Qatar has expressed disappointment today at yesterday’s move by the four blockading states to add 18 more groups and individuals to what is being described as an anti-Qatar terrorist blacklist, saying the additions have “no basis in fact.”
Qatar’s Communications Director says he believes the move is part of a “smear campaign against Qatar,” noting that the only ones on the new list who had any connection with Qatar in the first place have already been prosecuted by the Qatari government.
The blacklist entries heavily leaned toward groups in Yemen and Libya, mostly charities and media outlets with connections that Saudi Arabia or others in the quartet find objectionable.As with the first list, Qataris were a small minority on what is supposed to be a Qatar-centric list.
The four states have been blockading Qatar for weeks now, nominally for “terrorist” ties, but primarily because Qatar’s al-Jazeera media outlet has taken positions contrary to the Saudi government’s, and has allowed opposition political figures on their network.
Far from “baseless”, it’s just that the claims being made are not exactly the correct ones. Qatar has without a doubt aided terrorists, it’s just that for the most part they have aided our approved terrorists. It must be a bit bewildering to realize that you are being accused of the wrong crime. Rather like a mass murderer being found guilty of killing the one person he didn’t.
I suppose this is why I’m not exactly feeling sorry for them. Although I wonder when foreign leaders will ever figure out that once they climb in bed with the US they can be destroyed or controlled based on anything they have done or not done? If you join the Mob and you are not a family member you are the one who is going to get to do the time or be shot etc. Just take a look at how often leaders of nations who have played footsie with the US end up being deposed in coups, killed or have their nations destroyed, it’s a long list. You would think that eventually these leaders would understand that we don’t play fair.
Not that I expect any form a regime change here, after all, we like their support and the massive base there. But still this must come as a bit of a shock considering all they have done for us in regards to arming the terrorists we want them to. I’m talking about Libya and Syria in particular.