What’s behind the quarrel with Qatar?

An unprecedented move Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, have decided to break off diplomatic relations with Qatar and interrupt him transport links, sets against each other the most important US allies in the middle East.

Adopted on Monday the decision is an attempt to isolate this country of the Persian Gulf due to the fact that she allegedly supports terrorism.

After that, the citizens of Qatar has been given two weeks to leave the territory of these four countries, and the Saudis, the Egyptians, the inhabitants of the UAE and Bahrain, was denied entry to Qatar or transit through its territory.

In Qatar, home to just 2.7 million people, most of whom are immigrants. Thanks to huge gas reserves, Qatar has become one of the richest countries in the world. It is an important supplier of liquefied natural gas to Asia and Europe. Also, the country through its sovereign wealth Fund Qatar Investment Authority invests significant funds in the UK, including London’s Shard skyscraper and Harrods.

How it will affect Qatar?

The consequences will be serious, because half of its food Qatar gets a land border with Saudi Arabia. The closure of the border may also have an impact on the construction industry and may affect the preparation of the Doha world Cup 2022.

The situation will affect aviation. After the closure of the airspace of Saudi Arabia, the Qatari airline Qatar Airways, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, will face the challenge of increasing the duration of flights in a westerly direction. Based in Dubai the airline Arab Emirates, Etihad Airways and Emirates have announced that from Tuesday stop flights to Qatar.

Riyadh and Abu Dhabi also said that they will seek from friendly countries for the closure of air space for flights to Doha, however, details of any attempts to tighten the blockade is not disclosed.

In case of deepening conflict supply Qatari natural gas to the neighbouring United Arab Emirates to Dolphin pipeline may be suspended. This will lead to reduced supplies in the UAE by a third in the summer heat, when energy demand increases dramatically.


What is accused Qatar?

Qatar support for Islamist movements has long been criticized by its regional neighbors, especially the UAE.

Abu Dhabi considers that support for the Doha political Islam, including the “Muslim brotherhood” (banned in Russia as a terrorist organization — approx. ed.) and the militant Palestinian organization Hamas is, for States of the Persian Gulf a deadly threat. These two organizations for many years leading increasingly vicious propaganda war, pushing against each other the charges through the state media.

Doha, which has long been home to the spiritual leader of the “Muslim Brothers” Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi (Sheikh Yusef al-Qaradawi), serves as a refuge for Islamist activists, including citizens of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Qatar has also supported the Islamist parties and the rebel groups in various conflicts, including Libya and Syria.

Qatar is the most aggressive ally of Islamist groups in Syria seeking to overthrow the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. According to critics, it is about indirect assistance to such associated with “al-Qaeda” (an organization banned in Russia — approx. ed.), groups like “Tahrir al-sham”, (former “dzhebhat an-Nusra” is banned in Russia as a terrorist organization — approx. ed.), the Aid took the form of ransom payments for the release of hostages.

Saudi Arabia also supports the Islamist organizations, however, according to observers, their direct assistance to it in recent years has reduced. Western critics accuse Doha that the suppression of the financing of terrorism it is involved.

Egypt and the United Arab Emirates also accused Qatar and Turkey of supporting Islamist rebels in Libya. Cairo and Abu Dhabi supporting authoritarian rule of field Marshal Khalifa the Haftarot (Khalifa Haftar), which controls much of Eastern Libya.

At the regional level, Doha has forged closer ties with Ankara, which is guided by similar principles in supporting Islamist groups in Syria. Turkey has opened a military base in Qatar, which for many years provided the air base, “al-Udeid air base” the Central regional command of the armed forces of the United States.

Qatar recognises that its position in relation to political Islam and the “Muslim brotherhood” is different from the position of some of his neighbors, but says that there is nothing wrong to support organizations that are widely popular among the masses. Its support for armed terrorist groups Qatar denies.


What is the relationship between Qatar and Iran?

The coalition of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi increasingly concerned that, in her opinion, is a Doha rapprochement with Shiite Iran. He in recent months is the main rival of Saudi Arabia.

Qatar, a Sunni state, which develops its huge deposits in the North together with Iran, has traditionally occupied a less aggressive stance towards Tehran — as well as on Oman, a neighbor of Doha in the Persian Gulf.

Doha is proud to be a neutral player able to act as a mediator in regional conflicts from Lebanon to Sudan. In the Qatari capital attended by the official representatives of organizations that many other States consider a terrorist. Among them Hamas and the Afghan Taliban (organization banned in Russia — approx. ed.)

But, according to critics of the Qatar mediation gradually evolved into support groups that actively act against the interests of the Sunni States of the Persian Gulf.

Qatar is alleged to have paid millions of dollars to groups supported by Iran, including Hezbollah, in order to achieve last month the release of its citizens taken last year in hostages in the South of Iraq.

Riyadh accuses Tehran of meddling in the Affairs of Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain. Open reluctance to support the position of Sunni Gulf States against Iran is regarded as a betrayal in the worst form.

Why now?

The propaganda war state media in Saudi Arabia and the UAE against Qatar is already a few weeks.

Last month, Qatar’s state news Agency published a statement allegedly made by the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani), in which he expressed support for the “Muslim brotherhood” and asked Iran to the world. In Doha say that then this Agency has been hacking. Media of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ignored the statement about the hacker attack and again and again broadcast the alleged remarks, Sheikh Tamim.

The state satellite channel of Qatar “al-Dzhazira” has paid special attention to the appeared this week, reports of alleged hacking of e-mail of Youssef al-Otaiba (Yousef al-Otaiba), a very influential Ambassador of UAE to the United States, which dealt with the campaign against alleged links Doha with terrorists.

The intensification of the conflict between the allies, which began in 2014, happened immediately after the visit of the President of the Donald trump of Saudi Arabia. During this visit he confirmed the leading role of Riyadh in the fight against Iran’s interference in the Affairs of the Arab world.

Donald trump hoped to unite the middle Eastern allies of Washington in countering Tehran’s influence in the struggle against radical Sunni groups like “Islamic state” (an organization banned in Russia — approx. ed.).

 

Comments

comments