraq and Jordan and much of Syria's modest oil reserves, making it important in stabilizing Syria and influencing its neighboring countries.

Whoever lays claim to the sparsely populated area in this 21st-century version of the Great Game not only will take credit for seizing what is likely to be the Islamic State's last patch of a territorial caliphate in Syria, but also will play an important role in determining Syria's future and the postwar dynamics of the region.

With the stakes so high, the United States, Iran and Russia are all scrambling for advantage. They are building up their forces and proxy fighters and, increasingly, engaging in inflammatory clashes that threaten to escalate into a larger conflict.

On Thursday, an American pilot shot down an Iranian-made drone as big as an American Predator, which had fired on American-backed Syrian fighters and American Special Forces advisers.

All have their eyes on the province of Deir al-Zour, where Islamic State forces surround an estimated 200,000 people in a government-held section of the provincial capital of the same name.

The contested area also includes desert regions farther south that include several border crossings, including the critical highway connecting Damascus and Baghdad — coveted by Iran as a land route to Lebanon and its ally, the Shiite militia Hezbollah.

But what is really at stake are even larger issues. Will the Syrian government re-establish control of the country all the way to its eastern borders? Will the desert straddling the Syrian-Iraqi border remain a no man's land ripe for militant control? If not, who will dominate there — forces aligned with Iran, Russia or the United States? Which Syrian factions will wield the most influence?

The moment is a ”major crossroads" in the conflict, said Kamel Wazne, who studies Hezbollah, the United States and the Middle East and teaches at the American University of Beirut.

The Americans want to prevent the establishment of a ”Shiite crescent" of influence from Iran to Lebanon, Mr. Wazne said, and to maintain ”a piece of what is taking place in Syria."

”They will not allow the Iranians and those they support to have a victory at the expense of the Americans in the whole region," he added.

That, Mr. Wazne said, puts the United States at loggerheads with the pro-government alliance in Syria, especially Hezbollah and Iran. With President Trump and his newly emboldened Sunni partners in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf turning up the heat against Iran, Tehran and its allies will be determined, he said, to show they cannot be intimidated.

”They can drive the confrontation," he said. ”This camp is actually more determined to carry through with the fight, in their minds the ultimate confrontation."

Indeed, on Friday, pro-government forces struck what could be a major blow to American plans, making a surprise advance to the Iraqi border that cut off American-backed troops, blocking their way to the front against Islamic State in Deir al-Zour.

The lineup of combatants is dizzying. Moving east from the heart of Syria is the alliance backing President Bashar al-Assad, consisting of the Syrian Army and Iran-backed militias, supported by Russian air power and Iranian advisers. Some reports even suggest that Russian advisers are active on the battlefield.

Moving north from the Jordanian border are Syrian rebels who have long fought the government but are now being trained to fight the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, by American, British and Norwegian forces. They have a garrison near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders and the Baghdad highway, and receive air support from the United States-led, anti-ISIS coalition.

Then there is a different American-backed force, the one attacking the Islamic State in Raqqa. There are signs that to take Raqqa without an all-out fight, they will let more Islamic State fighters escape to the south. And their leaders have voiced ambitions to follow the fight south to Deir al-Zour.

That is a problematic prospect because the force, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces, is led by Syrian Kurdish militias that have established a semiautonomous Kurdish zone farther north and are distrusted by many Arabs. American officials have sought to allay those concerns by noting the force is half Arab and saying it will hand over retaken areas to civilian local councils.

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Finally, in Iraq, Iran-backed Iraqi Shiite militias have pushed west to the border with Syria.

With all these forces on a collision course, several recent escalations have raised fears of a direct confrontation between the United States and Iran, or even Russia.

While saying it does not seek confrontation with the Syrian government or its allies, the United States has begun deliberately bombing them, something it had not done before in the war, hitting Iranian-backed militias it deemed too close to Tanf, the site of the American and rebel garrison.

But the pro-government alliance has not backed down. It has denounced the American presence as illegal and continued to confront the allied forces, culminating in Thursday's drone strike.

That episode showed that Iranian advisers, or perhaps even Iranian proxies like Hezbollah, are operating full-size drones in Syria and are willing to risk clashes with the United States.

Looming over everything is the question of how far Russia is prepared to back Iran — a tactical ally but one with which it differs strategically on major issues like Israel and the United States. American generals believe that the answer is ”not far." Secretary of Defense James Mattis even said Russia had tried to persuade the Iranian-backed forces not to approach the American base.

