Qatar 2022

[Roger87]

4 hours ago, Ikarus360 said:

I find this adorable considering half of these countries are also supporting extremism one way or another. Is like a group of murderers acussing each other of who killed the most people.

Indeed the irony of life.

[Roger87]

Now this is becoming uglier...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/tehran-attacks-isis-suicide-bomb-iran-first-ever-terrorism-claim-responsibility-parliament-shrine-a7776631.html

Quote

Tehran attacks: Isis claims responsibility for 'its first ever suicide bombing on Iran'

Isis has claimed responsibility for twin attacks at the Iranian parliament and a major shrine in Tehran, in what would be the first time it has carried out a terror operation on Iranian soil.

Analyst Charlie Winter said the claim, which appeared on Isis's Amaq news agency, had "massive implications" for the region.

 

[yoshi]

Is this heading for actual war between Saudi & Qatar - or even Iran? It's certainly ugly, whatever happens. 

[StefanMUC]

45 minutes ago, yoshi said:

Is this heading for actual war between Saudi & Qatar - or even Iran? It's certainly ugly, whatever happens. 

Well, Donald did his best to put oil into the fire, both by his "fantastic" visit to the Saudis, and his latest clueless tweets.

If it really was the IS in Tehran though, it's got much wider implications, but that won't fit into the narrative of evil Iran anymore.

[baron-pierreIV]

It looks like a coordinated attack.  The only problem is ISIS claims credit for everything -- even a beggar probably dying in the streets of Mumbai, that it is easier to discount them than believe them.  And how does this attack now portray Iran as an aggressor/exporter of terror? 

And how will the Saudi Arabia / UAE / Egypt gang now save face if indeed they fell for a faked, Russian-hacked stunt?  The bigger problem is a restless Russia which lies through their teeth, and is back on a mission to gain control of the world with whatever means possible -- sports, politics, naive administrations like Trump's,  etc.  I think the punishment for Russia is to cancel the FIFA tournament next year. 

[StefanMUC]

5 hours ago, baron-pierreIV said:

It looks like a coordinated attack.  The only problem is ISIS claims credit for everything -- even a beggar probably dying in the streets of Mumbai, that it is easier to discount them than believe them.  And how does this attack now portray Iran as an aggressor/exporter of terror? 

And how will the Saudi Arabia / UAE / Egypt gang now save face if indeed they fell for a faked, Russian-hacked stunt?  The bigger problem is a restless Russia which lies through their teeth, and is back on a mission to gain control of the world with whatever means possible -- sports, politics, naive administrations like Trump's,  etc.  I think the punishment for Russia is to cancel the FIFA tournament next year. 

As if FIFA would do anything like that. At best, they would bow to pressure for removing it from Qatar (and even that I have my doubts about, unless they have to row into Doha harbour because Qatar is cut off by air and land), but I really can't see them acting on Russia at all.

[Ikarus360]

Qatar was supossed to host the Gulf Cup of Nations in December (for which the Doha stadium was refubrished, also for the 2019 IAAF World Championships). That one is most likely going to be taken away from them given almost every Gulf State wants to see Qatar burn right now. 

As for Iran, looks like Trump wasn't happy enough causing enough **** in the Korean peninsula. Now he wants to mess with the Gulf as well. Bad news is that oil prices will skyrocket, something which will help certain dictators around the world to strengthen their grip on their respective nations.

[Roger87]

4 hours ago, StefanMUC said:

As if FIFA would do anything like that. At best, they would bow to pressure for removing it from Qatar (and even that I have my doubts about, unless they have to row into Doha harbour because Qatar is cut off by air and land), but I really can't see them acting on Russia at all.

Agree. With Russia is late, but with Qatar it can bear the possibility, especially if other Gulf Countries join to Saudi Arabia request - Kuwait and Oman

[Ikarus360]

^^ Kuwait seems to want to stay away from the accussations and prefers acting as a mediator instead. So it's unlikely they will get involved.

[Roger87]

https://mobile.twitter.com/AJEnglish/status/872856514695974912 

Al Jazeera unzer cyber attack. This won't end soon.

[Ikarus360]

KSA threw a 24 hours Ultimatum yesterday telling Qatar to stop supporting Muslim Brotherhood and to freeze all of their assets. On the other hand, Qatar threatened to sink any submarine from either KSA or EAU/Bahrain which entered their territory.

This is starting to get really ugly. 

[Nacre]

On 6/6/2017 at 10:23 AM, Ikarus360 said:

I find this adorable considering half of these countries are also supporting extremism one way or another. Is like a group of murderers acussing each other of who killed the most people.

Not so much "most" as it is "which." Saudi Arabia funding ISIS is fine, but Qatar funding the Muslim Brotherhood is not.

To me this all seems very unremarkable. Europe went through the same troubles during its own Wars of Religion in the 1500's and 1600's; simply replace "catholic and protestant" with "sunni and shia" and "printing press" with "internet." Religion hatred motivates the public, but states are motivated by realpolitik. (France allied with protestant countries even as French soldiers were killing protestants within France.) That was true in late Renaissance European states and it is true in the modern Middle Eastern states fighting for power, influence and oil.

On 6/5/2017 at 5:18 PM, TorchbearerSydney said:

Qatar Airways are the sponsor of FIFA- this is gonna get ugly!

IF this crisis continues for several years I don't see how Qatar can host the World Cup.

Years ago when I was acquainted with the secretary general of Kuwait I know there were plans in that country to use desalination to irrigate some of the desert. If Qatar wants to waste huge sums of money on a vanity project, then building water-tight greenhouses to grow some food seems like a good idea. It could even be marine farming: the waters of the Persian Gulf are full of life because of the minerals from the dust storms.

[Ikarus360]

Turkey decided to deploy troops in Qatar to protect them from a possible KSA invasion. Syrian Kurds said they would support KSA and join them.

