USA President Obama fumed over the decision. He said it was the wrong decision. The 'overtones' are significant with Pearl Harbour and Japan in 1941. Japan at that time was belligerent leading up to their attack. Arab oil states behave not dissimilarly.
Japan in 1941 held their cards close to their chest and silently came upon Pearl Harbour. Qatar has no background in big time sport co-ordination.
Japan in 1941 recognised they had to make a first strike count with whatever means available. Qatar's means is money and lots of it.
The editorial page cartoon in The Australian on Friday last week (3 December 2010) projected 'that very thought'. The cartoonist drew several bags of money starting with a small bag all the way up to a very large bag of overflowing money and it was to this final bag that the World Cup decision maker fuzzed about.
There are now some sacred cows which can now be dispelled as to World Cup venue selections.
1. Having lots and lots of soccer played in your country has no bearing on selections. Qatar, 'as it were', has a handful of people and you can count the number of players on your fingers.
2. No experience is required in handling large sporting contests. Hosting the Olympics is no selection winner.
3. 50 degree heat is quite acceptable to play World Cup soccer as long as the ones who selected the host city are in their air-conditioned viewing facility.
So what is going on? - really?
One commentator on ABC News Radio suggested it has not much to do with either money or soccer. This commentator surmised it was all about Qatar's national development for their people as in South Africa hosting this year's World Cup. He explained that this FIFA agenda realistically failed to help South Africa's lowest socio economic groups.
It seems to me to have a slightly different overlay, that FIFA is aiming to be an agent of the United Nations. It's a bit like a subliminal message to cajole the free world into greeting with open arms, another oil-rich undemocratic nation State that is governed by strict Islamist codes, a nation state that otherwise would have been given short-shift by the freedom loving nations of the world ?
It could be something else entirely - if it's not the money, not the soccer, not experience in hosting large sports events, not reasonable weather, not economic development …. it might be something different still.
You decide which it might be.