World Cup 2018

[ministe2003]

Dunno about that but they definatey still chop someones hand off if they are caught steaing. Its pretty westernised though- over half the population are of Western origin and as places in the middle east go, its pretty safe.

Edited December 3, 2010 by ministe2003

[pink_triangle]

12 years is a long time, this is the biggest event in the countries history. Im sure they will have ironed out most problems by then

[Kowalski]

Yes but that's like saying "and as world leaders go, George Bush was pretty good"

[Cardboard Box City]

Been to Qatar have you?

[Kowalski]

Travel advice for a tournament 11.5 years away? Jesus wept.

[Ed209]

Been to Qatar have you?

[Snufflebutt]

Bearing in mind that Al-Qaeda were known to be planning to target both the World Cups in Germany and South Africa:

[Greeny_Musicchild]

Umm, theres a massive expat community in Qatar - as I said, half the population is from the Western World. And to the best of my knowledge, theres only been one terrorist attack on Qatar thats made the news - someone planted a bomb in a theatre a few years ago and it killed one person. Considerably less than have been killed by Al Qaeda in the UK.

That travel advice could be written about anywhere in Europe TBH, its not telling folk not to go to Qatar.

[Cardboard Box City]

Travel advice for a tournament 11.5 years away? Jesus wept.

[pink_triangle]

I think the english media need to be careful as it it is starting to sound a bit like sour grapes. I have heard several times today how the russian bid is problematic because the country is spread between 10 timezones, however I think Im right that 13 out of the 15 stadiums are in the same one!

[Snufflebutt]

I must apologise Mr world f**king traveller!

Evidently, as myself and Ed haven't been to Qatar to gauge for ourselves the leading light they're shining against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, I must bow to your superior knowledge of the area and state in particular!

(I've not been to Qatar personally, then again I've not been to its neighbour Saudi Arabia, but I would always question the ability of anyone in the region to provide a comprehensive level of security - [i'm not taking the piss] terrorism is a particular point of interest for myself historically in an academic sense so if I've missed something I'd be interested as to why you see it as non-issue in relation to Qatar as opposed to the region as a whole)

53 people isn't it?

Although outside of our boarders, our immediate neighbours are totalling none. To Qatar's west is Saudi Arabia and to the north across the Arabian Sea is Iran and Iraq. Not exactly a safe region as a whole, do you really think that the security situation is the same in Western Europe as it is in the Middle East?

[funkymp]

I think the english media need to be careful as it it is starting to sound a bit like sour grapes. I have heard several times today how the russian bid is problematic because the country is spread between 10 timezones, however I think Im right that 13 out of the 15 stadiums are in the same one!

[pink_triangle]

I also dont get how this idea of making it public who the delegates vote for will stop corruption. Surely the fact that the delegates votes are published would be preferable for a corrupt country as they will know they have got what they have paid for. In the current system a delegate can in theory promise everyone their vote and its hard to know if they have delivered.

[Greeny_Musicchild]

I think theres a danger here about tarring the entire middle east with the same brush. You are assuming a homogeneity that I'm not sure exists. Its like saying, 'there was ethnic cleansing in bosnia, lets not give the World Cup to England.'

And no I dont think its the same security situation. But there are differences in individual states security threats, just like Europe. And, as Kowaski says, lots can change in 12 years (and that might mean the security situation getting worse as well as better). This time 12 years ago, the man on the street had never heard of Al Qaeda

[Kowalski]

All the expats I met in Qatar were Scotsmen and Scousers!

The interesting thing about the drinking laws is that you can drink in the Western Hotels only. When you go to the bar in one of these hotels, it is full of pissed Arabs. And I mean really pissed - soiling themselves and everything!

[Cardboard Box City]

I think theres a danger here about tarring the entire middle east with the same brush. You are assuming a homogeneity that I'm not sure exists. Its like saying, 'there was ethnic cleansing in bosnia, lets not give the World Cup to England.'

[Kowalski]

There's been more attempted terrorist attacks on the UK in recent years than in Qatar so I'm not sure what point some of you are trying to make. Sounds a bit xenophobic to me.

[Cardboard Box City]

There's been more attempted terrorist attacks on the UK in recent years than in Qatar so I'm not sure what point some of you are trying to make. Sounds a bit xenophobic to me.

[Snufflebutt]

Its not tho is it? This is a state that is in the one of the most volatile regions in the world in terms of terrorist activity.

How is the situation in Qatar any different than that of its neighbours? (Saudi, Oman, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India?) What exactly makes them so immune to the threats of cross-boarder activity in comparison to these countries?

[Cardboard Box City]

Fair point, I mean, its only a couple of thousand miles between Qatar and Pakistan, Iraq and India.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Cardboard Box City

[Snufflebutt]

How is the security situation different in Qatar to that of its neighbours?

Oh well that settles it then. I felt very safe when I went to Luxor, then a few week later Ayman al-Zawahiri organised a daft massacre in one of the places we'd visited. I think that feeling of safety could be questionable in hindsight.

[Cardboard Box City]

What neighbours are you talking about? Its safe enough to hold major sports events there - which should be enough.

[sifi]

Eygpy are Qatar's neighbours?

[Cardboard Box City]

Eygpy are Qatar's neighbours?

[diddly-dee]

With all the talk of FIFA corruption and how Russia is a 'mafia state' I wonder if the irony of the English bid escapes the UK media; to expand, England as part of their bid brought preamturely bald William Saxe-Coburg-Gotha with them to make one of their keynote speeches. Now then, whilst I'm sure he's a personable young fellow and all that, this is a person who has had no practical involvement with football as either a player or administrator (and his honarary presidency of the FA or whatever he's been given is meaningless - he got it because of who he is, nothing to do with football) and the extent of his participation in 'the beautiful game' appears to be getting free tickets for the FA cup final and other prestigious matches (in spite of being a member of one of the wealthiest families on the planet). Moreover, within his speech, as if to emphasise his lack of qualifications in an honest appraisal of the ability of England to organise a tournament, he made a point of highlighting his own personal inadequacies by citing the fact that he wouldn't even be organising his own wedding. Now, I'm not sure what the exact definition of 'corruption' the British media are employing in their analysis of FIFA and the Russian State, only I'd have thought a pretty good example of 'corruption' in the 21st century would be engaging someone solely on the basis of their birthright rather than any practical qualification or merit. And as for being a 'mafia state', I can only say that 'the mafia' has to survive in the 'real world' and will constanly be jostling for power and control and perpetually having to consolidate and work hard at maintaining its position. As such, it is a much more deserving institution than one which allocates power and status on the basis of 'accident of birth'. Mind, there's another argument altogether that Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is a mafia organisation that just happens to be more subtle than some of it's stereotypical 'mafia' contemporaries.