But diplomats in Beirut say Russia may be saying the opposite to its allies in Syria, and may see little reason to halt what could be an awkward test for the United States, which insists it does not want to get more deeply involved in Syria. Will it risk war to protect a small base?

One diplomat who was briefed on the Russian position said Moscow wanted to see that the American-backed rebels left the area.

The rising tensions reflect increased strains in the region. The Trump administration has vowed to push back against Iran. Israel, saying it will not tolerate a Hezbollah presence abutting its territory, has been striking pro-government forces in the south.

Saudi Arabia, emboldened by Mr. Trump, has increased the pressure, isolating Qatar in part for its cordial relations with Iran. Islamic State attacks in Tehran on Wednesday further inflamed sentiments, and Iran said Saudi Arabia, Israel and the United States were ultimately to blame.

Now, into that volatile mix, toss a battle that will reveal the unsustainable contradictions of the fight against the Islamic State as the forces arrayed against it jockey against one another.

As always, the Deir al-Zour arena is a rat's nest of contradicting alliances. As they converge, something will have to give.

For instance, the United States is working indirectly in Iraq with Iranian-backed Iraqi Shiite militias — some of the very ones that it has fired on in Syria's southeastern desert.

Islamic State fighters are besieging Syrian government forces in the provincial capital, Deir al-Zour, so by routing them, the United States would be helping Mr. Assad, whom it opposes.

Mr. Assad says that Syria's sovereignty is paramount and that he will retake all lost territory, but he cannot do so without the help of Iran and Russia, which exercise a striking degree of autonomy and authority in Syria. Nor can he prevent the United States from operating there.

The Kurdish militias have so far hedged, neither directly confronting the pro-government forces nor openly collaborating with them, to avoid alienating Arab opposition allies. But they may have to choose, as the forces come into contact.

The dangers were underscored by a Syrian member of a Hezbollah-trained militia that took part in the recent drone attack on the American garrison. He said Shiite militiamen and technicians from Iran were monitoring the base with a drone, which American planes then destroyed on the ground. Five people, including two Iranians, were injured.

A second drone shot at the rebels and the Americans, said the fighter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. ”This is a message to the Americans," he said. ”They can't tell us there are places we're not allowed to approach."

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/10/...r-al-zour-iran-russia-united-states.html?_r=0

It's a bit scary to think about. How can this end up peacefully?

 

[KernelPanic]

So if your deals with Trump and his family fall through, you call the country a supporter of terrorism.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_593d6691e4b0c5a35ca06118

Donald Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner all repeatedly sought financing for various investments in recent years from leading figures in Qatar, according to sources with direct knowledge of the meetings.

Those previously unreported overtures have taken on new relevance as a diplomatic crisis aggravated by President Trump has left the small Gulf nation blockaded and isolated by its rivals, with tensions in the Middle East reaching historic highs.

Therein lies the source of much consternation among Qataris. Several people interviewed for this piece expressed concern that Trump’s bias against their country might stem from a series of failed business overtures that he (along with his son-in-law Jared Kushner) made seven years ago, which are only now being reported. They did not go as swimmingly as the deals made with the Saudis and Emiratis.

 

[FreedomFighter]

TRUMP and SAUDI ARABIA: "Qatar, you support terrorism! You're not our friends anymore!"

As if that wasn't hilarious enough... THIS:

Trump sells Qatar $12 billion of U.S. weapons days after accusing it of funding terrorism

Can't make this shit up... 😂😂😂😂😂😂

 

[SKINNER!]

Four Arab states have sent Qatar a list of 13 demands it must meet if it wants them to lift their sanctions.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain are asking the Gulf state to shut down its broadcaster, Al Jazeera.

They are also asking Qatar to reduce ties with Iran and close a Turkish military base - all within 10 days.

Qatar, which sought to raise its profile in recent years, denies funding terrorism and fostering instability.

It has been subjected to more than two weeks of unprecedented diplomatic and economic sanctions, in the worst political crisis among Gulf countries in decades.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40378221

 

[mercenar1e]

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40378221

get rid of the media, alienate yourself from the only allies in the region.. who wouldn't take that offer?

 

[IdreamofHIME]

It's was obviously always about Al Jazeera, just shocked they admitted it so fast.

 

[Banderdash]

It's was obviously always about Al Jazeera, just shocked they admitted it so fast.

I'm in the dark... what's the problem with Al Jazeera?

