Qatar, the 'shrewd, calculating divorcee'
"... The diplomatic rift between Syria and Qatar (a certified supporter of people's aspirations) has been simmering as the so-called “Arab spring” spred across the Middle East, with anti-government protest movements rocking countries like Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen. But the tension between the two countries is now at its boiling point and may contribute to Syria’s growing isolation on the international stage.
“Qatar’s move looks more like a shrewdly calculated divorce from the Syrian regime than a fleeting spat,” explained Karim Sader, an independent political scientist who specialises in the Gulf nations. According to Sader, Qatar “cynically concluded that it is no longer necessary to support the Syria of Bashar al-Assad, because this Syria no longer has the same strategic influence ever since the recent Arab revolts started shifting the power dynamics in the region”...
The shift in Qatari-Syrian relations has roots in the Arab revolts in which Qatar played a role through the decisive influence of the Qatari-owned news channel Al-Jazeera (Many say that Qatar liberated Arabs!) “The channel displayed a clear support for the revolutionary movements from the very start of the protests in Tunisia”, explained Claire-Gabrielle Talon, a French political scientist and author of a book on Al-Jazeera, ... Al-Jazeera had broadcast those types of montages almost exclusively to show Palestinian resistance efforts.(All for Palestine)...
According to Karim Sader, Qatar seems to be playing “the Sunni card” by cozying up to Saudi Arabia – which would explain why Al-Jazeera has been covering Syria more extensively, compared to its past silence when it came to Syrian repression. “Qatar decided to make overtures toward its ally and fellow Sunni bastion Saudi Arabia…by adjusting its coverage of Syria, which is the main Arab ally of Shia-dominated Iran."..."
3 comments:
One of the most idiotic analyses, even worse than those provided by Schenker, if that is ever possible!
Qatar is not a 'shrewed' calculating divorcee who feels that Syria is no longer relevant strategically. Qatar, 'a certified supporter of people's aspirations' feels that Arab uprisings have shifted the balance of power. In a sense, that is correct, but it is a shift in the balance that goes against the coalition of Qatar, US, Israel, etc. Hence, the increased importance of Syria. As to the "increased isolation" of Syria, that is also in the domain of wishful thinking, or it is another example of so-called Arab analysts socking it up to the White Man. Europe is no longer relevant to the Arab world, except for those elites who would like to spend time strolling in Cannes or Soho or Milano! As to the US, it is in such a deep mess that it has lost its fangs. It no longer scares anyone!
Qatar was hoping for Pan-Arab influence if Bashar were to fall. Let's face it, since 1980, Syria has been the center of the middle east. Qatar lost and will go back to being a microscopic state sitting on an American base.
With all respect to Mr. Karim Sader (and I will not engage in debating the obvious gapping holes in the analysis), there are a couple of 'factual' errors, which I hope were not the base of his conclusions, primarily the fact that the so-called rapprochement between Riyadh and Doha preceded the Tunisian popular revolt by a good few moths; unless the 'shrewed' Qataris new something that was missed by all and sundry.
Regards
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