WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.840 My supervising producer, Kara Jensen-McKinnon, 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:05.080 has coined a phrase that I think I'm going to start using. 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:08.320 The phrase is "Jungle Times." 00:00:08.320 --> 00:00:11.519 As in, "We now live in the Jungle Times." 00:00:12.160 --> 00:00:13.199 You know the ones. 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:16.199 >> Soldiers boarding container ships with rifles drawn. 00:00:16.280 --> 00:00:19.760 >> Streets littered with cars torched in the intense bombardment. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:23.440 >> Delta Force commandos seized Venezuela's president. 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:28.039 >> Russia has unleashed its deadliest attack so far this year on Ukraine. 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:33.039 >> The sound of several gunshots sent the president ducking that way 00:00:34.039 --> 00:00:37.519 as a swarm of officers surrounded. >> This show is generally 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.280 about looking at historical moments that either lead to current events 00:00:41.280 --> 00:00:44.280 or help us better understand current events. 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:49.679 We find historical precedents. And taken individually, 00:00:49.799 --> 00:00:54.119 all the things happening right now do have a precedent. From oil shocks 00:00:54.520 --> 00:00:55.600 to wars in the Middle East. 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.840 We have been talking about these precedents for weeks. 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:02.919 >> In the 80s in Sydney, the petrol rationing was done by state governments. 00:01:02.920 --> 00:01:07.159 >> We all know from Iraq, from Afghanistan, a war that's one month, 00:01:07.159 --> 00:01:10.359 that becomes six months, that becomes six years, that becomes a decade. 00:01:10.439 --> 00:01:15.840 >> But I think that, in one very important way, what we're watching now is different. 00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:20.640 And it's because all of these things are happening at once, 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:24.240 and every day things just seem to get more and more chaotic. 00:01:24.400 --> 00:01:28.680 >> We have a plan where every bridge in Iran 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:33.519 will be decimated, where every power plant in Iran 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:37.439 will be out of business. I mean, complete demolition. 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:41.640 >> We're watching the world change in a way that will be with us for a long time. 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:45.760 I think the best example of what I mean by this is found 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:50.840 not in Iran, Israel, the US or Lebanon, but in Qatar. 00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:56.000 >> Qatar, where the world's biggest gas plant is. >> Qatar has spent the last 50 years 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:00.599 meticulously planning, scheming and plotting to make itself 00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:05.119 immune to global instability, to make sure that something like this: 00:02:05.319 --> 00:02:08.719 >> Iran targeted Qatari gas infrastructure in retaliation 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:12.280 to a strike on its major gas field. >> Can never happen. 00:02:12.560 --> 00:02:15.560 And yet it has. Why? 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.640 Well, because unfortunately for Qatar, we're no longer in the stable times. 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:23.199 We're in the Jungle Times. 00:02:23.199 --> 00:02:28.399 And meticulous planning doesn't count for anything in the jungle. Today, 00:02:28.439 --> 00:02:34.359 the story of the elaborate, decades-long, trillion-dollar scheme that Qatar hoped 00:02:34.360 --> 00:02:40.080 would protect them, and what its failure tells us about what we are about to face. 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.120 I'm Matt Bevan, 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:43.800 and this is If You're Listening. 00:02:43.800 --> 00:02:45.719 Welcome to the Jungle Times. 00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:53.120 I love old atlases. 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.439 If you've got one you're trying to unload, send it to me. 00:02:55.439 --> 00:02:56.560 I'll take it. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:59.240 This one I've got here is from 1961. 00:02:59.240 --> 00:03:04.040 And it's not only full of extremely dated maps, but it's got fascinating 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:07.679 statistical information about every country in the world. 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:12.200 For example, in 1961, there were significantly more cars 00:03:12.199 --> 00:03:17.399 in Australia alone than there were in all of Asia combined. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:20.840 That's a fun fact. 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:23.759 I went looking through the atlas 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:28.079 for fun facts about Qatar, and there is none. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:31.039 Qatar is drawn on a map of the Middle East. 00:03:31.039 --> 00:03:33.919 But apart from its roughly sketched border, 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:36.119 the fun facts are very much lacking. 