Aljazeera: Qatar’s war propaganda now in French

Founded at the initiative of the Frydman brothers, Al-Jazeera was revamped in 2005 by the Libyan Mahmoud Jibril and the Palestinian Wadah Kanfar to serve the political agenda of the Muslim Brotherhood [1]. The chain, which had steadily gained credibility through its coverage of the conflicts in Palestine, Afghanistan and Iraq, veered unexpectedly in January 2011 to become a war propaganda tool. It did not hesitate to misleadingly present footage shot in a studio as having been taken live, for example the fake entrance of Libyan rebels in Tripoli’s Green Square, or the contrived images of Syrian opposition protests at the Clock Square in Homs. The channel has acquired a spiritual adviser in the person of Sheikh al-Qaradawi, the Muslim Brotherhood’s star preacher. Even though he drummed up support for the French intervention in Libya and has called for the assassination of Muammar el-Qaddafi and Bashar al-Assad, the sheikh was barred in March 2012 from entering France on the grounds that "his discourse is not compatible with republican ideals." Al-Jazeera in French will be broadcast via satellite all around the world. The Emir Hamad had initially planned to lodge the studio in Paris where he is already involved in program production jointly with the Lagardère Group. However, after Sheikh al-Qaradawi was served with the barring notice, the Emir decided to set up the channel’s headquarters in Dakar, Senegal.

Voltaire Net

Is Libya Sliding Toward Civil War?

Correspondents report that Tripoli today is a patchwork of fiefdoms held by rival militias that arrived in the capital months ago to chase out Qaddafi and have since refused to leave. Each of the militias appears to believe that its power to influence the future course of Libyan politics depends on maintaining an armed presence in Tripoli. Two of the militias are homegrown groups from Tripoli itself. One is led by Abdel Hakim Belhadj, an Islamist who spent time in Taliban camps and is the NTC-backed military council commander in the capital. The other is led by Abdullah Naker, a former electronics engineer who is openly critical of Belhadj. But there also militias from outside. There is one from Misurata, east of Tripoli; another from Zintan, southwest of the capital; another from the east of Libya; and another representing the country's Berber minority. All maintain territories and checkpoints, with their presence increasing after nightfall. Correspondents say the fighting usually breaks out when members of one militia try to cross through territory of another while refusing to disarm. It is just that kind of dispute that is believed to have led to this week's fighting, when fighters from Belhadj's military council detained a member of the Misurata militia.

Is Libya Sliding Toward Civil War?

Secretary Clinton on Qatar-US collaboration

SECRETARY CLINTON: Qatar is and remains a very valuable American partner. As we look back on the year just finished, I’m not sure there was any one like it. It was an extraordinary time, and during it, our partnership evolved to address new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities, including the unprecedented joint operations with NATO over the skies of Libya.

Secretary of State Clinton Remarks With Qatari Prime Minister After Their Meeting

In the Arab Spring, Watch Turkey

Landlocked Iraqi Kurdistan also needs a conduit to export its oil to the West. The only country that can fulfill both roles is Turkey. That is why K.R.G. officials, instead of supporting their ethnic brethren inside Turkey, have often sided with Ankara against the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or P.K.K. All this explains why the bombing on Dec. 28, in which the Turks killed 35 Kurdish smugglers whom they mistook for terrorists, provoked little outrage in Iraqi Kurdistan. On the streets of Erbil there are no signs of protests against Turkey. Instead, one notices Turkey’s ubiquitous presence in the form of construction, investment, consumer goods and tourists. Should more pipelines leading from Iraqi Kurdistan to the Mediterranean via Turkey be built, the result will be the de facto creation of an Iraqi-Kurdish buffer state. Dependent on Turkey for its survival, such a state would also form a barrier to Iranian (or American, or P.K.K.) interference in Turkish affairs. In the southern part of Iraq, the situation is just the opposite. There, a Shiite Arab buffer state, buttressed by Iran as a bulwark against Turkish, American or Saudi encroachments, is being created. The last two weeks’ events have removed any doubt that Maliki is “Iran’s man” in Baghdad. Yet despite this de facto partitioning of Iraq over the last month, Turkey and Iran are not challenging each other’s spheres of influence.

In the Arab Spring, Watch Turkey

Muslim Brotherhood Strongest Contender In Libya’s Coming Elections

“The Brotherhood are different from how Libyans view Islam,” and “They represent outsiders and interference in our country” , “Our revolution was not about replacing one autocratic regime with another.” That said, the Muslim Brotherhood is odds-on favorite to win the June elections, in the view of many observers here in Libya. The reason the MB is in such a relatively strong position is that is has the support of Qatar, assistance from the well-established MB organizations in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and Turkey. The flights arriving in Tripoli from Egypt are always full and some of the passengers are MB operatives according to Professor “Dr. Ali”, a pro-Gadafi political scientist who has so far managed to keep his teaching post.

