Qatar ‘hacking’ revives Gulf tensions

DOHA: The alleged hack on Qatar’s state news agency may have lasted just four hours, but the impact on already tense ties between Gulf rivals could last a lot longer.

Doha launched an inquiry and went into damage control after accusing hackers of publishing false remarks attributed to Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani on state media.

The stories quoted him questioning US hostility towards Iran, speaking of ‘tensions’ between Doha and Washington, commenting on Hamas and speculating that President Donald Trump might not remain in power for long.

The remarks were supposedly made at a military graduation ceremony.

Doha denied all the comments and said it was the victim of a “shameful cybercrime”.

Analysts say the incident was far more than a security breach and appears once again to have set Qatar against rival Gulf powers.

Some fear it could even trigger a repeat of the situation in 2014, when several Gulf countries recalled their ambassadors from Doha, ostensibly over its support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

They also clashed over political influence across the region, where Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used their vast energy revenues to shape the new political environment amid the upheaval caused by the Arab Spring. — AFP