The four Arab countries involved in a diplomatic row
with Qatar have given the oil-rich nation a 10-day
ultimatum to meet 13 demands, including shutting
down Al Jazeera media network, before normalcy can
be restored.
The four countries are Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain.
Reuters said the demands are likely to infuriate Doha
and exacerbate the region’s worst crisis in decades.
Al Jazeera reported that the list was presented to
Qatar by neighbouring Kuwait, which is acting as a
mediator in the crisis.
It was released more than two weeks after Saudi
Arabia led a coordinated freeze by nine countries on
diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar.
Apart from shutting Al Jazeera and its affiliates, other
conditions given to Qatar are: halting the development
of a Turkish military base in the country, reducing
diplomatic ties with Iran, cutting ties to terrorist
organisations, stop interfering in the four countries’
affairs and stopping the practice of giving Qatari
nationality to citizens of the four countries.
Qatar has yet to publicly respond to the demands.
The Arab nations cut ties with Qatar on June 5,
accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilising
the region.
Qatar — which shares its only land border with Saudi
Arabia — has rejected the accusations, calling them
“unjustified and baseless.”
TheCable
0 Comments