Qatar, Terrorism Central -- Friend and Benefactor of the West
"We will be a moderate country."
"I
have a genuine fear of prosecution from the Qatari government. And I've
faced a lot of issues being outside Qatar. [There is a] high cost [for a
security detail]. If they have the chance to get me, they will get me."
"I support peace with Israel and I definitely have opened the diplomatic channels with Israel."
"[Under my leadership Qatar would] absolutely never [bankroll designated terror groups]."
"That's
one of the main things that a lot of Qatari people actually want.
Because Hamas should not be existing in Qatar, al-Qaida should not be in
Doha. Taliban should not be in Qatar."
"We should not pay the salaries of Hamas leaders. We should not pay the salaries of all these terror groups."
Sheikh Khalid Al-Hail, exiled Qatari political leader
Sheikh Khalid Al-Hail, the president of the Qatari National Democratic Party, and self-proclaimed opposition leader.Photo by Handout /Postmedia
President
of the Qatari National Democratic Party, founder and opposition leader
to the current Qatari government, Sheikh Al-Hail lives in exile in
London, building a government-in-waiting, for a Doha far different from
the current reality. As a wealthy businessman, Sheikh Al-Hail had once
served as chairman of the board of over 30 Qatari companies with
large-scale ventures country-wide. He left for London in 2013 as
chairman and chief executive of Qatar Investment and Development Co.
In
the space of a year, political differences of vast dimension between
himself and newly-installed Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani saw his
status changed from a highly respected Qatari businessman to a
political opponent no longer welcome in his country of birth. A country
while ostensibly an ally of the United States, the ruling elite of Qatar
shelters and bankrolls Islamist Hamas, Taliban, al-Qaida affiliates and
networks of the Muslim Brotherhood as one of the world's key state
jihadi terrorism enablers.
Al
Jazeera, the state's media arm, while barred in ten Arab countries,
acts as a spokespiece for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas positions in
the interests of shaping opinion through media propaganda across the
West and throughout the Arab world. Formerly an associate of a previous
Qatar prime minister Hamad bin Jassim, Sheik Al-Hail was once welcome
within the inner circle of the ruling elite before his break with the
regime. The party he now leads began in 2010 as the Qatari Youth Rescue
Movement, its goal to "reform the system in Qatar".
"[I
envision a Qatar governed by a constitutional monarchy, with a] normal
parliament, house of commons, house of lords -- democracy is key. We
believe in freedom of speech and freedom of faith."
"[The
sitting rulers, a coterie of family members, are] a gang and a mafia,
that control our country and our wealth, and that's not acceptable."
"What
you face in Qatar is actually the policy makers, most of them Muslim
Brotherhood, and pro-Hamas. Qatari people have nothing to do with Muslim
Brotherhood."
Sheikh Khalid Al-Hail
Prager U
He first began to loom in the critical notice of the regime when he spoke publicly of "a corrupt financial system",
propped up by political favouritism and patronage from the emir of
Qatar. In 2014, the Sheik returned to Qatar after the assurances of Al
Thani that he would be welcomed back. On his arrival back in Qatar he
was taken to a "national security detention" centre, under accusations of planning a regime change. "I was surprised and shocked". In the 22 days that followed, he was tortured and bound through 20 hours of daily interrogation.
He managed to escape with outside intervention, ("my people managed to smuggle me outside")
-- fled to Egypt with over 9,000 documents revealing the extent of
corruption by Qatari officials which included a scheme to overthrow the
ruling family of Saudi Arabia. Qatar, he said "turned on Israel"
in stages; cutting formal ties under regional pressure at the time of
the Second Intifada; followed by patronizing the terrorist group Hamas
and its leaders. As a first act on becoming leader of Qatar, the Sheikh
spoke of putting the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas on a plane to be "sent to Israel to face justice".
Qatar's
influence and the Muslim Brotherhood networks reach deep into Canada
and other western democracies, stated the Sheikh. The largest foreign
investor in US. higher education routing $6.6 billion into major
universities, as a design to buy influence. Billions of Qatari dollars
were infused into U.S. governmental institutions and policy-shaping
systems, according to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies as well
as a report by the Wall Street Journal.
Prager U
As
for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's recent trip to Qatar and
announcement of increased ties with the country -- in defence, trade and
high tech -- this would have the effect of further ensnaring Canada
into the same trap laid out for the United States, of a benign,
trustworthy Middle East country -- despite all indications to the
contrary -- with the allure of profitable bilateral trade, blinding
Ottawa to the threats inherent in the presence of Qatari-aligned groups
in Canada; Hezbollah and Hamas along with the Muslim Brotherhood among
them.
"The
Canadian government has given tens and tens of millions of dollars to
Muslim-Brotherhood-aligned groups, for Islamophobia file projects."
"For you to be Liberal is not an issue; but for you to be stupid, that's the problem."
"One could argue that we've lost that unifying sense of right and wrong."
"The
very sense of [the] liberal, permissive, non-judgmentally embracing
society that our countries were fundamentally founded on is now being
openly exploited for the purpose of reshifting the balance."
Former Vice-Chief of the Canadian Defence Staff, Mark Norman
"Symbolic
politics has never been sufficient, it is a sign of weak leadership.
Condemnations without enforcement, statements without consequences and
gestures without policy are not leadership."
"Canadians
do not need additional legislation layered over existing statutes. We
need the consistent application of the laws already in force.e"
"Canada
is lost and no longer immune. A nation cannot remain open if it forgets
how to be a nation. The choice is not between tolerance and cohesion.
It is between a confident pluralism anchored in shared civic norms, and a
politics of endless accommodation that dissolves the very framework
that makes diversity possible."
