Extremists see 'Islamic Caliphate'

Extremists welcomed FIFA's decision Thursday to have Qatar host the 2022 World Cup, predicting Al-Qaeda will establish an "Islamic State" in the Gulf region in the coming years, monitors said.

"You fools, know that Al-Qaeda is on the threshold of establishing the shariah (Islamic law) of Allah the Almighty," a user who went by the name Hafeed al-Hussein posted on the Shumukh al-Islam online forum, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence Group.

"And who knows, Allah may empower al-Qaeda so that it takes control of matters after a year or two, or five years at most.

Province

"In 2022, there is no country with the name Qatar, and there is no province called Kuwait and there is no Saudi (Arabia). Instead, there is an emirate called the Islamic State," the post added. After an agonizing final day of presentations and furious lobbying in Zurich, FIFA head Sepp Blatter earlier announced Qatar as tournament hosts in 2022 - over the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia - while Russia beat off competition from England, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium to host the 2018 World Cup.

Another user predicted Qatar's demise would come within seven years.

"By 2022, Qatar will not exist with permission from Allah. Instead, there will be the Islamic State of Qatar under the Islamic Caliphate established by Sheikh Osama bin Laden in 2017," Juleibib al-Irhabi wrote.

Downfall

One of his colleagues, Abu Yassin, predicted that insurgents in the Russian Caucasus - where attacks on officials have become daily occurrences as Russian authorities battle the fighters - would help spell Qatar's downfall. WASHINGTON, Friday, AFP