Gulf states cut ties with Qatar over ‘supporting terrorism’

[Keit]

Basically, this piece of news probably links right back to the great global geopolitical game between anglo-America and their Saudi and Israeli allies Vs Russia-Iran-Syria, and the question of who will dominate the global energy market in the near future.

Interestingly enough, today I heard on the Russian news, that despite ISIS taking responsibility for the attacks, local Iranian sources say that the attacks have all the signs of being the work of People's Mujahedin of Iran. The ones who assassinated several Iranian nuclear scientists. And we know who actually ordered or organized the assassinations. The ones who do their war by way of deception. ;)

 

[SocietyoftheSpectacle]

Not sure How reliable this site is,
But it says,
After Saudis Beheaded 47 People, Belgium Now Refusing to Sell them Arms, Germany May Follow


NOTE ALSO,

Rightfully outraged with the beheadings, Shiite Muslims in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon and Bahrain angrily condemned the executions,
and Iranian protesters stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran.


http://thefreethoughtproject.com/saudis-beheaded-47-people-belgium-refusing-sell-arms-germany-follow/

 

[Palinurus]

Hi SocietyoftheSpectacle,

Did you notice the date of the article you mention ? It says: January 7, 2016.

In other words: rather old news, probably with no direct bearing on the current situation.

 

[Windmill knight]

Interesting article providing some context on the situation with Qatar.

What’s Really Happening With Saudi Arabia and Qatar Will Not Be Televised

http://theantimedia.org/saudi-arabia-qatar/

June 7, 2017 at 11:04 am

Written by Darius Shahtahmasebi

(ANTIMEDIA) — Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain, Yemen, Libya, and the Maldives — spearheaded by Saudi Arabia — have severed almost all of their ties with Qatar. The move comes just days after hacked emails from the Hotmail account of a wealthy, prominent UAE ambassador, Yousef Al-Otaiba, showed that a number of countries were conspiring to denigrate relations with Qatar (and Iran).

The official justification for Saudi Arabia’s rift with Qatar is that the latter country aligns with terrorists and threatens national security. However, both Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been alleged to support ISIS, and Saudi Arabia’s history of support for terrorist organizations surpasses that of almost any other state in the world (with the exception of probably the U.S.). In fact, the British Home Office is currently refusing to release a report on terrorist funding — commissioned by former Prime Minister David Cameron — because it focuses too heavily on Saudi Arabia.

So what could really be behind this deterioration between Qatar and its former allies?

Unsurprisingly, the real issue at play consists of a Pandora’s Box of money, oil, natural gas, and geopolitics.

Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. It is for this reason that many analysts believe Qatar was heavily involved in attempting to overthrow Bashar al-Assad in Syria. Assad had scrapped a potential deal with Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, opting for a natural gas pipeline deal that would involve Iran and Iraq, instead.

In April 2017, Qatar lifted a self-imposed ban on developing the world’s biggest natural gas field, which it shares with Iran, in an attempt to stave off an expected rise in competition, particularly from Russia.

Iran, too, is home to large natural gas reserves, and after a shortage of domestic gas, the Islamic Republic sought to capitalize on the 2015 nuclear accord by ramping up production on their share of the gas reserve. In November 2016, Iran signed a deal with France’s Total to develop this project. Iran is expected to surpass Qatar’s gas production by next year, and Qatar has been left with no choice but to join in the venture, though they deny Iran prompted their response to lift the ban.

“What we are doing today is something completely new and we will in future of course … share information on this with them [Iran],” Qatar Petroleum’s Chief Executive Saad al-Kaabi said, as reported by Haaretz.

Qatar has no current plans to go to war with Iran, unlike the rest of the Arab Gulf states. Not long after Donald Trump sword-danced his way through the Middle East, raving incessantly about the so-called Iranian threat, Qatari state media released a report that appeared to show Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani give a speech describing his respect for Iran and his support for Hamas. Qatar immediately claimed the report was actually the result of a hack, but the UAE and Saudi Arabia still believe the report to be genuine.

Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut Qatar from its so-called coalition of countries wreaking havoc on Yemen has come with its political repercussions. Iran immediately expressed support for Qatar in this struggle, as have the Houthi militias operating inside Yemen. The Houthis are already stating they are willing to cooperate with Qatar — even though Qatar was fighting against them for approximately two years.

Qatar is not following the playbook. In Libya, Egypt and Qatar are currently fighting a proxy war as they are both backing different rival camps that are vying to assert power in the war-torn nation. Though Qatar clearly shared NATO’s sentiment in ousting Muammar Gaddafi from Libya and attempting to overthrow Assad in Syria, Qatar’s support for organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood are largely seen as political challenges to the Saudi alliance.

Qatar is home to America’s largest base in the Middle East, with over 11,000 servicemen currently deployed there.

“The United States and the Coalition are grateful to the Qataris for their longstanding support of our presence and their enduring commitment to regional security. We have no plans to change our posture in Qatar,” Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. “We encourage all our partners in the region to reduce tensions and work towards common solutions that enable regional security.”

The U.S. cannot afford to intentionally destroy its relationship with Qatar outright, but it can certainly allow its client states in the region to do its bidding for them. As Otaiba’s recently hacked emails show, some very powerful people in Washington support putting pressure on Qatar in order to bring it to its knees and force it to comply with the rest of the region.

Though the U.S. military’s statement appears to be an attempt to mitigate the damage of the fallout, as usual, the one wildcard element that no one can account for when unraveling geopolitical strategies is Donald Trump’s personal Twitter account. Trump has already tweeted his support for the economic blockade on Qatar and even appeared to take credit for the initiative.

But what will the U.S. and the other Gulf states achieve by implementing this policy? So far, all it seems to be doing is pushing Qatar even closer to Iran, and the U.S. may lose yet another vital ally from the anti-Assad alliance, further complicating the battleground as the framework continues to be set for an all-out regional conflict.

 

[angelburst29]

The Trump administration, this week, appeared to take a potential step closer to backing efforts plotted by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to destabilize Iran; possibly topple its Islamic government; and force Qatar to fall into line with Gulf policies that target Iran, political Islam, and militants; with the appointment of a seasoned covert operations officer as head of the Central Intelligence Agency’s Iran operations.

