7 ms·

Qatar intelligence operation against FIFA officials

160 points by ludos 4y ago

ludos 4y ago
Oh, i see, it was posted already. But nobody was interested. Sorry for the dupe.
ludos 4y ago
This news is out in Switzerland since 5 days and nobody else is reporting on it. It was conducted by the Swiss National Television . >>> The scale of espionage is considerable. For one sub-operation alone, at least 66 agents were earmarked for nine years. The budget for it was $387 million. The spies were active on five continents. >>> The primary goal: to prevent Qatar from losing the World Cup again because of the massive criticism. German report: https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/projekt-gnadenlos-wie-katar-in-der-schweiz-die-fussballwelt-ausspionierte https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/projekt-gnadenlos-wie-katar-...
- boycottqatar 4y ago
  [dead]
qull 4y ago
This needs to be bigger news. I never see this stuff covered and its absolutely insane what is going on.
- linhns 4y ago
  It should be. I heard Qatar is actively trying to sweep it under the carpet.
  - boycottqatar 4y ago
    [flagged]
    - amadeuspagel 4y ago
      > Qatar has also sponsored most of the US (Stimson and Brookings institute) think tanks and a lot of academia to gain these results, nobody dare mention them as the terrorist sponsoring nation that they are, It has always struck me as insane that the US is obsessed with foreign disinformation on twitter, while all its think tanks are bought of by foreign countries.
      - boycottqatar 4y ago
        Well the fog of information in this respect works wonders, considering how influential these think tanks are, is there any surprise foreign autocratic terrorist regimes just use these to peddle their propaganda.
- cute_boi 4y ago
  As long as it is not a US interest, I don't think media is going to give enough coverage to such news.
- chickenimprint 4y ago
  I was under the impression that everyone was aware of how deeply corrupt FIFA is. Didn't they green-light a World Cup in Russia while it was invading Ukraine?
  - lavezzi 4y ago
    > Didn't they green-light a World Cup in Russia while it was invading Ukraine? No, Russia hosted the last World Cup. Although the circumstances for FIFA awarding them that World Cup were very suspicious.
Kukumber 4y ago
Qatar intelligence? i doubt it, it's most likely plain and simple the CIA, the structure is similar to Wagner This explains the Super League propaganda and anti Champions League campaign in Europe the past few years "FIFA is too big, must be dismantled" ;)
- nix23 4y ago
  >>Qatar orchestrated a large-scale and long-standing intelligence operation against FIFA officials with the help of former CIA operatives. >>To do this, Qatar hired American private firm: Global Risk Advisors (GRA). Have you even read the article?
  - Kukumber 4y ago
    You have read the article, congrats But do you know about Wagner? Let me help you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group Understand the similarities now? Now next question, do you know why and how Qatar managed the get the rights to host the next world cup? Now next question, do you know what the Super League is? Now next question, do you know why it was canceled? Try to answer these questions and you'll understand my comment Russia's intelligence doesn't hire a US based company composed of former CIA agents, it wouldn't be called intelligence, it would be called revealing secret defense to foreign, and potentially hostile, countries The fact that Qatar did mean there is more to the story, and this article fails to explore this dark area https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/mercenaries-cia-expanded-role-contractors-legitimate/story?id=9302651 https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/mercenaries-cia-expanded-role...
    - nix23 4y ago
      Why do you compare a Russian proxy army (Wagner) with a private intelligence agency payed by a state to prevent loosing a World-cup? The rest of your questions are so ridiculous one could argue that you are on drugs...just stupid argumentation, i stop here, have a nice one.
dtx1 4y ago
I look forward to NOT watching the quatar world cup
- 1001101 4y ago
  This is probably my favorite sporting event, but I will also be boycotting. For others I have talked to that are doing the same, it was principally the corruption. For me it was the labor practices and the 6500+ people that died working on the stadiums that will likely be torn down or fall into disuse once the event is over.
tsol 4y ago
People probably aren't surprised as it's seen as par for the course now for big governments to do nefarious things for their interests. We're used to western governments doing it, what's the difference if Qatar does as well? In fact that way these foreign governments are reported on it's downright expected to see corruption(see the media coverage on Ukraine before the current crisis-- all US media liked to talk about was corruption)
Cryptonic 4y ago
And now tell me again we should not get rid of the fossil fuel industry - or at least weaken them significantly by not buying their black dirt and having alternatives. If they do things like this for soccer fun because they are bored in their desert... Imagine what they do and try on politicans, scientists and other individuals for their other interests. Imagine what they are willing to do regarding the spread of well designed FUD and FLICC disinformation about climate science. Imagine how much money that you pay for fuel or energy is pumped into influencing the masses. Imagine the effect on the life of your children and grand children.
- amadeuspagel 4y ago
  I'll tell you again that we should not get rid of fracking.
zoklet-enjoyer 4y ago
I really don't understand what the big deal is about guys running around kicking a ball. I understand it's fun to play and watch, but not hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fun
- harlequinn77 4y ago
  About 3.5 billion people watch the world cup. Thats worth a lot in advertising dollars.
- squishy47 4y ago
  Manchester United alone is a multi-billion $/£ company.
- ViceCitySage 4y ago
  Most popular sport in most countries in the world. FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. The amount of viewers blows the Olympics, the next most watched after, out of the water.
  - throw-ru-938 4y ago
    That's a statement of fact, but the GP was asking why it is actually so.
- secretsatan 4y ago
  Well, just sports in general... I like to go and watch a local game occasionally and follow international tournaments, but it's weird the level of passion around it. What I really don't get, and never had, hardly anyone supports local teams, they're obsessed with basically, international companies named after towns.
- anonAndOn 4y ago
  Unlike the Olympics where the sports are often obscure, boring or both, the world cup is comprised solely of an exciting game, much which of the world is familiar with from childhood experience. It's a sport that doesn't favor physical giants over skill and depends upon team cohesion over individual talent. As a result, we often see smaller countries with something to prove knock out bigger, established countries. Unless it's your team that loses, EVERYBODY loves an underdog.
Borrible 4y ago
As corrupt and greedy as FIFA is, it's no wonder the Qataris have been monitoring their investments in secret. Would you have trusted them with your bribes without hedging your bets?
ViceCitySage 4y ago
More reason to boycott the next World Cup. FIFA has been a corrupt organization for a long time with numerous scandals but this one is over the top. Qatar blatantly bought their way into the 2022 hosting spot and is using slave labor to build gigantic stadiums and towns that will definitely be abandoned right after the events just like the ones from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. All because the same rich Qatari monarchs that own Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and spend enormous amounts of money (iirc about a billion Euros) in hopes of winning a UEFA Champions League want to see their favorite players go at it in their backyards.
LatteLazy 4y ago
It's sort of crazy to me that this is how far Qatar went to win a loss-making, probably embarrassing, international equivalent of a school sports day. But it's not that different to how 50 other countries have intelligence services serve private economic interests.

