Saudis / UAE / Egypt / Bahrain vs Qatar

[agricola]

So what on earth is this wonderfully timed crackdown about, then?

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have broken off diplomatic relations and all land sea and air contacts with fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, in the region’s most serious diplomatic crisis in years.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said the move was necessary to protect the kingdom from what it described as terrorism and extremism. The kingdom also pulled all Qatari troops from the coalition fighting the ongoing war in Yemen.

The official state news agency, citing an official source, said Saudi Arabia had decided to sever diplomatic and consular relations with Qatar “proceeding from the exercise of its sovereign right guaranteed by international law and the protection of national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism”.

Saudi Arabia cut all land air and sea contacts with Qatar “and urges all brotherly countries and companies to do the same.” Despite the order for the border with Qatar to be closed, Saudi Arabia said that it will continue to provide all services and facilities needed by Qatari pilgrims currently in the Kingdom.

The decision comes after Qatar alleged in late May that it was the victim of a sophisticated propaganda assault including the publication of a series of articles hostile to Qatar in the US and the hacking of the Qatar government website in a bid to undermine its standing in the Gulf and in Washington.

The hacking of the website led to the publication of false remarks by the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, that purportedly had him criticising some leaders of fellow Gulf Arab states and calling for an easing of tensions with Iran. Qatar claimed there was “a hostile media campaign against the State of Qatar”.

 

[Poi E]

As one commentator noted, Saudi pot calls the kettle black. Got me very curious, too.

 

[newbie]

the competing news agencies are really tight lipped.

Al Jazeera, published in Qatar says

The dispute between Qatar and the Gulf's Arab countries escalated after a recent hack of Qatar's state-run news agency. It has spiralled since.

Following the hacking on Tuesday, comments falsely attributed to Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, were broadcast in Qatar.

Qatar's government categorically denied that the comments, in which the country's leader expressed support for Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Israel - while suggesting that US President Donald Trump may not last in power, were ever made.

"There are international laws governing such crimes, especially the cyberattack. [The hackers] will be prosecuted according to the law," Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar's foreign minister, said on Wednesday.

UAE-based Sky News Arabia and Al Arabiya kept running the discredited story, despite the Qatari denials.

while Al Arabiya from the UAE just publishes bland statements like this from SA

“Qatar has also supported the activities of the Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the Qatif province of Saudi Arabia and in neighboring Kingdom of Bahrain. It has also financed, adopted and is harboring extremists who seek to destabilize unity at home and abroad. It has used the media that seeks to fan internal strife. Saudi Arabia has also been made aware that authorities in Doha have supported Houthi militias even after the declaration of the coalition to support the legitimate government in Yemen,” the statement added.

 

[elbows]

Dunno what the actual trigger was, but Libya is conspicuous by its absence in reporting of this story so far.

 

[newbie]

Dunno what the actual trigger was

goes back to Muslim Brotherhood (ie Qatar) support for Morsi I think. Hard to get a real handle on it though

 

[elbows]

goes back to Muslim Brotherhood (ie Qatar) support for Morsi I think. Hard to get a real handle on it though

'Tensions' between Qatar and UAE go back a lot further than that. But certainly Qatar & Al Jazeeras involvement in arab spring uprisings were the most dramatic and obvious signs of serious rivalry between neighbours, surprised it didnt bubble over more at the time.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Yes^^^ long standing irking beefs between Qatar and its neighbours notwithstanding - stance on iran is non critical ( publicly at least) Whereas Dubai runs on unspoken sanction busting Iran business and cash flows, Qatar has open business relations with Iran in gas and shit.

 

[rubbershoes]

Is it sunni / shia beef?

 

[elbows]

Is it sunni / shia beef?

Probably not because if we put Iran and the repressed majority of Bahrains population (as opposed to the regime) to one side, all the protagonists in this spat are Sunni.

 

[Idris2002]

There is no honour among thieves.

 

[Dogsauce]

Hasn't there been long-standing dislike of Al Jazeera by some of the gulf regimes, for occasionally giving it a bit too much of the speaking truth to power? AJ not popular with America's regime either, perhaps this action could be connected to Trump's recent visit, might have been discussed.

 

[CrabbedOne]

As I understand it's not got so much to do with terrorism but is really because Qatar likes to hedge it's bets supports political Islam abroad and hasn't been sufficiently anti-Iranian.

There's also some interesting dynamics involving non-Arab Sunni powers mentioned here: In SCMP WHY SAUDI-UAE CAMPAIGN AGAINST QATAR AND IRAN PUTS CHINA IN A BIND

...
The two men were speaking as the media and cyberwar erupted with Qatari claims that several of its media websites had been hacked with a fake report attributing comments to Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani that were in line with the Gulf state’s policy but that Qatar says he did not make.

