by James M. Dorsey Imagining himself as a peacemaker in a conflict-ridden part of the world, FIFA President Gianni Infantino sees a 2022 World Cup shared by Qatar with its Gulf detractors, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, as… Continue Reading
by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen As soccer’s governing body gathers in Miami on March 14-15, the vexed question of whether to bring forward the expansion of the FIFA World Cup, currently scheduled for the 2026 tournament in North America, to Qatar… Continue Reading
by Joe Stork Najah Yusuf, a 42-year-old mother of four, has been languishing in a Bahraini jail for nearly two years ever since intelligence officers found messages on her cell phone promoting anti-government protests. At her trial, which in June… Continue Reading
by James Brownsell So much of this Gulf Crisis has been so petty, so childish, so frivolous. Like little boys squabbling over toys, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been picking on their little brother Qatar for having an independent… Continue Reading
by James M. Dorsey Saudi Arabia has much at stake when its national soccer team enters the pitch for the opening match of the 2018 World Cup in Moscow. With politics a permanent fixture, Saudi Arabia is playing in the World… Continue Reading