US’ plan to destabilize Iran: “Dark Prince” appointed as head of the CIA
https://www.globalvillagespace.com/us-plan-destabilize-iran-dark-prince-appointed-head-cia/

The appointment of Michael D’Andrea, a hard-charging, chain-smoking operative, alternatively nicknamed the Dark Prince or Ayatollah Mike, whose track record includes overseeing the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, suggested that the CIA was likely to take a more operational approach in confronting Iran in line with President Donald J. Trump’s Saudi and UAE-backed hard line towards the Islamic Republic, which involves a possible push for regime change.

Mr. D’Andrea took up his new post at a moment that the US focus appeared to be shifting to Iran as the Islamic State suffered significant defeats with the near fall of Mosul in Iraq and the imminent fall of Raqqa, the group’s self-declared capital in Syria.

Baluchistan – the epicenter of proxy wars

Saudi support of militant groups in Pakistani Baluchistan that operate across the border in the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan is abetted by a US policy that allows militancy to fester by failing to recognize links between multiple conflicts in South and Central Asia.

Baluchistan serves as a safe haven for the Afghan Taliban and as a transit station in the smuggling of drugs from Afghanistan to Iran and beyond.
It is also the focal point of at least two regional proxy wars: the escalating rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran and the perennial dispute between Pakistan and India. Pakistan accuses Indian intelligence of supporting Baloch separatists in retaliation for Islamabad’s backing of militants in Kashmir.

Mohammad Baksh Sajdi, the assistant commissioner of the Baloch district of Kharran, in a demonstration of the influence of Saudi-inspired, anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism, recently banned barbers from “cutting beards in a fashionable way which is against the principles of Islam according to all religious scholars.” A similar edict was issued in Baluchistan’s Omara district. A magistrate in Kharran reimposed the ban after it was canceled by the government because it was illegal.

D’Andrea’s appointment means escalation of war

Mr. D’Andrea, who converted to Islam to marry his Muslim wife rather than out of religious conviction, brings an impressive covert operations record to challenge Iran. Mr. D’Andrea was reportedly involved in the use of torture in interrogations of suspected militants under President George W. Bush.

He also played a key role in the targeting in 2008 of Imad Mugniyah, the international operations chief for Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah who maintained close ties to Iran. Mr. Mugniyah was assassinated in Damascus in an operation carried out together with Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad. Mr. D’Andrea was also involved in the ramping up of US drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen that target Islamist militants.

The New York Times noted that Mr. D’Andrea’s appointment came as some US officials, including Ezra Cohen-Watnick, the National Security Council’s senior director for intelligence, were pushing for a US policy of regime change in Iran.

Mike Pompeo, an advocate in the past of military action against Iranian nuclear facilities, wrote last summer before his appointment by Mr. Trump as CIA director that “Congress must act to change Iranian behavior, and, ultimately, the Iranian regime.”

Other senior Trump administration officials, including Defense Secretary General (retired) James Mattis and National Security Advisor Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster, are believed to be hardliners when it comes to Iran.

Mr. D’Andrea’s appointment stroked with an emerging Saudi strategy to escalate the kingdom’s proxy war with Iran by fomenting unrest among the Islamic republic’s ethnic minorities as well as to confront together with the United States Iranian-backed groups in Syria and Yemen. The Trump administration has already stepped up support for Saudi Arabia’s two-year-old, ill-fated intervention in Yemen.

Iran will not just sit back

Iran is unlikely to stand by idly if Saudi Arabia and the US were to initiate covert operations against it. “There’s just one small problem: Iran is unlikely to back down,” said US Naval Postgraduate School Iran expert Afshon Ostovar. Mr. Ostovar noted that Iran’s ability to operate through proxy groups like Hezbollah, Lebanon’s Shiite militia, Palestine’s Islamic Jihad, and militias in Iraq was “its most strategic asset.”

As a result, the US-Saudi-UAE strategy risks Iran retaliating by attempting to stir trouble among Shiites in Bahrain, home to a low-level insurgency since the island’s Sunni Muslim minority regime brutally squashed a popular uprising in 2011 with the support of Saudi troops, and in Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich, predominantly Shiite Eastern Province.

To be sure, Shiites in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are Bahrainis and Saudis first and Shiites second. But decades of discriminatory policies in both regions have left their toll, and offer Iran potential opportunity to stir the pot.

Saudi Arabia’s Okaz newspaper reported this week that authorities had foiled an attack on US forces based in Qatar. The newspaper said the foiled attempt was planned by an Al Qaeda unit headed by a Qatari national.

Okaz’s report came in the wake of a suicide bombing in Qatif in the Eastern Province and a Saudi and UAE-sponsored media campaign against Qatar because of its ties to Iran and alleged support for militants. Saudi Shiite activists accused a US-trained Saudi interior ministry unit of having instigated the Qatif bombing in an effort to bolster the kingdom’s claim that it is a victim of Iran-inspired political violence.

Qatar announced amid the Saudi-UAE campaign that six of its soldiers had been wounded in Yemen “while conducting their duties within the Qatari contingent defending the southern borders of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

In a move reminiscent of past Qatari efforts to placate UAE and Saudi criticism, Qatar was reported to have expelled several officials of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, who were involved in the group’s activities in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

In the latest episode of the Gulf cyberwar, leaked emails from the account of the UAE ambassador in Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, whose authenticity was confirmed by HuffPost and The Intercept, showed the UAE looking at ways to influence Iran’s domestic situation.

The UAE was also pressing the Trump administration in cooperation with the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies to move its US air force base, the largest in the Middle East, out of Qatar.

The emails also revealed efforts to persuade US companies not to pursue opportunities in Iran. Various media reports suggested that Saudi Arabia and the UAE were gunning for the removal of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as emir of Qatar.

A proposed agenda for a meeting this week between senior UAE officials and Foundation executives included discussion of possible US and UAE “policies to positively impact Iranian internal situation”. Among the list of policies were “political, economic, military, intelligence, and cyber tools,” and efforts “contain and defeat Iranian aggression.” The agenda also included countering Qatari support for Islamist and militant groups; its “destabilizing role in Egypt, Syria, Libya, the Gulf;” and “Al Jazeera as an instrument of regional instability.”

