The smart thing for Qatar to do at this point is the following:
1. Champion the cause for the 2022 bids to be reconsidered. This puts Qatar ahead of the curve and helps put it in the driver's seat. Qatar played the game of bribery and it appears to have lost. Now is the time to change the game to something Qatar can when. If handled correctly (i.e. vet anything a Qatari official states through a good Western PR firm) such a move also shows real class and will win world respect, sympathy and support for when Qatar resubmits its bid.
If Qatar continues to deny everything and hope to retain the bid the result will be one of two things: Qatar loses the bid in disgrace; its victory is tainted forever by allegations of corruption.
2. Create its own internal investigation. Identify any foreign corruption and hand over the evidence to FIFA. Leak this to the press to embarrass any competing nations that were acting corruptly and to highlight that FIFA created a context in which bribery was expect (i.e. Qatar was playing by the unofficial rules).
3. Argue that any corruption on the part of Qatar was the guilt of an isolated few acting without the consent of the country. Let these people fall on their swords to protect the perception of the integrity of Qatar.
4. Campaign hard, but fairly for the bid.
If the above is followed, I have no doubt Qatar will re-win the 2022 and with it world respect. People love Bill Clinton because he apologized, suffered publicly and promised to reform; they hate W. Bush because he is smug, refuses apologize, and seems to be getting off free.
The Qataris are amateurs when it comes to world politics and media, and thus far it is showing. Qatar played this game its own way, and it is being trampled. It's time for Qatar to get smart, find some quality media advisors who know what they are doing, and listen to them.
The smart thing for Qatar to do at this point is the following:
1. Champion the cause for the 2022 bids to be reconsidered. This puts Qatar ahead of the curve and helps put it in the driver's seat. Qatar played the game of bribery and it appears to have lost. Now is the time to change the game to something Qatar can when. If handled correctly (i.e. vet anything a Qatari official states through a good Western PR firm) such a move also shows real class and will win world respect, sympathy and support for when Qatar resubmits its bid.
If Qatar continues to deny everything and hope to retain the bid the result will be one of two things: Qatar loses the bid in disgrace; its victory is tainted forever by allegations of corruption.
2. Create its own internal investigation. Identify any foreign corruption and hand over the evidence to FIFA. Leak this to the press to embarrass any competing nations that were acting corruptly and to highlight that FIFA created a context in which bribery was expect (i.e. Qatar was playing by the unofficial rules).
3. Argue that any corruption on the part of Qatar was the guilt of an isolated few acting without the consent of the country. Let these people fall on their swords to protect the perception of the integrity of Qatar.
4. Campaign hard, but fairly for the bid.
If the above is followed, I have no doubt Qatar will re-win the 2022 and with it world respect. People love Bill Clinton because he apologized, suffered publicly and promised to reform; they hate W. Bush because he is smug, refuses apologize, and seems to be getting off free.
The Qataris are amateurs when it comes to world politics and media, and thus far it is showing. Qatar played this game its own way, and it is being trampled. It's time for Qatar to get smart, find some quality media advisors who know what they are doing, and listen to them.