Mideast unrest highlights tiny Qatar's big role

[sufrommich]

In a generation, this spur of sand sticking into the Persian Gulf has gone from near obscurity to one of the hardest-charging countries in a region full of giant national egos.

In December, Qatar stunned the world by outclassing the United States and other rivals to host the 2022 soccer World Cup. Qatar also has tossed its political weight in every direction across the region, giving Israel its first foothold in the Gulf, hosting one of the largest American air bases on the Arabian peninsula and acting as peace broker in Lebanon and Sudan.

Its oil and natural gas, meanwhile, have bankrolled global shopping sprees that include owning London's Harrods department store and a buying a stake in Hollywood's Miramax Films.

"No one can say Qatar is shy about its ambitions," said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a professor of Mideast affairs at Emirates University.

In the Arab mind, perhaps nothing symbolizes it more than Al-Jazeera, which was founded by Qatar's rulers in 1996. Modeled on CNN and other international news channels, it also broadcasts in English and claims to reach 220 million households in more than 100 countries, including Israel and parts of the U.S.

But it has collided head-on with many Arab governments that are unaccustomed to free media. Last week Yemen's president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, phoned Qatar's emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, asking him to rein in al-Jazeera, according to Yemen's state-run Saba news agency. It said he denounced the network as "an enemy of the Arabs." On Thursday, dueling rallies were held in Yemen for and against Saleh.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_qatar_s_voice


An interesting article highlighting Al Jazeera's growing influence in the Middle East.