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About 2,000 migrants set off on foot from El Salvador’s capital on Wednesday, the latest of several groups of Central Americans heading to the United States, even as US President Donald Trump increased pressure to halt their flow. Men and women from the two groups of Salvadorans that departed San Salvador pushed baby strollers or bore children on their shoulders. On Sunday, a separate group of about 300 people set off from the city. Some, such as 42-year-old Luis Geovanni Vindel, a salesman from the central city of Zacatecoluca, moved on quickly, hitching rides alone toward the Guatemalan border. “We’re already one step away from Guatemala, and soon into Mexico,” said Vindel, limping forward with a cane on a prosthetic leg in the municipality of San Francisco Menendez. A larger US-bound caravan, which left northern Honduras in mid-October is moving north at about 48km a day through southern Mexico. It has become a major campaign issue ahead of US congressional elections on November 6. Mexico’s Interior Minister Alfonso Navarrete on Wednesday put the size of the first caravan at 2,800 to 3,000, below the government’s previous estimate of about 3,500. Participants in the caravan have put the number significantly higher. Dozens of the men, women and children in that caravan told Reuters they were abandoning their homelands to seek asylum from a mixture of poverty, violence and corruption. “We’re now in an unprecedented situation in the country,” Navarrete told reporters in Mexico City. “This is not merely a caravan...it’s a migratory exodus.” The bulk of illegal immigrants intercepted at the US border are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. Trump said he could send up to 15,000 troops to the US-Mexico border, which is already heavily policed by border guards. Police estimated the two groups leaving San Salvador numbered around 1,000 each. One left around dawn, followed by the second later in the morning. Some waved Salvadoran flags as motorists honked in support and shouted “God bless you.”

Federal prosecutors have charged powerful US Senator Robert Menendez with bribery and extortion, saying gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash had been found at the high-ranking Democrat’s home.In one of several allegations, the Justice Department said Menendez had provided sensitive information to the Egyptian government in order to help an Egyptian-American businessman protect his monopoly.It was the second corruption indictment in eight years against the veteran New Jersey politician, 69, and may place into question his hold on his seat in Congress and the Democratic Party’s slim majority in the Senate.Hours after the indictment Menendez stepped down “temporarily” as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, a position that had given him significant influence over US foreign relations.“The senator and his wife accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for Senator Menendez using his power and influence to protect and to enrich those businessmen and to benefit the government of Egypt,” said Damian Williams, the federal prosecutor for the Manhattan, New York district.In a statement, Menendez called the allegations “baseless” and characterised the indictment as a personal attack on him and his wife Nadine Menendez, who was also indicted.“They have misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office,” Menendez said.Calls for his resignation even came from fellow Democrats, with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy saying the charges were “deeply disturbing.”“The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. Therefore, I am calling for his immediate resignation,” he said in a statement.But Menendez was defiant in a statement issued Friday evening: “It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.”Prosecutors said they found more than a half-million dollars in cash in Menendez’s New Jersey home and in his wife’s safe deposit box, allegedly received from three New Jersey businessmen seeking his help.Much of the cash was stuffed in envelopes and boxes and hidden around their home, some tucked into jackets bearing his name.Gold bars worth around $150,000 and a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible, gifted by one of the businessmen, were also found.Prosecutors said they had evidence showing that around the time he and his wife received the gold bars, Menendez searched Google to find out how much they were worth.Menendez took the money to help protect two of the businessmen from Justice Department investigations, and to help the third, Egyptian-American Wael Hana, with a business monopoly granted to him by the Egyptian government, the indictment said.“Among other actions, Menendez provided sensitive US Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt,” it said.Menendez, his wife, Hana and the two other businessmen, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, were charged with two counts of bribery and fraud.Menendez and his wife were also charged with extortion.If found guilty, the most serious of the charges can bring up to 20 years in prison.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that Menendez “has been a dedicated public servant.”“He has a right to due process and a fair trial,” Schumer said.A senator since 2006 and before that a member of the House of Representatives for 14 years, Menendez has been a Democratic stalwart in Congress for three decades.In his position as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Menendez, the son of Cuban immigrants, has been a fierce opponent of normalising relations with the Castro regime in Cuba.He also opposed authoritarian regimes like Venezuela and China, stymied arms deals with Turkiye, and strongly supported Israel.In 2015, he was charged with accepting bribes of private flights, luxury vacations and over $750,000 in illegal campaign donations.But the charges were dismissed three years later after a deadlocked jury could not reach a verdict in the case. He comes up for re-election to the Senate next year, and it was not immediately clear how the new indictment would affect his once-impenetrable standing with New Jersey voters.“To my supporters, friends and the community at large, I ask that you recall the other times the prosecutors got it wrong and that you reserve judgement,” Menendez said.Democrats head into the 2024 elections with a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate.