160 points by ludos 4y ago

Oh, i see, it was posted already. But nobody was interested. Sorry for the dupe.

This news is out in Switzerland since 5 days and nobody else is reporting on it. It was conducted by the Swiss National Television . >>> The scale of espionage is considerable. For one sub-operation alone, at least 66 agents were earmarked for nine years. The budget for it was $387 million. The spies were active on five continents. >>> The primary goal: to prevent Qatar from losing the World Cup again because of the massive criticism. German report: https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/projekt-gnadenlos-wie-katar-in-der-schweiz-die-fussballwelt-ausspionierte https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/projekt-gnadenlos-wie-katar-...

boycottqatar 4y ago
[dead]

qull 4y ago

This needs to be bigger news. I never see this stuff covered and its absolutely insane what is going on.

linhns 4y ago
It should be. I heard Qatar is actively trying to sweep it under the carpet.
- boycottqatar 4y ago
  [flagged]
  - amadeuspagel 4y ago
    > Qatar has also sponsored most of the US (Stimson and Brookings institute) think tanks and a lot of academia to gain these results, nobody dare mention them as the terrorist sponsoring nation that they are, It has always struck me as insane that the US is obsessed with foreign disinformation on twitter, while all its think tanks are bought of by foreign countries.
    - boycottqatar 4y ago
      Well the fog of information in this respect works wonders, considering how influential these think tanks are, is there any surprise foreign autocratic terrorist regimes just use these to peddle their propaganda.
cute_boi 4y ago
As long as it is not a US interest, I don't think media is going to give enough coverage to such news.
chickenimprint 4y ago
I was under the impression that everyone was aware of how deeply corrupt FIFA is. Didn't they green-light a World Cup in Russia while it was invading Ukraine?
- lavezzi 4y ago
  > Didn't they green-light a World Cup in Russia while it was invading Ukraine? No, Russia hosted the last World Cup. Although the circumstances for FIFA awarding them that World Cup were very suspicious.

