It sounds like an incredible claim given Qatar’s staunch support of the Libyan uprising against the late Muammar Gaddafi, but that’s the story that’s been circulating in recent weeks.

This audio clip – said to be released from someone in Libya displeased with Qatar’s role there – is allegedly of Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani discussing the downfall of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia with Gaddafi, but no one has been able to offer any verification of the voices, and no official of any country has yet weighed in.

According to Press TV’s translation, the US and the UK are also implicated in the plot:

The Qatari premier also revealed that the United States and Britain wanted him to report back to them on the situation in Saudi Arabia.

“They want to get rid of the Saudi regime while they are afraid of any new Islamic regime in the region,” Sheikh Hamad said. “Therefore, Qatar has taken advantage to transfer US military bases to its country,” he added.

Despite only a modest military compared to the kingdom’s much-larger force, the voices on the tape discuss Qatari troops occupying the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, thereby cutting off its oil supply and bringing about the Saudi government’s fall.  

An Arabic trascript is available here. No details of the clip’s date or location are available.

What do you think? Is this audio clip believable, or just a smear campaign?