Larry Maher, CEO, Exigent Foundation
Anti-Israel protesters block a downtown Toronto street to pray as police watch.Photo by Caryma Sa’d/X
It
took no more than a decade to fundamentally alter Canada, reverse many
of its values, not the least the outstanding human right assurance of
equality and rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
With that assurance came the expected responsibility of each member of
society to respect the social contract that ensured equal opportunities (if not equal outcomes)
to succeed and prosper for Canadian citizens who obeyed Canadian laws
and whose experience in the general education system helped them to
understand their citizen obligations to the country.
In
an earlier era those rights and obligations were unevenly applied and
issues of discrimination against minority groups reflected a European
heritage of entitlement and belittlement of the exotic 'others' who had
made their way into North America, many as refugees fleeing persecution
and conflict. Under moderately good governance evinced by leaders who at
best understood their own guiding obligations to the people they
served, laws were passed that ushered Canada into an era of fair justice
and social cohesion.
Migrants
from abroad who entered Canada in the first half of the 20th century as
immigrants from impoverished backgrounds to make a home for themselves
in a new country where opportunities abounded worked hard, obeyed laws,
and accommodated themselves to a new culture with values that suited
their own notions of being and belonging. Canadian authorities refined
immigration rules to eventually reflect Canada's needs in a point system
that rewarded education, professional qualifications, age suitability
and an assessed philosophical fit.
A
succession of Liberal governments in more recent times gradually
morphed toward the kind of liberal progressivism that loosened
qualifications and requirements of suitability to join the Canadian
population. Sympathy for people searching for haven from authoritarian
governments, from endemic poverty, from societal crime rates, from
conflict zones opened the gates of entry to Canada wide, including the
refugee class and illegal migrants who bypassed normal entrance
procedures to declare themselves refugees.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, is greeted by Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, centre, as he arrives in Doha on Jan. 18.Photo by Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The
intake swelled, fulfilling what government and business leaders
professed to be a need to replace an aging, low-child-bearing population
with new recruits to build Canada's working population. Entry to the
country no longer relied on screening for adaptability and suitability
for integration into the prevailing culture, its values and its laws. To
the point where landed immigrants and new citizens openly declared
their defiance of those values and accompanying laws, bringing havoc and
division and open discrimination to the very streets of the cities
throughout the country where they settled in influential numbers.
Newcomers
to the country felt no loyalty to the country that had adopted them and
there were no expectations from government that they should integrate
and accept the prevailing social order as it was. Instead religious and
ideological divisions erupted and with no amending reaction from
government and institutions at any level, those divisions deepened,
becoming more publicly expressed, including through deliberate acts of
law-breaking.
Canadians
of long standing were treated to displays of overt challenges to the
public order in universities and cultural institutions where mass
protests took to the streets, bringing foreign campaigns, conflicts,
ideological convictions averse to Canada's own, to the fore, with no
government intervention at any level. All the while Canada congratulated
itself as a bastion of liberal democracy. Politicians rather than
applying themselves to Canada's and its populations' defense, eyeing the
numbers of voluble protests and the votes they represented, chose
appeasement of activist groups.
Canadian PM Mark Carney : China's President Xi Jinping AP
And
from the outside world, lax attention to the actions of foreign powers
that invaded Canada's sovereignty through the infiltration of foreign
agents acting on their behalf on the social, academic and political
levels exercised the 'soft power' of authoritarian regimes and of
extremist movements, effectively interfering in Canada's politics as
well as the social contract unique to Canada. Russia, China, Iran, Qatar, Turkey and the Muslim Brotherhood all have made an indelible impact within Canada with their malign presence.
The
moral, institutional foundations of Canada's principles of equality and
human rights have been assailed by Islamist, Marxist, socialist and
other radical engagements in destabilizing Canada, as well as other
Western nations they have entered both legally and under the radar. What
all these Western nations appear to have in common is an attitude of
oblivious disinterest in the interference and subtle changes being
wrought in normalizing abnormal social behaviour and its effect on their
institutions.
The
exploitation of liberal societies, priding themselves on their
Democratic principles of inclusion appear willing to accept the slow
erosion of their adherence to the public weal rather than risk being
labelled racist, exclusionary or 'Islamophobic'. Identity politics,
moral relativism, and DEI guide governments content to do nothing in
response to the unravelling of their nations' stability and social
coherence. If there is a solution to Western democracies' inaction in
the face of this dilemma, it has not yet shown its face.
Canadian universities have seen a surge of pro-Palestinian protests following similar demonstrations across North America. University Affairs
The Muslim Brotherhood's Global Threat Linked to Qatar's
Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN)
"The
Muslim Brotherhood is a militant Islamist organization with affiliates
in over 70 countries, including groups designated a terrorist
organizations by the U.S."
"[Its
founder, Hassan al-Banna, said in 1928 that] Jihad is an obligation
from Allah [for every Muslim] and cannot be ignored or evaded."
"The
Way of Jihad [he wrote]: Jihad means the fighting of the unbelievers
and involves all possible efforts that are necessary to dismantle the
power of the enemies of Islam, including beating them, plundering their
wealth, destroying their place of worship, and smashing their idols."
"This
belief was put into action in t he decades that followed as the Muslim
Brotherhood's members committed numerous acts of terrorism, including
the assassination of Egypt's Prime Minister in 1948."
"This
jihadist ideology continues to fuel the Muslim Brotherhood today. The
Brotherhood mourned the death of Osama bin Laden and its leaders
developed teachings justifying revolutionary violence under sharia law."
"The Brotherhood has preached hatred towards Jews, denied the Holocaust, and called for Israel's destruction."
The
Brotherhood has incited violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt
amidst a wave of church bombings and other attacks by terrorist groups,
including ISIS."
"Yusuf
al-Qaradawi, perhaps the Brotherhood's preeminent cleric, issued a
fatwa legitimizing terrorist attacks against American troops in Iraq.
And he's also deemed the Holocaust to be a, quote, 'punishment for
Jews', and expressed hope that another Holocaust would someday be
carried out by his fellow Islamists."