 

[norinrad]

I'm in the dark... what's the problem with Al Jazeera?

Well they sort of report the obvious. Some folks doing backdoor deals don't like that. ;p

 

[SKINNER!]

I'm in the dark... what's the problem with Al Jazeera?

Al-Jazeera has always been notorious for reporting on topics that are considered taboo in the arab world since it began airing back in 1996. Compared to state-run news television in UAE/Saudi Arabia, Al-Jazeera news didn't really shy away from debating about topics that mattered to their neighboring countries or their allies (USA especially during the 2003 Iraq Invasion etc.) Topics that would be considered controversial, sensitive or "no-go" to report were generally reported as part of their stance on being an independent news channel that reports on all news without any form of censorship/filter. Now given that the news channel is owned and funded by the Qatari State (its chairman is a member of the Qatari royal family), you can now see why the channel is seen by its neighbour countries as a key factor in Qatar interference.

Yes, I am aware that UAE and Saudi now have their own independent news channels like Al-Arabiya but Al-Jazeera still holds a major significance given that it was the first news channel of its kind in the Arab World.

.

 

[Banderdash]

Well they sort of report the obvious. Some folks doing backdoor deals don't like that. ;p

.

Thanks.

 

[SliceSabre]

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40378221

They're basically telling Qatar to bend over and take it up the ass and thank the rest of them for the chance to take it up the ass.

I'd be shocked if any country that didn't just lose a war would capitulate to such insane demands.

 

[Camaway2]

They're basically telling Qatar to bend over and take it up the ass and thank the rest of them for the chance to take it up the ass.

I'd be shocked if any country that didn't just lose a war would capitulate to such insane demands.

Yeah, I don't see how can they accept those demands. Either their provocatively asked for total capitulation expecting a further escalation or their hubris is blinding them.

 

[SKINNER!]

The part I'm confused about is closing down that Turkish Army Base in Qatar. Do the gulf feel threatened by Turkey or something? I was under the impression that Turkey shared good relations with the gulf. They certainly have Turkish TV shows in the gulf and numerous people I know travel to Istanbul and/or Turkish resorts for holidays.

 

[Condom]

Al Jazeera also likes to play the war drums when it suites the Qatari government (see Libya) so let's not act as if they are the pinnacle of journalism

 

[Camaway2]

They're basically telling Qatar to bend over and take it up the ass and thank the rest of them for the chance to take it up the ass.

I'd be shocked if any country that didn't just lose a war would capitulate to such insane demands.

Al Jazeera also likes to play the war drums when it suites the Qatari government (see Libya) so let's not act as if they are the pinnacle of journalism

I hear the Arabic version is way more partisan than its English counterpart.

 

[GSG Flash]

I think the new moron of a Saudi Crown Prince has been playing too much Civ. They're basically asking Qatar to cut off its nose and rely solely on SA for its economy.

Also, these demands make me think that there's some sort of a rift between SA and Turkey in the background. I know Turkey has scolded SA in the past for destroying historical Ottoman era architecture within the country, so they haven't always been on the friendliest terms.

 

[RiZ III]

Al Jazeera also likes to play the war drums when it suites the Qatari government (see Libya) so let's not act as if they are the pinnacle of journalism

You mean like all of American media leading up to the second gulf war?

The real reason behind this blockade is simply that these gulf countries want to shut down the only reliable independent news source streaming across the Middle East and also hate the fact that Qatar is able to bring warring factions together for peace talks when the Saudis and their allies want war. They want to end Qatari independence. These demands are such a joke. They aren't even trying to hide their real intentions.

They charge Qatar of being secret allies of Iran because they remain trade partners yet its the UAE itself that's Iran's biggest trade partner in the region. They charge Qatar of funding terrorists, but all Gulf countries allow their citizens to give money to whatever jihadi causes around the world. It's the Saudis themselves who bankrolled the Taliban and the various rebel groups who ended up joining Isis. This whole thing is bs. Saudis just think they can strong arm their smaller neighbors now that the US govt is in total dissarray and isn't taking care of its alliance partnerships.

 

[jett]

I wonder what does Qatar plan to do.

 

[SKINNER!]

You mean like all of American media leading up to the second gulf war?

