ISLAMABAD: While elaborating the point of view of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) regarding Gulf Crisis, a senior diplomat of Saudi Arabia has claimed that over several years, the four countries have asked Qatar to cease all actions aimed at disturbing their peace and security and those that violate the agreements signed between the four countries and Qatar, both bilaterally and multilaterally, through the GCC.
The four countries have previously provided lists of wanted terrorists and individuals that have threatened the peace and security of Bahrain, the KSA, the UAE, and Egypt. And despite Qatar’s promises to stop their activities, Qatar has instead welcomed many more of them, and allowed them to conspire against their own countries, even going as far as granting Qatari citizenship to some of them. Some of these individuals belong to violent terrorist groups. Qatar continues to provide safety and support for such individuals inside Qatar and out.
The list of terrorist individuals and entities coincides to a large degree with international lists. Institutions in the United States – including the US Treasury – have previously designated corresponding names that clearly show the nature of the crime. Qatar could show that it is indeed serious in fighting terrorism by apprehending and prosecuting the individuals and entities that appear clearly on the lists, with the relevant international authorities as observers.
The four countries have circulated the wanted terrorist list internationally that included individuals the United States considers terrorist or supporters of terrorism and extremism, and includes individuals named in UN terrorism lists.
We possess a long list, with a large amount of evidence. It is now up to Doha to respond. Some of this evidence has not been made public, and we have confronted Qatar with our evidence previously when we withdrew our ambassadors in 2013, what we have provided is a summary of Qatar’s irresponsible actions in supporting extremist groups that threaten our peace and security. Our security services have solid intelligence on Qatari operations that threaten our peace and security. We are not alone in this; other countries have made the same claims the four countries are making against Qatar such as the United States. David Cohen, the undersecretary of the treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence has said: “terrorist financiers live freely in Qatar, Qatari law does not criminalise them”, it is for this reason the US treasury considers Qatar a financer of terrorism.
Qatar also has a terrible record of dealing with suspected terrorists and those wanted internationally. US authorities have asked Qatar to apprehend Khalid Sheikh Mohamed (KSM) the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, yet he was set free by Qatari authorities in 2009 after only 6 months in prison, KSM continued to fund terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria until his apprehension by the US.
If Qatar allies with Iran against the four countries, it would certainly be an unfortunate one. Iran is the spearhead of terrorism globally, and if Qatar allies with Iran, the alliance will firmly place Qatar in the camp of terrorism sponsors. Iran seeks to spread chaos and threatens regional peace and security, including that of the four countries. If Qatar chooses this path, it will only confirm its intention of being a source of harm for the region and it will confirm the reasons we have taken the action that we have.
The four countries do not consider Qatar an adversary, we are simply dealing with adversarial policies, and we know fully well that every crisis has a solution. If Qatar wishes to be a part of its natural environment – the GCC and the international community – it must end its support for terrorism immediately.
The claim that the dispute with Qatar was based on a cyber attack on the Qatar News Agency is an attempt by the Qatari government to make the claims look weak and insignificant, and to sidestep the serious accusations leveled upon it. The four countries have taken this decision after all diplomatic avenues were exhausted and after Qatar’s insistence on violating the agreements reached between us, the latest being the agreements of 2013 and 2014 regarding stopping Qatar’s support for terrorism and extremism, its interference in the internal affairs of countries, and fueling conflicts that destabilise the region. The latest actions are meant to send a message to Qatar, “enough is enough”
KSA has never pressured any country through hajj. KSA has a clear policy of providing all necessary accommodations for all pilgrims from all across the world and KSA continuously warns against the use of religious rites for political purposes, KSA maintains that the doors of the two holy mosques are open to all Muslims.
We have engaged Qatar several times over the past 20 years, and Qatar gave us numerous pledges, however we saw no commitment. The most important pledges are the Riyadh Agreement 2013 and the Supplementary Agreement 2014. We affirm that we do not reject dialogue when it is constructive and useful, and with who deserves to be engaged in a dialogue with. However, in the current crisis, it is not important whether the dialogue is direct or indirect, what is important is that Qatar commits to stop funding terrorism and extremism.
There are things that are not up for bargaining nor discussion, the most important of these are security, stability, the fight against terrorism and its criminalisation. This is the goal of all countries of the world, not just the countries that are boycotting Qatar. Nevertheless, we affirm that Qatar is a part of the Gulf fabric, and we do not accept that it be harmed.
KSA, the UAE, and Bahrain have not blocked Qatar, Qatari ports and airports are open. We have only banned Qatari airlines and aircrafts registered in Qatar from using our airspace, and its vessels from using our territorial waters. This is a sovereign right of ours. KSA is ready to supply Qatar with food and medical supplies through King Salman Centre if it needs it, but we know too well that it does not need it, for Qataris have food and medical supplies, and everything they need is provided to them. One evidence of that is the statement by an official from the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said that “Qatar does not need aid, it helps others, and it is still doing so” This is a positive sign that the situation in Qatar is very good, and that what KSA, Bahrain, UAE, Egypt and other countries did, was not against the Qatari people.