Kukumber 4y ago

Qatar intelligence? i doubt it, it's most likely plain and simple the CIA, the structure is similar to Wagner This explains the Super League propaganda and anti Champions League campaign in Europe the past few years "FIFA is too big, must be dismantled" ;)

nix23 4y ago
>>Qatar orchestrated a large-scale and long-standing intelligence operation against FIFA officials with the help of former CIA operatives. >>To do this, Qatar hired American private firm: Global Risk Advisors (GRA). Have you even read the article?
- Kukumber 4y ago
  You have read the article, congrats But do you know about Wagner? Let me help you: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagner_Group Understand the similarities now? Now next question, do you know why and how Qatar managed the get the rights to host the next world cup? Now next question, do you know what the Super League is? Now next question, do you know why it was canceled? Try to answer these questions and you'll understand my comment Russia's intelligence doesn't hire a US based company composed of former CIA agents, it wouldn't be called intelligence, it would be called revealing secret defense to foreign, and potentially hostile, countries The fact that Qatar did mean there is more to the story, and this article fails to explore this dark area https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/mercenaries-cia-expanded-role-contractors-legitimate/story?id=9302651 https://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/mercenaries-cia-expanded-role...
  - nix23 4y ago
    Why do you compare a Russian proxy army (Wagner) with a private intelligence agency payed by a state to prevent loosing a World-cup? The rest of your questions are so ridiculous one could argue that you are on drugs...just stupid argumentation, i stop here, have a nice one.

dtx1 4y ago

I look forward to NOT watching the quatar world cup

1001101 4y ago
This is probably my favorite sporting event, but I will also be boycotting. For others I have talked to that are doing the same, it was principally the corruption. For me it was the labor practices and the 6500+ people that died working on the stadiums that will likely be torn down or fall into disuse once the event is over.

tsol 4y ago

People probably aren't surprised as it's seen as par for the course now for big governments to do nefarious things for their interests. We're used to western governments doing it, what's the difference if Qatar does as well? In fact that way these foreign governments are reported on it's downright expected to see corruption(see the media coverage on Ukraine before the current crisis-- all US media liked to talk about was corruption)

Cryptonic 4y ago

And now tell me again we should not get rid of the fossil fuel industry - or at least weaken them significantly by not buying their black dirt and having alternatives. If they do things like this for soccer fun because they are bored in their desert... Imagine what they do and try on politicans, scientists and other individuals for their other interests. Imagine what they are willing to do regarding the spread of well designed FUD and FLICC disinformation about climate science. Imagine how much money that you pay for fuel or energy is pumped into influencing the masses. Imagine the effect on the life of your children and grand children.

amadeuspagel 4y ago
I'll tell you again that we should not get rid of fracking.

zoklet-enjoyer 4y ago

I really don't understand what the big deal is about guys running around kicking a ball. I understand it's fun to play and watch, but not hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fun

harlequinn77 4y ago
About 3.5 billion people watch the world cup. Thats worth a lot in advertising dollars.
squishy47 4y ago
Manchester United alone is a multi-billion $/£ company.
ViceCitySage 4y ago
Most popular sport in most countries in the world. FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world. The amount of viewers blows the Olympics, the next most watched after, out of the water.
- throw-ru-938 4y ago
  That's a statement of fact, but the GP was asking why it is actually so.
secretsatan 4y ago
Well, just sports in general... I like to go and watch a local game occasionally and follow international tournaments, but it's weird the level of passion around it. What I really don't get, and never had, hardly anyone supports local teams, they're obsessed with basically, international companies named after towns.
anonAndOn 4y ago
Unlike the Olympics where the sports are often obscure, boring or both, the world cup is comprised solely of an exciting game, much which of the world is familiar with from childhood experience. It's a sport that doesn't favor physical giants over skill and depends upon team cohesion over individual talent. As a result, we often see smaller countries with something to prove knock out bigger, established countries. Unless it's your team that loses, EVERYBODY loves an underdog.

Borrible 4y ago

As corrupt and greedy as FIFA is, it's no wonder the Qataris have been monitoring their investments in secret. Would you have trusted them with your bribes without hedging your bets?

ViceCitySage 4y ago

More reason to boycott the next World Cup. FIFA has been a corrupt organization for a long time with numerous scandals but this one is over the top. Qatar blatantly bought their way into the 2022 hosting spot and is using slave labor to build gigantic stadiums and towns that will definitely be abandoned right after the events just like the ones from the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. All because the same rich Qatari monarchs that own Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and spend enormous amounts of money (iirc about a billion Euros) in hopes of winning a UEFA Champions League want to see their favorite players go at it in their backyards.

LatteLazy 4y ago

It's sort of crazy to me that this is how far Qatar went to win a loss-making, probably embarrassing, international equivalent of a school sports day. But it's not that different to how 50 other countries have intelligence services serve private economic interests.