Qatar isolation can last for years, says GarGash

paris — The UAE said on Monday the Arab states could continue to isolate Qatar ‘for years’ if it did not alter its foreign policy.

“We do not want to escalate, we want to isolate,” the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, told journalists during a visit to Paris.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on June 5 over Doha’s role in fomenting instability in the Middle East, funding terrorism and cosying up to Iran, accusations that Qatar denies.

“Qatar will realise that this is a new state of affairs and isolation can last for years. If they want to be isolated because of their perverted view of what their political role is, then let them be isolated. They are still in a phase of denial and anger,” Dr Gargash said.

Dr Gargash said the priority concern was in dealing with Doha’s links to Al Qaeda and other extremist groups across the region as well as its ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and the Hamas group.

“They have built a sophisticated podium for jihadism and extremism,” he said.

“They support groups linked to Al Qaeda in Syria, Libya... and in Yemen.

“This state is weaponising jihadists and extremists, it is using this as a weapon of influence,” he added.

In the next few days, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt will submit a list of demands to Qatar, which is likely to include the expulsion of radical individuals.

“There must be some people who are wise in Qatar and who will prevail, hopefully within the ruling family,” Dr Gargash said.

“This is not about regime change, it is about behaviour change,” he added.

Dr Gargash said there was a risk Iran and Turkey would try to fill the vacuum caused by the rift, but urged Ankara, which has supported Doha, to be neutral.

“It’s early days. Turkey is trying to balance between its ideological zeal and its national interests. We are still in the phase and let’s hope they are wise and understand that what we are doing is in its best interest,” he said. —

If they want to be isolated because of their perverted view of what their political role is, then let them be isolated. They are still in a phase of denial and anger. Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs

Anwar Mohammed Gargash said the Saudi and Emirati led boycott could last for years if Qatar does not fall in line with the GCC’s policy that puts regional security first.

Then, Qatar is prosperous, its people rich and drawing from vast deposits of natural gas.

“Qatar’s reliance on oil and natural gas is likely to persist for the foreseeable future. Proved natural gas reserves exceed 25 trillion cubic meters — 13 per cent of the world total and, among countries, third largest in the world — and proven oil reserves exceed 25 billion barrels, allowing production to continue at current levels for about 56 years,” according to a CIA report on the country. That’s a longterm prediction and Doha calculates that this wealth will see it through the current boycott, which it terms a ‘blockade’ to garner sympathy.

As the worst crisis in its short history shows no signs of abating, the tiny peninsular nation, which literally sticks out like a sore thumb in the Arabian Gulf, believes it is insulated from the shock. Wealth will help it tide over sanctions imposed on it, the leadership feels.

‘Time is on our side,’ is the thinking in Doha. Best to wait it out for the storm to blow over because it’s the economy, stupid! The country may have reasons to be gung ho, but that was in January when the International Monetary Fund said Qatar’s “competitiveness indicators are the strongest in the GCC region”.

The IMF said GDP is projected to reach 3.4 per cent in 2017 as “it effectively adjusts to the new reality of sustained lower energy prices”. Construction of infrastructure for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was expected to get a boost by the end of the year, and everything would be hunky dory. That was not to be with these developments.

Let’s just say the past caught up with the tiny nation. And this hoary past extends to the 1960s, even before the country came into being when it hosted hate-mongering Egyptian preacher Yusuf Al Qaradawi of the Muslim Brotherhood. Qatar Charity leads funding for these terror groups.

Hamas, the Palestianian group, has benefited the most. Khaled Mashaal, its leader reportedly lives the good life in a five-star hotel in Doha. It also supports Libyan militants and is believed to have shipped $3 billion and 70 planeloads of arms to rebel forces in Syria.

According to the US Treasury Department, Qatar had links to Al Qaeda in Iraq which later transformed into Daesh.

Some $2 million per month was paid to the organisation in Iraq, $576,000 to Al Qaeda in Syria, and $250,000 to Somali terror group, Al Shabaab.

That was money well spent, Qatar thought, but it may have gone too far when a $1 billion ransom was paid for some Qatar royals who were taken hostage in Iraq by militia last year.

The Iran-brokered deal increased suspicions about its intentions, because a state player that was opposed to the GCC was involved in the transaction.

Iran, with its ‘revolution of terror’, was not someone to do business with, yet Qatar went ahead and is now on the verge of being branded a regional pariah.