In a recent report, there have been allegations regarding the UAE’s involvement in financing a malicious media defamation campaign against Qatar. These revelations have come to light in a comprehensive article published by the renowned French investigative journal, MediaPart. Furthermore, recent findings indicate that the QatarGate scandal was orchestrated by Alp Services on behalf of the UAE.
The article uncovers allegations suggesting that the UAE engaged in bribery of international journalists to disseminate a relentless stream of fabricated news, with the explicit objective of tarnishing Qatar’s reputation.
Moreover, it delves into the UAE’s purported involvement in the QatarGate scandal through its association with Alp Company. At the heart of this campaign were a series of stories accusing Qatar of funding terrorism, a claim that Qatar has consistently denied.
ALP Services focused their efforts on Qatar, implementing an aggressive and remarkably successful strategy to uncover and discredit European politicians and officials who were purportedly linked to Qatar. This strategy ultimately led to the emergence of the infamous QatarGate scandal, which entailed accusations of corruption within European institutions and espionage carried out on EU soil.
In order to implement this strategy, the UAE sought the assistance of private investigator Mario Brero from Alp Services. His objective was to uncover the lobbyists working for Qatar within EU establishments. Alp Services reported that a considerable number of European politicians, who were alleged to be supporting Qatar’s interests, belonged to the center-left political spectrum. Notably, among the accused was Joaquin Almunia, the former vice president of the European Commission.
One of the key figures implicated in these accusations is Spanish journalist Raul Redondo, who is associated with the prestigious Spanish blog, Atalayar. This renowned platform focuses on reporting about the Iberian Peninsula, the Maghreb, and the Middle East. On July 19, 2020, Redondo published what was alleged to be false information, asserting that it was based on reports from the reputable German daily newspaper, Die Zeit.
The report cited an anonymous source, Jason G, as the origin of the information. According to the report, a Qatari-based charity was purportedly providing financial support to arm Hezbollah, with the blessings of the Qatari government. However, no concrete evidence was presented to substantiate these grave allegations.
After conducting its own thorough investigation, Mediapart has reached a compelling conclusion: the news disseminated by various international media outlets is nothing more than a collection of fabricated and absurd lies. This French outlet has meticulously corroborated its findings through a series of well-documented sources, leaving no room for doubt.
One of the most significant revelations in Mediapart’s report is the revelation of the financial ties between Atalayar and the Moroccan embassy in Madrid, which the report describes as the blog’s primary sponsor. This discovery raises concerns about potential biases in Redondo’s work, as he has consistently published articles critical of Qatar and its allies, while simultaneously showering praise on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and extreme right-wing parties in Europe for over a year.
One significant challenge faced by individuals who were wrongly accused was the difficulty in identifying the culprits behind the slander. The false information was spread through numerous sources, making it even more challenging to pinpoint the originators. As a result, the defamatory claims persisted in the media, despite lacking any basis.
The smear campaign against Qatar can be traced back to a time preceding the illegal blockade on the country in 2017. It was a well-organized effort orchestrated from Abu Dhabi. The blockade itself was triggered by the dissemination of fake news stories and the hacking of the Qatar News Agency’s website. Although the Al-Ula declaration and subsequent GCC reconciliation aimed to put an end to the media war, analysts remain skeptical about its effectiveness.
The report by MediaPart has brought to the forefront a disconcerting media defamation campaign, purportedly financed by the UAE, targeting Qatar. This campaign, characterized by the creation and dissemination of false information, has not only tarnished Qatar’s reputation but has also underscored the difficulties in combating a well-coordinated and pervasive assault on a nation’s image in today’s interconnected media landscape.
As the global community grapples with the ramifications of such campaigns, safeguarding the credibility of news sources and rigorously verifying information prior to publication assumes an unprecedented level of importance.