00:03:36.120 --> 00:03:38.920 Apparently Encyclopaedia Britannica knew 00:03:38.919 --> 00:03:41.919 nothing about it, not even its population. 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:43.440 And that's because: 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:46.439 >> The sheikhdom of Qatar is geographically prominent 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:50.120 but otherwise one of the least-known of the Arab Gulf states. 00:03:50.319 --> 00:03:53.439 It was essentially famous for not being famous. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:58.359 >> Perhaps more than any Gulf state, Qatar's history is shrouded in obscurity. 00:03:58.520 --> 00:04:00.800 >> And look, to a certain extent, that is understandable. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:04.680 Qatar is a barren, flat, horrifically hot, 00:04:04.759 --> 00:04:07.759 windswept peninsula on the edge of Saudi Arabia. 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:11.479 It had very little connection with the outside world. 00:04:11.800 --> 00:04:15.960 In fact, in one of the country's museums, it's noted that it wasn't until the 1960s 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:19.240 that football was first introduced to the country. 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:22.560 If Britannica had checked, they'd have found that Qatar's 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:25.920 population in 1961 was just 36,000. 00:04:26.399 --> 00:04:29.399 And yet it had its own royal family. 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:30.879 >> There's no question that Sheikh 00:04:30.879 --> 00:04:34.240 Khalifa and his family rule the emirate in every respect. 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:38.560 >> Now, usually, royal families are ripe for scandal and intrigue, 00:04:38.879 --> 00:04:44.360 but the royal family of Qatar, the Al Thanis, are almost bizarrely boring, 00:04:44.759 --> 00:04:47.120 apart from the fact that they have a fondness 00:04:47.120 --> 00:04:52.680 for conducting coups while the emir, the leader of the country, is on holiday. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:55.760 >> Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, 00:04:55.759 --> 00:04:58.439 who's just celebrated ten years as ruler 00:04:58.439 --> 00:05:01.639 after deposing his cousin in a bloodless royal coup. 00:05:01.879 --> 00:05:05.959 >> The former emir made the grave mistake of going on holiday to Iran, 00:05:06.439 --> 00:05:10.319 and while he was away, his cousin Khalifa changed the locks and bingo 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:13.000 bango, he became the new emir. 00:05:13.000 --> 00:05:15.399 Now, why pull a sneaky coup 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:18.439 to take charge of a barren peninsula populated by fishermen? 00:05:19.240 --> 00:05:22.280 Well, they'd found something under their feet. 00:05:22.639 --> 00:05:26.159 >> Its oil reserves are not large by the standards of its bigger neighbours, 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:30.399 but it has got gas to exploit for the next 500 years. 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.240 >> So, 500 years worth of gas and a very tiny population. 00:05:36.240 --> 00:05:39.240 The Al Thanis used the gas to make their 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:44.039 population incredibly rich. Today, Qatari nationals are provided 00:05:44.040 --> 00:05:47.319 with a free home for every family, a free car. 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:50.560 They pay no taxes, no rent, 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:53.560 no utility charges, no telephone bills. 00:05:53.879 --> 00:06:00.439 Education for Qatari nationals is free, whether it's at home 00:06:00.680 --> 00:06:03.840 or at the most exclusive and expensive college abroad. 00:06:04.959 --> 00:06:06.959 Healthcare is unlimited. 00:06:06.959 --> 00:06:10.519 Qataris can fly to any specialist anywhere in the world, 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:14.159 and the government will pick up the airfares, the doctor's bill 00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:18.000 and the family's luxury hotel bill for as long as they're abroad. 00:06:18.600 --> 00:06:21.320 Now, this sounds like an incredibly sweet deal. 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:25.959 And if you were one of the 40,000-odd Qataris, it really was. 00:06:26.120 --> 00:06:29.000 Work was pretty much optional. 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:30.439 >> We encountered an elderly 00:06:30.439 --> 00:06:33.839 and delightful man working as an occasional government car driver, 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.199 although he was a dollar millionaire twice over. 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:41.560 >> But this decadent lifestyle had a couple of pretty dark clouds hanging over it. 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:45.439 For one thing, because Qataris didn't really need to work, 00:06:45.639 --> 00:06:49.199 they imported basically their entire labour force. 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.400 Most of the actual work in Qatar was done 00:06:52.399 --> 00:06:55.759 by migrant labourers and indentured servants. 00:06:56.160 --> 00:07:00.680 By the 80s, the labourers outnumbered Qataris three to one, and lived 00:07:00.680 --> 00:07:05.480 as a virtual underclass with almost none of the rights Qatari citizens had. 