This needs to stop. Even if many of us would want Qatar to get screwed up, this could become WWIII if it gets out of hand. Its escalating way too quickly. 

[Roger87]

1 hour ago, Ikarus360 said:

Turkey decided to deploy troops in Qatar to protect them from a possible KSA invasion. Syrian Kurds said they would support KSA and join them.

This needs to stop. Even if many of us would want Qatar to get screwed up, this could become WWIII if it gets out of hand. Its escalating way too quickly. 

Let's hope Iran stays out of this otherwise Even if this is only a regional conflict, the implications are too dangerous and scary to think about it.

[Ikarus360]

Chuck Blazer died yesterday at 72 years old.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40590960

While he was also as corrupt as your typical FIFA official, it was thanks to his whisteblowing Qatar and Blatter were finally exposed as the fraud they really were/are.

[TheOtherRob]

He wasn't a whistleblower. That's used for someone unhappy with something they see, putting their head about the parapet at personal risk, and reporting it. Blazer was nothing of the sort. The FBI were going to prosecute him unless he spilt the beans on those higher up. He was dirty as the rest and quite happy with FIFA's corruption until he was caught. His hand was forced, a whistleblower he was not.

Anyway, RIP.

[Durban Sandshark]

Exactly, Rob. No whistleblower or sacrificial hero was he. That and the fact he was stricken with diabetes later in his life and holding a separate NYC apartment solely for his CATS! Who's gonna look after them now? Blazer was open about the corruption. I wonder what type of RICO rules he would be subjected under for being dirty, though as one who lives in the CONCACAF region, he helped give us more WC spots upon expansion with the USA as such a lucrative market and developing international soccer power. One 1.5 more perhaps. But still expansion.

[Ikarus360]

Another One Bites the Dust

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40642635

Spain football chief Angel Maria Villar Llona arrested

[Sir Rols]

Quote

 

FIFA may strip Qatar of hosting the 2022 World Cup

QATAR could be stripped of hosting the 2022 World Cup, with England in contention to host it, according to a Saudi sports chief.

The USA will also be considered as another venue, report German news Online Focus who cite sports minister Turki Al-Sheikh.

FIFA has been facing calls to take the prestigious tournament away from Qatar after the explosive report into vote-buying by the Gulf state was made public.

The world’s football governing body published its report of the bidding battles for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments in full after German newspaper Bild announced it was going to print leaks from it.

It revealed a secret payment of $2.6 million was made to the ten-year-old daughter of Brazilian FIFA bigwig Ricardo Teixeira, while three senior figures were flown to a meeting in Rio in a Qatari-owned jet.

Political conflict in the country is also causing concern for football chiefs.

Dubai-based TV channel Al Arabiya claims a confidential BBC report has warned companies against building facilities for the World Cup in Qatar.

FIFA will reportedly wait until next summer to make a final call on the 2022 World Cup venue.

President Gianni Infantino wants all 211 member countries to vote to decide on the hosts.

MP Damian Collins, chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport select committee, said: “It’s absolutely the case that the decision to award the World Cup to Qatar has to be reviewed.

“It is clear that the decision not to publish the full report was an attempt to cover up the full extent of corruption at FIFA.

“FIFA was aware of serious allegations and deliberately attempted to stop them emerging.

“It looks like inappropriate payments to get votes. If that is the case, Qatar should lose the right to host the World Cup.”

England famously lost out in their bids for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, despite sending envoys including David Beckham and Prince William to argue their case.

Russia was controversially handed the 2018 World Cup, which is due to take place this summer.

But football fans were left gobsmacked when Qatar was then announced as the host of the competition in 2022.

The country has been under fire for its treatment of builders working on half-completed stadiums, with unsafe conditions and low wages leading to numerous deaths and claims of modern-day slavery from human rights groups.

There is also an issue of the weather, with Qatar experiencing scorching summers at the time the World Cup is usually hosted.

A fierce debate rages on about whether it should be moved to the winter, but that would disrupt all the major European domestic leagues.

News.com.au

 

 

[BTHarner]

A $2.6 million payment to a ten-year-old. That will buy a lot of Barbie dolls.

We have been through this relocation possibility about a hundred times already and I will believe it when I see it.

[Ikarus360]

If they didn't took away Qatar back in 2015 when the whole scandal blew up what makes people think they will do it now. They give zero fucks at this point, to be honest. 

However, given many Middle East countries are seeing Qatar with contempt lately due to accusations of secretly funding ISIS, I don't think the sympathy we thought there would be in the region in case Qatar is stripped of the duty will happen this time. 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

I think FIFA realises that it is probably too far along to strip Qatar of the tournament.  Should they? Absolutely. Will they - not likely.

[Quaker2001]

The political implications of FIFA pulling the trigger on that may be more than they're willing to deal with.  It has been 7 years Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup.  What are they waiting for if they want to make that move?

[anthonyliberatori]

52 minutes ago, thatsnotmypuppy said:

I think FIFA realises that it is probably too far along to strip Qatar of the tournament.  Should they? Absolutely. Will they - not likely.

I'm still hoping they do though. The UK and the USA wouldn't have to build a stadium at all, and other than colliding with the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, scheduling shouldn't be a major issue. It's not like FIFA would be asking either to drop billions just because. Hell, the US is avidly looking to host 2026. They could always do a Euro 2020 approach as well, and commit single stadiums in single cities rather than an entire country. There certainly are ways around a Qatar WC.

 

But you're right, it's rather unlikely. I will surely be hoping for it, but I will not get my hopes up too far. I'll believe it when I see it.

[yoshi]

Not sure the political fallout would be that bad. I mean, think of the situation in the Gulf now, & you have to wonder - who would be on Qatar's side?