"“A leaked document in Qatar’s embassy and a letter to Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on October 26, 2016, show Mohammed bin Salman and Mohammed bin Zayed’s support for certain key al-Qaeda members in the Arabian Peninsula,” Arabic language al-Badil newspaper wrote.
Based on the documents, US Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence said that the Saudi and Abu Dhabi crown princes have established continued contacts with two Yemeni nationals, namely Ali Abkar al-Hassan and Abdollah Faisal Ahdal, who are on the US blacklist of most wanted terrorists." southfront quoting al-badil newspaper
—————
This is fun.
This information was contained in documents that have been in Qatari governments hands and which have now magically been revealed to al badil, an Egyotian newspaper with Qatari connections.
Guess what?
The Qatari government has struck back against the Saudi and GCC power play against it. Mukhtar Trump enthusiastically signed up to support Saudi Gulf hegemony in Riyadh. In so doing, he backed the long standing Saudi desire to totally dominate the Gulf. This is of a piece with several other Saudi "projects" (mashari') that have been underway for decades. One of the most notable has been the Saudi wish to establish Wahhabi Sunni control of Lebanon and Syria. Another is the downfall of Shia majority government in Iraq.
DJT's son in law and his Israeli "minders" persuaded the president to accept Saudi tutelage in the Gulf. The power play against Qatar was a direct consequence of that pledge of allegiance.
The claim that Qatar is a bigger supporter of AQ connected jihadi movements across the world than the rest of the GCC is ludicrous. pl
https://southfront.org/egyptian-daily-releases-documents-saudi-crown-princes-support-isil-al-qaeda/
Part of what Putin described recently as “political schizophrenia” afflicting the body politic of the USA.
Life in general involves choices and we “can’t have it both ways”, but we keep trying.
Col,
If Mukhtar Trump fails to deliver a tangible political result to the Saudis, how much of a mukhtar is he, or alternatively, how useful is he as mukhtar?
If the Saudis waited until they had greased Trump’s palm to make a move on Qatar, they must have thought they needed the heft of the US behind them. All they got was @Potus twitter support. Thus, either the Saudis miscalculated, Trump betrayed them, or the deep state refused to permit Trump to take decisive anti-Qatar action.
Unfortunately this will be buried and forgotten just as fast as the Saudi Cables were. Lots of governments have dirty hands when it comes to AQ and nobody wants to explain it in front of the voting public. If the government won’t write the story for them the news outlets won’t carry it.
In the immortal words of David Lee Roth. “Here today, gone later today.”
Sir
Yes, this could be a lot of fun, if both sides start leaking documents that show the extent of backing AQ have received in both financial and material terms. If that leak war could directly implicate Brennan it would be even better.
I’d love to see the cognitive dissonance in the Borg media.
How likely are the documents are genuine and if so is the content supported by public source corroborating information and context?
Of course, everyone knows that Saudis are up to their noses in this crap, for a long time, and everywhere, but I would like to know who knows all of this and who does not want it come out in any meaningful, undeniable way? I of course know the answers, because I read it mostly here. And cross check mostly to the best of my ability. What do the gray beards think?
kunuri
All I learned in life and continue to learn about the Gulfies supports the opinion that the documents are genuine. The Egyptian press is officially and thoroughly censored. Someone must have influenced Sisi to let this newspaper publish these documents. IMO a dissident group in the WH did this. They have tried to tell DJT that he has thrown in his lot with the major sponsors of the AQ jihadis. These princelings live in the ultimate bubble and have a massive over-estimate of themselves and their ability to manage ordinary people. They often make mistake. Look at the mess in Yemen. pl
I thought so, the dark side again. I have been here long enough to know who the terms in detail, princelings, the ultimate bubble and all the rest of he special code that is used here. I am a little confused about the anti AQ bench and why would they out such info, in cohorts with Sisi to straighten up Trump. This would be a righteous choice, to let the American people know that Trump is buddying up to major terror supporters and perhaps the people behind 9/11. Wouldn’t this be in direct opposition to the neocons ideology, which I presume to be the Borg and the princeling’s aims, which I understand to be to keep the chaos in ME going perpetually? In which the strategic aims of Saudis and the Zionists converge? And Sisi being their buddy, why would he let let out such info, effectively cutting down the Saudis, his major supporter?
So, did Trump really throw his lot with the major supporters of the AQ supporters for decades, or just made a few good deals hawking toys, morality notwithstanding?
Or, am I confusing the princelings with the Borg? Oh well, I will post it, someone will straighten me out, I am sure.
German trade with Qatar was about 3 billion Euros – for 330,000 Qataris and 2 million foreign servants.
German trade with Iran was about 2.9 billion Euros – for a country of 80 million people.
Put another way, Germany has no problems with paying customers – regardless of their jihadi connections.
IMO, and most usually, if the docs are genuine or not, they will be denied their authenticity or ignored, not discussed altogether. And if the policy of the western better than us ( you read Borg) is to ignore it, it will be ignored by the western MSM, which makes it all easier for the KSA and Egyptian governments to deny it’s authenticity. Nevertheless like Colonel Lang says it’s not all real, clean, clear out there especially in this kind of work. As colonel said, I wonder how did this pass by Sisi’ government, and allowed to be published?