US Senator Robert Menendez gives a speech announcing he will not support the Iran nuclear deal at Seton Hall University yesterday in South Orange, New Jersey.Reuters/South Orange, New JerseySenator Robert Menendez issued a scathing critique of the US-led international nuclear deal with Iran yesterday and became the second senior lawmaker from President Barack Obama’s own party to announce he would vote to kill the pact with Tehran. Defying Obama and many other fellow Democrats, Menendez said in a speech in his home state of New Jersey: “I will vote to disapprove the agreement and, if called upon, would vote to override a veto” by the president. The Senate and House of Representatives have to vote by September 17 on a “resolution of disapproval” being brought by majority Republicans aiming to sink the deal. Obama is trying to gather enough support among Democrats to sustain a veto of the resolution. Under the agreement between six major powers and Iran, new curbs would be imposed on Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for easing sanctions. Iran denies it wants to make a nuclear weapon. Earlier this month, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the third-ranking Democrat in the chamber, said he would vote against the deal and would work to convince other senators to do the same, signalling deep divisions within the party. Senator Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Democrat, supports the deal. Democratic Leader Harry Reid will declare his position when the Senate returns from recess September 7, when lobbying and debate in Congress over the deal is expected to intensify. If the agreement were to go into effect, Menendez said, it would hurt national security while abandoning a long-held US policy of preventing nuclear proliferation. Instead, he said, it would establish a policy of “managing” nuclear proliferation. Despite his stance against the Iran deal, it is not clear how much Menendez, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, would influence other Democrats. A senior Obama administration official said the announcement had been expected and would not alter White House plans. “The strategy is the exact same today as it was yesterday,” said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity. Privately, backers of the deal say while they still hope to have enough votes in the Senate to sustain an Obama veto, they are even more confident of doing so in the House of Representatives. Success in either chamber will ensure the deal survives. Republicans say the deal gives too much ground to Iran and threatens the security of Israel, a major US ally in the Middle East. The speech by Menendez, a strong backer of Israel, at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, contained a detailed, technical analysis of the agreement. He pointed out that throughout Obama’s term in office he has mainly backed the Democratic president, voting for Wall Street and healthcare reforms and other major initiatives. Menendez, however, has parted ways with Obama over his opening of diplomatic ties with Cuba and he questioned Obama’s threats to ultimately take military action against Iran if it went ahead with making a nuclear bomb. “We should authorise now the means for Israel to address the Iranian threat on their own in the event that Iran accelerates its programme and to counter Iranian perceptions that our own threat to use force is not credible,” he said. He also criticised Republicans, who he said “reflexively oppose everything the president proposes”. “While I have many specific concerns about this agreement, my overarching concern is that it requires no dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and only mothballs that infrastructure for 10 years. Not even one centrifuge will be destroyed under this agreement,” Menendez said. He urged the Obama administration to go back to the negotiating table to rework the main elements, something the Obama administration says would be impossible. Obama gained ground on some other fronts amid an aggressive White House lobbying effort. Democrat Mazie Hirono of Hawaii became the 21st senator, all of them Democrats, to publicly support the agreement. But that is far short of the 34 Democrats Obama will need to sustain his veto and keep the deal alive. The non-partisan Arms Control Association yesterday said 70 nuclear non-proliferation experts issued a statement in support, calling it “a strong, long-term and verifiable agreement that will be a net-plus for international nuclear non-proliferation efforts”. Alan Elsner, a spokesman for the US based Jewish group J Street which supports the deal, said: “We remain confident that the votes will be there ultimately to sustain the president’s veto in both houses” of Congress.