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:09.959 >> Menial tasks are reserved almost exclusively for non-Qataris. 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:13.399 They definitely didn't get free cars and unlimited healthcare — 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:16.920 not a particularly sweet deal for them. 00:07:16.920 --> 00:07:20.960 >> The other dark cloud hanging over it all was Saudi Arabia. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:23.439 >> Big brother is Saudi Arabia, 00:07:23.439 --> 00:07:27.519 with which Qatar shares its only and unmarked land border. 00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:32.520 >> Khalifa and his people lived like kings, but only in the material sense. 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:37.680 They were reliant on big brother for security, and when push came to shove, 00:07:38.079 --> 00:07:41.079 it was the Saudis who were really calling the shots. 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:43.599 >> Qatar could have just lived with that reality. 00:07:43.600 --> 00:07:47.560 It's what their fellow emirs in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates 00:07:47.560 --> 00:07:49.120 decided to do, basically. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:53.000 Accept that they were all a big happy family of Sunni Arabs 00:07:53.000 --> 00:07:56.560 and that there was more that united them than divided them. 00:07:57.319 --> 00:07:59.120 Just let the Saudis run the show. 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:00.160 Don't rock the boat. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:03.160 Just sit there quietly and be rich. 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:07.600 But in 1995, Khalifa did something that no Qatari emir 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:11.039 should ever do, and went on holiday to Switzerland. 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:15.519 His son Hamad saw an opportunity to take a leaf out of his dad's book. 00:08:15.959 --> 00:08:19.079 >> Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani seized power 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:23.199 from his father in a palace coup. >> The thing was, the new emir, Hamad, 00:08:23.560 --> 00:08:28.079 wanted to exercise more autonomy over Qatar's foreign affairs 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:30.159 than his father had. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:32.879 This displeased Qatar's big brother. 00:08:32.879 --> 00:08:34.480 And in case you've forgotten, 00:08:34.480 --> 00:08:37.240 >> big brother is Saudi Arabia. >> The new emir wasn't 00:08:37.240 --> 00:08:40.799 willing to accept Saudi Arabia's role as the regional superpower. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:44.000 So Saudi Arabia tried to get rid of him. 00:08:44.000 --> 00:08:48.960 The Saudi counter-coup failed, potentially because Hamad refused to go on holiday, 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:52.080 but it left him in a tricky position. 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:54.639 Wedged between a pushy big brother 00:08:54.639 --> 00:08:57.840 to the south and something even scarier to the north. 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:01.360 >> The only real threat to the development programs of the ruling family 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:04.480 would appear to be Islamic fundamentalism 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:07.000 along the lines of the Iran model. 00:09:07.000 --> 00:09:10.960 >> Iran. While Saudi Arabia might see the Qataris 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:14.360 as a little brother, they were at least from the same family. 00:09:14.960 --> 00:09:17.960 Iran is extremely different in almost every way. 00:09:18.279 --> 00:09:20.919 Different ethnicity, different language, 00:09:20.919 --> 00:09:23.919 different religion — Shia instead of Sunni Islam — 00:09:23.919 --> 00:09:28.240 and a totally different regime. A fundamentalist theocracy 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.840 that had overthrown their monarch in a violent revolution. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:35.279 >> They would need to find 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.279 a bigger, scarier friend. 00:09:38.480 --> 00:09:41.480 And so they went to the biggest and scariest friend there is. 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:44.199 >> It's my honour to welcome 00:09:44.200 --> 00:09:47.200 the Emir of Qatar to the Oval Office. 00:09:47.799 --> 00:09:51.240 >> I'm pretty sure George W. Bush just called him the Emir of Gutter, 00:09:51.679 --> 00:09:52.879 but anyway. 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:55.879 >> Your Highness, it's such an honour to have you here. 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:57.479 And I welcome you. 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:00.480 And I want to thank you for your friendship. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.240 >> To secure this new friendship, Hamad agreed 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.399 to host an enormous American air base in his country. 00:10:06.600 --> 00:10:09.360 >> It's one of the most state-of-the-art ones that you'll find in the region. 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:10.440 >> And to say thanks, 00:10:10.440 --> 00:10:14.360 the US moved its regional base of operations to Qatar ahead 00:10:14.360 --> 00:10:17.360 of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:27.199 >> This is CENTCOM, the US military's central command. 