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is helping Qatar investigate the alleged hack.

In a leaked email, UAE ambassador to the United States Yousef Al-Otaiba told Gates on the eve of his appearance at the Foundation gathering that “MBZ (UAE Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed sends his best from Abu Dhabi” and “he says ‘give them hell tomorrow’.”

Al-Otaiba was responding to an email in which Gates said that his appearance gave him a chance “to put some folks on notice”.

Scores of Muslim nations signed up for a military alliance created in 2015 by Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, initially to support the kingdom’s military intervention in Yemen. The alliance’s purpose was reformulated to counter political violence when it became clear that many Muslim nations, including Malaysia, Indonesia, and Pakistan, were reluctant to become embroiled in what has become for the kingdom a fiasco and public relations disaster.

Non-Arab Muslim nations, insisting that their commitment was to protect the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and to counter political violence, were equally hesitant of being sucked into the kingdom’s military confrontation with Iran.

Monday’s rupture in Arab diplomatic relations with Qatar and military alliance suspension raises the stakes for many non-Arab Muslim nations. It threatens to jeopardise their relations with Qatar, a major gas supplier and economic and commercial partner, and force them to choose between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The Trump administration is also keen to punish anyone backing Hamas.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Won't anyone think about the world cup!?!??!

 

[CrabbedOne]

On AT Pakistani rethink on Islamic pact points to growing schism

...
Senator Aziz made efforts to allay members’ apprehensions – but in the process created more confusion. He assured the house that “it was wrong to say that the coalition was against Iran” but in the same breadth admitted, “It is unfortunate that Syria, Yemen, and Iran are divided along sectarian lines and the Riyadh summit may have deepened those divides.”

In the aftermath of Riyadh, the general perception in Pakistan about the IMA has changed. General Sharif has lost much of the popular support he once enjoyed while leading Operation Zarb-e-Azab, a military-led war against terror in Pakistan. He now commands a military alliance that does not have definite objectives and lacks unanimity and direction concerning the “targets” it is supposed to take on.

“It’s an unnatural alliance that has nothing in common insofar as coalition partners are concerned as every country which is named a partner has its own perception and specification of terrorism,” Professor Hamdani, an expert on international relations, told Asia Times on Sunday. He observed that a large part of Pakistan’s Shiite population did not approve of any Islamic force without representation from Shiite majority states, including Iran. The government could therefore land in trouble the moment this military alliance is operationalized against Iran or Iranian “strategic partners” in Iraq, Syria, or Lebanon, he added.

Media reports are already reporting cracks in the coalition as some partners, including Qatar – with whom several other Arab have just cut ties – have opposed linking Iran with terrorism. The emir of Qatar’s speech post-Riyadh signaled a widening split within the military alliance and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). His assertion that “the real danger lies in the behavior of certain governments which have bred terrorism themselves, by adopting an extreme version of Islam,” is indicative of a widening polarization within the Islamic world.

This (Sunni only) Arab-NATO idea that Trump's been promoting is basically a very stupid destabilising idea.

 

[CrabbedOne]

On Pakistan Today Tied at the stake

...
President Trump’s speech at the US-Arab summit in Riyadh was the spark that lit up the reality better than anything else. It showed that the US regarded the alliance primarily as an anti-Iranian affair, and the PM, who was in seemingly invisible and mute attendance, should have immediately drawn the correct conclusions regarding Pakistan’s membership of an organisation lacking transparency, and held together by a gossamer thread. But then personal relationships define his diplomacy.

Already, cracks are appearing in the alliance, particularly with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, fuelled by a quarrel with the Qatari Emir over veracity of his descent from the founder of Wahabiism, alleged contacts with Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Commander and congratulating President Rouhani on his re-election which led to banning of Qatari television channel Al-Jazeera, and differences with the Sultan of Oman, who also favours ties with Iran. And President Trump’s flip-flops and policy somersaults are another tenuous link.
...

Another Pakistani view.

 

[CrabbedOne]

In Haaretz The Qatar-Iran Gas Field Behind the Diplomatic War in the Middle East

...
Qatar-Iran cooperation

In April 2017, Qatar lifted a self-imposed ban on developing the world's biggest natural gas in an attempt to stave off an expected rise in competition.
...

And then there is the LNG South Pars aspect. This potentially can get quite geopolitical.

 

[agricola]

The Trump administration is also keen to punish anyone backing Hamas.

This is going to end with a drone strike on an Islington allotment, isn't it?

 

[Teaboy]

Won't anyone think about the world cup!?!??!

