Arab States Send Qatar 13 Demands to End Crisis

Four Arab states boycotting Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism have sent Doha a list of 13 demands, including closing Aljazeera television and a Turkish military base, an official of one of the four countries said.

The demands aimed at ending the worst Arab crisis in years appear designed to quash a two decade-old foreign policy in which Qatar has punched well above its weight, striding the stage as a peace broker, often in conflicts in Muslim lands, Reuters reported.

The list, compiled by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, which cut economic, diplomatic and travel ties to Doha on June 5, also demands that Qatar must also announce it is severing ties with terrorist, ideological and sectarian organizations.

The four Arab states have lumped Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic State, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah and Jabhat Fateh al Sham, formerly Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, as terrorists.

They accuse Qatar of funding terrorism, fomenting regional instability and supporting Iran. Qatar has denied the accusations.

The countries give Doha 10 days to comply, failing which the list becomes “void”, the official said without elaboration, suggesting that the offer to end the dispute in return for the 13 steps would no longer be on the table.

“The demands, handed to Qatar by mediator Kuwait, also require that Qatar stop interfering in the four countries’ domestic and foreign affairs and stop a practice of giving Qatari nationality to citizens of the four countries,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Qatar must pay reparations to these countries for any damage or costs incurred over the past few years because of Qatari policies,” he added. Any resulting agreement to comply with the demands will be monitored, with monthly reports in the first year, then every three months the next year, then annually for 10 years, the official said without elaborating.