U.S. House Reform Committee, 2018 ... The Muslim Brotherhood's Global Threat
The US has urged Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to act against terrorism Reuters
Not
only are some governments in the West recognizing finally the dire
threat to Western civilization posed by the ideological fascism of
Islamist fundamentalism espoused by the Muslim Brotherhood, they are now
joined by a handful of Muslim countries as well whose governments have
taken steps to outlaw their activities on their soil. Among them is the
United Arab Emirates which has been in the vanguard of issuing warnings
to the West of the threat posed by this almost 100-year-old
totalitarian Islamist group.
When President Donald Trump's government made it known it intended to "counter violence and destabilizing activities carried out by terrorist Muslim Brotherhood branches wherever they operate",
a few branches of the Brotherhood were named as proscribed targets. A
partial, and incomplete decision which should logically have outlawed
the entire ideological/religio apparatus. Even that move, however,
inspired the UAE to welcome the U.S. designation of several branches as
terrorist organizations.
Unfortunately
Mr. Trump's attention was to focus only on branches of the Muslim
Brotherhood located in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, where it originated
and from which the government of Egypt itself outlawed the group, which
didn't stop it from continuing operations in Egypt. During the Arab
Spring, when mobs of Egyptian dissenters called for Hosni Mubarak to
step away from the presidency, the Muslim Brotherhood had huge support
from the population. As it did from the U.S. Obama administration which
chose to abandon its support for President Mubarak, and welcome the
Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi in his stead.
The Muslim Brotherhood is not alone in its "resources that enable them to engage in, support, or justify acts of extremism, hatred and terrorism"
as the UAE put it. There is another source of all that the Brotherhood
is recognized for, as a threat to Western values, heritage, society,
culture and laws, that works studiously to accomplish the very same goal
that motivates the Brotherhood. And that is the monarchy of Qatar whose
vast riches from oil resources has enabled it to literally buy its way
into the United States, furnishing tens of millions to American
universities, while inserting itself into the political fabric of the
U.S
.
Qatar's then-Emir, Sheikh Hamad, visited the Hamas-dominated Gaza Strip in 2012 Reuters
Qatar
is the Muslim Brotherhood financier, just as it plowed millions upon
millions into terrorist group activities, most notably Hamas, in Gaza.
The US. State Department itself has recognized Qatar as a chapter of the
Muslim Brotherhood for decades. That acknowledgment has come to
nothing, despite knowing Qatar finances Islamist jihad and terrorist
outfits that exemplify jihadist terrorism.
All
of this is well known, and recognized, and it cannot have slipped the
attention of the U.S. president who nonetheless views Qatar as a U.S.
protectorate. Mr. Trump went so far as to issue an order stating the
U.S.
"shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or
critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace
and security of the United States". This, despite the
Qatar funding of terrorism, including al-Qaeda which carried out the
9-11 attacks in New York, Washington/Pentagon and Pennsylvania. The 'art
of the deal' enters the picture, with Qatari/U.S. business interests.
The
Qataris are shrewd enough to know that even American presidents can be
'bought' with extravagantly expensive gifts. Qatar's strategy to
undermine the West while funding the Muslim Brotherhood is known, yet
its vast wealth and 'investments' abroad have gained it respectability
and admiration. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney stated his intention
to meet with "the Amir of Qatar, His Highness sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to deepen the relationship between Canada and Qatar".
Underlining
the fault lines between intelligence and caution in that the West has
chosen to blind itself to the reality of extremism that the Muslim
Brotherhood and its sponsors represent as a dire threat to all the West
holds dear.
The Growing Influence of the Muslim Brotherhood on Politics, Academia, and Civil Society in Canada
This research report provides a comprehensive analysis of the
organization and impact of the Muslim Brotherhood network in Canada.
Over a period of decades, Brotherhood-affiliated organizations have
managed to develop legitimate ties and wield considerable influence
within Canada’s civil, academic, and political spheres. Branches of
organizations that have previously been found to be supporting terror
organizations such as Hamas continue to operate with impunity, often
after rebranding themselves. The report also assesses the impact that
these developments have had on Canadian university campuses, with a
particular focus on McGill University, Concordia University, the
University of Toronto, and York University.
"The
ongoing diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours, which
centres mainly on the country's alleged support for terrorism,
represents one of the biggest challenges to the UK’s foreign policy to
the Middle East since the Arab Spring. Qatar has been accused by its
neighbours of supporting terrorism and there is substantial evidence
that the country has long been supporting the Al Nusra Front, designated
by the US in 2012 as a foreign terrorist organization and the Al Qaeda
branch in Syria. The support has included coordination between Al Nusra
commanders and senior Qatari military officials and financiers,
financial assistance, and help in creating a new opposition coalition in
which Al Nusra was a leading member. Qatar has also found other means
to support Al Nusra in the face of the US designation including the
facilitation or direct payment of ransom to the group for the released
of kidnapped victims and the toleration of private, designated terrorist
financiers within the country. The most significant of these financiers
is an individual described by the US as a Qatar-based terrorist
financier and facilitator who is also the President of an anti-Western
political coalition comprised of prominent Salafi and Global Muslim
Brotherhood leaders. This coalition includes at least seven leading
figures and/or their organizations designated as terrorists by the
United States, the EU, and/or the United Nations for their support of
Al-Qaeda and related groups. Some of these figures and/or the
organization itself have suggested direct attacks on the US and the UK
military and the Qatari GAAC President himself has bragged about the
close cooperation between GAAC and the violent Iraqi "resistance"
against coalition forces."
"We will pursue nations that provide aid or safe haven to terrorism. Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make."
"Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
U.S. President George W. Bush, post 9/11
"Canada condemns Israel's strikes in Qatar -- an intolerable expansion of violence and an affront to Qatar's sovereignty."
