Hamad
bin Khalifa Al Thani has been the Emir of Qatar since he deposed his
father in 1995. Previously the Minister of Defense, he replaced his
conservative father with the royal family's support; soon after the
coup, the son funded Al-Jazeera, unique in the region because it is
not controlled by any government. However, Al-Jazeera's
chairman is the Emir's distant cousin, and the network is cautious
when covering Qatar and other Gulf countries.
As
Emir, Hamad has mediated many conflicts in the region, including the
Lebanese presidential impasse and Yemen's civil war. He has largely
supported the Arab Spring in countries outside the Gulf region, but
Qatar has been unique in the Middle East, mostly unaffected by unrest
or activism. Still, Emir Hamad announced
elections to the legislative Shura Council for 2013; it is uncertain
whether he intended to head off protests or had other motives.
For more information on the forthcoming elections, see http://bit.ly/vAmC8t.
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