Saudi-Led Bloc Presents 13 Demands to End Qatar Crisis, AP Says

EghtesadOnline: Saudi Arabia and its allies presented Qatar with a list of demands to end a three-week diplomatic crisis that has roiled the Persian Gulf, the Associated Press reported.

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23 June 2017

The 13-point list includes shutting the Al-Jazeera TV network, cutting back diplomatic ties with Iran, severing relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and ending Turkey’s military presence in Qatar, AP said, citing a document from one of the boycotting countries. Those nations -- Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain -- gave Qatar 10 days to respond, AP said.

According to Bloomberg, the demands, presented by Kuwait, which is mediating the conflict, come 18 days after the Saudi bloc accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and took unprecedented punitive steps to hurt its economy, including closing its only land border. Qatar has denied the charge and accuses Saudi Arabia of trying to dominate its smaller neighbors.

Before the list was presented, Qatar’s foreign minister said his country won’t discuss internal issues with the Saudi-led alliance, and would limit any talks on demands to those concerning the “collective security” of the Gulf Cooperation Council. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier this month said he hoped the demands “will be reasonable and actionable” amid frustrations at delays in formulating the list.

The boycotting nations demanded that Qatar stop all funding for individuals, groups or organizations that have been designated as terrorists by Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Egypt, Bahrain, the U.S. and other countries, and hand over any individuals wanted in these countries, AP reported.

Saudi Arabia and its allies are also demanding that Qatar align itself with the other Gulf and Arab countries militarily, politically, socially and economically, the report said.