The Foundation, which has played a leading role in arguing against the 2015 agreement that ended the Iranian nuclear crisis and lifted crippling international sanctions against the Islamic Republic, enjoys funding from wealthy US conservatives, including gambling mogul Sheldon Adelson, who supported Mr. Trump’s election campaign and is a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu.

Increasing separatist movements

The Saudis backed by the US are likely to be fishing in murky ponds in Iran. Baloch groups are largely delineated along either nationalist or Sunni Muslim ultra-conservative lines with Pakistani intelligence backing religious groups against the nationalists.

However, communities like the Iranian Arabs in Khuzestan, Iran’s oil-rich province that Arabs call Ahwaz after the region’s main city, are deeply divided and fictitious and often a cesspool of personal, political, and ideological rivalries. Various of the Ahwazi and Baloch groups maintain links with one another. Yet, sorting out who is who is often an almost impossible task.

In an assertion of ethnic identity, thousands of Iranian Arabs attended in March 2017 an Asian soccer competition match between Esteghlal Ahvaz FC, the local team in the Khuzestan capital of Ahwaz, and Qatar’s Lekhwiya SC dressed in traditional Arab garb.

Ahwaz Monitor, an Iranian Arab website, said the fans were protesting government efforts to suppress their identity. It said the fans cheered their team in Arabic rather than Farsi and chanted “Arabic is my identity and honor” and “Al-Ahwaz for Ahwazis and all Gulf state residents are dearest to us.” Fans also reportedly recited poetry celebrating their region’s Arab heritage.

The website created last summer by Iranian-Arab activists is emblematic of the factitiousness of exile Iranian ethnic minority groups. Yasser Abadi, an Ahwazi activist, who founded the website, rejected allegations that it was Saudi-backed or had links to militant Saudi-backed groups like Jundullah in Balochistan or the Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Al-Ahwaz (Harakat Al-Nizal L’Tahrir al-Ahwaz) that has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks in Khuzestan.

Al Nizal is believed to have close ties to Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatives in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as well as the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood. The group’s spokesmen appear on Wesal TV, a Saudi-based, virulently anti-Shiite satellite broadcaster.

Mr. Abadi insisted that he had funded the site himself, paying GBP 350 for three years of Internet hosting. The site “doesn’t need Saudi or Arab League support or encouragement,” Mr. Abadi said.

Mr. Abadi described Saudi policy towards Khuzestan as “volatile’ and geared towards “militarizing the region.” Mr. Abadi said most Ahwazis rejected violence because of the death and destruction they see elsewhere in the Middle East. He said his group relied on “Arab influence,” which he defined as indirect “media support, Arab votes in UN sub-committees against Iranian practices… publications, and legal support.”

Iran watchers noted that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has allowed some voice of dissent to be heard. “The more that this happens, the less the Saudi-backed separatists win. What the separatists want is the polarization of views and to incite the regime to attack the (Iranian Arab) community, thereby securing a popular backlash. In recent weeks, they have conducted more murders, mostly of security personnel but also of non-security officials. They want mass arrests and public executions in order to establish themselves as the vanguard of the Ahwazi resistance,” one expert said.

 

[Windmill knight]

An Al Jazeera journalist is saying that he knows the 10 conditions that Saudi Arabia set for Qatar in a 24 hour ultimatum:

http://ifpnews.com/exclusive/10-conditions-set-saudi-arabia-doha-government/

10 Conditions Set by Saudi Arabia for Doha Government
June 7, 2017 - 11:31


A senior journalist has published the ten conditions set by Saudi Arabia for Qatar, the fulfilment of which may lead to the normalization of the severed ties between the two Arab states.

In a post in his Twitter account, senior Al Jazeera journalist Faisal Edroos published Saudi Arabia’s 10 demands from Qatar, which were put forward in the form of a 24-hour ultimatum to the Doha government on Tuesday night.

These conditions are Riyadh’s prerequisites for normalization of its relations with the fellow [P]GCC member state.

Saudis have reportedly given Qatar a 24-hour ultimatum to fulfil a number of conditions they set in response to efforts to mediate between the two Arab states.

In a meeting with Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who was in Jeddah on June 6 to mediate in an ongoing rift between Doha and a number of Persian Gulf Arab states, Qatar was given the one-day ultimatum to fulfil ten conditions set by the Al Saud regime.

According to Edroos, the demands are:

1 Immediate severance of diplomatic relations with Iran,
2 Expulsion of all members of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas from Qatar,
3 Freezing all bank accounts of Hamas members and refraining from any deal with them,
4 Expulsion of all Muslim Brotherhood members from Qatar,
5 Expulsion of anti-[P]GCC elements,
6 Ending support for ‘terrorist organisations’,
7 Stopping interference in Egyptian affairs,
8 Ceasing the broadcast of the Al Jazeera news channel,
9 Apologising to all [Persian] Gulf governments for ‘abuses’ by Al Jazeera,
10 Pledging that it (Qatar) will not carry out any actions that contradict the policies of the [P]GCC and adhering to its charter.

He added in case Qatar abides by the conditions laid out by Saudi Arabia, an emergency meeting of all [P]GCC leaders will be held in the Saudi city of Jeddah.

No mention of what happens if they don't abide, which is most likely going to be the case.

 

[Renaissance]

Interesting article providing some context on the situation with Qatar.

What’s Really Happening With Saudi Arabia and Qatar Will Not Be Televised


Qatar has no current plans to go to war with Iran, unlike the rest of the Arab Gulf states. Not long after Donald Trump sword-danced his way through the Middle East, raving incessantly about the so-called Iranian threat, Qatari state media released a report that appeared to show Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani give a speech describing his respect for Iran and his support for Hamas. Qatar immediately claimed the report was actually the result of a hack, but the UAE and Saudi Arabia still believe the report to be genuine.

My guess is that this 'hack' was done by the usual suspects. Predictably, CNN released a report yesterday from their usual unknown sources saying it was Russian hackers. Talk about beating a dead horse. These people really don't know any other play. In any case, Qatar is looking to increase ties with Iran, and there is probably much going on behind the scenes in terms of preparation of deals and such. So it looks like the deep state is trying to pressure Qatar and prevent such deals. I highly doubt a military confrontation, at least at this point. Qatar has a lot of wealth and I assume they have a somewhat decent ability to defend themselves. There is also the issue of US military needing a presence there. By the direction of things so far, it looks like this will be another propaganda and economic war. But the later will very likely just push Qatar closer to Iran and reduce US influence. I'm continually amazed at how those pulling the strings are so blind to the probable ramifications of their own behavior.

