Project Riverbed was a secret campaign funded by the government of Qatar, running from 2012 to 2014. The project's goal was to fight back against criticism of Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The project focused particularly on Theo Zwanziger, a former president of the German Football Association, who was one of the main voices critic of Qatar hosting the World Cup.
The 2007 decision to award Qatar the 2022 FIFA World Cup was controversial. They were allegations of corruption and concern about human rights abuse and labor conditions in Qatar. Theo Zwanziger was one of the louder critics of awarding the World Cup to Qatar. He publicly opposed the tournament held there because of human rights issues. [1] [2]
Project Riverbed was conducted by Global Risk Advisors, a company led by former CIA agent Kevin Chalker and other operatives. Its aim was to target Zwanziger, using advanced spy techniques and secret methods, to stop him from criticizing Qatar. The Associated Press that reviewed internal company documentation say that the operation involved building a network of influencers who were close to Zwanziger. These influencers purpose was to quietly spread a positive message about Qatar hosting the World Cup. [3] [4] [5] [6]
The influencers campaign was meant to show the 2022 World Cup had many upsides, like helping business, improve East and West relations and encourage human rights changes in Qatar. The original budget for the project was around $27 million, [5] [7] but reports say Qatar did not [ay the full amount, although Global Risk Advisors thought of Project Riverbed as a success. [3] [6] [7] [8]
Project Riverbed eventually failed as Theo zwanziger kept on publicly criticizing Qatar's hosting the tournament, calling it "a cancer of world football.". [9] Due to Zwanziger's stance the Qatar Football Association filed a civil lawsuit, trying to prevent him of further criticism. The court dismissed the case, stating Zwanzinger's right of free speech. [8]
Project Riverbed was a demonstration of how far Qatar was willing to go to protect its reputation and keep the right to host the FIFA World Cup. It also reflects the controversies about how the tournament was awarded and the preparations, including accusations of political and secret influence by different governments. [1] [2] [7]
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