Firstly, there is no blockade, there is a boycott, and boycott means: not dealing with others based on severing diplomatic and consular ties. As for taking the move now, it came after we have had enough of the actions of the authorities in Doha. What Qatar has done is a fact that should be considered a persistent policy that Qatar has adopted for years.
The decision of the boycotting countries is to send a message to Doha to urge it to assess its current situation and stop supporting and funding terrorist and extremist organisations. The authorities in Doha are involved in sponsoring and supporting terrorist and sectarian groups, including Daesh, Al-Nusra Front, Ahrar Al-Bahrain, Hizbollah, the Brotherhood, Saraya Difaa’ Benghazi, and other groups, as well as supporting the activities of terrorist groups supported by Iran in Saudi Arabia, and supporting Houthi militias in Yemen.
With regards to accusations that KSA finances terrorism, KSA was a target for terrorist operations, not vice versa, such operations were supported and funded by Qatar, including the attempt to assassinate the Late King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, in cooperation with the Muammar Gaddafi regime in 2003. KSA has been leading regional activity to fight terrorism at all levels for years. No one can question the KSA's stance towards terrorism, KSA has lost more than 240 martyrs and more than 1,055 wounded, in more than 50 terrorist operations. We are in an open confrontation with terrorism, while Qatar, just like Iran, is not a target of terrorism.
The Saudi government has no role in the events of September 11, and every American administration has confirmed this. There is no information or reports from US institutions that accuse the Kingdom of doing so. On the contrary, they all affirmed that the Kingdom has no links with the events.
Our demand that Doha stop supporting terrorism and hostile media is not a matter of guardianship, but rather a safeguard for the security of the boycotting states. We see serious attempts to threaten and destabilise the Gulf, and clear support for extremist groups. Our demand that Doha stop supporting terrorism and hostile media does not target its sovereignty. We are keen on Qatar's security and safety. These measures are to protect them from the consequences of unaccounted for actions. Most of our policies in the GCC are agreed upon by consensus not by guardianship.
Higher directives have been issued in Bahrain, KSA, and the UAE to take into consideration the humanitarian situation of mixed families. The ban on Qatari pilgrims is not true as KSA has affirmed its commitment to providing all facilitations and services for Qatari pilgrims. The request that Qataris leave KSA was normal. In the first two weeks of the implementation of severing ties, The General Presidency for the affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque announced that KSA received more than 1,600 Qatari pilgrims in the few days that followed the severance of ties.
The blocking was implemented on “media” that incites violence and chaos, and supports terrorism. The blockingincluded media supported by Qatar and terrorist organisations - such as Daesh - and Iran. This media focused mainly on promoting terrorist literature and schemes. The channels and newspapers run by the Doha authorities in public and in disguise cannot be called free media, and the Saudis are fully aware of the seriousness of the content that supporters of terrorism are trying to promote. We block any website that proves its promotion of violence regardless of its source. Unfortunately, the Doha authorities are the biggest sponsor of these channels and sites in the region and Europe. The policy of blocking extremist media platforms is not a policy of the four countries, but all countries of the world, such as France, which banned television channels and sites, such as Hezbollah’s Al-Manar.
Promoting that the boycott states have “impossible demands” is not true. It is an attempt to circumvent the demands that are centered around addressing terrorism support. Qatar’s repetition of this excuse makes it clear to all that it does not want to fulfil the demands, most of which it has agreed to in the past and has pledged to carry out but has not implemented. Qatar’s cooperation with the demands shall help overcome the crisis.
Bahrain, KSA, UAE respect what is issued by the Gulf Cooperation Council. We respect the mediation of the brotherly state of Kuwait to solve the crisis. We have shown by accepting the mediation of Kuwait and no one else from the world’s countries that we want a Gulf- Gulf solution. H.E. the Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel AlJubeir affirmed that the Gulf states are able to solve the conflict with Qatar among themselves without a need of external assistance.
American President Donald Trump has himself emphasised that Qatar has a history in funding terrorism at a very high level. He announced his agreement with military leaders and American officials on the importance of Qatar stopping its financing of terrorism. Moreover, the American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said: Qatar must do more to halt funding terrorism and expel terrorist figures. These statements are a proof of the American side’s awareness of the Qatari role in supporting and funding of terrorism and reflect Washington’s serious desire to stop Doha’s moves in this regard.
The real threat to the Gulf Council is in the support of its states to terrorist and extremist acts that target the stability in the Kingdom or Bahrain or elsewhere; This, unfortunately, is what the government in Doha is doing. The decision to sever relations came to stop this overtaking and shall serve to protect the unity of the Gulf. Here, it must be mentioned that the five states have never been accused from one another or from outside of supporting terrorism. The only state that is internationally accused is Qatar.
Bahrain and the states that participated in the Arabic Islamic American Summit have agreed on encountering terrorism and extremists. This includes drying the sources of terrorism financing.
The four countries took its decision to cut ties after long years of facing the hostile policy of Qatar and after discovering Doha’s involvement in supporting terrorist and extremist groups. With this decision, we share the same vision of H.E Donald Trump the American President. This is an evidence of our sincere desire to spare Qatar, the risks of what it is doing on the Gulf, the region and the world.