Saudi, UAE,
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have said they are
withdrawing their ambassadors from Qatar because Doha had not implemented
an agreement among Gulf Arab countries not to interfere in each others'
internal affairs.
The three countries said the move was necessary "to protect their security
and stability".
According to a report published by Saudi state media on Wednesday, the
decision to withdraw diplomatic envoys was made because Qatar did not
implement a security pact about non-interference in the internal affairs of
the other states that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
A joint statement from the three countries claimed Qatar failed to commit
"to the principles" of the GCC.
A security agreement signed last year by the GCC focused on co-operation in
the exchange of information and tracking down of criminals and those who
broke the law.
Qatar's government said it expressed "disappointment and surprise at the
statement issued by the brotherly countries".
"The moves taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain have
nothing to do with their national interests nor their security and
stability, but there is a difference of opinion and position on a number of
issues outside the Gulf Co-operation Council."
The statement further said that Qatar was committed to "brotherly
principles concerning their brothers in the council".
Qatari viewpoint
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the former
Qatar ambassador to the UN and US, called the decision "a big mistake".
"It is unfortunate that some of them [GCC countries] are trying to force
Qatar to take certain policies which have nothing to do with the Gulf,
nothing to do with Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain."
"The whole issue is really about Sisi," he said, referring to the Egyptian
general Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who removed Mohamed Morsi from the presidency
last year.
"These countries, they are supporting a coup d'etat where thousands of
Egyptians are being killed in front of the whole world. And they want Qatar
to support such a policy," Khalifa said.
"But we will never support any regime which kills its own people."
"I am sure in the days after that wisdom will come and these countries will
realise that trying to impose the philosophy of my way and the highway will
not work with Qatar," Khalifa said.
The joint statement said GCC members had signed an agreement on November 23
not to back "anyone threatening the security and stability of the GCC
whether as groups or individuals - via direct security work or through
political influence, and not to support hostile media."
GCC foreign ministers had met in Riyadh on Tuesday to try to persuade Qatar
to implement the agreement, it said.
"But unfortunately, these efforts did not result in Qatar's agreement to
abide by these measures, which prompted the three countries to start what
they saw as necessary, to protect their security and stability, by
withdrawing their ambassadors from Qatar starting from today, March 5
2014," the statement said.
The move is thought to be unprecedented in the three-decade history of the
GCC, a pro-Western alliance of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE
and Oman.
The Qatar stock exchange closed 2.09 percent down following the decision.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/saudi-uae-bahrain-withdraw-qatar-envoys-20143591141945753.html
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have said they are
withdrawing their ambassadors from Qatar because Doha had not implemented
an agreement among Gulf Arab countries not to interfere in each others'
internal affairs.
The three countries said the move was necessary "to protect their security
and stability".
According to a report published by Saudi state media on Wednesday, the
decision to withdraw diplomatic envoys was made because Qatar did not
implement a security pact about non-interference in the internal affairs of
the other states that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
A joint statement from the three countries claimed Qatar failed to commit
"to the principles" of the GCC.
A security agreement signed last year by the GCC focused on co-operation in
the exchange of information and tracking down of criminals and those who
broke the law.
Qatar's government said it expressed "disappointment and surprise at the
statement issued by the brotherly countries".
"The moves taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain have
nothing to do with their national interests nor their security and
stability, but there is a difference of opinion and position on a number of
issues outside the Gulf Co-operation Council."
The statement further said that Qatar was committed to "brotherly
principles concerning their brothers in the council".
Qatari viewpoint
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the former
Qatar ambassador to the UN and US, called the decision "a big mistake".
"It is unfortunate that some of them [GCC countries] are trying to force
Qatar to take certain policies which have nothing to do with the Gulf,
nothing to do with Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates or Bahrain."
"The whole issue is really about Sisi," he said, referring to the Egyptian
general Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who removed Mohamed Morsi from the presidency
last year.
"These countries, they are supporting a coup d'etat where thousands of
Egyptians are being killed in front of the whole world. And they want Qatar
to support such a policy," Khalifa said.
"But we will never support any regime which kills its own people."
"I am sure in the days after that wisdom will come and these countries will
realise that trying to impose the philosophy of my way and the highway will
not work with Qatar," Khalifa said.
The joint statement said GCC members had signed an agreement on November 23
not to back "anyone threatening the security and stability of the GCC
whether as groups or individuals - via direct security work or through
political influence, and not to support hostile media."
GCC foreign ministers had met in Riyadh on Tuesday to try to persuade Qatar
to implement the agreement, it said.
"But unfortunately, these efforts did not result in Qatar's agreement to
abide by these measures, which prompted the three countries to start what
they saw as necessary, to protect their security and stability, by
withdrawing their ambassadors from Qatar starting from today, March 5
2014," the statement said.
The move is thought to be unprecedented in the three-decade history of the
GCC, a pro-Western alliance of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE
and Oman.
The Qatar stock exchange closed 2.09 percent down following the decision.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/saudi-uae-bahrain-withdraw-qatar-envoys-20143591141945753.html
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