Lots of people wonder in the Gulf deadlock about the real reasons of Qatar blockade, as they were not convinced of the offered reasons given by the countries of siege, which are repeated by their followers whether through media channels or social media either malignancy or ignorant. They are even trying to mitigate the crime, by calling it Boycotting Qatar.
Those falsified reasons which always come in the form of a package of falsified and framed descriptions, and contradictory accusations, for example, supporting Terrorism in its intended concept contradicts with accusation of being the informant to Israel and Iran, which is also part of these accusations, and the presence of the Turkish military which occurred right after the siege, so, how can it be a cause for the siege?
A Rant, who is chipped into the theory of conspiracy, may say, that Israel and Iran are two sides of a one coin “a package deal”, and this is another matter that I might dedicate an independent blog post.
Let’s see what these vigorous and controversial reasons that prompted sister countries like Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A), United Arab Emirates (U.A.E), Kingdom of Bahrain, and Egypt to boycott their brothers and besiege them in Qatar and reject any mediation for Gulf reconciliation.
The true reasons of Qatar blockade are divided into two parts:
The old reasons of Qatar blockade (before the Arab Spring Revolutions)
Al-Jazeera Channel
Since its launch, Al-Jazeera Channel has become a disconcerting and worrisome window for all Arab rulers (Countries of siege and others) who are accustomed to certain type of media, the media that is more concealing than revealing, or other words, it’s the media that conceal what might be revealed.
Although the Qatari authorities have normal control over the Channel’s link to one country or another, they have remained circumstantial, distant, un-affecting control on the professionalism of the channel, the Qatari policy has been diminished to allowing the window only to be opened or closed. Not news making-up, or events fabrication are shown by the wide open window, as in the cheap directed channels.
And so, Al-Jazeera Channel became a pressure tool in one way or another in the hands of the Qatari government. Unfortunately, the pressure in our Arab countries is to reveal the hidden truth only.
Hence, the Arab rulers without exception felt sever resentment and unease towards this channel that may reveal what they are covering up, and from the country embracing it, and from the recently born power in the hands of this country, so that it changed the balance of the game. And this feeling is one of the most important and deepest real reasons of Qatar blockade, so the persisting demand to shutdown Al-Jazeera Channel has emerged in the list of the 13 demands of the countries of siege.
The international competitive
In Qatar, a new regime came to power in 1995, a system with a plan in hand. Not just ruling blindly by luck as the rest of the Gulf regimes were at that stage.
Although each plan has its own deficiencies, but this plan has leaped Qatar several steps forward, surpassing some of the Gulf countries and most of the Arab countries in terms of International prestige, regional reputation, economic reliability, and the media influence and otherwise, and you can imagine the feelings of the Running champions of the alley when a small child came from the stern of the race and suddenly surpasses them.
And I can combine the features of this competition that Qatar has surpassed the team in these points:
The Relation with Israel
Arab and Gulf regimes, without any exceptions, have long-standing relations with Israel, some are direct and some are indirect (means without a mediator). But Qatar was the first Gulf country to show its relation with Israel publicly and directly within the limits of Trade relations.
The Gulf and Arab countries, likewise, are seeking for strong international relations in the fields of politics and economy, and the relations with Israel was the gate that unlocked that road for Qatar. As it is well known that Israel is one of the world’s strongest monsters in the funds, Trade, Media, and International relations.
This is what made the senior countries look at Qatar as equal tom or sometimes, or superior to, its elder and greater sister countries. And this also increased the level of power and influence in Qatar and concerned neighboring countries.
However, the relation with Israel is not an honor by any means, as long as the Palestinian-Israeli situation maintains as it is, and it’s a fall for the former Qatari regime, Thanks to God, transcend it peacefully. But as I said earlier, each plan has its own deficiencies, and the following may make it easier:
- The necessity of the Political Reality, as there are no other ways to Globalization, at this stage, to be reached unless only through crossing through Israel.
- The relation with Israel is confined to a commercial office only, and not an integrated embassy. And is to Market the Qatari Gas at that time.