Edit=Quote

 

[Anthony]

I think this whole affair has shown that the House of Saud works primarily in the interest of the U.S. and the Israelis. I do wonder if this whole thing will back-fire and push Qatar further towards Russia, China and Iran.

 

[angelburst29]

A military agreement between Ankara and Doha will see Turkish jets, warships and troops sent to a base in Qatar.

Turkish jets, troops to be sent to Qatar
http://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/turkish-jets-troops-to-be-sent-to-qatar-2709405

Within the framework of the two military agreements ratified by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, the Turkish gendarmerie will be deployed to Qatar's capital Doha, followed by Turkish warplanes and warships.

The primary target is to deploy the Turkish Gendarmerie in Doha and train the Qatari Gendarmerie. The Turkish Armed Forces' Land, Sea and Air troops will also be deployed.

The number of Turkish warplanes and warships going to the base will be determined by the evaluations according to the report to be prepared once the preliminary examinations are carried out.

In the coming days, a leading delegation is expected to travel to Qatar and conduct a detailed review of the temporarily stationed 90 Turkish troops.

After the review, Turkish soldiers will be sent to Qatar at certain intervals.

According to the Hürriyet newspaper, officials said that in the first phase, 200-250 troops are to be dispatched within the first two months, but that the timeframe and number could change in line with developments.

Turkey and Qatar had previously come to an agreement on the deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar.

The agreements were not ratified and were not on the agenda of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey because Qatar had not chosen an official base.

Following Turkey’s decision to deploy troops in Qatar, Pakistan took a similar step, by deciding to send twenty thousand soldiers to the region.

Pakistan to send soldiers to Qatar
http://www.yenisafak.com/en/dunya/pakistan-to-send-soldiers-to-qatar-2709724

After the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) decided to deploy troops in Qatar, Pakistan also took action to send soldiers to Qatar. Pakistan has passed a motion to send twenty thousand soldiers to Qatar.

Turkey launched diplomatic initiatives to defuse the tension in the region after nine countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar, and tried to impose an embargo on the country. Within this framework, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to the leaders of the countries in the region, and called for dialogue for settlement of the crisis. Turkey’s parliament ratified the decision of sending troops to the region, within the framework of the military base agreement which was agreed to by Qatar and Turkey in 2014, and was signed in 2015.

Turkey, Pakistan will also provide support to defusing the tension in the region, by sending twenty thousand soldiers to Qatar.

 

[Ant22]

A military agreement between Ankara and Doha will see Turkish jets, warships and troops sent to a base in Qatar.

(...)

Turkey launched diplomatic initiatives to defuse the tension in the region after nine countries, including Saudi Arabia and Egypt, cut their diplomatic ties with Qatar, and tried to impose an embargo on the country. Within this framework, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke to the leaders of the countries in the region, and called for dialogue for settlement of the crisis. Turkey’s parliament ratified the decision of sending troops to the region, within the framework of the military base agreement which was agreed to by Qatar and Turkey in 2014, and was signed in 2015.

(...)

I also found the below article on RT on Turkish willingness to get involved in conflict resolution in Qatar:

https://www.rt.com/news/391773-erdogan-support-qatari-brothers/ utm_source=spotim&utm_medium=spotim_recirculation&spotim_referrer=recirculation

Erdogan pledges ’full support to Qatari brothers’ amid Gulf crisis

The Turkish President has promised to continue supporting Qatar after Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with tiny but resource-rich emirate, accusing Doha of funding terrorist organizations.

“Now, there are ones who are bothered because of us being together with our Qatari brothers or sending and exporting food supplies, drugs etc – no matter if they are in hunger or thirst – should excuse us. We will continue to give all our support to Qatar,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said at an iftar (fast-breaking meal) with members of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in Istanbul.

The Turkish leader has urged Saudi Arabia, as “the largest and most powerful state in the Gulf,” to reduce tensions and lift sanctions.

“It is wrong to add more troubles on top of everything in the term that the Muslim world is already struggling with a lot of problems,” he said. “I am calling you: There won't be any winners in the brother's fight.”

“You have to work for bringing brothers together. This is what we expect from Saudi, the Custodian of the Holy Mosques [in Mecca and Medina],” Erdogan added.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut diplomatic ties and traffic links with Doha Monday, after accusing Doha of sponsoring terrorism. On Thursday, they designated 59 individuals and 12 Qatari-linked entities as terrorist organizations.

The red line crossed by the Qatar authorities is obvious,” Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, UAE’s Minister for Federal National Council Affairs, told RT Arabic. "We hope that the Qatari authorities will reconsider their politics and reconsider the reasons for the presence of radical entities on their territory that have relations to terrorist organizations in the Persian Gulf region.”

US President Donald Trump, who initially offered to help Qatar mediate through the crisis, also attacked Doha, accusing the monarchy of sponsoring terrorism. Doha has “historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level... the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding – they have to end that funding – and its extremist ideology,” Trump said Friday.

The additional pressure on Qatar came after Doha rejected Saudi demands delivered by a Kuwaiti envoy Wednesday.

On Thursday, Qatar said that is willing and prepared to be isolated “forever” as long as foreign powers don’t interfere with its sovereignty or foreign policy.

Following the breakdown of talks, late Thursday night, Erdogan signed off on two previously ratified deals that authorizes the deployment of Turkish soldiers and military hardware to Qatar. Ankara will also train the Qatari police force.

 

[angelburst29]

Guess the United Arab Emirates didn't calculate the consequences of jumping on board with the Saudi's against Qatar?

The United Arab Emirates depends on imported gas to generate half of its electricity, and the recent diplomatic row with neighboring Qatar risks glittering skyscrapers in the sheikhdom’s largest and most populous city of Dubai to go dark for lack of power.