I, for one, would have no interest in watching a football World Cup which is boycotted by the likes of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

 

[CrabbedOne]

I, for one, would have no interest in watching a football World Cup which is boycotted by the likes of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

On TDS Arab states cut Qatar ties in major diplomatic crisis

...
Kristian Ulrichsen, a Gulf expert at the U.S-based Baker Institute, said if Qatar's land borders and air space were closed for any length of time "it would wreak havoc on the timeline and delivery" of the World Cup.

Football authorities said they were in contact with Qatar.
...

 

[elbows]

I see the eastern Libya 'government' (House of Reps) cut ties as well - not surprising as that version of government is allied with Hafters army, Egypt & the UAE. As opposed to some of the other groups in Libya which were blatantly supported by Qatar dating back to the overthrow of Gaddafi (Belhadj etc).

 

[agricola]

As one commentator noted, Saudi pot calls the kettle black. Got me very curious, too.

I just think its fantastic that whilst our government plots implausible measures to deal with savage terrorism, their government plots savage measures to deal with implausible terrorism.

 

[CrabbedOne]

I just think its fantastic that whilst our government plots implausible measures to deal with savage terrorism, their government plots savage measures to deal with implausible terrorism.

It's much easier when you've defined "terrorism" as any kind of organised political dissent.

 

[Teaboy]

On TDS Arab states cut Qatar ties in major diplomatic crisis

There must be a downside to all this somewhere.

 

[elbows]

There must be a downside to all this somewhere.

Depends how comprehensive and longlasting the border closure is - apparently up to 40% of food for Qatar comes by truck from Saudi Arabia.

 

[petee]

sunni / shia beef?

here's a sunny shia labeouf

 

[editor]

The World Cup in Qatar? Yep, that's a brilliant idea.

 

[1%er]

The Yanks are likely to want to stay out of this spat as their biggest Military base in the region is in Qatar, also their Air Operations Center for Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria etc is based there.

Qatar is also where the leadership (who are not in jail) of the Muslim Brotherhood are now based and they are seen as a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and some others in the region, so its little wonder that Egypt have joined the other states, as Qatar has been very vocal about the Egyptian government and the overthrow of the elected government (ironic really).

This may not be the only reason as Qatar have also been criticized and accused of funding both al-Qaeda and Daesh at the Gulf Cooperation Council (the local regional alliance). For sure Trump's visit has pushed things (as Iran have been saying) as Qatar is the main voice in the region that is opposed to the USA policy towards Iran.

This has been brewing as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE have been blocking a number of Qatar news agency including Al Jazeera for a few weeks.

 

[gawkrodger]

of relevance

Subscribe to read

edit: as it now seems to be behind a paywall

The $1bn hostage deal that enraged Qatar’s Gulf rivals
Doha reportedly paid al-Qaeda affiliate and Iran to win release of royal hunting party