00:10:27.200 --> 00:10:31.320 As a result, Qatar became the epicentre of US military operations in the Middle East. 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:34.240 >> We're here with permission of the Qataris, and we're doing 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:38.159 our best to be good guests. 00:10:38.279 --> 00:10:42.240 >> Luring the Americans gave his tiny country a powerful protector against, 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:47.240 at times, aggressive neighbours. But it wasn't just about demonstrating military strength and bringing in guys with big guns. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:52.879 Hamad wanted to show that Qatar was allied to the west in ideological ways as well. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:59.120 So he started democratic reforms, then spent millions setting up Al Jazeera. 00:10:59.240 --> 00:11:02.080 >> Welcome to the world news from Al Jazeera, 00:11:02.080 --> 00:11:05.120 and the very first program live from our Doha news 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:08.120 headquarters here in the heart of the Middle East. 00:11:08.279 --> 00:11:12.439 >> By advocating for a freer press in a region where that's not really a thing, 00:11:12.840 --> 00:11:17.200 Al Jazeera became both a thorn in the side of authoritarian regimes 00:11:17.679 --> 00:11:21.000 and the most important platform for those regimes 00:11:21.200 --> 00:11:23.240 to communicate with the wider world. 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:26.680 Just about every government in the region has, for a time, 00:11:26.919 --> 00:11:29.120 closed Al Jazeera's bureau. 00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:33.080 Some have withdrawn ambassadors from Qatar in protest. 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:36.199 But today, even the toughest Arab leaders have to deal 00:11:36.200 --> 00:11:39.280 with Al Jazeera, because it speaks to the people. 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:42.480 >> So, Qatar has become the region's US military 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:45.480 base and centre of information. 00:11:45.600 --> 00:11:48.600 But for Hamad, that wasn't enough. 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:52.840 >> Fly to over 80 destinations onboard one of the world's youngest fleets. 00:11:53.720 --> 00:11:55.000 Qatar Airways. 00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:56.679 World's five-star airline. 00:11:56.679 --> 00:12:00.679 >> He dumped investment into Qatar Airways, hoping to turn the Qatari 00:12:00.679 --> 00:12:03.879 capital, Doha, into a global business travel hub. 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:07.080 >> Halfway to anywhere with plenty of time to spare. 00:12:08.200 --> 00:12:11.200 At the Qatar Airways premium terminal in Doha — 00:12:11.240 --> 00:12:14.320 >> five-star service for first and business class passengers. 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:18.159 >> And he spent money trying to get people to actually leave the airport 00:12:18.159 --> 00:12:21.159 and see the country, instead of just flying through. 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:34.360 >> Hamad basically bought the FIFA World Cup, 00:12:34.360 --> 00:12:38.320 only 50 years after football was first seen in his country. 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:43.000 Then he spent more money on it than every other World Cup in history 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:46.240 combined. 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:52.800 Hosting the World Cup 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.799 wasn't just about football. 00:12:55.840 --> 00:12:58.399 Qatar wanted to be the place where the world gathered, 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.439 where people with nothing in common could come together. 00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:07.080 During the tournament, Iran played against its greatest enemy, the United States. 00:13:07.240 --> 00:13:10.320 >> Whenever these two teams play anywhere, in any competition, 00:13:10.519 --> 00:13:12.079 it brings with it history. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:14.800 It brings with it culture, it brings with it politics. 00:13:14.799 --> 00:13:17.959 >> We talked in last week's episode about how important it is to build 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.159 trust and credibility when you're trying to negotiate with your enemies. 00:13:22.600 --> 00:13:26.720 Qatar decided to try and be the place where that trust was brokered. 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.519 >> Senior Taliban leaders are in Qatar for peace talks with US officials. 00:13:30.519 --> 00:13:32.679 >> Qatar welcomed not only the US military to its territory, 00:13:32.679 --> 00:13:35.839 but the Taliban. 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:39.519 >> We are prepared to engage the Taliban 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:43.840 through a negotiations office in Doha. 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:48.879 >> With implicit western backing, Qatar hosted offices of the Taliban, 00:13:49.159 --> 00:13:53.199 financiers of al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood and rebel factions 00:13:53.799 --> 00:13:57.039 from all over Africa. All of this, just a few kilometres from the regional headquarters 00:13:57.279 --> 00:13:59.360 of US Central Command. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:01.720 It is a very small country, after all. 00:14:01.720 --> 00:14:03.800 Not everyone was a fan of this. 00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:08.279 It's a small-world style of politics, and Qatar was publicly criticised 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:09.600 for trying to bring these groups together, 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:13.200 particularly by Israel and its supporters. 00:14:13.600 --> 00:14:16.800 >> It is quite strange that the Emir of Qatar 00:14:17.159 --> 00:14:22.000 should take sides with Hamas. 00:14:22.080 --> 00:14:25.920 >> I blame Qatar. That very rich emirate that's been pouring money into the hands of Hamas. 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:30.360 >> Despite publicly disagreeing with what Qatar was doing, behind the scenes 00:14:30.360 --> 00:14:34.360 the Israeli government under Benjamin Netanyahu was supportive of it. 00:14:34.879 --> 00:14:39.439 >> Netanyahu allowed Qatar to give massive amounts of cash to Hamas in Gaza. 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:43.500 >> Qatar electronically transfers cash to Israel. 00:14:43.500 --> 00:14:48.600 That cash is then physically carried over the border by UN officials 00:14:48.600 --> 00:14:50.600 and by Israeli officials into Gaza. 00:14:50.600 --> 00:14:51.080 >> It was a 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:54.240 divide-and-conquer strategy, with Netanyahu hoping 00:14:54.240 --> 00:14:58.279 Hamas would weaken the more moderate Palestinian Authority. 00:14:58.440 --> 00:15:01.360 >> We did everything in order to make sure 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:05.840 that Hamas will go on controlling Gaza, and the Palestinian 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:10.000 Authority will control the West Bank, so they will fight each other. 00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:14.279 >> So there's money flowing in all sorts of directions for all sorts of reasons. 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:18.799 And Qatar wanted to be at the centre of it. Having a diplomatic and financial 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:22.559 relationship with everybody means nobody will want to attack you. 00:15:22.759 --> 00:15:24.200 Simple. 00:15:24.200 --> 00:15:26.879 Over the last 50 years, Qatar has grown from being 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:29.919 a strange, barren peninsula with no fun facts 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:34.320 to being home to the richest citizen population on earth, 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.679 to being the centre of an enormous, 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:41.159 intricate spiderweb which stretched into the business, 00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:46.560 economic, journalistic, tourism, cultural, energy and political worlds. 00:15:47.279 --> 00:15:50.839 But Hamad — and after his abdication in 2013, his son 00:15:50.840 --> 00:15:54.920 Tamim — didn't do all this for fun, or for ego, or for glory. 00:15:55.480 --> 00:15:58.159 It was a long-term strategy of making Qatar 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:01.159 a significant player in world affairs. 00:16:01.399 --> 00:16:03.959 If they were at the centre of the web, 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:06.720 they would be too important to mess with. 00:16:06.720 --> 00:16:09.120 It was a rational strategy formed during 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:12.120 an era where rational people ran the world. 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:14.839 Their refusal to just sit there and be rich 00:16:14.840 --> 00:16:17.000 may have made Saudi Arabia grumpy. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:19.759 But what was Saudi Arabia going to do about it? 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:21.919 Qatar had made itself too important. 00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:24.440 The strategy was all working 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:29.200 very well until around May 2017, when there were hints 00:16:29.200 --> 00:16:32.960 that the era of rational strategy may be coming to an end. 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:36.639 >> From bagpipes to men on horseback. 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:40.759 Saudi Arabia turned up the pomp for Donald Trump's first foreign visit. 00:16:40.840 --> 00:16:42.519 >> The new US president, Donald Trump, 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:46.559 was invited to the Saudi capital, Riyadh, to dance with swords 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:51.279 and join the Saudi king, Salman, in laying his hands upon a glowing orb. 00:16:51.960 --> 00:16:56.440 >> It was a surprising destination for Trump's first foreign trip as president. 00:16:56.759 --> 00:17:00.439 >> Donald Trump has been welcomed to Saudi Arabia with open arms, 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:04.279 despite his campaign rhetoric depicting the Saudis as woman-hating 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:07.960 gay killers and promising a ban on Muslim travel. 00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:12.719 >> Before he left, the Saudis agreed to a massive trade and weapons deal. 