UAE in dire need of Qatar gas to keep Dubai lit up: Report
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/06/09/524751/UAE-natural-gas-Qatar-skyscrapers-power-Dubai-blackout-diplomatic-row

Qatar reportedly pumps about 2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day through a 364-kilometer (226-mile) undersea pipeline to the UAE and Oman. The fuel is processed gas from Qatar’s North Field and transported to the Taweelah terminal in the Emirati capital city of Abu Dhabi, English-language Bloomberg television news network reported.

Abu Dhabi-based Dolphin Energy Ltd., which operates the gas pipeline, is a joint venture between Mubadala Investment Co., which holds a 51-percent share, plus Occidental Petroleum Corp. and Total SA that possess a 24.5-percent stake each.

Despite the rupture of diplomatic relations between Abu Dhabi and Doha, Qatar continues to send natural gas to both the UAE and Oman through the pipeline, and there are indication that the supplies will be cut.

This is while Abu Dhabi Petroleum Ports Authority on Wednesday night imposed a ban on international tankers and Qatar-flagged ships traveling to and from Qatar, preventing them from calling at ports in the UAE.

Earlier in the day, Emirati port authorities had eased the restrictions.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain all cut off diplomatic contact with Qatar on Monday morning, after officially accusing it of “sponsoring terrorism.”

The administration of Saudi-backed and resigned Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Libya, the Maldives, Djibouti, Senegal and the Comoros later joined the camp in ending diplomatic ties. Jordan downgraded its diplomatic ties as well.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry, in a statement published on Monday, announced that the decisions by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to cut diplomatic ties were unjustified and based on false claims and assumptions.

"Qatar has been the target of a systematic incitement campaign that promoted outright lies, which indicates that there was a prior intent to harm the state," the statement said.

On Friday, Qatar strongly dismissed allegations of supporting terrorism after the Saudi regime and its allies blacklisted dozens of individuals and entities purportedly associated with Doha in yet another attempt to pressure the energy-rich Persian Gulf state.

“The recent joint statement issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE regarding a ‘terror finance watch list’ once again reinforces baseless allegations that hold no foundation in fact,” the Qatari government said in a statement.

Iran has offered to allow Qatar use its southern ports to carry on its vital import activities after the emirate’s Arab neighbors united to isolate it.

Iran offers Qatar use its key southern ports
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/06/09/524682/Iran-offers-Qatar-use-its-key-southern-ports

The announcement was made by Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.

He was quoted by the Financial Times in a report as saying that Iran had offered Doha to use three of its ports in the Persian Gulf. He said this would enable Qatar to import all the goods it needed.

Sheikh Mohammed further expressed regret that the de facto blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain as “collective punishment”.

“We have been isolated because we are successful and progressive. We are a platform for peace not terrorism,” the Financial Times quoted him as telling reporters.

Qatar imports virtually all its goods, but Sheikh Mohammed said that only 16 per cent of food supplies come into Qatar via the countries that have imposed the de facto blockade.

“It’s replaceable and has been replaced in one day,” he said. “They [Qataris] can survive at the same standard forever,” he said.

Meanwhile, Iran’s media reported on Thursday that a cargo plane carrying food supplies had flown to Qatar from the Islamic Republic.

The plane – a Boeing 747-200M – took the cargo from Iran’s southern city of Shiraz – away from Qatar by less than an hour through air. The delivery was reportedly made on Wednesday. A Boeing 747-200M has a capacity of around 100 tons.

On a related front, Reza Nourani, the president of the National Agricultural Products Federation of Iran, was quoted by the domestic media as saying earlier this week that talks were underway to export food supplies to Qatar from next week.

Nourani said preparations were to the same effect been made to ship the supplies from Iran to Qatar through Bandar Abbas, Boushehr and Lengeh ports.

The official further emphasized that Iran was already shipping 40 to 50 containers to the UAE and Kuwait every day.

A certain amount of shipments, he said, could be diverted to Qatar. Nourani further emphasized that ships from Iran could reach Qatar between eight to 12 hours.

In-depth: Qatar, one of the few foreign backers of Hamas, faces massive pressure from its Gulf neighbours to cut ties with the Palestinian group

Is Qatar paying the price for its pro-Palestine stance?
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2017/6/8/is-qatar-paying-the-price-for-its-pro-palestine-stance

Qatar's support for Palestinians seems to be one of the key causes of the Saudi-led blockade on Doha, and the administration of US President Donald Trump - the president most supportive of Israel in recent decades.

On Tuesday, Adel al-Jubeir, the Saudi foreign minister, made it clear that a key demand of his government in return for restoring ties with Doha was for Qatar to end its "support" for Palestinian group Hamas, which champions armed resistance against Israel and was the winner of the last general election held in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Jubeir, for the first time in Saudi history, suggested Hamas was an "extremist" group. During Trump's visit to Riyadh in late May, the US president proclaimed the group a terrorist outfit akin to the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda, and Riyadh did not object.

Saudi Arabia previously provided support to Hamas and welcomed its leaders as recently as 2015. However, on the back of the Iranian nuclear deal, both the kingdom and its ally, the UAE, have been making increasing offers of normalisation with Israel - with whom they share Iran as a common foe.

Since the events of the Arab Spring, both Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also become hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood, to which Hamas is affiliated, seeing it as an imminent threat to their regimes.

Qatar, by contrast, has maintained good relations with most Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, and invested tens of millions of dollars in the reconstruction of besieged Gaza, decimated by years of Israeli war.

Qatar, although closely allied to the United States, has maintained an independent policy on Palestine, which has often caused it problems with pro-Israel officials in the West.

Now, Qatar's neighbours seem to have joined the fray, inching closer to fully endorsing Israel's narrative on groups such as Hamas, in the name of fighting extremism and terrorism, without defining either.

It is worth noting that the UAE hosts and supports Hamas' arch-rival, exiled Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, whom it hopes to install as the next Palestinian president.

"Qatar is being punished for its role and influence in the Palestinian arena, with both President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas," Ibrahim al-Madhoun, political analyst, told The New Arab

"Qatar's role is one of the causes of the Gulf crisis, as its balanced position and influence has become a source of annoyance for its rivals," he added.


