Persian Gulf countries

The United States plans to sell Patriot missile batteries to Saudi Arabia worth $1.75 billion and long-range artillery to the United Arab Emirates valued at about $900 million

Unable to persuade Qatari leaders to drop their support for the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist groups, Saudi Arabia appears determined to deprive its tiny neighbor of its regional football supremacy.

“Choose your enemies carefully, but be less picky about your allies.” This was the title of a piece published by the Financial Times three days ago, which reflects exactly where we all stand today.

Both Qatar and the UAE have been in the firing line for human rights violations and eyes to imrove their image in the US with help of football Gulf States seeking to polish images tarnished by allegations of violations of human rights and their critics are employing football in an effort to shape American perceptions.

Iraq's Shiite rulers defied Western calls on June 17 to reach out to Sunnis to defuse the uprising in the north of the country, declaring a boycott of Iraq's main Sunni political bloc and accusing Sunni power Saudi Arabia of promoting 'genocide.'