Arab and foreign media are circulating stories, possibly rumors, about an imminent “transfer” of power in Qatar. They say the Emir Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani will ‘abdicate’ in favor of his son Tamim Al Thani. In the Gulf no one abdicates in favor of anyone unless forced to do so (and I mean really FORCED, dead or alive). The current Emir of Qatar came to power after overthrowing his traveling father who was sampling the Chianti and possibly other stuff in Italy. The last case of “abdication” in the Gulf was in 1966: ruler of Abu Dhabi Shaikh Shakhbut Al-Nahayan was overthrown by his brother Shaikh Zayed Al-Nahayan. Before that Saudi King Saud Bin Abdulaziz was overthrown by his brother Crown Prince Faisal Bin Abdulaziz in 1964. They also called that an “abdication”. King Faisal was shot dead by one of his own nephews in 1975.
The rumors also speculate that prime minister/foreign minister Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasim Al Thani will be replaced. There may be several explanations for this, including:

• This could be a Saudi rumor to bring the Al-Thani down to size (they did plot to overthrow him in 1998).
  
• It could be a trial balloon by one of the principals in Qatar.
  
• It could even be a story planted by the Al Khalifa of Bahrain who always felt in recent years that the Qatari royals treat them like the shit they are.
  
• Or it could be part of a dastardly plot by Hezbollah sow confusion in Qatar and win the civil war in Syria.

My Qatari claims that the prime minister is all set for retirement. She says his original plan was to travel in ‘liberated’ Syria, observing and writing on its Salafi democracy. Now, for some reason she claims she can’t understand, he has decided to change plans. He will retire in New York. That explains, she added, his purchase of a huge condo overlooking Central Park. She says he plan to start from NYC and roam America, writing his observations and impressions of its development and its democratic institutions (including the lobbyists). To do that comfortably he will purchase a huge Winnebago and drive around with a coterie of 100 men, women, and children. Since he like to be discreet and inconspicuous, he will go under the name of Hamad Clérel Bin Jassim de Tocqueville.

Cheers
mhg