Arab anti-terror quartet extends Qatar boycott as Doha rejects demands

Arab News ^ | 5 July 2017

[TigerLikesRooster]

Arab anti-terror quartet extends Qatar boycott as Doha rejects demands

CAIRO: Four Arab states calling for combating terrorism vowed Wednesday to maintain their boycott of Qatar, criticizing its “negative” response to their list of demands to end the diplomatic crisis.

Doha’s response, they said, was “not serious” and betrayed Qatar’s “failure” to realize the gravity of the situation.

The announcement followed a meeting by foreign ministers from the four nations — Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain — in Cairo, shortly after they said they had received Doha’s reply.

“The political and economic boycott will remain until Qatar changes its policies for the better," Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said.

Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry told reporters Qatar’s response to the Arab states’ 13-point list of demands was “negative on the whole.” It did not “lay the foundations for Qatar’s abandonment of the policies it pursues. It’s a position that does not realize the gravity of the situation,” he added.

The ministers did not say what their next steps would be — that, they explained, would be announced after further consultations. They will meet next in Bahrain, but a date has yet to be set.

“We hope wisdom will prevail and Qatar will eventually make the right decisions,” added Shoukry, who said the four nations were acting against Qatar within the boundaries of international law as well as the interest to safeguard regional and international security.

Shoukry said Qatar’s policies could not be allowed to continue and vowed that Egyptian blood would not be shed in vain, a reference to deadly attacks by militants on Egyptian army and security forces.

[onona]

An ode to those Doha Dollies

someday they'll learn,

someday they'll yearn.

their time wasted in folly.

[Rashputin]

Any anti-terror effort that includes the Saudis is a fraud.

JMHo

[BeauBo]

Looks like they will need a bigger hammer...

I hope that they have thought a few moves ahead, and have some bigger pressures ready to apply.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Two of terror sponsors at each other’s throat may not be bad, though.

[spetznaz]

To be honest I'm having a bit of a chuckle at Saudi Arabia pointing the finger at another country for supporting terrorism. Seriously though, if Saudia Arabia is the real leading supporter of terrorism, Qatar would be a close second, followed by Pakistan and then Iran (which is the world's leading supporter of Shia terrorism, but with the likes of Saudi Arabia being the world's leading supporter - period - with their indirect support of all sort of Sunni terror groups like Al Qaeda, ISIS, Al Shabaab, Boko Haram, Abu Sayyaf, etc).

It's nice to see the two leading supporters of global terror groups get into a tussle.

I believe though all of this stems from Qatar not bowing before Saudi Arabia. Independence, even sovereign independence, is not something that is looked at fondly in the region. And Qatar has been really flexing its diplomatic and financial muscle. I was in Doha a month ago, and the infrastructure development is staggering. Can be almost be compared to Dubai, and is way ahead of anything in Riyadh. Add to that Al Jazeera, which has a viewership that is greater than all the other regional channels - combined, and then add Qatar's relationship with Iran.

Anyway, the only 'good' Arab country in that region is maybe Kuwait. At least they allow churches to be built there.

[Rashputin]

There's been infighting among the various groups ever since the US was backing both the Northern Alliance and the "students" who became the Taliban in Afghanistan. Even as they're getting their butts kicked in Syria ISIS has expended the effort to attack other groups that refused to throw in with their vision of the coming Caliphate.

I see your point, I just don't see how it's anything new other than the Saudis putting pressure on the little gang of thugs in charge where we have our largest overseas base.

It really seems to me to be a way for the Saudis to leverage their BS into a stronger position when they want arms deals with the US while boosting Muzzie credentials in hopes of increasing their status among the radical scum both sides (and the US) back after their support for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt didn't work out as they intended. The Saudis know we're not going to do anything to interrupt our use of the base, so, pounding the table and babbling BS about who is the better Muzzie has no downside risk.

JMHo