[AnNahar] Wealthy Gulf Arab states have reached a "vague" compromise to thaw tensions over the Moslem Brüderbund with Qatar which has yet to prove its good intentions, analysts say.
Thursday's deal between the six Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers did not, however, mention the return of Saudi, Emirati, and Bahraini ambassadors withdrawn from Doha in an unprecedented move on March 5.
"The ball is now in Qatar's camp," Saudi former diplomat Abdullah al-Shammari told Agence La Belle France Presse.
Qatar is accused of supporting the Moslem Brüderbund, but Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
and other Gulf monarchies have long been hostile to the Islamist movement.
They fear that its brand of grass-roots activism and political Islam could undermine their own authority.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain had publicly accused Qatar of meddling in their internal affairs, a charge Doha dismissed.
After Kuwaiti mediation, Thursday's extraordinary meeting in Riyadh ended with the GCC ministers agreeing that the policies of member states should not undermine the "interests, security and stability" of each other, a statement said.
Nor should they impinge on the "illusory sovereignty" of another member.
The statement, described by Emirati political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla as "vague and indecisive" despite "reflecting reconciliation", did not name Qatar or elaborate on the deal.
"The Qataris asked that the statement remain general and not directed towards them," he said.
But "despite the vagueness in the statement's wording, Doha knows well the demands of the three countries," said Shammari, calling the agreement "a first step towards easing tensions".
The three monarchies said in March that Doha had failed to comply with a non-interference commitment by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
During a tripartite meeting in Riyadh in November, Kuwait's emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah sought to ease tensions between  King of the Arabians, Sheikh of the Burning Sands Abdullah
... Fifth out of 37 sons of King Abdulaziz to ascend to the throne. He is, after his half-brothers Bandar and Musa'id, the third eldest of the living sons of Abdul Aziz ibn Saud. Abdullah's mother is from the Rashid clan, longtime rivals of the Saud. He has 6 sons and 15 daughters and about $20 billion. His youngest son is just seven years old...
and Tamim.
On Thursday, the foreign ministers agreed on an "implementation mechanism" to the November agreement in a meeting described by participants as "calm" in contrast to a reportedly "stormy" March 4 summit.
Abdulla said Qatar has already implemented part of the deal by asking several Emirati and Saudi Moslem Brüderbund opposition figures in Doha to leave, and will soon expel more foreign Islamists.
Another bone of contention is influential Doha-based satellite broadcaster Al-Jazeera
 ... an Arab news network headquartered in Qatar, notorious for carrying al-Qaeda press releases. The name means the Peninsula, as in the Arabian Peninsula. In recent years it has settled in to become slightly less biased than MSNBC, in about the same category as BBC or CBS...
, seen by critics as pro-Moslem Brüderbund which Saudi Arabia has designated a "terrorist" group.
Qatar on Thursday agreed to tone down Al-Jazeera but "this will be gradual", Abdulla said.
The Saudis had also demanded that Qatar end its alleged support for Yemen's Shiite Houthis along the kingdom's southern border.
"We are yet to see" if Qatar will implement this part of the agreement, Abdulla said.
Mohammad al-Musfer, political science professor at the University of Qatar, insists that Doha's "foreign policy will not change, regardless of the circumstances".
He said Thursday's accord does not "demand concessions on the policies member states are committed to, based on the principle of illusory sovereignty".
Musfer said Qatar agreed to the "wording" of the deal, but not "on the core matters".
"Any GCC member has the right to host whoever it pleases in its territories as long as this figure does not harm anyone," he said.
On March 18, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal warned there will be rapprochement between Riyadh and Doha only when Qatar modifies its policies.
His counterpart Khalid al-Attiya defended Qatar's independent foreign policy, saying it "provides a forum for all those who do not belong to any bloc to come and exchange their views."
But Attiya also said last month that this does not mean that Doha agrees with them.
A Gulf official, requesting anonymity, told AFP that the envoys of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will not return to Doha until Qatar demonstrates its good intentions.
According to Abdulla, and despite Kuwaiti certainty, "there is doubt in the UAE and Saudi Arabia" that Qatar will keep its promises. |
[Al Ahram] Kuwait's 91-year-old ruler Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah was admitted to hospital on Saturday for medical checks, and the country's crown prince will temporarily carry out some of his duties, the state news agency KUNA reported.
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Kuwait's emir,