Qatari Emir pardons coup plotters 26, May 2010
Posted by thegulfblog.com in Qatar, Saudi Arabia.Tags: Al Thani coup, Plotters released, Qatar coup, Qatar coup plotters released, Saudi Arabia coup
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Hamad bin Khalifah Al Thani, the Qatari Emir, has pardoned a number people involved in plotting a counter-coup against him in 1996. More than 30 were imprisoned for seeking to overthrow the Emir, though exactly how many have been released is unknown.
The coup was instigated by Hamad’s father who been evicted from his Emiri office by coup when he was on an ‘extended’ holiday in Switzerland in 1995. It was believed that his father – Khalifah Al Thani – had help from Bahrain and Saudi Arabia who wanted to see him restored to the throne. Saudi Arabia’s complicity in the 1996 coup would seem to be confirmed as the Emir released the coup plotters at the request of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and they also left, Gulf News reports, with the deputy commander of the Saudi National Guard.
There were rumors last summer of another coup. However, the balance of evidence seems to suggest that this was little more than scurrilous rumor-spreading by Saudi and Jordanian newspaper. (If anyone wants a report on this attempt, let me know).
The Gulf blog 