Taysir Muhaisen, political commentator, agrees. "All the parties, in light of the emergence of a new US administration, have decided to pressure Qatar, which has had a different approach to many issues including the Palestinian issue, dealing with Hamas and all Palestinian factions... and helping Gaza weather the blockade," he said.

Disaster for Gaza

Qatar is one of the few foreign backers of Hamas, and faces massive pressure from its Gulf neighbours to cut ties with the Islamic militant group. If it does, the result could be disastrous for Hamas-ruled Gaza, according to an AP analysis.

Qatar has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in roads, housing and a major hospital in the tiny territory. Its infrastructure projects are one of the few job-creators in a devastated economy.

Gaza already suffers from an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, widespread destruction from a string of Israel-Hamas wars, economic misery and chronic electricity shortages. For Hamas, Qatar's money pumping into the economy is a vital lifeline bolstering its rule.

The mere prospect of losing Qatari support prompted Hamas on Wednesday to issue rare criticism of Saudi Arabia, which has been leading the campaign against its tiny Gulf neighbour.

Hamas official Mushir al-Masri said the Saudi call for Qatar to cut ties with the Palestinian group was "regrettable", and contradicts traditional Arab support for the Palestinian cause. He accused Saudi Arabia of siding with "American and Zionist calls to put Hamas on the terrorism list".

Qatar has denied the allegations made against it by Riyadh. But its small size and reliance on food imports from Saudi Arabia could make it susceptible to pressure.

This could spell trouble for Hamas. The group - which calls for Israel's destruction, even if it has offered long-term interim cease-fires - is considered a terrorist organisation by Israel and its Western allies. Israel and Hamas have fought three cross-border wars that caused large-scale damage in Gaza.

Qatar doesn't support Hamas directly, but its large-scale projects have significantly eased the burden on Hamas authorities and given it some credit for bringing this money to Gaza.

In 2012, Qatar's then-emir, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, visited Gaza, the first and only head of state to do so since Hamas routed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah militants in Gaza during internecine fighting a year after Hamas won elections in 2006. The emir announced a grant of $407 million for humanitarian projects.

The grant is being used to build a housing complex of 3,000 units. Two phases of the project have been completed and families moved into their new homes, dubbed the Hamad Residential City, in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis.

Last month, Palestinian contractors and Qatari envoys signed deals to start the third and final phase of Hamad City. Now, those deals could be in question.

Using that grant, Qatar also built a specialist prosthetic centre, the first of its kind in Gaza. Qatar paved roads, repaired or rebuilt mosques and oversaw dozens of other infrastructure projects.

Following a 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2014, Qatar was the largest single donor to the reconstruction of Gaza, pledging $1 billion at a Cairo-hosted international conference.

Qatar also helped pay for fuel and electricity deliveries from neighbouring Israel, which, despite its enmity to Hamas, supplies energy to Gaza for what it says are humanitarian reasons.

On Wednesday, bulldozers with Qatari flags were seen leveling land overlooking Gaza City's coastal road. The spot is supposed to house the headquarters of Qatar's Gaza reconstruction mission and a residence for an envoy.

In Hamad City, new shops and stores are opening, including a pharmacy named Qatar, barber shops and a video gaming cafe as more families move in. The complex is the largest in Gaza.

Wael al-Naqla, a contractor, has won a bid to build several buildings in the final phase. Thanks to Qatari money, he is one of the few business owners who can hire workers in today's Gaza.

"Without these projects, we would have been idled a long time ago," he said, voicing fears that the funding could soon dry up. "We are afraid I won't be able to keep paying for my 20 workers and they will not be able to eat." The construction here is one of the few bright spots in Gaza.

The situation here is grim. The territory suffers from rolling power cuts, with just four hours of electricity at a time, followed by 14-18 hours of blackout. Tap water is undrinkable, youth unemployment is estimated at 60 percent. Thousands wait for a rare chance to exit the blockaded territory.

Mkhaimar Abusada, an independent Gaza political analyst, said the pressure on Qatar could increase Hamas' political and financial isolation.

This week, a high-level Hamas delegation was summoned to neighbouring Egypt, which has had cooling relations with Hamas. "If these talks don't lead to new understandings getting Hamas out of its difficult political situation, I think there will be more crises," said Abusada.

 

[angelburst29]

The Saudi-led sanctions against Qatar are intended to prevent Qatar from funding terrorism in the same way that sanctions after the Lockerbie bombing deterred Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Saudi political analyst Usef al Kueilit told Sputnik.

Saudi Sanctions Against Qatar Aim to Stop Doha 'Pursuing Same Policy as Gaddafi'
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201706071054415641-saudi-qatar-gaddafi/

On Monday, four Arab states – Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates – announced that they had cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and Islamic extremism. The governments of Yemen and Libya followed suit later in the day.

"(Qatar) embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS (Islamic State) and al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly," Saudi state news agency SPA said.

Saudi Arabian political analyst Usef al Kueilit told Sputnik that Riyadh took the decision because of Qatar's support for militant Islamist groups and its role in the so-called "Arab Spring" protests in neighboring countries.

"The closure of the Saudi-Qatar border will hurt the residents of Qatar, because that's the only way they receive food, medicine and everything they need," al Kueilit said.

Saudi Arabia has closed the crossing at Qatar's only land border, which Qatar uses to import about 40 percent of its food supplies. Iran, with which Qatar shares a natural gas field in the Persian Gulf, has offered to deliver food by sea.

UAE-based airlines Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai and Air Arabia have canceled all flights to and from the Qatari capital Doha, and the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have also closed airspace for Qatar Airways.

Riyadh has also canceled the broadcasting license and started closing Saudi offices of the Al Jazeera satellite network, alleging that Qatar uses the government-owned network to broadcast militant ideology.

Al Kueilit compared Qatar's policy of support for terrorism with that of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's support for militant groups.

Qatar is pursing the same policy that Gaddafi used to follow. He also wasted state money on supporting terrorism, until the Lockerbie crisis, which in the end destroyed Libya," al Kueilit said.

 

[goyacobol]

Thanks angelburst29 and others for the updates. It certainly is educational to follow this Qatar development. This last comparison with the Lockerbie bombing is like Déjà vu for the western alliance's reused tactics to take down another country for the sake of the hegemony of the US and it's relentless implementation of Israel's goals for the Middle East.

