1992- A Coup in Qatar
Middle East Tensions
While the ideaology that has been called "Islamism" or "Neo-Munafiqism" had become discredited in the past decade, especially with the fall of Pakistan, reactionary elements associatated with the faith in Muslim countries continued to prove to be volatile breeding grounds for dissent and rebellion. This would be best seen over in Saudi Arabia. Ever since former President Ronald Reagan recommended the King to suppress the growing reactionary elements within his nation, seeing it as a threat to American interests, the results have been mixed. On the one hand, the heavier repressive tactics on there while maintaining the process of liberalization would lead to a growing radical group within the nation. On the other hand, the downfall of the quasi-theocratic Pakistan and the end of the Palestine goal delivered brutal blows to the numbers of these groups such as the Salafists and like-minded groups. This was reinforced by the success of the secular Iran government. For many of the young people and disaffected, the end of the reactionary movements caused by their internal struggles, unfeasability of their goals and other flaws inherent in them would disillusion them to those ideas. In fact, after a few years of unpopularity toward the Sauds' affinity to the west, they would bounce back up with the realization that in repressing these reactionary elements, they prevented the nation from succumbing to what has become an outdated form of thinking.
That being said, the pendulum swung the other way and the anger would be replaced with a secular one. After all, several Arab states were still ruled by absolute monarchies that are not held accountable to the people and without much of a voice. Additionally, the troubles and issues from said royal families has led to further isolation and tensions. What made it more tense was the success of other Muslim countries. The constitutional monarchy of Jordan has continued to thrive while reforming at their own pace while secular Iran has become a regional power matching Saudi Arabia and Turkey in influence and likely begin surpassing them in importance on the global stage. While Saudi Arabia was the main focus of these newly-shifted tensions, the other Arab nations wold be targeted. After all, they shared many a similarity in function, being monarchies that gained their power through being petrolstates. However, with the growing need to shift the economy away from the usage of fossil fuels for various reasons, there was now a ticking clock over the value of this resource. Coal was being shifted out, gradually accelerating over time while natural gas would become more tightly moderated and modified. Oil would see its decline in the gradual shrinking usage of automobiles as personal transportation, the plans of urban infrastructure shifting toward public transportation primarily and even its indirect usage such for the creation of plastics was becoming more and more regulated, especially in combating what was seen as wasteful usage of a finite resource and plastic pollution on various levels. While this did affect things much on the short term, the people were growing more anxious about the future. Specifically, regarding what happens when the petrol-based economy no longer becomes relevant. These anxieties brought some fresh fuels to the preexisting frustration people were feeling toward their governments for one reason or another.
All it needed was a spark to ignite it.
The Baathists' Man In
The Baathists have slowly crawled out of the pit of near-irrelevancy that they fell into as a result of the rise of Islamism and the splintering of their movement by people like Saddam Hussein or Hafez al-Assad who spun it into their own directions. It was a new world now. One that saw the end of the Cold War and the changes coming from it. They too had to chance or be swept into irrelevancy for good. However, beyond trying to making the changes needed to fit in with the changing world and prove that they possess the superior ideaology, they realized they would need to find a way to prove it while establishing a headquarters for themselves. As such, they would finally strike after a year or so of preparation.
Qatar had been on their radar for the past several months. The increasing tensions between father and son have become more noticeable and in the past years, some representatives from the Baathists have begun meeting with Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the crown prince. Ever since the early 1980s, he set Qatar's basic economic and social policies by leading the Supreme Planning Council. As such, he would begin showing more Baathist sympathies by them getting close to him and supporting future attempts at power. Additionally, the concerns of the monarchy could be passed over by following the example set over in Afghanistan; Sardar Mohammed Daoud Khan, the cousin of the King of the time and thus member of the Royal family, would stage a coup and establish a form of republic though with him in charge. As such, Hamad could do the same, additionally purging any family members loyal to his father and cement his rule through ideology. While other parties could exist, they could still maintain control through the idea of a "loyal opposition", creating the appearance of democracy while holding dominant power and influence through the shadows.
Afghanistan had in particula become a backer for these Baathists and even channeled supplementary support to them through ties with the former Soviet. A form of soft power and influence to set the foundation for future arrangements should this endeavor succeed. The Baathists were now pretty capable and having spent the last several months giving support and backing Hamad, the time was now. The arguments and tensions were getting worse now between father and son and eventually, the father,
Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, would not only refuse to give his son control regarding the day-to-day operations, but talks were had over whether or not he wold even lose his seat over in the Supreme Planning Council.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back.
The Change in Leadership
While Khalifa was out of the nation, his son would go and launch his coup behind his back, relying on the support of the Neo-Baathists along with the army and various members of his family, becoming the new Emir. However, the bloodless coup would becoming shocking when Hamad announced that it would be the end of the monarchy, bringing in a republic, much to the shock of many. While his closest family members and those he trusted would be informed, others were quite surprised. Despite this, Hamad would nonetheless still offer a chance for those to come in and embrace the new implemented system.
Unsurprisingly, it did not fare well though Hamad would maintain support of the army and reinforced with the Baathists, was able to curtail most resistance from the beginning. However, to appear maganimous and maintain support, exile would be chosen to all but the harshest, opting for imprisonment instead. The Baathists along with Hamad knew full well a counter-coup was possible, but the appearances of legitimacy were important. Additionally, they also knew that should a counter-coup occur, they could crush it easily in the name of self-defense and further cement their hold. Additionally, if their neighbors would support any counter-coup, they could use it as a potential
casus belli for war and spread their influence.
Right now though, it was stabilizing their power. Qatar would officially no longer be a monarchy. It was now a unitary presidential republic.
Additionally, the Baathists would now call themselves the Jadid (Arabic for new) Baathists. These new Jadid-Baathists would assmble under the Qatari New Arab Rebirth Party or the Qatari NAR Party for short. While other parties would be permitted, the Jadid-Baathists worked to ensure that any party would not be too much of a threat against them. They would enforce civil law as the law of the land and Qatar becoming a secular state, noting the success of seperating religion from the state. They would also do away with various punishments, banning flagellation and stoning as punishments along with the process of legalizing some of the various matters and instituting reforms down the line, including the plans for women to vote. All of this was being done to quickly acceptance of the transition of power from foreign powers and jumpstart investment, especially away from petrol. This would include discussing potential US bases in the area along with go to establish closer ties with Afghanistan and even make efforts of peace with Iran, who are quite wary of them due to a good portion of them being veterans of the Iran-Iraq War though them being quite disillusioned with Saddam's leadership and ideology helped a bit there.
Despite many of these reforms, the newly sworn in President Hamad would still have a powerful and authoritarian hand. Political resistance was still disorganized while he and his allies were all too prepared to crush any that would try rising now. Additionally, there would be various prohibitions and restrictions done regarding the new regime, all done in the shadows and presented in the name of national security. Military reforms would also be added in the name of security and in the preparation for a potential counter-coup. Reactionary resistance against the massive changes was dealt with a strong-armed form of ruthlessness with Preident Hamad using the collapse of Pakistan as an example of what he wished to avoid. He also worked with the Jadid-Baathists to appeal with the youth and representing the better future and contrasting against the dogma and antiquated notions of the Islamists and those who thought similarly.
As Qatar would undergo their large change, various watching nations suspected that this would not be the last time such an event would occur...