Qatar: beyond the football, human rights & power politics
The Sunday Times (27 Nov) carried an interesting analysis of the realities of the Qatar World Cup. The stadiums are far from full and the Qatar Government’s human rights record has come under fire.
No matter. The football has cost Qatar a lot of money but it sits on a gas field. In the context of the war in Ukraine that is proving very profitable. Behind the football has been the imperial reality. Diplomats and politicians have been watching games and dining in restaurants. The Qatar take on politics is arguably towards the Taliban end of things, certainly sympathetic to the Muslim Brotherhood.
That has caused issues in the past but not now. The ST reports that Qatar has the largest US base in the Middle East and is regarded as its key ally in the region beyond Israel and Saudi. Britain also has a military presence, particularly the RAF
In short it can be understood why the World Cup ended up in Qatar- power politics
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