Many, many of my diaries in the past three years made the distinction between Shia, Sunni, Alawite, Sufi. Salafist and Wahhabist. My assertion was that the Obama administration held insufficient knowledge of the Muslim power bases in the Middle East. Secretary Clinton was a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and used this leverage to set US foreign policy goals. Friendly with Qatar, Al Jazeera, Erdogan’s Turkey and President Morsi of Egypt. She should have critisized the MB regime of Morsi when he played religious politics, see Brotherhood’s enforcer: Khairat El-Shater.

The Muslim Brotherhood leaders/members were expelled/imprisoned/tortured in Egypt under Nasser and Sadat. The MB sought and found refuge in an underdeveloped Gulf states region and settled there. A few decades later the MB are outlawed in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Kuwait due to subversion of the State. In Jordan there is an uneasy truce between MB and King Abdullah.

The opposition movement of Syria [outsiders brought in by the West for regime change] was divided between the MB states and the Salafist/Wahhabist nations. Infighting made it impossible for Secretary Clinton to start negotiations with Russia/Syria for a political solution. As time passed, the civil war became sectarian when traveling jihadists entered the fray. Saudi Prince Bandar became the architect of the war when the House of Assad didn’t crumble as predicted by President Obama. Prince Bandar emptied the Saudi prisons and death row inmates for redemption and a ticket to paradise to fight in Syria. Indeed, cut-throats.

BTW Europe has not designated Hezbollah as a terror group but sees it as a political movement. After much pressure from Israel and the US, Europe did so for the military wing in July 2013. Many experts advise for Hamas, start a dialogue and stop warfare and hostilities. Ever since 9/11 the war on terror has implicated Muslims in general and populists have used the issue to sow hate and discrimination. Islamophobia is part of Israel’s policy to survive, see their lobby Fear Inc. in the US [Daniel Pipes, Frank Gaffney, Robert Spencer, Hirsi Ali] and all over Europe [Geert Wilders, etc.].

○ US Administratons’ Failure to Distinquish Strands of Islam

To express my disappointment over National Security Advisor Susan Rice, listen and watch her PBS interview on May 30, 2014. She is highly incompetent, as once again she doesn’t know how the Syria and Iraq conflict is developing. The buck stops at the President’s desk.

Qatar Backing of Muslim Brothers Splits Arab World

Continued below the fold …
In reply to Maria2: excuses for the following, quoting VOA news source. 🙂

Qatar’s Activism Sparks a Backlash
By Mohamed Elshinnawi | VOA | January 17, 2014 11:04 AM |

A move from mediation to activism

Before the Arab Spring, Qatar tried to foster a regional role by mediating Arab disputes among the main Palestinian factions; Hamas and Fatah, and also among rivals in Lebanon and Sudan.

As Qatar decided to back the Syrian rebels in their quest to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with money and arms, the Gulf nation managed to detach Hamas’s leadership from its alliance with Syria and Iran. Qatar’s former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani made a state visit to Gaza in October 2012 and pledged 400 million dollars to rebuild infrastructure. Hamas political leader Khaled Mashal relocated to Doha in 2012 after being based in Syria for a decade.

Shadi Hamid, Director of research at the Brookings Doha Center argues that Qatar did not want to just be a tiny, small state in the Gulf but wanted to leave its mark on the region’s politics starting with mediation and the soft power of television.

Al Jazeera as a tool

Since 1996 Qatar used its Al Jazeera Arabic satellite network as its primary tool of influence in the region. Al Jazeera introduced a new and unfamiliar kind of public debate in a region dominated by state-run broadcasters. Over the years Al Jazeera became the most watched TV network in the Arab world. It was praised in Tahrir Square where it was a major source of news about the Egyptian uprising of 2011, but eventually it was criticized for becoming a mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood.

Inaugural Star-Studded Gala Dinner Kicks Off On Successful Note For Reach Out Drive, World Record Set For Auction

DOHA, Qatar – Guests at last night’s star-studded gala dinner launching the ‘Reach Out To Asia’ charity drive dug deep into their pockets to raise almost US$10million (QAR36million) in a live auction to raise funds for the underprivileged and disadvantaged across Asia.

The glittering ‘red carpet’ bash at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Doha, brought together more than 500 high-profile celebrities from the world of Royalty, showbusiness, politics, sport and commerce.

    [PHOTO]
    Ex-US President Bill Clinton with Emir of Qatar and his wife. (Doha, Qatar)

Guests included former US President Bill Clinton, Virgin Atlantic founder Sir Richard Branson and Germany’s former World Cup winning captain and manager Franz Beckenbauer, who is also President of the World Cup Organising Committee.

Special guest Canadian rock star Bryan Adams auctioned off an electric guitar signed by a host of music legends raising US$2.7million for the charity. The guitar had been re-auctioned after a member of Qatar’s ruling family bought the instrument earlier this year, paying US$270,000 for Adams’ own appeal launched in January for victims of the tsunami disaster in southeast Asia.

A jewellery set donated by French retailer Cartier fetched US$2million. Saudi Prince His Royal Highness Al-Waleed bin Talal bought the set for US$1million only to put it back into the auction where it raised a further US$1million.