"Regardless
of their objectives, such attacks pose a grave risk of escalating
conflict throughout the region, and directly imperil efforts to advance
peace and security, secure the release of all hostages, and achieve a
lasting ceasefire -- efforts in which Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
plays a highly constructive role."
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney
AFPTV footage shows smoke billowing after Tuesday's explosions in Qatar's capital Doha Getty Images
In
2001, Canada, all the Western world, NATO and the United Nations were
'with' the United States. The international community, those most tied
to the United States as democratic allies sent their military forces,
their diplomats and NGOs arrived to provide humanitarian services in
2001 when Afghanistan was invaded after its Taliban leaders refused to
surrender al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, responsible for the 9/11
attack on the World Trade Towers, the Pentagon and the overpowered
terrorists that led to another plane crash in Pennsylvania.
Britain,
Spain and France all experienced their own Islamist terror attacks,
when the world became familiar with the rise of 'political',
'radicalized' Islam. But no country has ever experienced the level and
number of attacks that Israel has been exposed to -- by its
neighbour-states and by terrorist groups fostered, armed, trained and
funded by the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Shia theocracy has its laser
focus on Israel's destruction, and has never been modest in airing that
ambition even in the hallowed chambers of the United Nations whose
function is to promote peace among nations.
Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, right, is accompanied by U.S. President Donald
Trump, center, at a dinner in the Blue Room of the White House Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Iran
is supported in its aspiration of genocidal obliteration of Jews by
Qatar, which acts as a covert bland buffer between the Republic and its
Sunni majority neighbours, while presenting itself as a trusted
intermediary to the West. Qatar's vast oil-resourced treasury serves as a
silver salver to entree in the United States, funding universities and
supporting the infiltration of a fellow Islamist generator of
antisemitic assaults among the large and growing Muslim diaspora
settling in the West, the Muslim Brotherhood.
Qatar
has dedicated itself to the stealth promotion of terrorist groups like
Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, in tandem with the Islamic Republic of
Iran. More latterly, Turkey, a risible member of NATO, has joined them
in their nefarious schemes against Israel. Both Turkey and Qatar have
shielded Islamist terrorism, given them haven, described them as loyal
servants of Islam, upholding its most sacred precepts. The Palestinian
Authority has done likewise, but it is in sharp competition with Hamas
for leadership of the Palestinians.
This handout picture released by Qatar’s Amiri Diwan shows Qatar’s Emir Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (right), meeting with UAE President Sheikh
Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Doha, on September 10, 2025. (Qatar Amiri
Diwan / AFP)
Israel,
on the other hand, has since its re-emergence as a Jewish state on the
geographic terrain of its ancestral heritage, has been forced repeatedly
to emphasize its right of existence by defending itself militarily and
in the process defeating its regional enemies. The attacks, once
conducted by states now reconciled to Israel's indomitable presence,
have been dominated by death-cult groups whose focus is trained solely
on Israel's dismemberment while the Muslim Brotherhood and indeed
Iran/Qatar have longer-range missions; world domination in the name of
Islam, the 'religion of peace'.
And
it is the Islamist powers that Canada, France, Spain, Ireland, Britain,
Norway, Australia and others cater to. Not only because they fail to
look behind and beyond the facade spoonfed them by skilled
propagandists, but as a result of having been flooded by emigrants,
migrants and refugees from the Islamic world who now constitute in
numbers a powerful incentive to cater to them as a voting bloc. They
take seriously Qatar's presentation as a skilled mediator in talks
between embattled Israel and the Palestinian terror group Hamas whose
leaders reside in palatial comfort far from the fray while dictating to
the Palestinian population to remain defiant (as does certainly the Palestinian Authority/Fatah/Mahmoud Abbas) and accept their sublime fate as martyrs for Islam.
This handout picture provided by the Palestinian Authority's press office shows
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (L) received by Qatar's
Deputy Prime Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani upon arrival in
Doha on September 14, 2025, ahead of an Arab-Islamic emergency summit.
(Thaer GHANAIM / PPO / AFP)
It
is these sanctimonious actors presenting themselves as innocent of any
sinister, underhanded plans to disrupt the West, to replace democracy
and rule of law with Islamist Sharia law, while in practise inciting
hate and suspicion and infecting a wide segment of the West with the
viral affliction of violent antisemitism that have gained the support of
those who -- as defenders of Judeo-Christian values should be alert to
the danger posed -- cite Israel and its presence in the Middle East as
the problem, and have abandoned Israel and their own national Jewish
populations to a fate they cannot contemplate, soon to arrive on their
own shores.
Qatar's
Emir is furious that Israel attacked Doha for the purpose of using
stealth bombers to pinpoint the presence of elite leaders of Hamas and
eliminate them. Invoking the sanctity of the state against attacks on
its sovereignty, he is adamant that the international community must
sanction and punish Israel for this violation of international law. In
fact, international law fully supports such an attack on any country
that harbors and shields terrorists threatening another nation. Even so,
Qatar's Emir has the ear of those like Canada's Prime Minister Carney,
eager to support Qatar and condemn Israel.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin
Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thanii chairs a preparatory meeting in Doha on
September 14, 2025 [Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AFP]
Israeli officials said the Doha strike
was carried out by 15 Israeli fighter jets, firing 10 precision
munitions against a single target, the BBC reported, citing Israeli media. We don’t know at the moment what weapons were used.
Qatar and its U.S. guests have very
advanced air defense systems and sensors that would provide prior alert
to an impending attack, in most circumstances. With standoff munitions
launched at distance the most likely means of attack, why there was no
attempt to intercept these weapons if they were of unknown origin isn’t
clear. The use of F-35s is possible here, as well, which may have been
able to make closer proximity standoff attacks, but Israel has F-15 and
F-16-launched weapons capable of reaching hundreds of miles and strike
with pinpoint accuracy.
The U.S. military spotted Israeli jets flying east toward the Persian Gulf but had little time to react, according to Axios.
