Trump claims his balls are biggest, but isn’t it Qatar who rule the world?
Teeny, tiny Qatar, is populated by 2.9 million people, of which only 12% are Qatari citizens. For comparison, Scotland is 7 times larger but without the draconian laws and financial clout.
Even AI says Qatar is best described as a gas station with a flag … proving that robots do have a sense of humour.
The majority of people living there are Sunni Muslims … and the least controversial of the ruling Al Thani family’s exports are natural gas, petroleum and petroleum chemicals. Unfortunately they also sponsor terror throughout the world whilst claiming to be neutral humanitarians in a very peace loving State.
Really?
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani allows zero press freedom, no satire, no dissent, no political parties and no free elections. Migrant workers have their passports confiscated and wages withheld. During the football World Cup, labourers died due to dangerous work practices in plus 40c heat, often held in conditions that were likened to slavery. Women need permission to travel or marry, and homosexuality is criminalised. Visitors from LGBTQ communities are unwelcome, yet visitors from Hamas are encouraged.
By western standards Qatar is totalitarian, a country we ought to despise, a country that big balls Trump should call out, expose, and oppose for all of its diabolical intentions. But Qatar has unimaginable wealth, it gifted him a Presidential plane, and it hosts the largest American military base in the Middle East. Darn it!
In the UK, Qatar owns; The Shard, Harrods, shares in Barclays and Volkswagen. The Intercontinental Hotel on Park Lane, 25% of Heathrow, 10% of the London stock Exchange. Shares in HSBC and Credit Suisse, Chelsea Barracks (bought from our Ministry of Defence) the 2012 Olympic village and Canary Wharf … co owned with Canadian investors. They pour money into sponsorship of sport and football teams, constantly advertising on behalf of Qatar Air and Visit Qatar tourism. They fund buildings and programs at Oxford, LSE, UCL and many other universities. They sponsor exhibitions at the British Museum and the V&A. They donate through charities to support academic fellowships and own the news channel Al Jezeera, through whom the ruling Al Thani family promote their Islamist world view. Beaming it daily into British homes. They own far more of London than I have the space here to mention, but I’m sure you get the gist.
Britain has prostituted itself to Qatar, and in return the Qataris constantly lobby Parliament, looking to influence our foreign policy. Their favourite subjects are Hamas, Gaza, and Iran. Never forgetting the status of their mouthpiece, Al Jazeera … sensibly banned by many of the Arab States that surround Qatar, who fear its extreme Islamist leanings. Qatar’s high profile investments and generous donations are carefully aimed at neutralising criticism of their county’s poor human rights record. To this end our media are useful tools to shape their chosen narrative. Their need to keep relevant has a calculated ambiguity that allows them to play off both sides in any conflict.
Qatar are comfortable to host the US base whilst also funding Trump’s enemies in a game of double bluff where the players are Hamas, Hezbollah, the Taliban, Iran and various smaller Islamist groups, all of whom indulge in acts of terror. This tiny State has cultivated an image of being peace loving whilst actually financing uprisings such as the Arab Spring and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. They harbour Islamist leaders in luxurious accommodation. They throw money at anti Israel movements whilst covertly trading with Israel through an unlocked back door where I presume Abu knocks twice and then asks for Moshe.
This week the Qataris took time out from pretending to ‘mediate’ between Hamas and Israel for release of the hostages. It’s believed they became missile whisperers to Trump. By a miracle the Qataris partnered with God to warn the President in advance of Iran’s plan to attack his military base … face saving … a biblical move guaranteed to please all participants. Oh how the Qataris must have laughed and shaken up the Perrier bottles to party over that win.
So Trump got to be the victorious king pin without suffering a single scratch on his billions worth of fighter jets … flying across safe skies, due entirely to the IDF’s prior and spectacular success. Call me a cynic but it seems likely that Qatar snitching on Iran must sweeten delivery of the President’s new Qatari owned plane. Maybe that was his focus when publicly berating his loyal ally Israel for daring to respond to a fresh Iranian missile attack sent post ceasefire. During the press conference, Trump sure did swing both of his big balls in celebration of his personal success, doing it in a way that none could claim as gracious. Meanwhile the smirking Qataris, having chalked up a win, scuttled back to pulling Hamas strings, hoping to further ice their diplomatic cake by maybe/maybe not freeing some more hostages.
Is it only me who is fascinated … not in a good way … to see the rest of the world blindly applauding these people? Do we have no scruples left? Does no one join the dots between Islamist regimes, political commentators and British MPs who take funded hospitality trips to Qatar? In trade between our two countries, the greater spend by far, goes from us to them … £12 billion annually, mostly for liquefied natural gas. In return they spend just £3 billion on fighter jets and training, on Rolls Royce cars and the odd bit of Burberry.
Behind the scenes, Hamas depends on Qatar for funding and diplomacy, behind them stand Iran to provide weapons, training, funding and intelligence. These two countries are rivals not allies, and both are played off by Hamas looking to ensure their own survival. If our government believe that touching its forelock will deter Iran and Qatar’s evil proxies from perpetrating heinous acts of terror on British soil … it’s time to wake up. Stop facilitating vile regimes in the false hope that it might protect the UK from deliberate harm.
Qatar, who speak from both sides of their mouth, court favour and sponsor death. In my opinion, this duplicity should not be rewarded with sainthood.
Let me know what you think.
Glastonbury was sadly a representation of the UK's political and cultural direction. Shameful. Many in the Jewish community are exploring the options of leaving. Free speech was never intended to protect the new cult of hate.
Spot on