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:18.200 >> Around $147 billion in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia, 00:17:18.519 --> 00:17:21.519 and $270 billion in other trade. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:26.319 >> Two weeks after Trump's visit, the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, ordered 00:17:26.319 --> 00:17:31.799 an extraordinary military operation against Qatar. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:36.839 the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain imposed an aggressive blockade on Qatar. 00:17:37.400 --> 00:17:41.400 Land, air and sea routes in and out of Qatar were blocked. 00:17:41.559 --> 00:17:45.720 >> The four blockade countries alleged Qatar used its wealth to fund extremist 00:17:45.720 --> 00:17:49.880 groups linked to Iran. >> They demanded that Qatar decrease 00:17:49.880 --> 00:17:54.120 its diplomatic and military engagement with Iran and Turkey, 00:17:54.559 --> 00:17:57.559 kick terrorist groups out of the country, 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:02.240 and shut down its government-funded broadcaster, Al Jazeera. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:05.400 >> The US military and State Department were shocked. 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:10.519 >> The US has 10,000 troops at a critical air base in Qatar. 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:14.279 American diplomats rushed to stop any fallout. 00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:19.200 >> While the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations had seen Qatar as an ally, 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.439 this time around, the vibe from the White House was very different. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:28.680 >> The US president even took credit for the crackdown on Qatar, tweeting: 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:32.400 "Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism." 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.880 >> I've heard reports that President Trump didn't even realise that 00:18:35.880 --> 00:18:39.720 the United States had a base within Qatar, which is pretty alarming. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:43.320 >> It turns out, hosting a US military headquarters isn't 00:18:43.440 --> 00:18:47.640 a great insurance policy if the US president doesn't know it exists. 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:50.919 Thankfully, Trump had some people in his cabinet 00:18:50.920 --> 00:18:53.680 who were aware of the significance of Qatar. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:58.720 >> We call on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:02.639 and Egypt to ease the blockade against Qatar. 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:04.920 >> A group of Trump cabinet officials, 00:19:04.920 --> 00:19:07.920 informally referred to as the "axis of adults", 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:12.119 basically ignored his instructions and shored up the relationship with Qatar. 00:19:12.400 --> 00:19:14.640 >> The blockade is also impairing US 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.640 and other international business activities in the region. 00:19:17.720 --> 00:19:19.160 >> The blockade is hindering US 00:19:19.160 --> 00:19:22.519 military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS. 00:19:22.839 --> 00:19:26.240 >> Eventually, the blockade was eased and officially ended 00:19:26.240 --> 00:19:29.240 in the early months of the Biden administration. 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.440 >> Qatar didn't cave in to any of the Saudi demands. 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:35.840 They survived the blockade with their strategy intact, 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:40.279 and their importance as a location for resolving disputes between enemies 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:45.759 only increased. Following the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel, 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:49.880 Qatar was the only mediator able to get both sides to the table 00:19:50.200 --> 00:19:53.240 for ceasefire and hostage release negotiations. 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:57.240 >> With officials in Doha insisting talks can continue 00:19:57.279 --> 00:20:02.160 if both Israel and Hamas show a willingness to negotiate in good faith. 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:05.839 >> In a world ruled by rational people, you need a safe place for those people 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:09.159 to be able to talk to each other while they sort out key differences — 00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:12.799 somewhere bitter enemies can come and sit at a table 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:15.359 and try and find common ground, without worrying 00:20:15.359 --> 00:20:18.599 they're going to get poisoned or stabbed in the middle of the night. 00:20:19.440 --> 00:20:21.519 >> Qatar was that place. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:26.240 But then Donald Trump returned to the White House, and things started changing. 00:20:28.960 --> 00:20:31.960 >> A brazen attack in Qatar's capital. 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:34.840 >> Israeli forces 00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:38.919 targeting Hamas's political headquarters in a residential area of Doha. 