I just searched for a Lockerbie article on SOTT and this is just one (Thursday, 15 Jun 1995) which shows how the US will continue to use the same tactics over and over to take down countries that stand in their way.

British MP: Lockerbie 'evidence' against Libyans was planted by CIA

Looks to me like the CIA and Saudi Arable is going to blame Qatar for the terrorism the same way they blamed Muammar Gaddafi of Libya for the Lockerbie bombing while Saudi Arabia now gets off free of blame.

It's getting to be a bit repetitive but I guess that makes it easier to see what's going on after awhile.

 

[Pierre]

According to Meyssan, the Qatar event is the result of a divide about the question of terrorism. It results in the formation of two groups: the US + Saudi Arabia + the Gulf states and the UK + Iran + Palestine + Turkey.

Confrontation at Bilderberg 2017
by Thierry Meyssan

While President Trump seems to have sorted out his problems of interior authority - more or less - the conflict has now moved on to concern NATO. Washington is currently speaking against the manipulation of terrorism, while London has no intention of giving up such a useful tool for the extension of its influence. The Bilderberg Group, initially organised as a sounding board for the Alliance, has just been the stage for a difficult debate between the partisans and the adversaries of imperialism in the Middle East.

There exist no photographs of the meeting of the Bilderberg Group, whose work is confidential. Security for the meeting is not handled by the FBI, nor the Virginia police force, but by a private militia organised by NATO.

The Bilderberg Group was created in 1954 by the CIA and MI6 in order to support the Atlantic Alliance. It was intended to gather personalities from the economic and media sectors with political and military leaders in order to sensitize civil society to the « Red peril ». Far from being a place for decision-making, this very exclusive club has historically been a forum where the elders had to juggle with their fidelity to London and Washington, and the younger members were expected to show that they could be trusted with the opposition to the Soviets [1].

It was during the annual reunion of 1979 that Bernard Lewis revealed to those present the rôle of the Muslim Brotherhood in the resistance to the Afghani Communist government. This Israëli-British-US Islamologist then proposed that the « War for Freedom » (sic) should be extended to all of Central Asia.

It was in 2008, in other words two and a half years in advance, that Basma Kodmani (future spokewoman for the Syrian opposition) and Volker Perthes (future advisor to Jeffrey Feltman for the total and unconditional capitulation of Syria [2]) explained the interest of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in order to dominate the Middle East. They stressed the « moderation » of the Brotherhood faced with the West, and the contrast offered by the « extremist sovereignty » of Iran and Syria [3].

And it was in 2013 that the chairman of the German executive board, Ulrich Grillo, made a case for the organisation of a massive migration of 800,000 Syrian workers to German factories [4].

Bilderberg 2017

The Bilderberg Group has just held its 2017 meeting, from 1 to 4 June, in the United States. Contrary to habit, the 130 participants were not all defending the same project. Quite the opposite - following the speeches by Donald Trump at the Arabo-Islamic-US summit, and at NATO [5], the CIA and MI6 organised a first-day debate which opposed those who are partisans of the fight against Islamism and those who support it. The point was, obviously enough, either to find a compromise between the two camps, or to acknowledge the dissension without allowing it to destroy the initial objective of the Alliance – the fight against Russia [6].

On the anti-Islamism side (that is opposed not to the Muslim religion, but to political Islam as formulated by Sayyid Qutb), we noted the presence of General H. R. McMaster (President Trump’s National Security Advisor) and his expert Nadia Schadlow. McMaster is a recognised strategist whose theories have been verified on the battle-field. Above all, Schadlow has worked on the ways of transforming military victories into political successes. She is particularly interested in the restructuration of poltical movements in conquered countries. She should soon be publishing a new book about the struggle against Islamic radicalism.

On the pro-Islamism side, we note the presence, for the United States, of John Brennan (ex-Director of the CIA) and his ex-subordinates Avril Haines and David Cohen (financing of terrorism). For the United Kingdom, Sir John Sawers (ex-Director of MI6 and a long-time protector of the Brotherhood) and General Nicholas Houghton (ex-Chief of Staff, who prepared the land invasion of Syria). For France, General Benoît Puga (ex-Chief of Staff for the Elysée and commander of the Special Forces in Syria) and Bruno Tertrais (neo-conservative strategist for the Ministry of Defence). Finally, for the private sector, Henry Kravis (Director of the investment fund KKR, and unofficial treasurer for Daesh) and General David Petraeus (co-founder of Daesh).

And if this imbalance were not enough, the organisers had planned for the presence of experts capable of justifying the unjustifiable, like Professor Niell Fergusson (historian of British colonialism).

The possible reversal of alliances

It will take a little time before we know what was said during this meeting, and to understand the conclusions that were reached by the various attendees. However, we already know that London is pushing for a change of paradigm in the Middlde East. If the model of the « Arab Spring » (reproduction of the « Arab Revolt of 1916 » organised by Lawrence of Arabia in order to replace the Ottoman Empire by the British Empire) is abandoned, MI6 hopes to create a new agreement on the basis of political Islamism.

As a result, while Washington has renewed its alliance with Saudi Arabia, and has convinced it to break with the Brotherhood in exchange for 110 billion dollars worth of armament [7], London is pushing for an agreement between Iran, Qatar, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood. If this project were to be realised, we would experience the abandon of the Sunni/Chiite conflict and the creation of a « croissant of political Islam » encompassing Teheran, Doha, Ankara, Idleb, Beyrouth and Gaza. This new distribution would enable the United Kingdom to maintain its influence in the region.

The only thing upon which the Allies seem to agree is the necessity of abandoning the principle of a jihadist state. Everyone admits that the devil has to be put back in his box. Which means getting rid of Daesh, even if some people keep working with Al-Qaïda. This is why, worried about its survival, the self-proclaimed Caliph has secretly transmitted an ultimatum to Downing Street and the Elysée.

Choosing sides

We shall see within the next few months if Saudi Arabia’s about-face is genuine. It would be good news for the Syrians, but bad news for the Yemenites (whom the Western world would then ignore). It would offer King Salman the possibility of stimulating the evolution of Wahhabism from a fanatical cult to a normal religion. Already, the sudden conflict which opposes Riyadh to Doha on the question of Iran is doubled by an argument about the possible kinship between the founder of the cult, Mohammed ben Abdelwahhab, and the Qatari Al-Thani dynasty – a claim which has enraged the Saudi’s.