“The U.S. sought clarification, but by
the time Israel provided it, missiles were already in the air,” the
publication reported, citing three U.S. officials.
At the same time, U.S. President
Donald Trump “was informed of the impending strike by his military and
alerted Qatar’s leadership,” White House spokesperson Karonline Leavitt
told reporters on Tuesday.
So exactly what the U.S. knew about the impending strike and when, and when Qatar was informed, remains disputed at this time.
Qatari officials complained that they
only found out about the attack after it took place. Foreign Ministry
spokesman Majed Al Ansari said notification from the U.S. only came
after explosions were heard in Doha. He did not address why his nation’s
air defense system did not pick up the Israeli jets.
The W*r Zone
The satellite image taken on Sept. 10 after the attack shows damage to five buildings. (PHOTO PLANET LABS INC.
"Today's action against the top terrorist chieftains of Hamas was a wholly independent Israeli operation."
"Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility."
Statement from Prime Minister Netanyahu's office
"The
prime minister and defence minister believe the operation was entirely
justified given that this Hamas leadership initiated and organized the
October 7 massacre and has continued to launch murderous actions against
the State of Israel and its citizens since then, including claiming
responsibility for the killing of our citizens in yesterday's attack in
Jerusalem."
Defence Minister Israel Katz
People take part in a rally demanding the immediate release of the
hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by
Hamas, and the end of war in Gaza, in Tel Aviv in August. (Nir Elias/Elias)
True
to its tradition and its reputation as the most humane military in
history, the Israel Defense Forces intimately knows its targets and how
to secure strikes with absolute minimum collateral damage in targeted
strikes that occur in juxtaposition to civilian enclaves with the
potential to produce more casualties than it sets out to accomplish, and
this was true in the Doha strikes, when the Israel Air Force made use
of precision munitions. They would have been assured of eliminating
their targets had more forceful weaponry been utilized, but the decision
was to attempt what they could and spare lives, reflecting the
military's mission.
A
mission which while daring in its impudent certainty might not have
been carried to fruition lacking complicity from the most interested
sources; Israel's powerful patron-nation and the nation whose territory
would be invaded in the event of these strikes. Neither of which would
appreciate being directly implicated, so although the U.S. knew of the
plans in advance, those plans fell on deaf ears, yet not sufficiently
deaf as to not forewarn the country where the strikes would take place,
and nor did that country seek to evade the occurrence of the mission; it
simply did not 'see' what it would not envision, and therefore could
not react to.
Tuesday's
airstrikes by the Israeli military carried out against senior Hamas
leadership in Doha, Qatar may not have entirely realized the success
visualized in planning the episode, regardless of which it will be
crystal clear now to those targets which may have survived, that their
survival at a future date is contestable; they are marked and their
lives will be extinguished. These targeted Hamas elites were responsible
for the October 7, 2023 massacre and bear further responsibility for
the ongoing war facing Israel from whatever is left of Hamas.
U.S. President Donald Trump walks with Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani, on a red carpet towards Air Force One, as he departs Qatar in May. (Brian Snyder/Reuters)
The
Israeli prime minister and minister of defense were at pains to own the
Doha attacks, in complete exoneration of any hint of planning
partnership from any outside source. Why bother? Willingness to ensure
that no other political-national entity would be blemished in aiding the
Jewish state in its deadly onslaught against those whose intention is
to destroy its presence in the Middle East. PM Benjamin Netanyahu
carefully explained his instructions to all security agencies to prepare
for a focus on assassination of Hamas elite leadership abroad.
Spurred
anew by the latest Hamas atrocity in Jerusalem when two Hamas
operatives shot up a bus stop, murdering six civilians and wounding many
others, some grievously, before they were themselves killed by a nearby
soldier and two armed Israeli civilians firing back at them. The
bombing of an army tank that killed four IDF soldiers in northern Gaza
cemented that determination to excise the Hamas command living in Qatar
distant from the fray, but commanding its intransigent attacks on Israel
while simultaneously engaging in 'peace' talks captained by Qatari,
Egyptian and American mediators.
The
tantalizing prospect of a truce and the surrender of the remaining
Israeli hostages, alive and dead, by Hamas tied Israeli negotiators to
the ongoing, frustrating and unsuccessful talks in Doha where each offer
was 'studied' at length by the Hamas negotiators and ultimately turned
down, as unreflective of Hamas demands. One solution after another found
wanting, and back to the bargaining table, an exercise in stalling for
time used by the terror group for recruitment, rearming, rescheduling.
A damaged building in Doha following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders Tuesday. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa / Reuters
The
strikes carried out by the Israeli Air Force targeted the residences of
several Hamas 'political' elites among its senior leadership. Al-Arabiya
reported that Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya was killed in the
strike. Khaled Mashaal, Zaher Jabarin, Mohammad Ismail Darwish, Mousa
Abu Marzouk, Hussam Badran and Tahar Anunu made up the roster of the
targeted elite of Hamas in Israel's crosshairs. It will be some time
before their fate will be made known, since none have since appeared in
public.
According
to a still-defiant Hamas, its top leaders survived while five
lower-level members were killed, among them the son of Khalil al-Hayya
and the head of al-Hayya's office. Hamas gave no proof of the survival
of al-Hayya and the other senior figures. The strike took place in
Doha's Diplomatic Quarter at a series of buildings housing the Hamas
'political' bureau. A meeting by Hamas officials had been scheduled.
Their negotiating team was meeting to discuss the latest U.S. ceasefire
proposal and return of hostages.
This frame grab taken from AFP TV footage shows a man looking at smoke
billowing after explosions in Doha Tuesday that Israeli officials said
were an attack on Hamas leadership based in the Qatari capital.. (Jacqueline Penney/AFPTV/AFP/Getty Images)
"[Israel's] long arm will act against its enemies anywhere."