When New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez announced that he will oppose Mike Pompeo’s nomination to US Secretary of State, he explained that he would do so because Pompeo, currently Director of the CIA, had failed to disclose that he had travelled to North Korea over Easter weekend as President Donald Trump’s envoy. For Menendez, the audacity and secrecy of the Trump administration’s preparations for a planned summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was unacceptable. “Now I don’t expect diplomacy to be negotiated out in the open,” Menendez said in a recent speech, “but I do expect for someone who is the nominee to be Secretary of State, when he speaks with committee leadership and is asked specific questions about North Korea, to share some insights about such a visit. I believe our nation’s top diplomat must be forthright.” The US constitution assigns senators the responsibility to confirm, by majority vote, the president’s cabinet nominees. America’s founders sought to ensure that individuals serving in high positions of public trust would be well qualified, not just in the judgment of a single individual, but after thoughtful review by an independently elected Senate. In exercising their constitutional duty, senators should consider carefully their criteria for providing what the constitution calls “advice and consent.” There are many good reasons why senators may decide to support or oppose Pompeo’s nomination. But Pompeo’s withholding of the fact that he was engaged in secret diplomacy is not one of them. To be sure, despite being a mainstay of US foreign policy, secret diplomacy has always had its critics. Some argue that it is a type of deception that undermines the transparency and accountability on which American democracy is based. Others do not oppose secret diplomacy per se, but they believe that maintaining a reasonable degree of democratic accountability requires that a small subset of congressional leaders be informed. In criticising Pompeo for failing to be “forthright” even with the “committee leadership,” Menendez expressed both of these concerns. Yet the history of secret diplomacy, under Republican and Democratic administrations alike, clearly illustrates its benefits. The most important diplomatic breakthrough of the Cold War, the opening to China, began with secret negotiations between Henry Kissinger, then President Richard Nixon’s national security adviser, and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai. Kissinger’s top-secret trip to Beijing in 1971 laid the groundwork for Nixon’s historic visit the following year. And the warming of Sino-US relations helped widen divisions between China and America’s Cold War adversary, the Soviet Union. Likewise, President Barack Obama’s signature diplomatic achievement, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, could not have been achieved without secret talks. In March 2013, Obama sent two senior State Department officials, William J Burns and Jake Sullivan, to begin secret conversations with the Iranians in Oman. Given that diplomatic relations between the two countries had been severed for more than 30 years, and that each country was radioactive in the domestic politics of the other, holding preliminary negotiations in public would have been a non-starter. Soon enough, the secret conversations led US officials to conclude that the Iranians were serious about entering into formal talks. In secret, US and Iranian negotiators worked on an outline of what would ultimately become the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The JCPOA blocked all of Iran’s major pathways to becoming a nuclear power, by preventing the country from reprocessing plutonium or enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels. It also eliminated two-thirds of Iran’s centrifuges and 98% of its stockpile of enriched uranium; and it established the most intrusive verification and inspection regime ever negotiated. But as difficult as the talks with Iran were, negotiating with Kim’s Hermit Kingdom will be harder still. The United States and North Korea are technically still at war, because a formal peace treaty has not been concluded since the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended with a ceasefire and an armistice. Moreover, every past denuclearisation agreement between the two countries has collapsed, and, since Trump took office, he and Kim have been lobbing insults and threats at each other. In this context, sending a secret envoy to Pyongyang to lay the groundwork for productive negotiations is precisely what the US should be doing. Even so, there is still the question of why that envoy would not inform Senate foreign-policy leaders of his work, especially when he is seeking to become America’s chief diplomat. One answer is that the Trump administration probably believes that informing Congress would make the secret negotiations no longer a secret. During the past year’s investigation of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia ahead of the 2016 US presidential election, Congress has leaked like a sieve, and many congressional Democrats have made it clear that they will “resist” Trump at every turn. Thus, it was reasonable for Pompeo to fear that knowledge of his secret talks would be leaked in an effort to undermine the summit and deny the administration a potential political victory. Transparency and accountability are still important American norms. But the history of US diplomacy has shown that secrecy often is essential for success. And besides, the constitution gives the president wide latitude in foreign policy. That is why even some of Menendez’s Democratic colleagues, who may oppose Pompeo on policy grounds, cheered the news of his visit to North Korea. As Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy put it, “I’ll just be honest with you, I’m glad there is someone at a high level in the Trump administration talking to the North Koreans about what may be the parameters of this meeting.” Murphy is right. There are valid reasons to oppose a nominee for Secretary of State. But a failure to disclose secret preparatory talks for the most important presidential summit of the century is not one of them. – Project Syndicate *Graham Allison is professor of Government and former Director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is the author of Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides’s Trap?

