LISTEN: ‘Emir’ from Qatar heard conspiring against Bahrain

A video that was released by the Bahraini authorities on Friday, revealed a voice call recorded between Hamad bin Khalifa bin Abdullah al-Attiyah, Qatar’s special adviser, and Bahraini opposition leader Hassan Ali Mohammed Jumaa Sultan.

The recording reveals the two conspiring to sow chaos in Bahrain.

EXCLUSIVE: Recordings show Qatar conspiring against Gulf policy in Bahrain

Who is Hamad bin Khalifa al-Attiyah? This man is considered as the mastermind and the right arm of the Qatari government, who is favored by Prince Tamim.

Qataris call him the ‘Emir’ to whom no one has pledged allegiance.

Prior to being appointed as a Minister, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Attiyah was appointed as a special adviser in the rank of a minister through a decree issued by the Emir of Qatar in June 2013.

This was only ostensibly a reward for his good performance in implementing the plan to force merchants to sell their shops in Souq Waqif, claiming to convert it into a heritage institute.

However, Hamad al-Attiyah again leased the properties to the merchants themselves with high-priced contracts, thus reimbursing what the state treasury had paid to the traders.

Kindling Qatar-Gulf crisis

On the regional, Arab and international levels, al-Attiyah caused a major crisis between the Gulf countries and Qatar in 2013, prompting the Gulf countries to ask Doha to sign an agreement restraining Qatar from interfering in the affairs of the member-countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Financing terrorist groups in Syria

In addition, several Lebanese news reports reported the involvement of Abdul Aziz bin Khalifa al-Attiyah, the brother of adviser Hamad, in the direct financing of terrorist groups fighting in Syria under the cover of a humanitarian aid organization. This he was able to do through managing the ‘Mahd Ahl al-Sham’ campaign that collects donations from Gulf countries to arm terrorists in Syria, many of whom are members of the Nusra Front which called on Qatari citizens in August 2013 to donate and send money to fighters in Syria for procuring weapons.

Qatar also intervened to release Abdel Aziz al-Khalifa and threatened Beirut with the expulsion of 30,000 Lebanese citizens living and working in Qatar unless they release Abdel Aziz bin Khalifa al-Attiyah, who is involved in financing terrorism.

Beirut sentenced him in absentia to seven years in prison on charges of managing this terror financing campaign.