UAE denies incendiary hack against Qatari site

The United Arab Emirates yesterday denied reports it orchestrated the hacking of a Qatari government news site in May, planting a false story that was used as a pretext for the current crisis between Qatar and several Arab countries.

The report by the Washington Post quotes unnamed US intelligence officials as saying that senior members of the Emirati government discussed the plan on 23 May. On the following day, a story appeared on the Qatari News Agency’s website quoting a speech by Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-thani, in which he allegedly praised Iran and said Qatar has a good relationship with Israel.

The agency claimed it was hacked and removed the article. But Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt all blocked Qatari media and later severed diplomatic ties.

The Emirati Embassy in Washington released a statement in response calling the Post report “false” and insisting that the UAE “had no role whatsoever” in the alleged hacking.