By Mizan Rahman Dhaka US Senator Robert Menendez has said he cannot support the renewal or expansion of Bangladesh’s generalised system of preferences (GSP) benefits as long as union organisers and members are subject to harassment, intimidation, and violence from garment factory owners and managers. “As chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, I cannot support the renewal or expansion of Bangladesh’s GSP benefits as long as union organisers and members are subject to harassment, intimidation, and violence from garment factory owners and managers,” he wrote in a letter to M Atiqul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA). Menendez urged the BGMEA president to take immediate and substantial steps to end harassment and intimidation of union organisers and members by the garment factory owners in his industry association. In his letter, chairmen Menendez wrote that “union organisers and leaders in BGMEA factories are still subject to intimidation and termination,” and that he “cannot support the renewal or expansion of Bangladesh’s GSP benefits as long as union organisers and members are subject to harassment, intimidation, and violence from BGMEA factory owners and managers.” “I strongly urge you to exercise your leadership to end these grave injustices and protect workers’ rights and safety,” he wrote. In February 2013, Menendez held a hearing on workers’ rights in Bangladesh and released a report on the topic last November. Menendez mentioned that last year, at their first hearing on this topic, he urged the United States Trade Representative to suspend GSP benefits to Bangladesh because of the dire state of workers’ rights and safety. The Senator said union organisers and leaders in BGMEA factories are still subject to intimidation and termination. “Just last month, four union organisers, including two women, were reportedly severely injured by two dozen attackers as they tried to organise workers in a large garment factory.” He mentioned that incidents like these are completely unacceptable and the BGMEA is obligated to play a stronger role in preventing them.

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met Sunday with Chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Robert Menendez, who is visiting the country. During the meeting, they reviewed the relations of cooperation between the two countries and the developments in the region.

HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met on Sunday morning at the Amiri Diwan Office with Chairman of the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Robert Menendez and the accompanying delegation, who called on the Amir to greet him on the occasion of their visit to the country.     During the meeting, relations of cooperation and friendship between the two countries were reviewed in a number of joint strategic areas, in addition to the most prominent regional and international developments, especially the developments in Afghanistan.  

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met in Washington on Tuesday with the Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator Robert Menendez and members of the US Senate Senator Tom Cotton, Jim Risch and Senator Bill Hagerty, separately. The meetings reviewed aspects of bilateral cooperation between the two countries and the latest developments in the region. On their part, the US Senators praised the efforts made by the State of Qatar to achieve peace and stability in the region.