"There
is no place where they can hide. Everyone
who took part in the 7 October massacre will be held fully accountable. "
"Anyone who carries out terror against Israel will be harmed."
"I
commend our security forces for eliminating the terrorist Anas Jamal
Mahmoud Al-Sharif, who operated under the guise of an Al Jazeera
journalist."
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon
"The terrorist Anas al-Sharif served as a cell leader in the Hamas
terror organization and advanced plans for rocket fire against Israeli
civilians and IDF forces."
"[In
October, the IDF published documents seized in Gaza that] unequivocally
[confirmed Sharif’s] military affiliation with Hamas."
"These documents serve as proof of the terrorist’s integration into the Qatari Al Jazeera media network."
"[In Sunday’s strike, the military] took steps to mitigate civilian
harm, including] the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance
and additional intelligence information."
Israel Defense Forces
Funerals held for assassinated Gaza journalists Still from Al Jazeera video
United
Nations employees with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for
Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) who just happen to be
members of the Hamas terrorist group, some of whom were proven to be
involved in the October 7, 2023 invasion and slaughter in southern
Israel, and journalists/photographers working under a Reuters byline or
employed by Al Jazeera who are likewise linked to terrorist groups some
of whom occupy positions that require direct acts of terrorism against
Israel, writing biased columns and observations posing as neutral
journalism published without hesitation by mainstream Western media.
One
of these journalist-terrorists met his end on August 10, along with
four other colleagues, in Gaza City leading world powers to condemn
Israel for targeting journalists because safety is supposed to be
guaranteed for members of the press in war zones, reporting the scenes
of conflict that they observe -- for if combatants fail to recognize the
vital importance of the objective reporters' accounts portray, how would the world
audience know what is transpiring, whom to condemn, and which parties
should be supported by world opinion?
The
Israel Defense Forces has identified Anas al-Sharif as an actively
serving member and head of a Hamas terrorist cell while doing
double-duty as a journalist for the Qatari Al Jazeera network. That
would be the Qatar that has given haven to top-echelon members of the
Muslim Brotherhood's little offshoot, Hamas, in Doha. Al-Sharif was
responsible, according to the IDF, for orchestrating and advancing rocket
attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops.
In Doha, Qatar, Al Jazeera staff members gather at the network's studio
to remember their colleagues. Al Jazeera called the strike a 'targeted
assassination' and accused Israeli officials of incitement by connecting
al-Sharif's death to the allegations that both the network and
correspondent had denied. (Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters)
Intelligence
was released by the IDF which had recovered documents in Gaza
indicating al-Sharif's military role within Hamas. These documents
include personnel rosters, records of terrorist training courses phone
directories and salary documents substantiating the man's involvement as
a combatant and a commander within the Hamas network of terrorism aimed
at destroying Israel. As evidence goes, it is complete and completely
damning. And like the United Nations, Al Jazeera strenuously denies that
any of its employees are linked to terrorism.
So
the fiction that the documents detail of al-Sharif's fighter status and
cell-leading positions dating to 2013, including leadership in rocket
units and participation in elite Nukhba battalions must obviously be
confusing this journalist's background activities with someone else
entirely. Only that is the version preferred for public consumption by
Al Jazeera, against Israel's and specifically the IDF's allegations.
The
predatory, anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian 'victimhood injustice' of Qatar
and Al Jazeera carry weight in excess of what a democratic, lawful
nation-state of the Western alliance is held to represent in today's
world.
Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif (center left), who was killed by the
IDF in Gaza on August 10, 2025, shown together with the late Hamas
leader Yahya Sinwar in an undated photographed posted by the IDF’s
Arabic language spokesman on August 11, 2025.
This
innocent journalist, this producer of unbiased news reports informing
the world at large of Israel's assaults against Palestinians, a member
of Hamas? Perish the thought. And while we're at it, brush aside the
evidence consisting of documentation damning to his purported innocence,
much less photographs attesting to his role as a valued comrade in
terrorist activities.
Head
of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF, Col. Avicha Adraeee, posted
photographs Sunday showing al-Sharif taking selfies with Hamas terror
leaders, including Yahya Sinwar and Khalil al-Hayya. "Only a terrorist sits in the gatherings of terrorists",
wrote Adraee. While the Israeli military state that al-Sharif led a
Hamas cell, the Committee to Protect Journalists and other describe
al-Sharif's death and those of the other four with him as retribution
against journalists documenting the Gaza conflict.
Of
the five journalists killed in the Sunday Israeli airstrike, all were
Al Jazeera staffers of whom the IDF say they target individuals they
identify as Hamas terrorists posing as reporters. A year earlier,
Israeli army officials had accused al-Sharif and other Al Jazeera
journalists of being members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Col. Adraee had attacked Al Jazeera in a July 24 video, accusing
al-Sharif as part of the Hamas terrorist group.
The strike that killed him and the other four Al Jazeera journalists represented a "targeted assassination" stated Al Jazeera, accusing Israel of 'incitement'.
Al Jazeera reporter Anas al-Sharif (in red), who was killed by the IDF in
Gaza on August 10, 2025, shown together with the late Hamas leader Yahya
Sinwar and other Hamas leaders in undated photographs posted by the
IDF’s Arabic language spokesman on August 11, 2025.
"We are modest. We want people to come and see [Qatar, hosting 2022 World Cup soccer event]." "Yes, you could be a modest person, you could be a conservative country and still be a fun-loving country, and you could still play football and you could still host a World Cup." Nasser al-Khater, assistant secretary general, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy Tree Nursery
The artists' impressions of Qatar stadia are sexy, but the issues seem to no longer be
Israel pioneered the advent of making the desert bloom, and it did so for agricultural purposes, to make itself self-sufficient in the basics of whole food availability in fruits and vegetables grown on Kibbutzim, collective agricultural farms. This was a country that started with hard labour -- hard labour of its own, with its young men and women committing themselves to becoming farmers, agricultural workers, ensuring that the new nation was capable of feeding itself.
