Tuesday 10 June 2014 12 Sha’baan 1435 Volume 19 Number 6092 Price: QR2 ‘Few gas plans will become reality’ Business | 17 10 42 DAYS TO GO www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 US-Islamic World Forum Blatter blasts Govt moves criticism of Fifa as racist to address SAO PAULO: Fifa presi- dent Sepp Blatter yesterday launched a scathing attack on those he said were “plotting to destroy” world soccer’s govern- school crunch ing body, and branded some of the criticism of the Qatar World Cup award for 2022 as racist. Low-rate loans for private schools Blatter was addressing del- egates of the African and Asian DOHA: In a first in the region, primary and secondary schools. confederations at their extraor- the government yesterday Even university projects would be dinary congresses ahead of Fifa’s announced a major financing considered. annual congress which starts initiative for investors and busi- State-owned Qatar here today. nessmen to enter the education Development Bank (QDB) and The African congress, which sector in a big way. the school regulator, the Supreme declared its “continued support” The idea, apparently, is to Education Council (SEC), yester- for Blatter, who intends to run address the acute shortage of pri- day jointly announced the unique for a fifth term as president vate schools in the country amid financing scheme. next year, also passed a resolu- a booming economy and a heavy They said in a statement that tion condemning what it called influx of expatriate families. QDB will offer direct loans for The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh the British media’s racist attack Long-term state financing the private sector for education Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani attend the opening of the US-Islamic World Forum at the Ritz-Carlton, on its officials. for up to 70 percent of a school projects, including for construc- Doha yesterday. Reports on page 2 Blatter’s comment came in the project’s cost will be made avail- tion of schools. wake of a series of fresh allega- able for 15 years at an annual Financing will be made avail- tions made by Britain’s Sunday interest rate of three to four able at competitive rates for a Times newspaper about the percent. 15-year-period, which will include award of the Cup to Qatar and A one-time management fee of a grace period of three years, a rumblings from sponsors who are one percent (of the project cost) release said. New law may push up rents unhappy with the current trouble will be levied on the beneficiar- It is, however, not known if Fifa is facing. ies of the unique education sector privately-run expatriate commu- DOHA: A new law being put apartments are illegally parti- increase, he said. Some market Blatter, without defining who loan scheme. nity schools will also be entitled in force to combat illegal par- tioned to create small, low-rent sources estimate the rise might “they” were, told Asian delegates Loans will also be available to these loans. titioning of villas and flats may makeshift housing units for lim- be no less than 20 to 30 percent. “they want to destroy us; they for expansion and renovation of The CEO of QDB, Abdul Aziz likely push up rents for apart- ited-income expatriate families, This is sure to happen because don’t want to destroy football, existing private schools so they bin Nasser Al Khalifa, said in ment by 20 to 30 percent, fear so the new law would force them there is an acute shortage of but they want to destroy the can accommodate more students. the release that the initiative market sources. out. They would be looking for affordable housing in the country, institution (Fifa)”. Managements facing finan- acknowledges how significant the At the same time, the legisla- new shelter,” said the real estate said the expert. He got a standing ovation cial hardships can also approach education sector is to the coun- tion might substantially bring expert. He said one option the suffering when he told the delegates to the government for financing for try’s overall development plans. down demand for villas, and so He said that in his estimation, families had was to move out of “show unity in Fifa”. school furnishings and buying A committee has been set up villa rents may drop. more than half the villas and Doha. “But the problem is when Earlier yesterday, Blatter equipment, including vehicles for with members from QDB, the According to a Qatari prop- apartments in the country are so many thousands of families spoke to delegates at the African the school’s use. Ministry of Higher Education and erty evaluator who didn’t want illegally partitioned in some way move out of Doha en masse, house Congress and without naming Under the government’s ini- the SEC to study loan requests his name in print, the new law or the other for renting out. rents in other areas would also go names described attacks on the tiative, financing will be available for approval. threatens to make thousands of In the immediate aftermath of up,” said the expert. Qatar World Cup as “racist”. for all types of school projects, Continued on page 5 limited-income families homeless. the announcement of the new law, Continued on page 5 Continued on page 5 starting from preschools to THE PENINSULA “We know that villas and rents of apartments are going to THE PENINSULA REUTERS TUESDAY 10 JUNE 2014 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME US ‘lost credibility in Mideast’ DOHA: The US has lost cred- intervention in Syria, saying the in Syria because the public opin- ibility in the Middle East due American public opinion did not ion in the US as well as the Arab to its perceived failure to favour it. world is not in a favour of a mili- effectively intervene in major The US effectively intervened tary intervention. regional issues, especially the to dismantle the weapons of mass “The Arab rulers have different conflict in Syria, a session at the destruction amassed by the Assad opinions about the US role in the US-Islamic World Forum heard regime but stopped short of a region but people here still don’t yesterday. direct military intervention to trust the US, although the inten- The session ‘Future of the US avoid the possible negative con- sity of the mistrust has declined,” in the Middle East’ triggered a sequences, he argued. said Telahami. debate, with panellists expressing Hisham Melhem, Washington Bruce Riedel, Senior Fellow, mixed views on the policies of the Bureau Chief, Al Arabiya, disa- Saban Centre, said the US should Obama administration towards greed with Gordon, saying Syria have a long-term strategy to the region. represented a real test for Obama counter the growing threat of The speakers pointed out that administration which it failed to terrorism in the Arab region and the Middle East is more polarised address. other parts of the Islamic world. The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani addressing the forum. than ever and many in the region “Syria has damaged the cred- He said the Arab Spring had believe that the US should have ibility of the US in the region. The seen peaceful demonstrations played a proactive role to pro- Obama administration does not for democracy but currently the mote stability and security in the have an over-arching strategy for region is witnessing more violent region. The session was moder- the region,” he said, adding that forms of extremism, in countries PM urges global peace ated by Tamara Cofman Wittes, many Arab leaders are criticis- like Iraq and Nigeria, that has Director and Senior Fellow, Saban ing the US privately and this was even overshadowed Al Qaeda. Centre for Middle East Policy, something that didn’t happen in Issandr Elamarani, Head, North US-Islamic World Forum calls for constructive partnership Brookings Institution. the past. Africa Project, International One of the speakers, Phil Dr Shibley Telahami, Non- Crisis Group, said the US has DOHA: The US-Islamic World contribute together to building Boubacar Keita called for sup- Gordon, White House Coordinator Resident Senior Fellow, Project made a political withdrawal from Forum began here yesterday the desired world peace.” porting efforts being exerted by for the Middle East, North of US Relations with the Islamic the region at a crucial time and with call for a constructive He reiterated Qatar’s call to the the international community Africa and the Gulf, US National World, Brookings Institution, said a strong push by it would have partnership between the US UN Security Council to impose to build a world characterised Security Council, defended the US the Obama administration took a made a difference. and the Islamic world to pro- a ceasefire in Syria and stop the with justice, peace and security decision not to go for a military wise decision by not intervening THE PENINSULA mote global peace, security and bloodshed. The crisis posed a through constructive dialogue stability. real threat to the unity of Syria between religions and cultures. The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim and the security and stability of He singled out terrorism as a bin Hamad Al Thani graced the the entire region. “The crisis, in major threat to world security opening session of the three-day its political and humanitarian and called for intensifying efforts conference at Ritz-Carlton Doha.