Argentinian striker Jonathan Menendez, who joined Al Rayyan for one season, hit the straps immediately as he joined The Lions’ preparations for their upcoming QNB Stars League Week 2 match against Umm Salal. The game will start at the Al Sadd Stadium at 5:30pm tomorrow.  Jonathan, who came to Al Rayyan from Argentina’s Club Atletico Independiente, trained along with his new teammates on Tuesday. He is replacement for Moroccan midfielder Mohsine Moutaouli, who moved to Al Ahli. Al Rayyan, who beat Al Ahli 2-0 in the first round, started their preparations for Umm Salal game on Tuesday under the watchful eyes of Argentinian coach Rodolfo Arruabarrena. The training session also saw goalkeeper Fahd Younis go through his paces after recovering from an injury. Al Sadd, Al Arabi gear up for Qatar Derby  QNB Stars League leaders Al Sadd are gearing up for their much-awaited Week 2 home encounter with Al Arabi, dubbed Qatar Derby, on Sunday. After their 6-0 win over Al Kharaitiyat last Sunday, Al Sadd resumed their preparations for the Al Arabi match on Tuesday. The coaching staff under Portuguese Jesualdo Ferreira gave enough recovery time to those who started against Al Kharaitiyat, while other players went through their paces at the training session. Al Sadd are above holders Al Duhail on goal difference in the QNB Stars League standings. Having started their 2018-campaign on a winning note, Al Arabi are leaving no stone unturned as they prepared for the big clash. Arabi had defeated Al Khor in Week 1 of the QNB Stars League, with Colombian striker Franco Arizala scoring the all-important goal. The win has boosted the confidence of Luka Bonacic’s team that stands sixth in the standings. And they are keen on maintaining the momentum as the players underwent training sessions in the morning and evening yesterday. Coach Gourcuff plots Gharafa’s revival Al Gharafa’s French coach Christian Gourcuff is preparing his players for the QNB Stars League Week 2 fixture against Al Sailiya, to be played at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.  Al Gharafa badly want to compensate for their 1-3 loss to Qatar SC, while Al Sailiya are on a high after securing a last-gasp win over Umm Salal. Gourcuff and his assistants are trying hard to correct the mistakes they made against Qatar SC. The Cheetahs are seeking to build on their creditable fourth-place finish in last season’s QNB Stars League that earned them a berth in the Qatar Cup.

Doha: Top QNB Stars League side Al Rayyan yesterday signed a one-season contract with Argentinian striker Jonathan Menendez.  Al Rayyan team manager and Media Officer Omar al-Azani said Jonathan would replace Moroccan attacking Mohsine Moutaouli, who switched to Al Ahli. The signing came as a big boost for The Lions whose Moroccan striker Abderrazaq Hamdallah, their top scorer last season with 18 goals, is undergoing an intensive recovery programme for an ankle injury he suffered towards the end of last season.  Al Rayyan won the season-opening Sheikh Jassim Cup and also their QNB Stars League opener against Al Ahli. Al Duhail loan Ahmed Yasser to Vissel Kobe QNB Stars League title holders Al Duhail agreed the loan deal of defender Ahmed Yasser to Japan’s Vissel Kobe. Ahmed was loaned out to Al Rayyan in last season’s January transfer window after he completed another loan spell at Spanish club Cultural Leonesa. The 24-year-old had displayed a high level in the AFC Champions League as well and that caught the attention of top J1 League club Vissel Kobe, who sought him on loan to assist the likes of Spanish star Andres Iniesta. Meanwhile, Al Duhail forward Ismail Mohammed successfully underwent an operation after he sustained a double fracture on his right leg during their 3-0 QNB Stars League Week 1 win over promoted team Al Shahania on Sunday. He will be out of action at least for six to seven months. Ismail was fouled in the 52nd minute of their match by Al Shahania’s Nadir Awadh.