- The commercial office was closed in 2000, and the relations with Israel was severed after the events in Gaza in 2009.
- Official and public support in Qatar for the Palestinian cause and sympathy for Gaza’s recurrent setbacks.
- The clear official language in rejecting Israeli settlement and aggression against Gaza and Judaization Al-Quds “Jerusalem”.
- Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa’s historical visit to Gaza strip in 2012.
And as an evidence of the Siege Countries’ consideration for this “dishonorable relation” as an article for competition, and one of the main reasons of Qatar blockade at the same time, the Siege countries have now fled to normalize relations with Israel in a frightening and unrestricted manner, despite the fact that Israel has declared Al-Quds under the name of Jerusalem as its capital. This normalization panting has resulted in participating in fighting Hamas movement, Which is standing pawn for serious Palestinian resistance, and consider it as a terrorist group that must be perused, besieged, and fought where it is located.
Today, Monday, March 4th, 2019, at the Arab Parliamentarians’ in Amman, Abdullah Aal Sheik, the head of the Saudi Shura Council and the representative of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A), objected to the recommendation of the delegation of Kuwait to include the clause on cessations of Normalization with Israel in the statement of the conference, this objection had the support by the U.A.E. and Egyptian delegations.
Despite that the objection is technically has suspicious relevance, but it reflects the direction of the political leadership in those countries and its recommendations to their representatives who are delegated in the conference. Or else they could have at least kept silent.
Al-Adid American base
Since the 1991 war of liberation of Kuwait “Desert Storm”, and till now, the US army is still settled in the Gulf region, and didn’t return, but it only reduced the redundancies troops. The planning leaders, execution officers, agents, auxiliaries, and some military parts and required tools remained in the Military Bases in the Gulf countries, undeclared.
U.S.A came in 1996 and established Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar publicly, almost like the relationship with Israel. The US has also been a major article in the competition that has already angered the embargo countries and fueled their jealousy. The Qatari patronage of the US trust is a powerful additional tool, especially as this tool is a sophisticated and integrated military base that will protect the region in which it is located, if not inadvertently.
The presence of the US military vase in Arab land is neither a matter of honor nor pride, everyone knows that U.S.A does not go all this way and establish a military base in another country just to distribute flowers and roses to lovers, or to even to teach children the martial arts at least for self-defense.
America is settled in the region to achieve its Global imperialist projects and plans, and that is with the approval of all the Arab rulers, if not all the world’s rulers – I’m not sure about two or three of them.
So, compliance with American attitudes in this era is a must, because if you do not, you will find yourself facing the whole world alone, and this is what the affliction prevailed, with no excuse for Muslims and Arabs.
Why does this incompetence become an article of competition and jealousy at the Siege countries, and becomes one of the real reasons of Qatar blockade? Because, the Arab and Gulf regimes with little disparity between them, see that gaining America’s friendship is a proudest and what a pride. Even if this is at the expense of principles, identity, and religion.
In Youssef Al-Otaiba’s E-mail leaks, The U.A.E. ambassador in USA, mentioned his attempts to persuade America to relocate Al-Adid military base from Qatar.
Qatari Gas
The discovery of Qatari Gas and then its export has formed the tributary artery for the aspirations of the new Qatari system since 1995 for the new renaissance and Development in Qatar, and thus has become a source of self-confidence and independence, and this is another real reasons of Qatar blockade has been imposed.
Qatar, from the countries of the Siege’s point of view, is becoming “out of tune” as usual and expected. And started to deal with its elder sisters of the Gulf countries with respect and the same compatibilism, but this time out of antagonist, independency, and a voice declaring its departure of the previous subordination overhang and guardianship.
The Qatari Superiority
Qatar has successfully developed its Development program in several fields and at a very rapid pace, making it a place of admiration for many people of the Gulf and Arab countries, and this admiration has turned into a source of envy or embarrassment for the rulers of these countries because, their people have become to disgrace them with the noticeable Qatari superiority, and wonder what prevents us from being like Qatar? Among these fields of superiority are:
Country per capita income level of the Qatari Citizen
Average per capita income jumped in a few years in Qatar to be on the list of the highest per capita income in the world. This is why the people of some of the Gulf countries such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A.), and the United Arab Emirates U.A.E, and Kuwait, with little disparity between them, have been reconsidering their governments’ excuses that the National Income does not allow for income increasement. Especially as they are Oil-exporting countries, some of which are number 1 in the world oil production rate, such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A.)
