Russia withdraws amabassador to Qatar after he was "attacked"

[Catbird]

This is interesting if only because, if it's true, it's a big, big diplomatic . I suspect that there's more to this story but we'll probably never hear it.

"Russia withdraws envoy to Qatar after attack"

"Russia said on Monday it was downgrading relations with Qatar and withdrawing its ambassador after he was beaten by customs officials at Doha's airport last month...".

Qatar hasn't made any comment yet, but Russian media is all over the story.

"Russia downgrades relations with Qatar over attack on ambassador"

"Airport security and customs officials beat up Russian Ambassador Vladimir Titorenko and two other Russian diplomats on November 29 in an attempt to seize the diplomatic dispatch the ambassador was carrying on a return trip from Jordan.

The Qatari officials reportedly tried to X-ray the diplomatic mail despite a bilateral agreement allowing diplomats from both countries to carry diplomatic bags through customs without any inspection under the 1961 Vienna Convention."