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:42.720 >> Decades spent shoring up their position as an important ally of the west 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:46.559 had failed to protect Qatar from Israeli airstrikes. 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:49.799 Hamas's political leadership had reportedly gathered in Doha 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:53.359 to discuss the latest US proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza. 00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:54.759 It wasn't the first time 00:20:54.759 --> 00:20:58.599 that Hamas's leadership had been in Qatar to talk with the Americans and Israelis, 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:02.680 but Bibi Netanyahu saw an opportunity this time to strike 00:21:02.680 --> 00:21:05.680 without any fear of ramifications. 00:21:05.799 --> 00:21:09.720 >> These are the terrorist chiefs who planned, 00:21:10.680 --> 00:21:14.759 launched and celebrated the massacres of October 7. 00:21:14.759 --> 00:21:17.759 >> The Qatari government called it state terrorism. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:20.920 Any other US president would have been furious. 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:23.320 Donald Trump, though — 00:21:23.319 --> 00:21:26.319 >> Well, I'm not thrilled. I'm not thrilled about it. 00:21:26.440 --> 00:21:27.400 Not jazzed. Not psyched. 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:31.799 >> There was no condemnation of Israel, no axis of adults 00:21:31.799 --> 00:21:34.799 to give Israel a rap on the knuckles and tell them to stop. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:38.240 In fact, when Netanyahu suggested just a few months later that it might be 00:21:38.240 --> 00:21:43.720 a good idea to attack Iran during peace negotiations with the US, Trump joined in. 00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:46.960 >> The Israeli-US joint strikes began in broad daylight, 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:49.960 hitting multiple Iranian cities, including the capital. 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:55.079 >> Iran responded with fury, firing missiles at anyone within reach. 00:21:55.519 --> 00:21:59.000 For hours, missiles crisscrossed Middle Eastern skies. Warning 00:21:59.000 --> 00:21:59.920 sirens blared. 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:01.440 Israelis ran for cover. 00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:03.640 Missiles were also fired towards Qatar. 00:22:03.640 --> 00:22:07.480 >> In Doha, Qatar's military has been intercepting missiles 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:11.600 aimed at a US air base and the international airport. 00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:16.919 >> Iran targeted Qatari gas infrastructure in retaliation to a strike on its major 00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:22.160 gas field, wiping out 17% of capacity for up to five years. 00:22:22.440 --> 00:22:28.360 >> Decades of planning, investment and diplomacy by the Qataris went up in smoke. 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.480 >> The Qatari government has labelled the strike a flagrant 00:22:31.480 --> 00:22:32.920 breach of international law. 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:37.960 >> The trouble is, international law doesn't really apply during the Jungle Times. 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:40.640 Qatar has always 00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.640 been incredibly vulnerable geographically, 00:22:43.799 --> 00:22:46.960 so it spent decades building strategic security. 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:50.000 It played the game better than most. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:52.519 But that game is over now. 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:54.319 Alliances don't matter. 00:22:54.319 --> 00:22:57.319 The people with the power don't think about consequences. 00:22:57.880 --> 00:23:01.000 In the Jungle Times, strength is the only thing that matters. 00:23:01.319 --> 00:23:04.000 And Trump, Netanyahu and Mohammed 00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:07.000 bin Salman in Saudi Arabia have the strength. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:10.279 Qatar will survive this crisis. 00:23:10.279 --> 00:23:13.519 They're still rich and they still have the US military on their side, 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:17.079 but they will not feel nearly as secure. 00:23:17.079 --> 00:23:20.319 Will people continue to choose Qatar as a place for negotiating 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:23.360 if they're worried about Israeli airstrikes? 00:23:23.359 --> 00:23:25.359 Will people invest and travel there 00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:28.359 if Iran might bomb them at any moment? 00:23:28.640 --> 00:23:31.040 Is the relationship with America secure 00:23:31.039 --> 00:23:35.359 if the US president doesn't even know that Qatar is home to the most important 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:39.119 American military base in the world's most volatile region? 00:23:40.359 --> 00:23:43.439 Qatar was under the impression it had solved the problem 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:46.640 of being a small country in a scary neighbourhood. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:49.720 It hasn't. 00:23:49.720 --> 00:23:51.920 This is the Jungle Times. 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:55.680 If you're not big and scary, you need to find a tree to hide in.