Gulf Crisis: Qatar Ready For Dialogue But Poses Conditions
The Emir of Qatar on Friday urged dialogue with Saudi Arabia and its allies who broke with his country but set conditions for a settlement of the serious crisis that shook the Gulf for a month and a half.
“We are open to dialogue to resolve the outstanding issues,” said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in a televised speech, the first since the onset of the crisis on 5 June.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt then broke off relations with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting “terrorism” and coming closer to Iran, a major regional rival of the Saudi kingdom.
However, the head of state of Qatar has posed two conditions for a settlement of this crisis, stressing that it must be done “with respect for the sovereignty and the will of each state”.
“This regulation should not take the form of diktats but of joint commitments binding on all parties,” he added.
The four opponents of Qatar had imposed severe economic sanctions on the emirate gas.
To reiterate these sanctions, on June 22 they demanded the satisfaction of 13 requests, including the closure of Al-Jazeera TV and a Turkish base, as well as a revision of the ties with Iran.
Doha rejected these demands altogether, considering that they violated its sovereignty.
– ‘Fight Without Release’ –
Besides, Sheikh Tamim defended his policy. “Qatar is fighting relentlessly against terrorism” which Doha considers “a crime against humanity”, he said.
He accused the Quartet of wanting to “impose its guardianship” in Qatar, to “infringe freedom of expression and the right to information”, in reference to the request to close Al Jazeera.
The speech of the emir of Qatar was broadcast live by Al-Arabiya and Sky News Arabia, two chains with capital respectively Saudi and Emirati.
His intervention came a day after the announcement in Doha of an amendment to the Qatar Anti-Terror Law.
The amendment, which was the subject of a decree law promulgated Thursday night by the Emir, was hailed Friday as “a positive step” by the Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, one of the Responsible for the most critical Quartet of Qatar’s policy.
The decree-law defines the terms “terrorists, terrorist crimes and entities as well as the financing of terrorism”.
The document establishes “two national lists for individuals and terrorist entities” and sets out the necessary measures to include them on these lists but gives suspects the right to appeal against their inclusion on one of these lists.
The Decree-Law amends the 2004 Qatari law on counter-terrorism but does not provide details on the definition of terrorism or on measures to bring a suspect or organisation to a blacklist.
The crisis resulted in mediation by Kuwait and good offices from several Western countries, including the United States, Germany, Great Britain and France.
AFP
