Qatar Cut Off

[Lhalo]

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/04/saudi-arabia-bahrain-and-egypt-cut-diplomatic-ties-with-qatar.html

What'S going on over there @arch stanton?

[arch stanton]

It's pretty widely established that the big guns in Qatar are too cozy with Iran and Hezbollah. They recently signed a deal to buy 36 F-15's with an option to double the order. I guess we're about to find out whether the Orange Avenger favors business or security. 

[Adam]

But they host a golf tournament there! 

[Rico]

...and they are about to host a world cup.  

[arch stanton]

The World Cup isn't for another 5 years. The more pressing issue is that Doha is the best hub to fly out of the region. Best wifi in the Middle East, plenty of direct flights to the new international airport at Clark and the hottest flight attendants this side of Cathay Pacific 

[Thomas]

11 hours ago, arch stanton said:

It's pretty widely established that the big guns in Qatar are too cozy with Iran and Hezbollah. They recently signed a deal to buy 36 F-15's with an option to double the order. I guess we're about to find out whether the Orange Avenger favors business or security. 

F-15s?  Is that assembly line even still running? Wow. That plane is older than I am. I guess they are more combat effective than F-16s but I'm surprised they don't go for more capable planes from (well previously) less discerning sellers.

[arch stanton]

1 minute ago, Thomas said:

F-15s?  Is that assembly line even still running? Wow. That plane is older than I am. I guess they are more combat effective than F-16s but I'm surprised they don't go for more capable planes for (well previously) less discerning sellers.

They already have F-16's. The F-15Q models have much more range and radar capability for bombing activities. US CENTAF is based in Qatar as well.

 

Here's the Green Truth version of the story

http://www.arabnews.com/node/1110366/middle-east

SPA said Saudi Arabia has taken this “crucial action as a result of serious violations by the authorities in Doha, privately and publicly, over the past years to encourage dissent and sectarianism in the Kingdom.”
Riyadh accused Qatar of “backing terrorist groups in the province of Qatif, Saudi Arabia, and in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the financing and the adoption of harboring extremists who seek to strike the stability and unity of the nation at home and abroad.”
It specifically mentioned Qatar’s alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood and Daesh extremists.

 

FYI, Qatif is the region just north of Dhahran in the Eastern Province.and is where the majority of Saudi Shias live

[Thomas]

For what they paid for each plane you'd kind of hope for a newer one. At the very least they are going to be rather vulnerable to shoulder launched missiles that the may encounter. Likely they were considered to risky for F-35s. That being the case I'm surprised they didn't look east.

[arch stanton]

The Q and SA models have optical missile sensors and a lot of the latest technology available in fighters. If they look east then whatever they buy won't be a part of the networked skies. Having a MiG over here is like 4 wheeling in a Corvette

[Thomas]

If I was a country like Qatar where political allegiances shift like the sand dunes, being networked would be a giant red flag. Speak about vendor lock. Let alone knowing that the aircraft aeronautic software could likely be backdoored by the US on a whim. I'm sure there are other not as public considerations that obviously motivated the Qatar government to proceed. Just fascinated what those might be.

[arch stanton]

Well until yesterday they were part of the GCC and the GCC buys American, especially GCC countries that host American 3 star generals on their bases

https://militarybases.com/al-udeid-air-base-air-force-base-in-doha-qatar/

[AngelsLakersFan]

This is pretty much an act of war. The middle east is far too complex for me to sort out so I have no idea how this is gona go.

[arch stanton]

Just try to picture Jed Clampett in thobe and gutra and multiply that by 1,000. but instead of moving to Beverly Hills to meet Mr Drysdale, a bunch of Mr Drysdales from all over the world go to them. Now you have all the grandchildren of these Arabian hillbillies, never worked a day and priveliged to the bejesus, and all having chosen a favorite Mr Drysdale along the way, facing real world problems for the very first time and they can't decide how to handle them and one of the hillbilly grandkids has gone rogue so now the others want to punish him. Not a perfect analogy but it gives the gist

[gotbeer]

Anyone know where I can find a member of the Qatar royal family?

Qatar may have paid $1 billion in ransom for release of royal family members captured while hunting with falcons

[arch stanton]

I can tell you six places where you won't find them if that helps

[Tank]

2 hours ago, gotbeer said:

Anyone know where I can find a member of the Qatar royal family?

Qatar may have paid $1 billion in ransom for release of royal family members captured while hunting with falcons

you're gonna need some help, and i have an SUV.

[wopphil]

The Arab/Muslim world is just unbelievably fucked up in almost every which way. Does the desert heat just destroy their brains?

[Lhalo]

Now Turkey is sending troops to Qatar...

[gotbeer]

29 minutes ago, Lawrence said:

Now Turkey is sending troops to Qatar...

Attacking or supporting?

[Lhalo]

2 minutes ago, gotbeer said:

Attacking or supporting?

supporting

[Lhalo]

It's getting weird over there.

[mtangelsfan]

I can't find that story, do you have a link?

I swear, I still can't believe Turkey is part of NATO.  We would have to fight and die for those ass-hats.

[gotbeer]

Going to need a scorecard soon.

[Thomas]

4 minutes ago, mtangelsfan said:

I can't find that story, do you have a link?

I swear, I still can't believe Turkey is part of NATO.  We would have to fight and die for those ass-hats.

To be fair they also would have to fight and die for this country.

[mtangelsfan]

I don't think they would but point taken.