Tag: Bahrain

(CNN)In President Donald Trump's Christmas Day telling, the drugs are flowing over the border, the Federal Reserve is imperiling the economy and the Democrats are preparing to harass him with oversight requests. "It's a disgrace, what's happening in our country," Trump fumed, seated behind the Resolute Desk on Tuesday, after decrying Democrats as hypocrites and recalling -- unprompted -- his firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Trump acknowledged the standoff with Democrats over funding for his long-promised border wall has no foreseeable end date. He's the first president to spend Christmas at the White House in 18 years; the last was Bill Clinton in 2000. He claimed, without evidence, that federal employees on furlough or working without pay understand his demand for a border wall -- and support him in his mission. He insisted in lengthy remarks the prolonged shutdown was the fault of Democrats, and repeated his demands a border barrier be funded before the government can reopen. Describing the opposing party as hypocrites for what he claimed was onetime support for a border wall, Trump transitioned sharply into a screed on Comey, who he fired early in his term. The Democrats hated him. They were calling for his firing," Trump said. Some Democrats faulted Comey for his handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino used a summit of soccer nations in Qatar to gather support for his mission to add 16 teams to the 2022 tournament — a move that would require the tiny, energy-rich nation sharing games in the region. Difficult probably," Infantino said. "Is it feasible to have a few games being played in neighboring countries? Well, maybe this is an option, of course. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. #ReadLocal "I'm not that naive not to know not to read the news and not to know what is going on. Infantino used a trip to Doha in October to ask the emir of Qatar if he would consider allowing matches to be shared with nations that are part of an economic and travel boycott against his country. Sports Highlights Up Next: Infantino - 48 teams 'possible' at Qatar World Cup Your video will play in: 5 seconds Infantino - 48 teams 'possible' at Qatar World Cup FIFA President Gianni Infantino used a summit of soccer nations in Qatar to gather support for his mission to add 16 teams to the 2022 World Cup - a m Play Video | 00:47 Your video will resume shortly. No compatible source was found for this media. "If there is something that I could do which is good for football worldwide, then we should look at it," Infantino said at a news conference in Doha before heading to Abu Dhabi for the Club World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino used a summit of soccer nations in Qatar to gather support for his mission to add 16 teams to the 2022 tournament — a move that would require the tiny, energy-rich nation sharing games in the region. Difficult probably," Infantino said. "Is it feasible to have a few games being played in neighboring countries? Well, maybe this is an option, of course. Premium content for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. But now we are in football, we are not in politics, and in football, sometimes the dreams come true." Infantino used a trip to Doha in October to ask the emir of Qatar if he would consider allowing matches to be shared with nations that are part of an economic and travel boycott against his country. Sports Highlights Up Next: Infantino - 48 teams 'possible' at Qatar World Cup Your video will play in: 5 seconds Infantino - 48 teams 'possible' at Qatar World Cup FIFA President Gianni Infantino used a summit of soccer nations in Qatar to gather support for his mission to add 16 teams to the 2022 World Cup - a m Play Video | 00:47 Your video will resume shortly. 00:47 Infantino - 48 teams 'possible' at Qatar World Cup Soccer News | 00:47 00:47 Infantino - 48 teams 'possible' at Qatar World Cup Soccer News | 00:47 01:38 De la calle al estadio al acoso sexual: El fútbol femenino afgano en crisis Euronews Spanish News | 01:38 01:21 Zoran Mamic and Ismail Ahmed talk about Al Ain's chances at the FIFA Club World Cup FIFA World Cup | 01:21 00:26 When conceding on FIFA 19 is as painful for your player as it is for you No compatible source was found for this media.

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump struck a nakedly political tone during a Thanksgiving call with US service members stationed around the world as he steered the conversation toward controversial political topics. Speaking with a US general in Afghanistan, Trump likened the fight against terrorists to his efforts to prevent a group of migrants from illegally entering the United States, and he assailed federal judges who have ruled against his administration. US Presidents have traditionally called troops stationed abroad during the holidays to boost morale and remind the country of their service, making Trump's rhetoric yet another striking break from the norms of presidential behavior. Trump has not shied away from politicizing the military in the past, and on Thursday, he drew on US men and women in uniform to justify his controversial deployment of nearly 6,000 US troops to the southern border. After the call wrapped, Trump continued to focus on the 9th Circuit and his administration's efforts to prevent the group of migrants -- many of whom are seeking asylum -- from crossing into the US illegally. "The whole border." Trump also once again undermined the CIA's assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the murder of Khashoggi, insisting the agency did not conclude bin Salman was responsible. I don't know if anybody's going to be able to conclude that the crown prince did it," Trump said. That's a big difference." This country is so much stronger now than it was when I took office that you wouldn't believe it."

Consider the struggle for regional influence between Saudi Arabia and Iran. In an Arab-dominated Middle East, non-Arab Iran is the natural enemy; but in a Muslim Middle East, the Islamic republic of Iran is a potential hegemon. Today’s turmoil in the Middle East is rooted largely in historical legacies and poor leadership, but the influence of religion hasn’t helped. So it is good news that, from Saudi Arabia to Israel to Iraq, religion is increasingly being superseded by strategic and security interests in shaping regional affairs. So, while maintaining its close alliance with the United States, the Western imperial power that Iran fears most, Saudi Arabia opposed the uprisings, whether the protagonists were Shia (as in Bahrain), or Sunni (as in Egypt). Whereas the Saudis view the Brotherhood as an existential threat, Turkey considers it a model of Islamist politics worth defending and a means of expanding Turkish influence in the Arab world. But Turkey’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood has put it at odds with yet another Sunni power: Egypt. Perhaps the best illustration of how security and strategic concerns have superseded religious conflict is the shift in relations between Arab Sunni states — including the Gulf monarchies and Egypt — and Israel. Politics is also superseding religion within Israel. Earlier this year, Sadr visited the fiercely anti-Iranian crown princes in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and is now the key obstacle between Iran and the strategic depth it seeks in Iraq.

Egypt’s qualification for this year’s World Cup like that of several other Arab teams cemented the role of soccer in Egypt and the other qualifying countries. In today’s modern world, soccer pitches, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, were frequently viewed as barometers of the public mood and indicators of political and social trends. The identification, through patronage and micromanagement, of modern-day Arab autocrats with soccer emulates the Romans’ use of games and sports to solidify their power. The Greens and the Blues and their fans in fifth-century-AD games were the Roman predecessors of today’s Middle Eastern and North African soccer fans who expressed similarly deep-seated passions. Arab autocrats, such as the toppled Egyptian and Tunisian presidents Hosni Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, had no intention of risking a repeat of Justinian I’s experience. The soccer pitch, however, like the mosque, were venues for the deep-seated emotions they evoked among a majority of the population and could not simply be repressed or shut down. The fans’ claim positioned soccer as both a threat and an opportunity for Middle Eastern and North African autocrats. Autocrats in the Middle East and North Africa are about upgrading and modernizing their regimes to ensure their survival, not about real sustainable change. Much of the Middle East does not have a dream. James is the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer blog, a book with the same title as well as Comparative Political Transitions between Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, co-authored with Dr. Teresita Cruz-Del Rosario, Shifting Sands, Essays on Sports and Politics in the Middle East and North Africa, and the forthcoming China and the Middle East: Venturing into the Maelstrom.