The Emir of Qatar owns the real estate property of U.S. Embassy Grosvenor, London – Oct. 2010

During the couple’s visit the Emir – Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani – was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, while his wife was made a Dame of the British Empire. The British monarch received an 18-carat gold casket encrusted with diamonds, amethysts and pearls, from her visitors while the Duke’s gift was a statue of a horse on a clock base.

Qatar speaks of solving the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue, more likely both the US and Qatar were intent on breaking the axis Iran – Syria – Hezbollah in Lebanon. Regime change in Libya and Syria was already set in stone. The MB axis Qatar and Turkey plus the Saudi Sunni influence in Lebanon were needed in the “revolution” and overthrow of the Assad regime. Was Ms Clinton aware she would be strenghtening Hamas and by definition put a strain on the moderate Abbas of the PA? Israel wanted military action taken on Iran and pushed hard for the global community to act..

Remarks With Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabr Al-Thani After Their Meeting – January 2010 plus photos

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, thank you very much. Yes, we have discussed aid to the Palestinian Authority. The United States has continued to provide significant aid to the Palestinian Authority. We also discussed the commitment that the United States and Qatar share toward a re-launch of the peace process and negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. We are going to do all that we can to try to bring that about. There are many complexities of this extremely difficult situation, but we reaffirmed our commitment to keep working at this.

PRIME MINISTER AL-THANI: (Via interpreter) Madame Secretary, with regard to the letter of guarantees that you – was asked of the Arab countries, as you know, Qatar today chairs the current Arabic committee for another round and we have given a letter to that effect to the U.S. Administration right after the UN meetings. We are still awaiting a response from the U.S. Administration and we have – this response will be very important to us as it will give us a clear idea about the U.S. perspective on the peace process and how the U.S. sees the endgame, or what is called as the endgame.

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks With Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani After Their Meeting – Feb. 14, 2010

PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HAMAD BIN JASSIM AL THANI (Via translator) In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, in the name of God we welcome Secretary of State of the United States, Ms. Hillary Clinton. She has met in a long meeting with His Highness, the Emir, and this was a very positive meeting to consult and discuss issues of mutual interest for both countries, and also regional interests as well as all the region nearby.

Of course, we discussed important issues such as Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, the Palestinian cause, and the issue with Iran. And I think that the meeting was useful and important for both sides. As you know, Qatar and USA have enjoyed long and strong relationships. And with the Administration of President Obama, these relations have been renewed in a bigger and stronger way.

    [PHOTO]
    Secretary Clinton Meets With Qatari Foreign

MODERATOR: (Via translator) So, Mr. Hatham from Al Jazeera channel.

QUESTION: (Via translator) Good evening, Your Excellencies. Two of — for Madam Secretary of State — two of your assistants said to news agencies that your visit is to obtain support for putting pressure on Iran. And has Turkey done something in this regard?

Another question to the Prime Minister. Have you received an answer from the letter of guarantees you asked for — the peace process?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, first, let me say that there are many reasons for my visit here to Qatar. We have a broad range of issues to discuss. Certainly, we talked in depth about Iran. The Emir has a lot of very well-developed and informed opinions about Iran that he shared with me.

We made it clear that we want to, as we have from the beginning of President Obama’s term, engage with Iran. And President Obama has consistently said that he is willing to do so. Unfortunately, that has not been received positively by the Iranians.

We have always had a dual track policy, because we believe that it is important for the stability and the peace of the region that Iran not acquire nuclear weapons. They are going to have to make a decision as to which direction they will go.

PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HAMAD BIN JASSIM AL THANI (Via translator) As for the letter of guarantees, as you know, this was by demand from Arab countries, and Qatar presented itself with the United States. And it was that we needed a document that clarifies what is the United States’ concept, and the way it sees the peace process, and what is it, what we call in English, the “end game?”

Hillary Clinton’s key talking point for Persian Gulf trip: Iran – Feb. 14, 2010

US, allies formally recognize Libya rebels plus photos

ISTANBUL, Turkey — The United States and more than 30 other nations formally recognized Libya’s main opposition group as the country’s legitimate government, giving the rebel movement a major boost.

The decision, which declared Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s regime no longer legitimate, gives his foes greater credibility and will potentially free up billions in cash that the rebels fighting Libyan forces urgently need.

The front lines in the Libyan civil war have largely stagnated since the popular uprising seeking to oust Gadhafi broke out in February. Rebels, backed by NATO’s air force bombings, control much of the country’s east and pockets in the west. But Gadhafi controls the rest from his stronghold in Tripoli, the capital.

Foreign ministers and other representatives of the so-called Contact Group on Libya said in a statement that the “Gadhafi regime no longer has any legitimate authority in Libya.” They said the Libyan strongman and certain members of his family must go.

The nations said they would deal with Libya’s main opposition group — the National Transitional Council, or NTC — as “the legitimate governing authority in Libya” until an interim authority is in place that will organize free and fair elections.

In addition to the U.S., the 32-nation Contact Group on Libya includes members of NATO, the European Union and the Arab League. Diplomatic recognition of the foes of Gadafi means that the U.S. will soon be able to fund the opposition with some of the more than $30 billion in Gahdafi-regime assets that are frozen in American banks.

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