Muslim Brotherhood Strongest Contender In Libya’s Coming Elections

Thierry Meyssan on the war propaganda against Syria

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) appeared on the media scene suddenly. This association has no significant track record and only one of its members is known. He is a Syrian Muslim Brotherhood official, holder of three passports, Syrian, British and Swedish. This gentleman announces daily the number of "repression victims," without ever substantiating his claims. His assertions are unverifiable and therefore worthless. Yet, they are taken up by all those whose interests they serve. The High Commissioner for Human Rights appointed three commissioners to investigate the events in Syria. Their mission oversteps the competence of the UN, that provides for regular inspections to which Syria submits in accordance with the relevant treaties. As in the Hariri case, the United Nations goes on the assumption that the local authorities (Lebanese or Syrian) are either incapable or dishonest and must be replaced by foreign investigators. Under such conditions, it can not reasonably expect the local authorities to cooperate. The UN has therefore worked from Switzerland and Turkey. The appointment of the three commissioners is no guarantee of impartiality, as all three originate from States which advocate military action against Syria. Their method is equally unacceptable: under pressure from the Turkish commissioner, who is an activist committed to the fight against violence against women, the Committee considered that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses did not need to be cross-checked and verified. It would be for the accused to demonstrate their innocence when brought before a court. This inquisitorial procedure allows for anyone to be accused of just about anything, but proves nothing.

"The decision to attack Syria was made at a Camp David meeting on 15 September 2001"

"Free Syrian Army" commanded by Military Governor of Tripoli

In the wake of the "Arab Spring" and NATO interventions, both official and secret, Qatar seeks to impose Islamist leaders wherever possible. This strategy has led it not only to fund the Muslim Brotherhood and to hand Al-Jazeera over to them, but also to support Al Qaeda mercenaries, who will henceforth oversee the Free Syrian Army. However, this new scenario raises serious concerns in Israel and among the supporters of the "clash of civilizations."

Free Syrian Army commanded by Military Governor of Tripoli

Goldman Sachs Lost 98% of Libya's $1.3B Sovereign Wealth Fund Investment

Gadhafi`s Libya entrusted $1.3 billion through its sovereign wealth fund to Goldman Sachs in 2007, of which the investment bank lost approximately 98%, sparking the ire of Libyan officials.

Goldman Sachs Lost 98% of Libya's $1.3B Sovereign Wealth Fund Investment

The Syria Crisis: Assessing Foreign Intervention

Outside training and intelligence support would lead to an increase in the strategic impact of attacks by armed opposition groups, such as the FSA. The opposition claims to have conducted several strikes against targets like the Syrian Directorate for Air Force Intelligence in suburban Damascus, but such attacks do not appear to have been very meaningful. To date these attacks have served more of a propaganda function than as a means to pursue military objectives. We are carefully monitoring alleged FSA efforts to hit oil and natural gas pipelines to see if they become more systematic and tactically effective. We have heard rumors of American, Turkish, French and Jordanian special operations forces training FSA personnel in Turkey, and if these rumors are true, we should begin to see results of the training in the near future. As we watch videos and photos coming out of Syria we are constantly looking for evidence of the FSA possessing either an increased weapons supply or signs of external weapons supply. This not only includes a greater quantity of weapons, but different types of weapons, such as anti-tank guided missiles, mortars, mines, MANPADS and improvised explosive devices. We have yet to see either increased weapons or external weapons; the FSA appears to be using the weapons with which they defected.

The Syria Crisis: Assessing Foreign Intervention | STRATFOR

Outspoken Egyptian cleric in Qatar guides Arabs on revolution

From his base in Doha, the Egyptian-born Qatari citizen has long been one of the most influential religious authorities in Sunni Islam, an influence derived partly from an unlikely standing as a media celebrity. His weekly show on Qatar’s Al Jazeera draws millions of viewers from across the Muslim world.

Role in Revolution

Victory Speech in Egypt:

Libya's oil industry improving rapidly after war

One politician, who says he will stand for the position of prime minister, goes even further.
"I respect those powers who helped us, and they should get special treatment from the new Libyan government," says Dr Abdurrahman Sewehli.
He says China, Russia and Germany, who were "actively against any military intervention" in Libya, would not.

No Oil for you Russia!