Arab states send Qatar 13 demands to end crisis, official says

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain accuse Qatar of funding terrorism, fomenting regional instability and cosying up to revolutionary theocracy Iran

Four Arab states boycotting Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism have sent Doha a list of 13 demands, including closing Al Jazeera television and reducing ties to their regional adversary Iran, an official of one of the four countries said.

The demands aimed at ending the worst Gulf Arab crisis in years appear designed to quash a two-decade-old foreign policy in which Qatar has punched well above its weight, striding the stage as a peace broker, often in conflicts in Muslim lands.

Doha’s independent-minded approach, including a dovish line on Iran and support for Islamist groups, in particular, the Muslim Brotherhood, has incensed some of its neighbours who see political Islamism as a threat to their dynastic rule.

The list, compiled by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain, which cut economic, diplomatic and travel ties to Doha on June 5, also demands the closing of a Turkish military base in Qatar, the official told Reuters.

Qatar must also announce that it is severing ties with terrorist, ideological and sectarian organisations, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and Jabhat Fateh al Sham, formerly Al Qaeda’s branch in Syria, he said, and surrender all designated terrorists on its territory.

Qatar won’t negotiate under boycott

The four Arab countries accuse Qatar of funding terrorism, fomenting regional instability and cosying up to revolutionary theocracy Iran. Qatar has denied the accusations.

Qatari officials did not reply immediately to requests for comment. But on Monday, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar would not negotiate with the four states unless they lifted their embargo against Doha.

The countries have given Doha 10 days to comply, failing which the list becomes “void,” the official said without elaborating further, suggesting the offer to end the dispute in return for the 13 steps would no longer be on the table.

The demands, handed to Qatar by mediator Kuwait, also require that Qatar stops interfering in the four countries’ domestic and foreign affairs and stop a practice of giving Qatari nationality to citizens of the four countries, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Qatar must pay reparations to these countries for any damage or costs incurred over the past few years because of Qatari policies, he added. Any resulting agreement to comply with the demands will be monitored, with monthly reports in the first year, then every three months the next year, then annually for 10 years, the official said without elaborating.

US President Donald Trump has taken a tough stance on Qatar, accusing it of being a “high-level” sponsor of terrorism, but he has also offered help to the parties in the dispute to resolve their differences.

Turkey has backed Qatar during the three-week-old crisis. It sent its first ship carrying food aid to Qatar and dispatched a small contingent of soldiers and armoured vehicles there yesterday, while President Tayyip Erdogan spoke with Saudi Arabia’s leaders on calming tension in the region.

With inputs from UNI