Frankie Boyle TV - The Men Who Sold the World Cup TV - Julian Assange - Exposure: Qatar: State of Fear - Secrets & Deals: How the British Left the Middle East TV -
There’s a new rule in this World Cup. You’re now offside if there’s more than 30 buried migrant workers between you and the goal. The last time they played football on this many corpses it was the Christmas Day truce in World War I. Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, BBC 2022
It’s a World Cup so homophobic they’ve banned the Semis. ibid.
What we were investigating were closely guarded secrets held at the highest level. The Men Who Sold the World Cup I: The Heist, Discovery 2021
‘Sepp Blatter: probably the most despicable man in world sport.’ ibid.
There’s a culture of bribery and patronage that Seb Blatter and his mentor Joao Havelange established within Fifa. ibid.
Qatar is a country where women are treated as second-class citizens, where homosexuality is a punishable crime, where the press is heavily censored. ibid.
Qatar: They have a large workforce from countries like Nepal and India. They work in punishing and dangerous conditions. ibid.
We’d been given a huge cache of emails and documents and bills and flight records and all sorts of things, and it all centred on Mohamed bin Hammam. ibid.
What the Qataris and Russians were doing was corruption on an industrial scale. ibid.
Sepp Blatter totally ignored the evidence. ibid.
The FBI were investigating and the whole FIFA house of cards was about to come crashing down. ibid.
After being secretly recorded by the Sunday Times, former FIFA General Secretary Michel Zen-Ruffinen said that he opposed corruption and overstated his knowledge of it within the organisation. ibid. caption
‘Corruption within Fifa was institutionalized. It was the cost of doing business.’ The Men Who Sold the World Cup II: The Take Down, US investigator
‘This is the biggest sports bust in history.’ ibid. US news
For years, Fifa have operated like a Mafia, and at the top of course is the godfather, Sepp Blatter. ibid.
‘Mr 10%’ came from this clause he had written into the contracts with CONCACAF that 10% of every rights deal was going to Chuck Blazer.’ ibid. dude
And Blatter wanted them to be treated like royalty because they were the people in the end who delivered all his votes for the presidency. ibid.
US Charging Top FIFA Officials. ibid. CNN news banner
‘What I have done for football they should appreciate.’ ibid. Blatter
In 2021 Fifa extended Blatter’s ban from football until 2028 for accepting $24.5 million in undue economic benefits and approving payments of millions … to other officials. ibid.
Email say that no, it is the governments of Saudi and Qatar that have been funding terrorism. Julian Assange
For the many football fans arriving in Qatar for the FIFA World Cup this capital, Doha, is a glittering modern city. With state of the art football stadiums. For the host nation it’s been a unique chance to expose itself to the world, recruiting a global superstar to help. It’s a trusted ally of the UK and a major oil and gas supplier. But behind the pristine citadel and warm welcome lies a very different Qatar. It’s a state where those daring to speak out are locked up and silenced. Where gay and trans people tell us they are detained and beaten and forced to undergo conversion therapy. Where women are denied basic rights. A country that has been accused of funding terror. A place where everyone is kept under close watch. Exposure: Qatar: State of Fear, ITV 2022
In August 2019 thousands of migrant workers went on strike over unpaid wages and poor working conditions. ibid.
In Qatar there are no specific laws to protect women and girls from domestic violence. ibid.
Homosexual relationships are punishable by up to seven years in prison. ibid.
In 1971 Britain withdrew from Bahrain, Qatar and the Sheikdoms that soon became the UAE. Secrets and Deals: How Britain Left the Middle East, caption, BBC 2022
‘Britain forced these regions, sheikdoms and emirates into unequal relations.’ ibid. Taqi Albaharna
‘They [British] interfered in the local administrations. They organised coups.’ ibid. Dr Wafa Alsayed
For 50 years the Arab states have been independent and increasingly rich. Only recently have historians here in the Gulf begun to examine the previous era when Britain’s influence was dominant. ibid.
‘Britain dominated the Gulf’s resources politically, economically, and financially.’ ibid. Albaharna
Britain moved its Persian Gulf residency to Bahrain after World War II … Britain was highly dependant on Arab oil. ibid.
1965: As a result of the uprising, dozens of Bahrainis were exiled or imprisoned. ibid.
Abu Dhabi: ‘The usual English story: They said members of the ruling family carried out the coup.’ ibid. historian
The [UK] government prepared to slash spending and took a momentous decision: they would end Britain’s presence in the Gulf by 1971. ibid.
If Britain withdrew its troops, the Sheikhs would only have their local police for protection. ibid.
In February 1968 the rules of Bahrain, Qatar and the Trucial states agreed in principle to unite their nine Sheikhdoms into a federation. ibid.
In June 1970 a new Conservative government comes to power in the UK. Just 18 months remain until Britain is to leave the Gulf. But the islands [Bahrain] problem is no closer to being solved. ibid.
1971: In August Bahrain and Qatar each declared independence. ibid.
‘Today virtually the same families are on the throne in each Emirate.’ ibid. English dude