Qatar paid up to $1bn to release members of the Gulf state’s royal family who were kidnapped in Iraq while on a hunting trip, according to people involved in the hostage deal — one of the triggers behind Gulf states’ dramatic decision to cut ties with Doha. Commanders of militant groups and government officials in the region told the Financial Times that Doha spent the money in a transaction that secured the release of 26 members of a Qatari falconry party in southern Iraq and about 50 militants captured by jihadis in Syria. By their telling, Qatar paid off two of the most frequently blacklisted forces of the Middle East in one fell swoop: an al-Qaeda affiliate fighting in Syria and Iranian security officials. The deal, which was concluded in April, heightened concerns among Qatar’s neighbours about the small gas-rich state’s role in a region plagued by conflict and bitter rivalries. And on Monday, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain took the extraordinary step of cutting off diplomatic ties and transport links to Qatar, alleging the country fuels extremism and terrorism. “The ransom payments are the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said one Gulf observer. Doha denies it backs terrorist groups and dismissed the blockade by its neighbours as “founded on allegations that have no basis in fact”. It said it could not immediately respond to a request for comment on the hostage deal. But a person close to the Qatari government acknowledged that “payments” were made. The person was unaware of the amounts or where the money went. Qatar, a US ally that hosts an American military base, has long drawn the ire of its neighbours, who consider Doha an irritating regional maverick. The world’s top exporter of liquefied natural gas, it has used its immense wealth to court relations from London to Washington and Tokyo. But critics accuse it of seeking to punch above its weight diplomatically, meddling in regional affairs and using the Arabic channel of Al Jazeera, the satellite television network it set up, as a propaganda tool. Doha has a history of reaching out to all kinds of controversial groups, from rebels in Sudan’s Darfur region to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas in Gaza. Qatar touts itself as a neutral player that can act as an intermediary in regional conflicts. But its critics, notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE, allege it also uses such interventions to play both sides and fund radical Islamist groups, most recently in Libya and Syria. And to Doha’s critics, the hostage deal was further evidence of that role. Related article What is behind the extraordinary Gulf dispute with Qatar? Doha’s alleged support for terrorism pits vital US allies in Middle East against each other “If you want to know how Qatar funds jihadis, look no further than the hostage deal,” said a Syrian opposition figure who has worked with an al-Qaeda mediator on hostage swaps in Syria. “And this isn’t the first — it is one of a series since the beginning of the war.” The Financial Times spoke to people involved on both sides of the hostage swap deal, including two government officials in the region, three Iraqi Shia militia leaders and two Syrian opposition figures. Around $700m was paid both to Iranian figures and the regional Shia militias they support, according to regional government officials. They added that $200m to $300m went to Islamist groups in Syria, most of that to Tahrir al-Sham, a group with links to al-Qaeda. Those who spoke to the FT said the deal highlighted how Qatar has allegedly used hostage payments to bankroll jihadis in Syria. But to its Gulf neighbours, the biggest issue is likely to be the fact that Doha could have paid off their main regional rival, Iran, which they accuse of fuelling conflicts in the Arab world. This particular saga began when an Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militia, known as Kata’eb Hizbollah, kidnapped the Qataris in December 2015. Three Iraqi militia leaders say the hostages were held in Iran. Kata’eb Hizbollah is an Iraqi group but it is seen as having links with Iran’s main regional proxy, Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The latter is helping Iran back Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, in his country’s six-year conflict. Two regional diplomats said they believed one of the Iraqi group’s motives for the kidnapping was to give Hizbollah and Iran leverage to negotiate the release of Shia fighters kidnapped by the radical Sunni group Tahrir al-Sham in Syria. Tahrir al-Sham, in previous iterations, was an al-Qaeda branch. It claims it has broken the connection, but the international community still views it as an affiliate. Arab neighbours isolate Qatar Play video The hostage transaction was also linked to a separate agreement to facilitate the evacuation of four towns in Syria, two surrounded by jihadi forces and two besieged by Shia militias, say Syrian rebels and diplomats. One western diplomat said the arrangement provided Qatar the “cover” to finance the hostage deal. “Iran and Qatar had long been looking for a cover to do this [hostage] deal, and they finally found it,” he said. According to two opposition figures with close contact with the groups paid, Qatar used the evacuation arrangement to pay $120m-$140m to Tahrir al-Sham. Another $80m, they said, went to the Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham. “The Qataris pay anyone and everyone, to what end? They have only brought about our ruin,” said a Syrian rebel commander, who gave details of the payments but asked not to be identified. A regional Arab official said the total paid to jihadi groups was closer to $300m. Related article Foreign fighters pour into Syria to bolster Assad regime Shia from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and beyond join sectarian conflict “So, if you add that up to the other $700m they paid to Iran and its proxies, that means Qatar actually spent about a billion dollars on this crazy deal,” he said. The Iraqi Shia militia commanders in Iraq, all from hardline Iranian-backed groups, said that, to their knowledge, Iran had obtained around $400m after giving them a payment they would not disclose. They agreed to share some details because they were unhappy about their share of the payment. “They [the Iranians] took the lion’s share,” said a member of one of the Iranian-backed Shia militias in Iraq. “That’s caused some of us to be frustrated, because that was not the deal.” “The hostage deal was perhaps a miscalculation,” said Gerd Nonneman, professor of international relations at Georgetown University in Qatar. “This would have been done in good faith in order to return hostages — there would have been no intention to funnel money to Iran.” Another confusing chapter of the deal is that Haidar al-Abadi, the Iraqi prime minister, said in April his government had seized hundreds of millions of dollars, which Iraqi officials said arrived on Qatari planes “illegally”. It is not clear if this is money is part of the sums mentioned above or an additional amount. “The money all came in suitcases. Can you imagine this?” said one senior official.

Additional reporting by Simeon Kerr in Dubai and

 

[Manter]

Yes^^^ long standing irking beefs between Qatar and its neighbours notwithstanding - stance on iran is non critical ( publicly at least) Whereas Dubai runs on unspoken sanction busting Iran business and cash flows, Qatar has open business relations with Iran in gas and shit.

But why now?

 

[not-bono-ever]

that is a good question- hopefully SA is feeling cornered and is in the volatile throes phase normally exhibited when a creature is under threat as it nears its own extinction

eta, the dominance of gas as opposed to Oil may be a trigger - it is not as easily subjugated to SA whims. Still a shithole of country through