The Al-Thani family, the original rulers of Qatar, and the cousins of Sheikh Tamim have distanced themselves from the statements made by him and the biased reporting and comments by the Qatari channel, Al-Jazeera. In a statement to the Kingdom's leadership, the family has apologized for this offending conduct. In fact, tension is building within the Al-Thani family as a result of the wayward policies adopted by Sheikh Tamin. The Al-Thani family said: "The family's rejection of the policies of Tamim cannot be kept a secret. They disown these policies, before the ship drowns the entire family because of his acts. The family expresses outrage over the policies of Tamim as regards to the other Gulf countries." The statement of regret was titled, "Statement of the branch of Ahmad bin Ali from the family of Al-Thani," the first ruling family of the state of Qatar after its independence. This statement reveals the depth of the divide. It also points out to the indignation in the family over the policies of Tamim, and that Qatar may be heading for yet another coup to restore power to the original family. The principal factor that is creating tension among the members of the Al-Thani family is the implications of the policies of Tamim at various levels. They feel that they would spoil their relations with big and brotherly Arab countries, like the Gulf countries, mainly Saudi Arabia. Questions are being asked if there was any possibility of a repeat of family dissent, for which Qatar is well known, since its former ruler, Hamad bin Khalifa, who had ousted his father in a coup, and then Sheikh Tamim's plot against his father with the help of his mother, Mozah. Those who follow the history of Qatar know the stories of coups and divisions. Since its independence in the '70s, there was a coup overthrowing the family of Ahmad bin Ali carried out by Khalifa bin Hamad grandfather of Tamim. Khalifa carried out the coup against the actual ruler of Qatar on November 22, 1972. This happened, despite the fact that there was a stable rule in the country at that time. Since then, the rule has not returned to the family of Ahmad bin Ali which released the statement of regret on Monday. In the statement, they have condemned Tamim and his policies and highlighted the threats under the current rule of Tamim. There is no country in modern history that has seen such family betrayal to capture power than in the tiny Gulf state of Qatar of 11,000 sq kms. It won independence only 46 years ago. It has a population of less than two million, including thousands of expatriates. What are the five coups experienced by Qatar? First coup: The state of Qatar was established on November 3, 1971, with the end of British rule. Ahmad bin Ali was the first ruler. On February 22, 1972, Khalifa bin Hamad carried out a coup against Bin Ali, his cousin. He consolidated his control over the country by handing over various responsibilities to his sons without knowing that he himself would fall victim of a coup by one of them, Hamad. Second coup: In 1995, Hamad bin Khalifa carried out a soft coup against his father on the instigation of his wife, Mozah. This happened when father Khalifa was on a visit to Switzerland. Hamad enjoyed all powers and barred his father from returning to Qatar for a few years. Of course, Khalifa had least expected his son to oust him and not allow him to return to his homeland. He is reported to have returned only in 2004. Third coup: Fahad bin Hamad, the elder son of Hamad bin Khalifa tried to free the state from the grip of Mozah Al-Missned, the wife of his father. He sought revenge for the conspiracies of his father against his grandfather. But the attempt failed and he was not allowed to leave the country. Fourth coup: Mozah Al-Missned convinced Hamad to prevent his two elder sons, Mishal and Fahad, from leaving the country. And she sought the position of crown prince for one of her two own sons, Jassim and Tamim. Mozah tried to present Jassim as the crown prince. But he had differences with his mother, mainly on her public appearances, when he felt was against set traditions. The mother punished him by keeping him away from power. Finally, the crown prince rank went to the younger sheikh, Tamim bin Hamad. He became crown prince at the age of 23. During his tenure, Tamim appointed his near and dear ones to all important and sensitive positions in the state under the guidance of his mother. He was already plotting against her handicapped husband in favor of her spoiled son. Fifth coup: In 2013, father Hamad was compelled to abdicate and announce Tamim, 33, as his successor, to the glee of his mother. After the series of these coups, treacheries and conspiracies, it wouldn't be farfetched to expect a sixth coup in Qatar. A coup against Tamim could happen under two circumstances: First: Over the four years of his rule, Tamim has failed to win any friends even among his relatives. Instead he has made enemies. The first challenge to him could come from the family of Ahmad bin Ali, which is crying revenge because they have the legitimate right to rule Qatar. The family has already issued the statement apologizing for the policies of Tamim. This by itself is an indication of the possible moves being taken by the family to regain power. Second: Tamim's father, Hamad, and his son, Mishal, who was sidelined in favor or Tamim, have every reason to try regaining power. After all, it was a reckless son, Tamim, who overthrew him. And snatching back power from him may not be a distant dream.