Unless Sisi is asking for more (money) before he allow more to be printed. It’s all fun to read.
kunuri
Trump does not understand the ME. There is a contest within the WH for his attention. It is between those who have actual knowledge that the “princelings” (the rich emirs in the Gulf) who are not really our friends and never have been and the US foreign policy establishment (the Borg)who want to think that the princelings can be a useful set of assets for US FP and that they can use them rather than be used. A third payer in this is the bloc of Zionist political activists (AIPAC, etc. who want the US to support a Saudi/Israeli rapprochement. pl
kooshy
Have you missed the fact that the “docs” are being discussed here? pl
I think you have it right. However, I am puzzled by Sisi’s actions/role. You have suggested that it was a dissident group in the WH who nudged him into this. There could perhaps be other possibilities.
One is that he is not ‘all-powerful’, and some other generals don’t support his pro-princelings stance. Another is that he doesn’t want to foreclose all other options, and is preparing the ground in case he has to make a switch.
Colonel Lang, sorry if not clear, by Docs. I was referring to this new Qatari documents published in Egyptian
paper, which connects the CP Salman and CP Zayed to Al Q’ supporters. I think their authenticity will be denied or ignored by concerned states. I also wonder, how this (publishing) passed Sisi’ censors, unless he is switching sides or asking for more Money?
kooshy
Sisi is an opportunist who sees that he needs the support of the military faction in the WH as well as Mattis. what is difficult to understand about that? pl
Iran has on several occasions indicated that it has documents showing GCC countries supporting terrorists. Likely source is Qatar, but Iran has threatened to release these documents on prior occasions.
Thanks for not retiring from the field. I was dismayed when I thought I would see less of your knowledge and experience in light of today’s world.
Bill Hearn
Then why do you care about jihadists or what they do?
Thank you sir, I was not focused on Sisi’ pleasing the American side, that was an angel i didn’t see.
Could the Qatar thing be push back by the Trump family for the failure to get this loan from a rich Qatari?
The ME is a hall of distorting mirrors:
https://theintercept.com/2017/07/10/jared-kushner-tried-and-failed-to-get-a-half-billion-dollar-bailout-from-qatar/
james
There is nothing unusual about Sisi. I have had much exposure to senior Egyptian officers. Sisi is like them all. They are political creatures of little or no military talent who play every side against every other side. pl
Hahahahaha. Miyye bi miyye, ya aqeed! Bas sahab el haq al sultan, ma hek?
Porkchop Express
Yes, they all think they know more than they really do and are surprised when you see through them. pl
I don’t think that’s exclusive to just Arab military, though–something of a cultural trait from pols, to military, to zaim, to cabbies, and everything in between. You’re an ajneb! You aren’t supposed to know their game ! Heaven help you if you play Saddam’s game better than them. I forgot your expression, “got them on all axis of their spleen” or something to that effect?
Also, I recall reading a study somewhere that said that in almost every Arab military (save a few–I don’t remember the exclusions as this was years ago) an O6 is only capable of exercising authority that is essentially equivalent to an E5 in a western military. All decisions must be routed, basically, up to the highest levels. If I can find it, I’ll post it. Does that sound in line with your experience?
I guess it wasn’t a study, more of an observation. And not E5, E7:
“All of which has led American trainers to develop a rule of thumb: a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army has as much authority as a colonel in an Arab army.”
http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/AD_Issues/amdipl_17/articles/deatkine_arabs1.html
Practical or utilitarian, concerns, particularly ones well founded, are one thing. Moral, and/or concerns of hypocrisy, are entirely different things. I believe Iran itself has on occasion ‘engaged’ with AQ…..we all do it.
“…dark side again…”
Good Zoroastrian way of looking at it.
dilbert dogbert,
From the website you linked too: (note the all caps is the Intercepts)
“THE KUSHNERS’ PURCHASE of 666 Fifth Avenue …. in 2007 was a capstone to an era marked by high prices and reckless amounts of debt.”….
“When the financial crisis hit, rents went down, vacancies went up,…”
The era was marked by high prices? I wonder who else bought NYC real estate in 2007? And to think that was a decade before everyone “knew” the market would collapse and Barack would bail them out. If only we had a time machine.
“Ben Walsh is a freelance writer. He was previously the chief business reporter for The Huffington Post. Ryan Grim is The Intercept’s D.C. bureau chief. He was previously the Washington bureau chief for HuffPost”
Two hacks formerly with the Huffington Post threw out some recycled campaign material. Why do you think that is in any way related or is the Clinton network now changing its tune and since Qatar stiffed poor little Jared he not only went out and got Russian money but now a little pay back due to “The Art of the Deal”?
porkchop express
With the possible exception of the Jordanians (in the old days) Arab officers have very little authority compared to western NCOs and officers. pl
Dear Colonel,
I also wonder if there could be turbulence in the house of Saud, also feeding in. The Saudi dominance cannot continue for long if they continue to lose in Yemnen while oil sits at $40/bbl. The Trump admin has some of the best intel on true Saudi oil field capabilities (everyone’s friend, Goldman Sachs), and we could be seeing political hedging by Egypt.
