ShareRIYADH: Arab nations including Saudi Arabia and Egypt yesterday cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremism, in the biggest diplomatic crisis to hit the region in years. Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen and the Maldives joined Saudi Arabia and Egypt in severing relations with gas-rich Qatar, with Riyadh accusing Doha of supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, "that aim to destabilize the region".
Qatar reacted with fury, denying any support for extremists and accusing its Gulf neighbors of seeking to put the country under "guardianship". The crisis was likely to have wide-ranging consequences, not just for Qatar and its citizens but around the Middle East and for Western interests. Qatar hosts the largest US airbase in the region, which is crucial to operations against Islamic State group jihadists, and is set to host the 2022 football World Cup.
Yesterday's announcement came less than a month after US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to cement ties with Riyadh and called for a united front among Muslim countries against extremism. It also followed weeks of rising tensions between Doha and its neighbors, including Qatari accusations of a concerted media campaign against it and the alleged hacking of the Qatar News Agency.
The Gulf states and Egypt said they were severing diplomatic ties and closing transport links with Qatar, which relies on imports from its neighbors. The Gulf states banned their citizens from traveling to Qatar and ordered Qatari citizens to leave within 14 days. Saudi Arabia also closed its borders with Qatar, effectively blocking food and other supplies exported by land to Qatar. Supermarkets were besieged by shoppers yesterday as many rushed to buy food, leaving shelves bare and resulting in queues up to 25-people deep at some major stores in central Doha.
The Qatar Stock Exchange tumbled eight percent on opening and eventually closed down 7.58 percent. Riyadh said in a statement its measures were the result of "gross violations committed by authorities in Qatar", accusing Doha of harboring "terrorist and sectarian groups that aim to destabilize the region.
Amir calls Qatar leader
Meanwhile, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has urged Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani to exercise self-restraint and refrain from steps that would escalate the tension. His Highness the Amir, in a phone call with the Qatari Emir, hoped Sheikh Tamim would give a chance to the efforts aimed at "containing the tension." His Highness the Amir reiterated importance of bolstering common Gulf action to serve the "interests of the GCC countries".
Flights cancelled
Economic consequences were already emerging, with UAE carriers Emirates, Etihad, flydubai and Air Arabia, as well as Saudi Airlines, announcing the suspension of all flights to and from Qatar as of today morning. Egypt said it would also suspend air links with Qatar from today and gave Doha's ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. Qatar Airways said it had suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia with immediate effect. The airline-one of the region's busiest-also faced major potential problems after Saudi civil aviation authorities said the country's airspace would be closed to Qatari planes.
Speaking in Sydney, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he did not expect the announcement to have "any significant impact... on the unified fight against terrorism." He encouraged Qatar and its neighbors to "sit down together", adding that Washington was ready for "any role that we can play" in helping to overcome divisions. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also urged Qatar and its neighbors to talk. "Neighbors are permanent; geography can't be changed. Coercion is never the solution. Dialogue is imperative, especially during blessed Ramadan," Zarif tweeted, referring to the Muslim month of fasting.
'Unprecedented tensions'
The crisis is the worst to hit Gulf Arab nations since the creation in 1981 of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) grouping Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. There was no immediate word from Kuwait and Oman yesterday on their ties with Qatar. Last week, the Qatari emir traveled to Kuwait to meet Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah in what was widely seen as an attempt at mediation by the Kuwaitis. "This certainly represents an unprecedented uptick in tensions within the GCC," said Adam Baron, visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "Qatar has long had an independent streak that's led to resentment from its neighbors." Agencies
