It is all just to satisfy a bit of Qatari ego, which is absurd given that this will not even register in places like the US or UK. Does anyone actually think that slight visa changes in a country that ranks 67th in GDP (just behind Luxemburg and Peru) will show up even as a passing mention in the conversations of the likes of Barack Obama or Gordon Brown? The economic equivalent is Moldova requiring Qataris to have visas before arriving in hopes that Qatar will allow free movement of Moldovans into their country (i.e. Moldova's actions are hardly going to influence the government of Qatar).
Tit-for-tat is absolutely fair, but that does not in itself make it a good idea. The only people this will affect are the expats from these countries who are already here and businesses here who will find it more difficult to host conferences and do business with countries on the list. Both these things (expat ease convenience and businesses in Qatar) are for more important to the success of Qatar than they are to the governments of the 33 countries on the list.
In the end it just means I fill out a form online whenever a family member or friend comes for a visit. As I buy their airlines online anyway, it is just a matter of a few extra minutes. Certainly not worth all of the zenophobic feeling the Gulf Times seems to have (purposefully) stirred up with its poor and incomplete reporting.
By the way has anyone seen the story on the Qatari diplomat who mad the smooth move of lighting up a cigaret in the bathroom of a plane in the U.S.? Apparently he thought it would be funny to tell the flight crew that he was trying to light a bomb in his shoe. Given that he was on his way back to Washington after visiting a Qatari national being held for terrorist activities (part of his consular duties), the pilot was naturally apprehensive. Fighter jets were scrambled and the plane was escorted home as a matter of standard procedure. Needless-to-say, the diplomatic has been recalled. It did not get much news (it shows up in the 'dumb things people do' sections of papers for a bit of humor), but here is a link:
If you google search "Qatar, diplomat and Denver" some brief reports and some humorous commentary shows up. Obviously this in unlikely to receive the in-depth reporting for which the Gulf Times is so famous.
It is all just to satisfy a bit of Qatari ego, which is absurd given that this will not even register in places like the US or UK. Does anyone actually think that slight visa changes in a country that ranks 67th in GDP (just behind Luxemburg and Peru) will show up even as a passing mention in the conversations of the likes of Barack Obama or Gordon Brown? The economic equivalent is Moldova requiring Qataris to have visas before arriving in hopes that Qatar will allow free movement of Moldovans into their country (i.e. Moldova's actions are hardly going to influence the government of Qatar).
Tit-for-tat is absolutely fair, but that does not in itself make it a good idea. The only people this will affect are the expats from these countries who are already here and businesses here who will find it more difficult to host conferences and do business with countries on the list. Both these things (expat ease convenience and businesses in Qatar) are for more important to the success of Qatar than they are to the governments of the 33 countries on the list.
In the end it just means I fill out a form online whenever a family member or friend comes for a visit. As I buy their airlines online anyway, it is just a matter of a few extra minutes. Certainly not worth all of the zenophobic feeling the Gulf Times seems to have (purposefully) stirred up with its poor and incomplete reporting.
By the way has anyone seen the story on the Qatari diplomat who mad the smooth move of lighting up a cigaret in the bathroom of a plane in the U.S.? Apparently he thought it would be funny to tell the flight crew that he was trying to light a bomb in his shoe. Given that he was on his way back to Washington after visiting a Qatari national being held for terrorist activities (part of his consular duties), the pilot was naturally apprehensive. Fighter jets were scrambled and the plane was escorted home as a matter of standard procedure. Needless-to-say, the diplomatic has been recalled. It did not get much news (it shows up in the 'dumb things people do' sections of papers for a bit of humor), but here is a link:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/04/09/qatari-diplomat-leave-shortly...
If you google search "Qatar, diplomat and Denver" some brief reports and some humorous commentary shows up. Obviously this in unlikely to receive the in-depth reporting for which the Gulf Times is so famous.