Arab states not seeking ‘regime change,’ minister says

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A top United Arab Emirates official said Saturday the Arab countries isolating Qatar do not seek to force out the country’s leadership over allegations it supports extremist ideology but are willing to cut ties altogether if it does not agree to their demands.

Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told reporters in Dubai that his country and its allies do not want “regime change” in Qatar, but a “behavioral change.”

He described the six-member, Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council that includes his country and Qatar as being in a state of crisis as a result of the standoff, and he referred to Qatar as a “Trojan horse” within the group of Arab monarchies that would be isolated for the long term if it does not capitulate.

“The alternative is not escalation. The alternative is parting of ways,” he said. “It’s very difficult for us to maintain a collective grouping with one of the partners ... actively promoting what is an extremist and terrorist agenda.”

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain presented a 13-point list of demands to Qatar on Thursday and gave it 10 days to take action. They have signaled that if Qatar refuses to comply by the deadline, they will continue to restrict its access to land, sea and air routes indefinitely amid mounting economic pressure on the Persian Gulf nation.

Qatar says it is reviewing the ultimatum, which includes demands to shut Al-Jazeera and cut ties with Islamist groups including the Muslim Brotherhood. But it has also said it won’t negotiate while under siege.

The countries have previously suggested the demands were their bottom line, though Gargash on Saturday appeared to allow for the possibility for some negotiation facilitated by Kuwait, a GCC member mediating the crisis.

“It is understood that any mediator — that’s his job. The job is to take your ... position and to look at the position of the other party and to try and reach something that is doable,” Gargash said.

Qatar has long denied that it supports extremist groups and funds terrorism. But it acknowledges that it allows members of some groups such as Hamas to live in Qatar, arguing that fostering dialogue is key to resolving global conflicts.

The demands from Qatar’s neighbors amount to a call for a sweeping overhaul of Qatar’s foreign policy.