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AS THE DEADLINE approaches for Qatar to accept a series of demands made by several Arab states to lift a de facto blockade, the isolated state is showing no signs of acceptance.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the 13 demands from Saudi Arabia and several of its allies were designed to be spurned.
“The list of demands is made to be rejected,” Sheikh Mohammed said.
“Everyone is aware that these demands are meant to infringe the sovereignty of the state of Qatar,” he said at a news conference in Rome after meeting his Italian counterpart.
“The state of Qatar… is rejecting it as a principle,” he said, adding: “We are willing to engage in providing the proper conditions for further dialogue.”
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced on June 5 they were severing ties with their Gulf neighbour, sparking the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the region in decades.
They accused Doha of supporting extremism and of being too close to regional arch-rival Iran, which Qatar has strongly denied.
The crisis has raised concerns of growing instability in the region, home to some of the world’s largest energy producers and several key Western allies hosting US military facilities.
On 22 June the Arab states presented a list of demands and gave Doha 10 days to comply. The ultimatum is expected to expire by the end of today, though the deadline has not been officially confirmed.
Riyadh and its supporters have already severed air, sea and ground links with Qatar, cutting off vital routes for imports including food.
Threat of further sanctions
Qatari citizens were ordered to leave the countries and various steps were taken against Qatari companies and financial institutions.
It is unclear what further measures will be taken if Qatar fails to meet the demands, but the UAE ambassador to Russia Omar Ghobash warned last week that further sanctions could be imposed.
As well as expelling Doha from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab states could tell their economic partners they need to make a choice between doing business with them or with Qatar, he told Britain’s Guardian newspaper.
Riyadh’s demands include ending Doha’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the closure of Al-Jazeera television, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and the shutdown of a Turkish military base in the emirate.
Qatar has long pursued a more independent foreign policy than many of its neighbours, who tend to follow the lead of regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.
Doha has said it is ready for talks to end the crisis and Kuwait, which unlike most of its GCC neighbours has not cut ties, has taken the lead in mediation efforts.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has also called for compromise and hosted senior Gulf officials, but his efforts have been undermined by remarks from President Donald Trump apparently supporting Riyadh’s position.
Newspapers in the UAE rounded on Qatar today, with prominent daily The National saying in an editorial: “Qatar’s wrong-headed behaviour is depressingly predictable.”
“A conclusion to the crisis… can only arrive when Doha mends its ways and seeks to answer the Gulf’s concerns. We doubt that day will come soon, even though Qatar must be aware that its actions will deliver profound consequences,” it wrote.
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Qatar are damn right to tell them where to go.
This is just a power play from Saudi trying to establish themselves as the undisputed boss of the region, especially now they’ve been given the implied okay from Trump. For example one of the demands they have put on Qatar is to get rid of the Turkish military base there. Why would Saudi want that ask yourself? They know well that they can boss around other countries in the Middle East but not Turkey. Turkey have every right to be in Qatar with the approval of the Qatari leadership.
And as for the supposed substantive issue at the beginning of this, the “sponsorship of terrorism” that’s pot and kettle.
@Bob Mac: what stopped Saudi Arabia’s expansion in the 1930s was the fact they did not want conflict with the colonial powers. If Britain and France were not hovering about then the Saudis would have conquered Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar. This is just Saudi trying to expand its influence again. They need to be stopped. Saudi produces a lot more radicalised Islamists but the fondness of America for oil means nothing will be done to undermine the Saudis.
Qatar is one of the most wealthy countries on the planet. They use their financial clout to support various terrorist organizations.
Recently Qatar hosted a conference by Hamas. The Al-Thani family is a major backer of this terrorist organization. Last year they transferred $31 million to the Gaza Strip with another $100 million on the way.
Qatar is also bankrolling the Muslim Brotherhood to the tune of billion of dollars.Members of the Egyptian Brotherhood have lived in Doha for decades.
They channel money and weapons to the notorious organization Ahrar al-Sham which has close links to Al-Qaeda.
Qatar has close ties also with the regime in Iran.
Germany has implicated Qatar as a sponsor of the Islamic State.
Qatar has gotten away with an opportunistic two faced foreign policy for far too long.
The game is up now.
Thankfully.
@Mark DeFriest: and Saudi does none of this?
@John B:
Just because Qatar is condemned by the Saudis does not mean they do not support terrorism.
Just because they splash the cash around the globe does not mean they do not support terrorism.
have your say