Jurors found a powerful US senator guilty on all counts of corruption on Tuesday after gold bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash were found at his home, prosecutors said, sparking calls for his resignation.Robert Menendez, a 70-year-old Democrat from New Jersey, was charged with extortion, obstruction of justice and accepting bribes to perform favours for businessmen and will be sentenced on October 29.Menendez has vowed to appeal the verdict.A spokesman for the Southern District of New York prosecutor’s office said the total combined charges carry a maximum potential sentence of 222 years in prison. The counts on which Menendez was convicted after less than three days of jury deliberations included conspiracy to commit bribery, acting as a foreign agent while a public official, and obstruction of justice.Menendez said outside court: “I have never been anything but a patriot of my country and for my country. I have never, ever been a foreign agent.”Menendez, who said in June he would run as an independent in November’s election, is a career politician and led the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee until the charges were filed. He remains a sitting senator.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow Democrat, called on Menendez to step down. “In light of this guilty verdict, Senator Menendez must now do what is right for his constituents, the Senate, and our country, and resign,” Schumer said.Menendez shook his head from side to side as the verdict was read out, CNN reported.Prosecutors have alleged Menendez put his power as a top US senator “up for sale”. “This wasn’t politics as usual. This was politics for profit. And now that the jury has convicted Bob Menendez, his years of selling his office to the highest bidder have finally come to an end,” US Attorney Damian Williams, a prosecutor, said outside court.In a raid on Menendez’s New Jersey home, FBI agents were said to have found nearly $500,000 in cash hidden around the house, as well as gold bars worth around $150,000 and a luxury Mercedes-Benz convertible.His wife Nadine Menendez, to whom defence lawyers are seeking to shift the blame, has also been charged but will be tried separately as she is receiving treatment for breast cancer.Menendez was convicted alongside two of the businessmen he allegedly helped — Egyptian-American Wael Hana and Fred Daibes, a real estate developer.A third businessman, insurance broker Jose Uribe, pleaded guilty to bribery charges in March and assisted investigators.

The Chairman of United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Senator Bob Menendez applauded the great accomplishments and successes achieved by the State of Qatar in supporting human rights, modernizing labor market laws and legislations, and protecting workers' rights.His Excellency underlined Qatar's excellence in making a distinctive edition of the World Cup (FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022), which is characterized by security, safety, a friendly spirit and a large gathering from all over the world to celebrate and enjoy the spirit of loving generosity and Arab hospitality.In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Senator Bob Menendez underlined: "Qatar has come a long way in the development of labor rights and it took care of the people inside it, which helped in running a successful world cup. I think a lot of progresses are taking place."Menendez added: "I am happy that Qatar has been able to be the first country in the region to host this event, and Qatar has worked really hard to ensure that everyone coming to Qatar enjoy the games and enjoy the hospitality by its people"."It is nice to see the global community coming to enjoy the games here in Qatar, we have seen games that are free from any bad actions, we saw the players respect each other, and we saw fans respect each other, and I think we have seen what the world can be like," Menendez added.The game has rules, and everyone has to obey the rules, he stressed, calling on all people around the world to pay a visit to Doha and see how welcoming it is. "When one come to Qatar, he has the experience to say Wow!" he said, noting that visiting Qatar gives the opportunity to enjoy the culture and hospitality while feeling totally welcome and secure."My short visit to Doha was joyful and I saw that the global community came to Qatar and were well received and well respected. That is the best thing that should happen around the world," he said.Menendez spoke about the bilateral ties that connect the United States of America and the State of Qatar that are based on international cooperation to find solutions for conflicts in some parts of the world.Menendez said: "Under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, we have dramatically improved the relationship between the United States and the State of Qatar. We are thankful for Qatar, for hosting our airbase here, and we appreciate that Qatar helped us in the evacuation in Afghanistan, and it played a major role regarding this."Menendez appreciated Qatar's cooperation with the United States in many issues in other parts of the world, noting that Qatar is an ally and a reliable partner of the United States.Commending Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup, Senator Menendez stressed: "Qatar has brought the global community together as one, in my time here I saw great achievements of justice and security, and I saw the spirit of the Qataris who welcomed guests."On the malicious campaigns against Qatar by some foreign media, Menendez said:" I think it is good to highlight what is positive about the games. There should be some criticism, that is a nature of hosting any global event. I think after the end of that Qatar will be stronger than before, they will stand up to the criticism, they will respond, and the most important here is not what the press says, but what everyone coming to Qatar has of experience".