Qatar is a country whose discovery of natural gas resources made it enormously wealthy. It too is engaged in transforming the desert from grey to green, a verdant Paradise where this nation of two-point-six million people can anticipate rainfall of five centimeters annually. And where temperatures in its capital Doha are in the mid-30s Celsius summer-long, with an oppressively hot desert sun baking the atmosphere.
Qatar’s population is 2.6 million, of whom nearly 90 per cent are migrant workers
Getty
Qatar is confident that it will give the visiting world a first-class show in November of 2022, and preparations are apace to ensure this can be accomplished. The desert on which it sits will by then host eight stadiums where competition at the elite level will take place of the most popular sport in the world. Qatar will manage to 'air condition' those stadiums through clever, expensive engineering. But in Qatar money is no object for it is plentiful.
Vast tents have been erected as plant nurseries with ten thousand trees being nurtured to semi-maturity before being planted eventually. Those tender saplings require the tented shade and when they eventually are planted they will be an anomaly in a region with sparse-to-nil rainfall and vegetation-broiling heat. And nor will there be a shortage of green, green grass, now being cultivated in huge rolled sheets to ensure the desert will not appear barren.
After all, an anticipated million-and-a-half visitors are expected to travel to Qatar for this world event to help Qatar celebrate its uniqueness. Of course there is already millions of foreigners present there. They represent the labour that will build the infrastructure, roll out the carpets of grass, plant the trees and any other hard work that must be done for this splendid occasion. The International Labour Organization, a UN agency, is satisfied Qatar is cooperating in recognition of workers' rights.
Calton (right) left his native Kenya to work in building structures for the World Cup in Qatar.
Credit:Image courtesy of “The Workers Cup LLC”
"Amongst the most frequently reported problems facing migrant workers
are: deceptive recruitment practices which see migrant workers promised
more favourable conditions of work by recruiters in their home country
than they are given on arrival in Qatar; employers compelling workers to
live in squalid conditions; employers confiscating workers’ passports
and denying them the exit visa they need to leave Qatar; late or
non-payment of wages; and employers not giving workers proper identity
documents, which leaves them exposed to arrest. In extreme, but not
exceptional, cases migrants are subjected to forced labour." Amnesty International
Close to two million foreign workers from what was once called 'third-world countries' and are now euphemistically referred to as 'developing countries', are working in Qatar to prepare the sites for a world celebration of the beautiful game. They are very busy, making Doha beautiful. Al Jazeera will have much to crow about on behalf of its paymaster. It certainly will not point out that some of the workers slave away for over 72 hours weekly, nor that one contractor worked for over 124 consecutive days.
Qatar is looking for greater name recognition, to be more celebrated for its place in the world. The World Cup is a splendid opportunity, and its own news organ with tentacles world-wide represents a great asset to ensure it crows long and hard.
"Russia has strong relations with Iran and Syria, but at the same time
Jerusalem and Moscow are improving their relations. Moscow sees
enormous strategic value in working with one of the world’s premier
‘start-up’ nations. Israel offers
Russia much, starting with around a million Russian-speaking Israelis
(at least three Israeli government ministers speak fluent Russian), and
people can travel very easily between the two countries. Moreover,
President Vladimir Putin has capitalised on the strained relationship
that existed between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and
Barack Obama to improve relations with Israel. Netanyahu seems to
appreciate the Russians’ pragmatic stance. Additionally, Israelis
recognise Russia’s growing presence in, and rising influence across, the
eastern Mediterranean, making Russia invaluable to Israeli security." "Israel recognises that the key to its security lies in persuading
Putin to limit Iranian adventurism. It expects that, with the defeat of
Islamic State, the Iranian presence will increase, posing a clear and
present danger to Israel." Isaac Kfir, director, National Security Program, head, Counter-Terrorism Policy Centre, ASPI
On 10 February, the world woke up to the news that Israeli fighter jets had hit Iranian targets in Syria. The altercation highlights the dangerous game that Russia is now playing in the eastern Mediterranean
"In the case of aggression against Israel, not only will the United
States stand by Israel’s side — Russia, too, will be on Israel’s side." "Many of our
countrymen live here in Israel, and Israel in general is a friendly
nation, and therefore we won’t allow any aggression against Israel." "We certainly support Israel’s right to defend itself, and the actions of Israeli pilots were entirely correct." "We certainly regret that in this incident two Israeli pilots were
injured. On behalf of the Russian embassy I am wishing a
speedy recovery to the wounded pilots." Russian Deputy Ambassador to Israel Leonid Frolov
Jonathan Conricus@LTCJonathan
Part of the remains of the UAV the #Iranians tried to sneak into Israel. Not much left of it, similar to some parts of the #Syrian air defense array.
Which way the wind blows? In the Middle East and among intervenors in the myriad, frequent and violent events in that ancient geography, stability and volatility live in a distinct state of disharmony. Just look at Israel; the more immediate of its neighbours like Egypt and Jordan and Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States find some compatibility with the Jewish State now, with the rising influence and power of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies. Whereas before the advent of the Iranian Revolution, under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Israel and Iran enjoyed amicable relations.
Now the axis of the Republic of Iran; Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad, not to mention Shiite-ruled Iraq, and Qatar are all in the Islamist revolutionary camp of Iran, sharing its agenda leading to the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel is bordered by Syria and Lebanon, where the forward line of influence for Iran in proximity to Israel makes it ever more convenient for attacks to be launched in preparation for an organized assault with a view to destroying the Jewish State.
The advance notice of which was the jibe that the launch of an Iranian drone into Israeli airspace represented. Swiftly shot down and destroyed it may or may not have relayed vital data back to the Revolutionary National Guard al Quds division for future use. Israel's swift response in sending aloft fighter jets into Syria to target Iranian infrastructure comprised its own message of reprisal and preparedness for any future assault, but in the process the shooting down of one of the jets by anti-aircraft fire succeeded in scoring a typical Islamist victory.