The project of « political Islam » consists of uniting the Muslim Brotherhood and the Khomeinists. It would mean that Iran, and even Hezbollah, would have to substitute this problem for the fight against anti-imperialism. If this were come to pass, it would most certainly lead to the withdrawal of Iran from Syria. The White House is taking this very seriously and is frantically preparing for it. In his speech in Riyadh, Donald Trump already designated Teheran as his new enemy, and has just nominated Michaël D’Andrea (who organised the assassination of Imad Mougniyeh in Damascus in 2008) as the representative for the Iranian section of the CIA [8].

Russia had already prepared for a potential new deal in the Middle East. Consequently, by supporting Syria, it pursued its ambition of gaining access to « warm waters », and by seeking rapprochement with its hereditary adversary, Turkey, of being able to navigate freely via the Dardanelles and the Bosphorus (indispensible for entering the Mediterranean). However, in the long term, political Islam could only cause it problems in the Caucasus.

As always when the players sort their cards, they all have to define their positions. The United Kingdom defends its Empire, France defends its ruling class, and the United States defends its people. In the Middle East, some people will fight for their community, others for their ideas. But things are not always so simple. Thus, Iran might follow the ideal of Imam Khomeiny, confusing the end and the means. What was in the beginning an anti-imperialist revolution led by the power of Islam could evolve into a simple affirmation of the political use of this religion.

The consequences for the rest of the world

MI6 and the CIA took a huge risk by inviting a non-Atlantist to the meeting of Bilderberg 2017. The Chinese ambassador, Cui Tiankai, who was scheduled to speak only on the fourth day of the seminar, was thus able to evaluate the positions of each member of NATO as from the first day.

On one hand, Beijing is counting on the collaboration of Donald Trump, the opening to the United States of its Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the development of all its commercial routes. On the other, it is hoping that the Brexit will lead to an economic and financial alliance with London [9].

Ambassador Cui, who was the Director of the Centre of Political Research for the Chinese Ministry for Foreign Affairs, might possibly be satisfied with the simple destruction of Daesh. But he is not unaware that the people who organised the Caliphate in order to cut the « Silk Road » in Iraq and Syria, and then the war in Ukraine in order to cut the « new Silk Road », are preparing, preventatively, to open a third front in the Philippines and a fourth in Venezuela in order to cut off other communiction projects.

From this point of view, China, which, like Russia, has an interest in supporting Donald Trump, if only to prevent terrorism in its own country, will be asking itself about the possible long-term consequences of British hegemony in the « croissant of political Islam ».

At the first the idea of a divide between old time allies like the US and the UK seemed outlandish to me. Hower this hypothesis would explain several unexpected past events:
- The UK was the first Western country to join the Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank. It resulted in several condemnation of the move by US officials.
- The UK is the final destination of the Silk Road.
- The fuss between the US and the UK about the leak of sensitive information in the aftermath of the Manchester attack. It led, allegedly, to the UK intelligence stopping to share data with its US counterpart
- The apparent willingness of the UK to finalize the Brexit process.

The above makes me wonder: Is the UK realizing the decline of the US empire coupled with the rise of the Russian-Chine area and subsequently shifting its allegiance?

 

[angelburst29]

Qatar Will Pay John Ashcroft $2.5 Million To Defend Against Terrorism Accusations
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-10/qatar-will-pay-john-ashcroft-25-million-defend-against-terrorism-accusations

Who better to defend Qatar ... it is a hotbed of terrorism-funding (as per a recent list released by Saudi Arabia et al according to which 59 individuals and 12 entities in Qatar are terrorist) ... than the US Attorney General who served during the September 11 attacks, John Ashcroft. At least that's what the government of Qatar is thinking, which hired the former US AG to defend the world's wealthiest (on a GDP/capita basis) nation from accusations by Donald Trump and Arab neighbors that it supports terrorism.

As a reminder, Ashcroft was U.S. attorney general under President George W. Bush from February 2001 to February 2005, years in which US policies and laws were reshaped by the so-called war on terrorism that followed the 2001 al Qaeda attacks. Under Ashcroft the US spawned the "Patriot Act", trampling over civil rights everywhere, and made pervasive spying on virtually everyone the norm, courtesy of the NSA.

Perhaps relying on the assumption that Qatar can simply bribe its way again into America's good graces - recall Qatar give Bill Clinton a $1 million "present" for his Birthday, and was one of the biggest foreign "donors" of the Clinton Foundation even when Hillary was still at the State Department ...

... and was never once accused of sponsoring terrorism - on Friday a Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, with the Justice Department revealed that Qatar will pay the Ashcroft Law Firm $2.5 million for a 90-day period as the country seeks to confirm its efforts to fight global terrorism and comply with financial regulations including U.S. Treasury rules.

In a letter by Ashcroft partner Michael Sullivan, including in the filing, the law firm said that "the firm's work will include crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach, education and advocacy regarding the client's historical, current and future efforts to combat global terror and its compliance goals and accomplishments."

In other words, propganda aka "fake news."

The filing came just hours after Trump accused Qatar of being a "high level" sponsor of terrorism in public remarks made shortly after his secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, pushed Qatar's Arab neighbors to "immediately take steps to de-escalate the situation."

The Ashcroft firm was also hired to do a compliance and regulatory view of Qatar's anti-money laundering and counterterrorist financing framework, Sullivan told Reuters in an email. Considering it is being paid nearly $30,000/day by the gas rich country, we are confident Ashcroft will find "nothing there."

"Qatar is confident that the review and analysis will confirm that Qatar has significant measures in place to prevent and detect efforts to launder funds and/or to use its financial systems to finance terrorist organizations," Sullivan said.

A veritable tribute to neo-conservatism, Ashcroft's firm includes an array of former senior government officials including Michael Sullivan, a former U.S. attorney in Massachusetts appointed by Bush to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Johnny Sutton, who led the Bush-Cheney transition team, and Luis Reyes, another ex-Bush appointee, who served as General Counsel for the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.

The full filing and retention letter is below. (At link above.)