Of course, the proportion of the population is included in this account. But with this factor also calculated, the difference between the volume of exports and the per capita income ratio remains huge.
The 2022 World Cup organization in Qatar
This is also one of the factors that created a bitter feeling of envy and jealousy among the rulers of the countries of Siege, which contributed to a set of other accumulated factors in the real hidden reasons of Qatar blockade.
The WikiLeaks of the ambassador Al-Otiba revealed the size of the U.A.E. obsession to withdraw the Organization from Qatar.
This is clearly evident in the amount of Tweets directed against I n Twitter and other social media on this issue by Saudi and Emirati public figures such as Turki Al-Sheikh or Dahi Khalfan and others, reflecting how difficult it is to accept in their superiors heads , and how far they try to obstruct the success of this event.
Global Qatari Investments
Qatar has preceded the Gulf countries in paying attention of the international investments in the most prestigious and famous international brands in America and Europe, such as Harrods stores, Porsche, Volkswagen and others. Qatar’s name is written on long towers, long-stranding Hotels and sports clubs’ most famous shirts, through huge and numerus long-term investment deals.
The fact that really raised the wrath of the rulers of the countries of Siege are not the Global investments, but the accompanying appearance of the name of state of Qatar, Qatar foundation, The Bank of Qatar, or Qatar Airways with such a show and appearance, the ruling elite in the region and those affected are fascinated by the appearance, the show even if this would be on the account of the real productivity.
As for the people in the region, they read the name of Qatar in several international places and they were sure that Qatar is ahead of their countries in phases. That increased admiration for Qatar and blame for their rulers.
The new reasons of Qatar blockade (after the Arab Revolutions)
Support the Arab Spring revolutions
At the beginning of the Arab Spring revolutions, and specifically the Tunisia revolution, Qatar had no specific political position on the matter, as was the rest of the world. The revolution suddenly appeared from nowhere after the Tunisian youth Mohamed Bou-Azizi set himself on fire.
Al-Jazeera Channel, handled the news coming from Tunisia with its usual profession, a peaceful youth protest in Tunisia, then a violent repression by the authority, then a popular rally and a demand to topple the regime, then President Ben Ali and his desertion to Kingdom of Saudi (K.S.A.). All this happened and ended within a month or less.
After the Arab and International regimes woke up from the shock of the sudden popular revolts, they started to bring back the ranks behind the scenes with a variety of in favor or against. The revolutions of people seeking freedom, equality, democracy and wealth sharing posed a direct threat to these Authoritarian Regimes, backed and supported by the American world System, and thus, a quick solution must therefore be found to put an end to those protests.
Al-Jazeera Channel, accomplished its mission in professional media coverage of the successive Arab revolutions, Egypt’s revolution, Libya’s revolution, Yemen’s revolution, The revolution in Syria, and now the revolution in Sudan and Algeria.
After the Arab regimes united their ranks against the oppressed Arab people, Qatar chose to express its conviction or the policy of standing up for the people by accomplishing Al-Jazeera Channel’s media biased to the broad popular demands. Qatar role was limited to this simple matter, not incitement, nor agitation, and not even advance planning. This was an additional real reasons of Qatar blockade.
Support political Islam
I don’t see that the Qatari leadership has more Islamic religious sense that the rest I general. Also, as all Muslims perform seasonal religious rituals on media screens such as Bairam Prayer, Al-Hajj, the declaration of the vision of Ramadan crescent, and so on. So, what is the story of the claim of Qatar’s competence to support political Islam?
Before Egypt’s revolution, this (accusation) was only directed to the Qatari regime, by some muted voices that does not deserve to even squint at that time, it was about Al-Jazeera Channel broadcasting Al-Qaeda’s videos or the televised interview with Al-Qaeda’s leader Osama Bin Laden after the events of September 11th, or Qatar has embraced some of public figures of the Afghan Taliban or the Chechen Jihad.
