Coup Goes Seemingly Unnoticed In Qatar

A day after being ousted by his son, the emir of this wealthy Gulf state disappeared from public view Wednesday - his name no longer on radio, his picture scratched from newspapers and television.

In Tuesday’s swift and bloodless coup, Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani left the 65-year-old emir throneless and looking for a home, likely in Saudi Arabia. Qatar’s former emir, Sheik Khalifa Bin Hamad Al Thani, was vacationing at a luxury hotel in Switzerland when his 23-year reign over the sandy peninsula abruptly ended.

State-run television immediately replaced his familiar face with pictures of Hamad, 45, meeting members of the ruling family.

Life appeared normal despite the change of power. Residents seemed to take the new leadership in stride.