I understand the objections that people in the middle east have about US behaviour.
I must say that the comment from the US ambassador is condescending. It does not observe the dignity that should be shown to an independant sovereign state. Qatar has every right to have its own identity and nature in every respect, including regarding press freedom.
The US ambassador's comment assumes that every country should aspire to be like the US. As Russian President Putin said in similar words, it is Monotony. In that speech I feel that Putin embodied a very large and yet untapped growing global sentiment that the US admin are in denial about.
Having said that, Qatar should strive to be more like Qatar in every respect.
A useful way to consider / measure the innappropriateness of the US ammbassador's statement, would be to consider what would have happened the Qatari Ambassador, while visiting the US, made a comment about.. say... the need for the US to stem the crime rate? (or any other equally sensitive issue)
This would be very quickly denounced and we would all feel the effects of any subsequent reprimand.
I hope the Ambassador is more respectful in future when visting any country.
I understand the objections that people in the middle east have about US behaviour.
I must say that the comment from the US ambassador is condescending. It does not observe the dignity that should be shown to an independant sovereign state. Qatar has every right to have its own identity and nature in every respect, including regarding press freedom.
The US ambassador's comment assumes that every country should aspire to be like the US. As Russian President Putin said in similar words, it is Monotony. In that speech I feel that Putin embodied a very large and yet untapped growing global sentiment that the US admin are in denial about.
Having said that, Qatar should strive to be more like Qatar in every respect.
A useful way to consider / measure the innappropriateness of the US ammbassador's statement, would be to consider what would have happened the Qatari Ambassador, while visiting the US, made a comment about.. say... the need for the US to stem the crime rate? (or any other equally sensitive issue)
This would be very quickly denounced and we would all feel the effects of any subsequent reprimand.
I hope the Ambassador is more respectful in future when visting any country.