by Im_Spartacus » Wed Jan 24, 2024 9:56 am
With regards retribution......
The Arab culture is still rooted in tribal hierarchy, and the default state is to be very deferent of authority, but that doesn't mean they agree with authority. If you look at countries like UAE and KSA where they had no Arab Spring, it was because despite whatever grievances individuals have, they knew that they were well served with the benefits conferred by the status quo
What you see above the surface in terms of the media, HH Sheikh Mansour and Khaldoon, as Emiratis will never go to war in the public arena and they will never outright challenge what's going on in the media.
Their job is done elsewhere, politically, and using UAE's vast commercial interests to drive the outcomes that suit the agenda of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Don't underestimate the power of organisations like Mubadala or ADQ, who most have never heard of, but who are able to pull strings with governments anywhere in the world because of their investments in infrastructure.
We've already seen the British Government refuse to hand over information from a freedom of information request relating to contact at diplomatic level relating to Manchester City - this shows that contact has happened, and I'm sure that will be because the UK Government needs to protect whatever else was discussed in that meeting.
As I've mentioned elsewhere, I've had conversations with an even more senior member of the Al Nayhan family than Sheikh Mansour, by virtue of their investment in my business. They openly laughed and said that you could argue that City were doing some if not all of what they have been accused of, but that they will never be caught because they ensure everything is legitimised.
I was skeptical of this as bravado, until you revisit the UEFA case where the smoking gun appeared to be an email showing HH directly funding the Etihad payment - the club at the time simply said, you can't pass judgement on a single email, but the whole context of what was happening - and the club were unequivocally found not guilty on that count and various others.
The British public is being made to believe that the Premier League wouldn't take these issues so far if there wasn't clear evidence of guilt - yet thats PRECISELY what UEFA did, building a whole case on an email. The media is conveniently omitting that City were actually found guilty of the majority of charges they faced, and I'm sure City are regretting using the time barred argument on the rest.
Knowing the MO of the Abu Dhabi government, I'm fairly relaxed that if these guys say its under control, it's under control.
But we won't see retribution in public, they will get their revenge in other ways