In any case, it will be fun if tit-for-tat docs continue to be released – in a S- Storm, no one leaves the party smelling like roses………
“engage”, in this context, usually means meetings between intelligence agents of one or other government with this or that group. It does not encompass any form of commercial relationship; e.g. unlike Turkey’s commercial relationship with ISIS – another NATO state, like Germany.
I will make my point clear: NATO states have adjudicated among Muslim sects and chose the most primitive and least civilized as their bosom buddies – the rest, as they say, is history.
I note the Trump Family reacts strongly to negative actions. Fits.
Dilbert Dogbert
“Fits” what? pl
dilbert dogbert,
You mean when somebody pulls some dog pile off the pavement and smears them with it they don’t respond with a shrug and a smile? No kidding. It took CNN less than a day to find the creator of a wrestling meme Trump tweeted. We are now on month 7 of Russia, Russia, Russia and the evidence we have has gone all the way down the food chain to a foreign lawyer of dubious credentials met with the son of the man who won the election.
At least we get music with CNN memes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55HKHv-bUsY
Colonel,
The independent Egyptian Newspaper published that article back in April before the new Pharaoh put it under his thumb ( Guess he does not want to offend his bankers) as per this:
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/7/11/leaked-documents-reveal-saudi-support-for-al-qaeda-in-yemen
The nine-page document was published by Egyptian newspaper al-Badil in April – before the outlet was banned by Cairo – accusing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed of providing aid to the two extremists.
@ Brig. Ali
or may be because of this relationship:
Mujtahidd tweets about main Saudi figures in Saudi-Israeli relations
Mujtahidd is the twitter a/c who has published the following , translated by this site:
https://mideastwire.com/page/articleFree.php?id=64250
“Since Al-Jubeir had no religious or national commitments, he was the perfect man to approach and work harmoniously with AIPAC, and consequently facilitate Bandar’s mission of earning Congress’ backing. One of the results of this harmony was the establishment of direct relations with Israeli officials, the earning of Israel’s trust, and the coordination of the positions from behind the scenes in regard to regional affairs. This relationship thus affected the Kingdom’s position towards the Palestinian cause, the Madrid and Oslo conferences, Lebanon, the Palestinian resistance in it, Iraq and Iran among others. When King Abdullah reached the throne, [Khalid] At-Tuwaijri [then Chief of the Royal Court] who believed in Israel’s greatness, managed to convince the King to appoint Al-Jubeir as Ambassador to America, to facilitate his direct coordination with them [the Israelis].
“And when Salman reached the throne, his son Mohammed was adamant to convince Israel that the Kingdom’s policy was in line with its own, which is why he appointed Al-Jubeir as Foreign Minister upon Saud al-Faisal’s death. By then, Al-Jubeir had become a star among the Zionists, who were calling him the Michael Jordan of Saudi Arabia…
Colonel, I’ll just say it, though the idea hasn’t had much traction, but I’d be interested in your reaction, as someone who knows the peninsula.
My guess is that what is really behind the Saudi-Qatari “spat” is that the Qataris may have been helping internal opposition within Saudi Arabia. MbS must be generating opposition. The Shi’a of the Eastern Province are one thing, but it is unlikely that the Qataris were helping them. The loyalty of the Hijazis is pretty light, having the Najdis imposed on them, according to what I saw when I was last there. The Qatari tribes have close relations with their relatives the other side of the border. The problem must be there, or perhaps directly in the royal family.
Of course, we know very little about the internal politics of Saudi Arabia, so anything one suggests is bound to be a guess. But the Saudis have never bothered to make the effort to combine the country into a single nation. People accept because they’re paid. Bound to be grumbles, when the current prince goes to extremes.
Fyi, in case people missed it:
Exclusive: The secret documents that help explain the Qatar crisis http://cnn.it/2tAw4Av translation here http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2017/images/07/10/trans
Worth taking the time to read the documents.
Also Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain issue formal statement verifying the authenticity of the Qatar agreements leaked by CNN.
(h/t Hassan Hassan who tweets at @hxhassan for this material.)
Laguerre
that could be but IMO it is linked to a general desire on the part of the Saudis to be the neighborhood sheriff and DJT’s encouragement of a belief that this is attainable. pl
Is this the article you’re looking for?
http://www.meforum.org/441/why-arabs-lose-wars
I don’t think you will ever see any majority sunni Arab country stand up for shia, that’s a proven fact.
Last week in London a sunni Afghani cab driver from Kunduz was telling me that Iranians are the main supplier of arms to Taliban, I told him he and SOD Mattis must have received the same intelligence, last time hassan the cabby had visited afghanistan to get married was 15 years ago . for some reason westerners love to stick, connect attach the shia ( you read iranians) to their own creation meaning Sunni arab takfiri extremists. Jal al khalegh.