Men shop for fruits at a food stall outside a mosque in the Saudi city of Taif on July 28, 2017. AMER HILABI/AFP/Getty Images
Department of Justice Officials to Work with Qatar as Part of Anti-Terror Financing Deal
As part of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s counter-terrorism financing deal with Qatar reached during his visit to the country on July 11, the U.S. reportedly will install two Department of Justice officials at the Qatari state prosecutor’s office. The U.S. officials will work with their Qatari counterparts to prosecute financiers of terrorism. The details of the agreement have not yet been made public, however.
UAE Alleges Qatar Cooperation With al-Qaeda in Yemen
Omar Saif Ghobash, the Emirati ambassador to Russia, claimed that the United Arab Emirates has a recording of Qatar working with al-Qaeda in Yemen to disrupt counterterrorism operations there. Ambassador Ghobash claimed, “We have information that our Qatari allies informed al-Qaeda of our precise locations and what we were planning to do [inside Yemen]. We then received four suicide bombers at our door… and had a number of our soldiers injured.” Qatar’s director of communications, Sheikh Saif Al-Thani, asked that the UAE present its evidence through Gulf Cooperation Council channels.
Qatari Emir Expresses Support for Dialogue
On July 21, Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made his first speech on television since the Gulf feud began on June 5. “We are open to dialogue to iron out all the pending issues,” he said, “not only for the benefit of our peoples and governments, but also to spare our region the pointless efforts to dissipate our gains.” Any resolution to the feud, however, must respect Qatar’s sovereignty and not be dictated from outside, he added.
UAE Supports New Qatari Anti-Terrorism Laws
July 21, the United Arab Emirates applauded Qatar’s move to strengthen its anti-terrorism laws by defining terrorism, halting terrorist funding and financing, and creating national anti-terrorism lists.
Tillerson Requests End of Qatar Isolation
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on July 21 asked Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to lift the isolation imposed on Qatar as a “sign of good faith.” Tillerson said the U.S. is happy with the steps Doha has taken to combat terrorism and terrorism financing.
UK Foreign Secretary Calls for End of Qatar Sanctions
On July 23, British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson joined the U.S. in calling for an end to sanctions on Qatar and praised the country’s efforts to fight terrorism. “I welcome the emir of Qatar’s commitment to combat terrorism in all its manifestations, including terrorist financing. We hope in turn Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain respond by taking steps toward lifting the embargo. This will allow substantive discussions on remaining differences to begin.”
Qatari Channels Unblocked in UAE, Saudi Arabia
On July 22, the UAE unblocked Qatar-based BeIN Media channels, which have the TV rights to top soccer leagues and tournaments. Qatar’s state TV network and Al Jazeera are still blocked, however. On July 24, Saudi Arabia announced that a “technical issue” caused Al Jazeera and BeIN sports channel to become unblocked. The websites and channels would be “re-blocked soon,” Saud Al-Qahtani, a Saudi royal court adviser, said on Twitter. Some were skeptical of that explanation, however, and speculated the unblocking was linked to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to the country to try to resolve the feud with Qatar.
New Groups, People Added to Supposed Qatar-Linked Terror List
Saudi state news agency SPA reported on July 24 that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt added 18 more groups and individuals to their list of supposed terrorists linked to Qatar. Added to the list were three Yemeni charities, three Libyan media outlets, two armed groups and a religious foundation. Some of the groups added are already under U.S. sanctions. The statement released by the four countries accused Qatari, Kuwaiti and Yemeni citizens of raising funds for al-Qaeda. It also said that a TV station affiliated with Al Jazeera is suspected of being affiliated with “terrorist groups in Libya.” Qatar has repeatedly denied links to terrorism. Later the same day, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told Al Jazeera, “We see there is a negative behavior aimed at influencing the mediation either through statements or through [media] leaks which [the four countries] launch at critical moments.”
UAE Central Bank Wants Assets Frozen of Newly Designated Qatar-Linked “Terrorists”
The central bank of the United Arab Emirates asked all banks and financial institutions to freeze the bank accounts, investments and deposits of the new people and groups added to the list of supposed terrorists linked to Qatar. The central bank did the same in June for the original 59 people and 12 groups on the list.
Russia Willing to Mediate Gulf Feud
On July 24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is willing to help mediate the dispute if asked. He also said Russia wants to see the feud resolved and that it supports Kuwaiti mediation efforts.
UAE Documentary Links Qatar to 9/11
The UAE released a documentary on July 26 called “Qatar…The Road to Manhattan,” alleging Qatari involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York City. It details 9/11 plotter Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s 1996 trip to Qatar and “Qatar’s long-term support for him, including protection and financial assistance, to achieve his terrorist goals and plans,” according to Gulf News. The documentary was released by Sky News, partly owned by UAE royal family member Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
Qatar Hires Lobbying Firm Founded by Former Trump Campaign Manager
Trying to make inroads to the Donald Trump White House in the midst of the Gulf feud, Qatar has hired Avenue Strategies lobbying firm, founded by Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s former campaign manager. Lately, more and more pro- and anti-Qatar advertisements are being aired on TV, the Internet, and even in public. The firm will “provide research, government relations, and strategic consulting services,” according to documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. Lewandowski left the firm in May.
Mohammed bin Salman Takes Temporary Control of Saudi Arabia While King Is on Vacation
On July 24, Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud left the country for a foreign vacation and turned over control of the country to his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. King Salman’s decree said Mohammed bin Salman would be “managing state affairs and taking care of the interests of the people during the period of our absence from the Kingdom.” It is the first time Mohammed bin Salman will be assuming these responsibilities since he became crown prince in June.
Saudi Arabia Reduces Oil Exports to U.S.
Saudi Arabia has reduced oil exports to the U.S. in an attempt to cut the supply of oil in order to raise prices. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), oil imports from Saudi Arabia for the week ending July 14 stood at 524,000 barrels per day (bpd), the lowest in seven years. The EIA has shown fewer imports from Saudi Arabia since the beginning of June. The average rate of imports for the previous six weeks dropped by 450,000 bpd, or 34 percent, compared to the first six weeks of the year. The Saudi oil minister declared in May that exports to the U.S. would be reduced.
Saudi Arabia Approves Atomic Energy Program
Saudi Arabia on July 24 approved a proposal by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to begin a national atomic energy program. As part of its Vision 2030 economic reform plan, Saudi Arabia plans to produce 9.5 gigawatts of electricity from renewable energy by 2030, in an attempt to become less dependent on oil.
U.N. Says Saudi Coalition Responsible for Somali Migrant Boat Attack
According to the U.N., the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen is responsible for a March attack on a Somali migrant boat off the coast of Yemen that killed 42 people and injured 34. The U.N. also accused Saudi coalition members of using the coalition to escape individual responsibility for their actions.
—Alex Shanahan