Where celebrations marking the purported end of Israeli military invincibility heightened the spirits of its enemies considerably. So where did that accurate and deadly technologically advanced anti-aircraft machinery come from? It may be entirely true that Moscow has no intention of allowing its client states, Iran in particular, to perform the mirage of crippling harm to Israel, but on the other hand, the trade in arms is also of vital importance to the Kremlin as is the image of its support to those it does business with. Putin has taken full advantage of the Obama-era step-down in presence and influence.
Vladimir Putin's decision to win Assad's civil war for him, and to lend his nation's aircraft to destroying Syrian rebel militias, throwing in civilians for good measure, brought him air and naval bases in perpetuity. Russian troops and firepower are established now for the duration in the Middle East; the Kremlin's influence and decision-making a potential factor in everything that occurs from the present onward. This self-assured world power infused with its sense of exceptional entitlements now stands between Israel and its regional enemies.
As for Iran, though it values hugely its alliances and the unalloyed faithfulness of its proxies, the opportunity to flex its own military muscles was just too irresistible. President Putin appears to distance himself from intervening in Iranian prodding of Israeli security. Perhaps there exists a 'red line' beyond which he will not tolerate Iran's thrusts, but that is yet to be seen. The current, low-intensity conflict between Israel and Iran in Syria simmers for the moment, but its embers can burst into the fire of assault at any time; an eventuality to which Israel appears to have readied itself.
As with all of these violent encounters in the Middle East, that boiling kettle of incendiary oil threatening to spill over the region in so many ways, on so many occasions, to so many scenarios, unscheduled, unexpected and redolent of wild atrocities sweeping the area deep in the blood of ancient hatreds, the guessing game is on.
The Syrian anti-air missiles which hit an Israeli F-16 early Saturday,
Feb. 10, are part of a system operated with and commanded by the
Russians from their Kheimim air base. The F-16 was shot down during an
Israeli air strike against the Iranian facility at the T-4 air base near
Palmyra, which launched a UAV into Israeli airspace that morning. The
ongoing clash has therefore gone way beyond an Israeli confrontation
with Syria and Iran and marks a serious deterioration in the security
situation on Israel’s northern border. Debka File
Rockets fired from Gaza City are launched toward Israel AFP
"Today, the relationship with Iran is excellent, or very excellent. [The Islamic Republic of Iran represents] the largest backer financially and militarily [to Hamas." "[Aid provided by Iran is meant for] rebuilding and accumulating [Hamas's military powers geared toward a more extended conflict with Israel." "Thousands of people work every day to make rockets, [dig] tunnels, and train frogmen. The relationship with Iran is in this context." Yehiyeh Sinwar, Hamas leader, released from Israeli prison, in prisoner exchange
The Associated Press -- FILE - In this May 1, 2017 file photo, Yehiyeh
Sinwar, a top Hamas official in Gaza attends a news conference in Gaza
City. On Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, Sinwar, Hamas’ new leader in the Gaza
Strip, said his group has restored relations with Iran after a five-year
rift and is using its newfound financial and military aid to gear up
for a new round of battle with Israel.
"[Those who plan for the destruction of Israel indulge in a] form of modern anti-Semitism." "I believe that the horror of the Holocaust should be such that anti-Semitism should now be dead forever." "I understand the security concerns of Israel and I repeat that the idea
or the intention or the will to destroy the state of Israel is
something totally unacceptable from my perspective." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Perhaps Mr. Guterres should visit with Qatar and with Iran and explain this to them. If he is sufficiently persuasive, Qatar and Iran could then castigate their terrorist friends in Hamas and Hezbollah and sternly evoke in them the conscience of peace that Islam is reputed to be steeped in. What the world has seen of Islam's faithful particularly of late seems to leave the impression that this is a hateful religion of war.
In very point of fact the sacred screeds of Islam teach the faithful that the world outside Islam is comprised of nations of war, while those faithful to Islam represent countries of peace.
The perplexing thing about this reasoning, however, is that it is mostly Muslim nations and particularly those in the Middle East and North Africa that are riven with conflict and slaughter. And nor does that conflict and slaughter remain only in the Middle East and North Africa for its avid practitioners make every effort at their command to export it to the West as well, to treat the democratic countries of the world, so swift to appease Islam, how to transform themselves from nations of conflict to nations of peace.
Israelis take cover on the side of a road outside the northern Gaza Strip as a siren sounds, warning of incoming rocketsReuters
For, once jihad has succeeded in prevailing by promoting terror and completely demoralizing those living in fear of terrorists to succumb to Islam's demands, peace will descend. Hamas is busily engaged in bringing peace to Israel. And Iran and Qatar are their enablers. Should Hamas fail in its mission there is always Hezbollah. Either Sunni Hamas or Shia Hezbollah will teach Israel the ultimate lesson of Islam; There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger.
Stubborn Jews refused in the 7th Century and they still refuse.
The funding Hamas receives to restore its weapons cache to a point where it feels confident once again to engage Israel in conflict includes, needless to say, rather an imposition on the Palestinians living in Gaza who will once more become living hostages of their Hamas rulers. As human shields they perform a vital duty to Islam through their personal sacrifice in giving up their lives so that Hamas warriors may continue to face the enemy; not directly of course since the tunnels have many uses and keeping Hamas fighters safe from harm is one of them.
No civilians need apply.
Hamas organised a military-style graduation ceremony at
Fajer Al-Entesar summer camp in Gaza.
Picture: Mohhamed Salem/Reuters
This represents a general opinion site for its author. It also offers a space for the author to record her experiences and perceptions,both personal and public. This is rendered obvious by the content contained in the blog, but the space is here inviting me to write. And so I do.