A couple of items on the ongoing saga between Qatar and other wahhabi nations

It doesn't take long to shift sides in times of war.  Anything can happen at any time. Today's allies can become tomorrow's deadly enemies.  One has to only look back at WWII or even further to see how mercurial most alliances between countries can become at a moment's notice.


From DailyStar
Qatar launches wide-ranging WTO complaint against trade boycott
Qatar filed a wide-ranging legal complaint at the World Trade Organization on Monday to challenge a trade boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, Qatar's WTO representative Ali Alwaleed al-Thani told Reuters.

By formally "requesting consultations" with the three countries, the first step in a trade dispute, Qatar triggered a 60 day deadline for them to settle the complaint or face litigation at the WTO and potential retaliatory trade sanctions....

From DailyStar
Deep pockets and a five-year lead time are keeping Qatar’s dream
 of hosting football’s 2022 World Cup from turning into a boycott-battered nightmare.

A four-nation embargo led by Saudi Arabia has cut off Qatar construction materials it was counting on to build at least eight stadiums, lay dozens of miles of rail work and erect a brand new city before the world’s most-watched sporting event. But as the diplomatic and commercial boycott approaches its third month, the gas-rich nation says it is casting further abroad and laying out more cash than planned to replace suppliers that live next door.

Malaysian steel is replacing Saudi. Oman will provide materials originally ordered from the UAE, they say. China is stepping into the breach with dozens of products, and even Qatar is suddenly erecting facilities to build bleachers. Some suppliers from boycotting nations are rerouting shipments through Omani ports.

“For every challenge that we face, there are solutions that keep popping up,” Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary-general of the Qatar World Cup Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said in an interview in Doha. “We are working with our contractors to make sure we actually deliver long-term supply chain solutions and alternatives.” Neither he nor analysts ventured estimates for the cost overruns........