As I mentioned earlier, this was not to be a support for the political Islam and not even for Terrorism, as Al-Jazeera Channel’s transmission of Al-Qaeda opinion was a matter of showing a two-way streaming out of information and credibility for both sides. The State of Qatar embraced those Islamic Jihadist figures as the opening of back-door channels for diplomatic understandings among the adversaries.
As for the claim of Qatar’s support for political Islam, it was caused by the pursuant of Qatar to go along the same principle in supporting the choices of the Arab revolution people. These options, which in Egypt resulted in Muhammad Morsi’s victory by the Presidency through a popular and fair election, and it happened to be that Muhammad Morsi belonged to the Muslim Brotherhood, one of political Islam Spectra.
Qatar and Al-Jazeera Channel have adhered to supporting the legitimacy endorsed by votes of the constituters, regardless of the Ideology carried by the person who represented this legitimacy, so, they have decided to frame Qatar with supporting Political Islam, I believe that this is not a charge on the contrary, it’s an honor, but out of objectivity, we must say: Qatar did not support Political Islam.
Non-participation in counter-revolutions
Arab regimes were hit by a frantic rabies to eliminate the success of the Arab Spring revolutions and their eagerness to change the regimes in this way.
So they were drawing-up plans and carrying out them with all possible means to terminate those revolutions that threaten their thrones. Once, by the Dodger containment as in the Gulf initiative in Yemeni revolution, and once by creating Chaos as in the revolution of Syria, and another way by Thwarting the Muslim Brotherhoods rule in Egypt by all possible means, only left with the entrance through infallible blood bathes by a flagrant Military coup, that brought Al-Sisi on the back of his indiscriminate Tank, so he fastened it to the Pillar of the Palace pillar and took over power.
Before all this, those regimes have received all of those who have been ejected by their people, they, their families, and their followers were received by Saudi Arabia that received Bin Ali, Hosni Mubarak and Saleh. The U.A.E have received Ahmed shafiq, Saleh’s family and his son Ahmed, and Bashar Al-Asad’s family.
As for Qatar, it was distancing itself from all these Israeli-backed demonic conspiracies under the deceitful cover of United States. The deserters of the Military governance oppression and the death sentences of the Muslim Brotherhood and other opponents were received by Qatar.
The Qatari regime has also been involved with a few participations here and there in the suppression of the Bahrain’s revolution or the Decisive Storm, that was out of duty, and to silence the blame and as a commitment for the past treaties and covenants between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries or within the framework of the Arab League conventions.
The Qatari failure to participate in the hyenas’ party has created a new real reason for the Blockade of Qatar.
Weak participation in the “Century Deal”
As I mentioned earlier, in the Blog post Muhammad Bin Salman on the scale, that the Century Deal is a mysterious one and its pillars are mysterious, but in the outcomes it represents the essence of the power of the strong against the week. The Strong is the New World System and its representative in the Middle East “Israel”, and the Weak are the “Arab countries” with their complicit ruling regimes.
Qatar is no better than the rest of the Arab countries at this point, but it was not an essential element in implementing this deal – as per God’s Judiciously – either in terms of the geographical location, the religious and Social weight, and not the new political orientation. Unlike the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A.), the U.A.E., Egypt, and those who follow them with a sense.
The observer notes that Qatar is as much at turn of complacency of participating in the Century Deal as it is possible, while some are running with more enthusiasm that overheads the enthusiasm of this Deal’s owners.
The reasons for the blockade of Qatar, as per the claims of the countries of siege
The foregoing, are the real hidden reasons for the Blockade of Qatar, which the adversaries of Qatar do not want to admit the majority of them. And only explicitly recognize Al-Jazeera Channel and their calls and demands for its shut-down within their demands or what is called The 13 Gulf Demands to Secession of the Siege. The rest of the reasons, were ignored or ciphered under other headings, such as supporting terrorism and terrorists, or interfering in the internal affairs of countries and governments, and so on.
