Qatar, Iran, “Bandit Summit”
Warmonger Putin distributes special World Cup tips
By David Needy & Stephan Uersfeld
10/13/2022 2:54 p.m
In 2018, Vladimir Putin expanded Russia’s totalitarian security apparatus with the help of the World Cup. He now offers Qatar ‘great support’ and advice for the winter tournament. At the same time, the desert state enters into cooperation with the US armed forces. The world situation condenses in the World Cup.
The extremely controversial World Cup in Qatar begins in just over a month. But before that, the Conference on Cooperation and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) will take place in Astana. Among other things, plans for the football tournament are being made there, which was probably not on the official agenda – in cooperation with Vladimir Putin. The Russian ruler met with the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for a one-to-one talk. Both had previously sat on the podium with Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, as if they were forming – to put it bluntly – a kind of private “bandit summit” of the current political world situation.
Qatar’s state news agency QNA then announced that Russia was offering “great support” for the desert state in relation to the World Cup. The “coordination” would therefore “continue, and we thank Russia for it”. The news agency also wrote that, according to Putin, “relationships between Russia and Qatar” would continue to develop. Accordingly, Russia, the organizer of the 2018 World Cup, is doing “everything to share our experiences in preparing for the World Cup” and Putin wishes “a lot of success in organizing this major event”.
It is not known what exactly the exchanged experiences between Putin and Al Thani looked like and which expertises were transmitted. However, it fits, the dialogue. Like Qatar, Russia also knew in advance of the World Cup when building the stadiums in their own country to exploit workers and your violate rights. In both countries, people died on the World Cup construction sites, and both countries were accused of modern slavery. Since 2015, FIFA has promised to better protect human rights in the context of football World Cups.
Total surveillance, repressive laws
The two rulers may also exchange expertise on security precautions. Because even from these experiences Putin can sing interesting and repressive songs for autocrats and commanders. Shortly before the start of the 2018 tournament, Russia tightened the already strict security measures in the country: restrictions on the right to demonstrate, no space for opposition members or opinions outside the norm, several hundred thousand police officers, national guards, secret service agents and military personnel were sent to the stadiums and host cities. That should also please the Emir of Qatar, who doesn’t even allow workers in his country to set up a trade union, massively restricts women’s rights and punishes homosexuals.
The story of more democracy through international sporting events was once again clearly exposed as a myth by the events in Russia in 2018. Because many of the repressive orders simply remained in place after the final whistle between France and Croatia, for example, any unannounced gathering of several people in public spaces was then prohibited.
The Russian authorities also introduced new facial recognition software with the World Cup. At that time, tens of thousands of cameras were installed in Moscow alone – and they were not dismantled after the tournament. On the contrary, the World Cup was something of a starting signal, more and more cameras with facial recognition software and databases were added. As early as 2019, members of the opposition spoke of a “digital dictatorshipWenzel Michalski, Germany director of Human Rights Watch, also recognizes this type of absolute control in Qatar. In the “Schwäbische Zeitung” he recently advised homosexuals against attending the World Cup due to total surveillance in the emirate. Everywhere in the stadiums Are there cameras.
Cooperation with US military
The meeting with Putin is not the only thing that has made it clear that the world situation will intensify in Qatar in November and December. In addition to the expertise now requested from Russia, the emirate has long used military experts from around the world to ensure the security of the tournament.
In November 2021, the western military alliance NATO announced its support in the run-up to the tournament. This should include “training to protect against threats from chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear material” as well as “training to protect important persons” and “to counter threats from unconventional explosive and incendiary devices”. The first training sessions were held in Slovakia in May 2021, according to the NATO.
Only last week did the desert state’s defense ministry sign one cooperation agreement with that of the USA. Accordingly, US armed forces should contribute to security at the World Cup. The statement, signed by Brigadier General Khaled Muhammad Al-Nuaimi and US Military Attaché Colonel Timothy Drifki, aims to establish responsibilities and technical arrangements for doing so.
British Air Force will patrol airspace
Security agreements already existed between Qatar and the USA, which uses the Al Udeid Air Base operated by the Qatari Air Force west of the Qatari capital Doha. That’s how it will be US Homeland Securitythe US Department of Homeland Security, assist Qatar on aviation security and assist the World Cup host in “Identifying Passengers Linked to Terrorism” and also monitor security risks at Doha Airport.
In addition to NATO and the USA, Qatar has numerous other agreements with other countries. Already last year, the Turkey support to the Gulf State. Ankara is to send 3,000 riot police, 100 special forces, 50 bomb specialists and 80 detection and attack dogs to the desert state. While Qatar bears the costs, the forces remain under Turkish command.
Also France pledged military support last year. One of the four AWACS air reconnaissance aircraft belonging to the French Air Force is to be sent to the region. A French anti-drone system will also be deployed during the World Cup in Qatar. That too United Kingdom will send military forces to the Gulf during the World Cup. The Royal Air Force will patrol the airspace and the Royal Navy the waters off the peninsula. A statement by the British government referred to the experience gained with such events during the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
In the midst of the worsening world situation in the streets of Doha, which in November will probably be lined with secret service agents from all corners of the world, and in the midst of the opaque geopolitical alliances, only one thing is certain: this world tournament will not have a hooligan problem. At least the German part of the violent fans seems aware of the risk of a trip to Qatar. The German authorities currently have no information about possible trips by potential violent criminals to the World Cup, said the central information point for sports operations ntv.de this week on request.