Keeping it Real…

The weather is (finally) nice …. much to do and enjoy  … and time to recharge my batteries.

The blog will be on break until Monday June 19 … unless the Legislature returns earlier. 

Harv O

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Since 2003, the US has maintained …. according to CNN … “its largest contingent of military personnel in the Middle East at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base.”

The huge complex,  staging point for a fleet of B-52 bombers, F-16 fighters and several advanced surveillance aircraft,  is a control centre for carrying out US military strategy over 20 different countries in the Middle East and beyond … including, of course,  helping to defend Qatar. And Qatar has spent more than $1 Billion on helping build the base, which houses 11,000 military personnel.

So you might think Qatar is an ally, a friend, a partner to be counted on.

NOT!!!

Qatar is a dictatorship, an ABSOLUTE monarchy, where Sharia law rules supreme, and where in family court, for example “a female’s testimony is worth half a man’s and in some cases a female witness is not accepted at all” (Wikipedia).

Trying to convert from Islam is punishable by death; adultery or homosexuality can bring lashings …or death; and, stoning is also legal as punishment for various “crimes”.

Barbarians!

But funny, you don’t hear exposés about this on Al Jazeera, which spends a tremendous amount of time and resources pointing out shortcomings and problems elsewhere in the world. I have long regarded Al Jazeera as a very sophisticated … but clearly detectable …  propaganda world-wide “news”  arm of Qatar’s pro-terrorist, anti-human rights regime, at least for their own region.

Anyone who has watched Al Jazeera critically, could have detected for years now, a clear strong bias, favoring and sympathetic to: the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt (even as Christians were being targeted/killed) ; Hamas … which receives MILLIONS in FUNDING from Qatar and whose leaders live in Qatar;  as well as support for West Bank militant groups; and “funding for rebels strongly favored Islamic and Salafist forces in both Libya and Syria” (Wikipedia).

Some ally!

Qatar’s duplicity has been going on for years … known to MANY … but largely ignored, for strategic reasons: oil, natural gas and that huge US military base.

But now, several Arab nations have called out Qatar’s hypocrisy … breaking relations with it, ordering their ambassadors out and cutting off economic ties. These nations …so far … include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United  Arab Emirates, Bahrain and the Maldives.

Let’s keep it real:  these nations themselves are not known as great defenders of democracy or human rights themselves. But maybe, just maybe … following US President Donald Trump’s recent visit and pledges of  new American involvement and support  … we are seeing change, or the beginning of change.

If these states feel emboldened NOW to call out Qatar’s duplicity and hypocrisy and take action against it … something IS happening.

Bravo!

It’s about time those Arab regimes that smile to us one day and fund those who want to kill or overthrow us the next are exposed and acted against. Beginning with Qatar.

And have to admit, I am enjoying watching Al Jazeera’s “coverage” of the growing revulsion over Qatar’s actions and hypocrisy. I find it quite comical watching the terrible one-sided efforts by their anchors, reporters and especially their regular “analysts” trying to defend/explain/excuse Qatar’s despicable pro-terrorist actions.

Maybe that $110 Billion US arms sale to the Saudis will pay off, after all!

Harv Oberfeld

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