Ever seen that documentary Control Room? It discusses the relationship between Al-Jazeera and the US Central Command during the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. I attended a special screening of it that had a Q&A session with one of the reporters that's featured in the film. One might argue that it's a partisan documentary but it's still quite eye-opening and insightful given how the 2003 Iraq War was reported by not just AJ but the BBC and major US news networks. It was filmed at this newscentre camp base just outside Iraq where all journalists and reporters congregated to gain information and interview US military personnel. The documentary highlights how the place's vibe was similar to that of an expo where it was mostly US media joyfully darting around getting all excited and hyped up about the invasion while disregarding/caring about the consequence ad negative impact of the invasion.

 

[rrvv]

I wonder what does Qatar plan to do.

probably the opposite on what they wanted

 

[Weckum]

The al Jazeera angle was always obvious. I'm intrigued by the reparations demand in there, since that's so vague that it could be anything.

This is a list of demands put out after defeating someone in a war, nothing less.

Also, Saudi just had a defacto soft coup take place this week. I wonder what the new guy is gonna do in ten days.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

Ever seen that documentary Control Room? It discusses the relationship between Al-Jazeera and the US Central Command during the run up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. I attended a special screening of it that had a Q&A session with one of the reporters that's featured in the film. One might argue that it's a partisan documentary but it's still quite eye-opening and insightful given how the 2003 Iraq War was reported by not just AJ but the BBC and major US news networks. It was filmed at this newscentre camp base just outside Iraq where all journalists and reporters congregated to gain information and interview US military personnel. The documentary highlights how the place's vibe was similar to that of an expo where it was mostly US media joyfully darting around getting all excited and hyped up about the invasion while disregarding/caring about the consequence ad negative impact of the invasion.

US mainstream media is always happy to celebrate a US war

 

[SgtCobra]

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40378221

Yeah good luck with that.

 

[lord]

Consent to monthly audits for the first year after agreeing to the demands, then once per quarter during the second year. For the following 10 years, Qatar would be monitored annually for compliance.

It's pretty obvious they're not even trying to disguise this list as rational and there is no expectation of it being met.

 

[Weckum]

It's pretty obvious they're not even trying to disguise this list as rational and there is no expectation of it being met.

Yup, this is a list of demands that you know nobody will comply with, and it's clear that Saudi wants Qatar to be another vassal state like so many others in the region and in parts of Africa.

Interesting to see what they'll do after those ten days because no way Qatar is gonna agree with all of this.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

British Banks have stopped buying and selling Riyal. The currency will take a major knock if others follow.

 

[KingSnake]

I think this is relevant also here given the initial "reasons" given for this and the denial of some Saudi Arabia supporters in this thread:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40496778

Saudi Arabia has 'clear link' to UK extremism, report says

Saudi Arabia is the chief foreign promoter of Islamist extremism in the UK, a new report has claimed.
The Henry Jackson Society said there was a "clear and growing link" between Islamist organisations in receipt of overseas funds, hate preachers and Jihadist groups promoting violence.
The foreign affairs think tank called for a public inquiry into the role of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.

The UK's Saudi Arabian embassy says the claims are "categorically false".
Meanwhile, ministers are under pressure to publish their own report on UK-based Islamist groups.
The Home Office report into the existence and influence of Jihadist organisations, commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015, has reportedly yet to be completed amid questions as to whether it will ever be published.

Critics have suggested it could make uncomfortable reading for the government, which has close and longstanding diplomatic, security and economic links with the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner said he understood the report was "largely finished and sitting on Theresa May's desk", but there was probably a reluctance to publish it because of "embarrassing" content.

 

[Chichikov]

I think this is relevant also here given the initial "reasons" given for this and the denial of some Saudi Arabia supporters in this thread:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-40496778

I don't doubt that a lot of Islamic extremism has ties to Saudi Arabia, but the Henry Jackson Society is fucking awful, especially when it comes to the Middle East.
Also, this report just seem to be a position paper based on mostly news articles and it lacks and sort of original research, so it really doesn't have any new info on any of this.

 

[KingSnake]

I don't doubt that a lot of Islamic extremism has ties to Saudi Arabia, but the Henry Jackson Society is fucking awful, especially when it comes to the Middle East.
Also, this report just seem to be a position paper based on mostly news articles and it lacks and sort of original research, so it really doesn't have any new info on any of this.

Ah, OK, I don't know much about the Henry Jackson Society, I thought that BBC quoting it and comparing it to the missing governmental report lends credence to it.

 

[TheRealTalker]

AJ Arabic and not its sister company AJ English is the one under pursuit

Telhami: Al-Jazeera Arabic, not its English sister channel, is target in Gulf dispute, part of a "war of narratives"