Posted on Dec 6, 2021
World Cup host Qatar used ex-CIA officer to spy on FIFA | AP News
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The tiny Arab nation of Qatar has for years employed a former CIA officer to help spy on soccer officials as part of a no-expense-spared effort to win and hold on to the 2022 World Cup tournament, an investigation by The Associated Press has found.
It’s part of a trend of former U.S. intelligence officers going to work for foreign governments with questionable human rights records that is worrying officials in Washington and prompting calls from some members of Congress for greater scrutiny of an opaque and lucrative market.
The World Cup is the planet’s most popular sports tournament. It’s also a chance for Qatar, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, to have a coming-out party on the world stage.
The AP’s investigation found Qatar sought an edge in securing hosting rights by hiring former CIA officer turned private contractor Kevin Chalker to spy on rival bid teams and key soccer officials who picked the winner in 2010. Chalker also worked for Qatar in the years that followed to keep tabs on the country’s critics in the soccer world, the AP found.
It’s part of a trend of former U.S. intelligence officers going to work for foreign governments with questionable human rights records that is worrying officials in Washington and prompting calls from some members of Congress for greater scrutiny of an opaque and lucrative market.
The World Cup is the planet’s most popular sports tournament. It’s also a chance for Qatar, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, to have a coming-out party on the world stage.
The AP’s investigation found Qatar sought an edge in securing hosting rights by hiring former CIA officer turned private contractor Kevin Chalker to spy on rival bid teams and key soccer officials who picked the winner in 2010. Chalker also worked for Qatar in the years that followed to keep tabs on the country’s critics in the soccer world, the AP found.
World Cup host Qatar used ex-CIA officer to spy on FIFA | AP News
Posted from apnews.com
Spying
Intelligence
Qatar
Soccer
Posted >1 y ago
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Interesting article. No matter how much spying goes on, it will not be easy to replace Barcelona or Messi in the hearts of their fans, especially the young "footballers" who have been inspired by Messi's career. Don't know if the support for Barcelona has transferred over to PSG with him.
Spying is arguably the first profession. In the Arab world it has a long tradition which rose to an art form millenia ago. Debatably, it may have arisen simultaneously in China as a craft which, imho, seems similar but different than spying in the Arab world where it traditionally has been more or less an "oipen secret" in all social settings. Everyone pleasantly and diplomatically engages - or at least is assumed to be spying, which is what keeps it from being clandestine and "illegal", lol.
Reading the computer hacking part of the article, I can't help but wonder if part of the purpose of employing folks from outside is to learn what is not known by the folks doing the teaching!
Spying is arguably the first profession. In the Arab world it has a long tradition which rose to an art form millenia ago. Debatably, it may have arisen simultaneously in China as a craft which, imho, seems similar but different than spying in the Arab world where it traditionally has been more or less an "oipen secret" in all social settings. Everyone pleasantly and diplomatically engages - or at least is assumed to be spying, which is what keeps it from being clandestine and "illegal", lol.
Reading the computer hacking part of the article, I can't help but wonder if part of the purpose of employing folks from outside is to learn what is not known by the folks doing the teaching!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
SGT Mary G. You're Quick on the Uptake! Intelligence, Spying, Espionage? Always Good to Learn from Excellent Teachers.
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SGT Mary G.
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel - It must be something built into learning the Arabic language that engenders knowledge about/interest in long traditions! I agree . . . always good to learn from excellent teachers.
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I'm more concerned with former CIA working stateside with consultant groups like WestExec.
This group was founded by former Obama officials with deep connections. Some are now members of Biden's administration In an interview with The Intercept, Flournoy explained WestExec seeks to employ "people recently coming out of government" with "current knowledge, expertise, contacts, networks." The firm and its partners avoid becoming registered lobbyists or foreign agents so that they can (re)enter government service without delays. Avril Haines disclosed that WestExec had worked with data-mining company Palantir Technologies. The same one that gave Cambridge Analytics the idea of data mining Facebook data. WestExec clients include Facebook. Not sure I like people involved in state craft linked to companies linked to manipulating elections that are linked to political parties. Curious if their efforts had anything to do with record voting turn out. As well I'm curious as well if the us vs them that's stoked up on social media isn't a smoke screen for what is really going on - politicos selling political influence and inside information.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/10/biden-secretary-of-state-pick-blinken-linked-to-fund-with-national-security-portfolio.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/23/westexec-advisors-biden-cabinet-440072
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/us/cambridge-analytica-palantir.html
This group was founded by former Obama officials with deep connections. Some are now members of Biden's administration In an interview with The Intercept, Flournoy explained WestExec seeks to employ "people recently coming out of government" with "current knowledge, expertise, contacts, networks." The firm and its partners avoid becoming registered lobbyists or foreign agents so that they can (re)enter government service without delays. Avril Haines disclosed that WestExec had worked with data-mining company Palantir Technologies. The same one that gave Cambridge Analytics the idea of data mining Facebook data. WestExec clients include Facebook. Not sure I like people involved in state craft linked to companies linked to manipulating elections that are linked to political parties. Curious if their efforts had anything to do with record voting turn out. As well I'm curious as well if the us vs them that's stoked up on social media isn't a smoke screen for what is really going on - politicos selling political influence and inside information.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/10/biden-secretary-of-state-pick-blinken-linked-to-fund-with-national-security-portfolio.html
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/23/westexec-advisors-biden-cabinet-440072
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/us/cambridge-analytica-palantir.html
Biden secretary of State pick Blinken has ties to venture capital fund with national security...
A business advisory firm co-founded by Joe Biden's pick to run the State Department has ties to a little known venture capital fund.
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