FLASH
Shkruar nga Stefano Piazza
The Qatari regime uses surveillance companies to discredit American politicians, such as Senators Tom Cruz and Tom Cotton, and others who want to put pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood, who oppose Hamas, or who interfere with Qatar's radical Islamist agenda.
The files and testimonies outline a network of influence that extends from information espionage to media control, passing through sports and universities. Thus, Doha has transformed soft power into a systemic machine of political and reputational pressure in the West.
According to investigative journalist Benjamin Weinthal, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, Qatar is not simply practicing diplomacy, but has built a systemic machinery of political and reputational pressure on the West. This industrial-style "soft power," as he describes it, is used to advance the agenda of radical Islam and discredit anyone who dares to oppose movements like the Muslim Brotherhood or Hamas.
How does Qatar's influence strategy differ from common forms of public diplomacy, and why can it be seen as an "industrial" model of soft power?
From my research I have discovered that the Qatari regime uses surveillance companies to discredit American politicians, such as Senators Tom Cruz and Tom Cotton, and others who want to put pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood, who oppose Hamas or interfere with Qatar's radical Islamist agenda.
I have exclusively obtained and published documents on an alleged Qatari espionage operation against US lawmakers in early 2024. For this reason, I believe that Qatar's use of soft power is fraught with corruption and illegal activities.
Former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim (HBJ) boasted, “We have journalists on our payroll in many countries.” The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) first revealed HBJ’s statement on journalist corruption.
Press freedom does not exist in Qatar, and state-controlled media outlets cannot criticize Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. It is a violation of journalistic ethics that CNN and the German news agency DPA have opened offices in Doha and are collaborating with the regime on media projects.
State broadcaster Al Jazeera promotes the ideologies of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. It has yet to register as a foreign agent, as required by the US Department of Justice. Why? Because Qatar's lobbying power is huge in Washington and is spreading throughout the US. Qatar is extremely sensitive to MEMRI reports that prove its critical role in the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Is Qatar's alleged involvement in information interference operations related to international judicial processes, such as those of the International Criminal Court (ICC), a "qualitative leap"?
Qatar’s harmful activities against the ICC and Israel were exposed in a landmark article in the British newspaper The Guardian in November. According to it, the Qatari regime hired a British intelligence company to discredit a Muslim employee of the ICC, a subordinate of prosecutor Karim Khan, after she accused him of sexual abuse.
The use of surveillance companies in this case is consistent with Qatar's modus operandi. It is said that Qatar paid two companies to obtain sensitive information about the victim, including that of her son.
Khan has accused the Israeli prime minister and former defense minister of war crimes. Human rights experts have sharply criticized Khan and the ICC for baseless accusations against Israel. What seems to have escaped the reports is that in Qatar, women are second-class citizens and the Sharia system provides for the death penalty for homosexuals.
Why is direct or indirect control of European media, such as the Lagardère group, a central issue in Doha's influence projection?
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the owner of Paris Saint-Germain, was accused last year of buying votes on the board of Lagardère. Control of PSG allows Qatar to have influence over the French elite. A former French intelligence official told me: “Journalists are invited to PSG’s VIP lounges and establish contacts with politicians. This is worth a lot and they reward Qatar with positive publicity.” Attempts to buy other teams such as Manchester United failed after we denounced the HBJ’s anti-Semitic statements about Jewish control of the oil markets.
To what extent has sport, from clubs to the 2022 World Cup, functioned as a shield for image and a multiplier of political influence?
In 2022, the AP reported that a former CIA officer, Keven Chalker, and his company helped Qatar spy on rival countries' soccer officials. The dire labor rights situation led to the deaths of 6,500 migrant workers.
The influence operations were also exposed by the US, where it was proven that Qatar has poured 6.6 billion dollars into American universities (such as Georgetown, Cornell). Many of these institutions have problems with anti-Semitism and defend extremist Islam because their credibility has been contaminated by Qatari money.
Little is known in Europe about the American "Qatargate." What is the current situation?
Former U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was convicted of accepting bribes in exchange for his influence in favor of Qatar and Egypt. In January 2015, he was sentenced to 11 years in prison. A jury found him guilty of accepting bribes from a developer who wanted Menendez to convince a Qatari investment company to finance a multimillion-dollar project. When Qatari money is involved in politics, corruption scandals are never absent./ Adapted from "Pamphlet" From "Panorama.it"
Katar ka hyre fort dhe ne Shqiperi.
Si spiegohet qe te gjithe keta qe pergjojne e pergjojne te tjeret fitojne te drejten te organizojne Kampionate Futbolli Boterore kur nuk e kane idene e sportit te futbollit!?