Global Geo-political Series: Qatar given two-day deadline extension; Saudi Arabia to skip G20 meeting

Instead of responding to Qatar’s proposals for talks, Saudi Arabia-led Gulf countries extended the Qatari deadline for two more days to meet with the list of demands after the original deadline expired on Sunday. Since early June, several Muslim-dominated countries in the Gulf including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt have severed diplomatic and military ties with Qatar, accusing the latter of funding and supporting extremist ideologies, terrorist organizations and meddling in other countries’ affairs. Later the country was given a list of 13-points demand by Kuwait, who is mediating in the current crisis. Here are the details of the demands,

• Iran: Lower representation with Iran, close attaches, IRGC and elements affiliated should leave Qatar. Limit cooperation to trade without violating either US and US sanctions or GCC security. Cut military and Intel cooperation with Iran.
• Turkey: Shot down Turkey base that was recently established, stop cooperation with Turkey military inside Qatar territory.
• Terrorism: Qatar declares that it cuts relations all terrorist, sectarian, and ideological groups, on top of them Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS, Qaeda, Fateh Sham (Nusra), Hezbollah.
• Funding: Stop all Qatar funding of any kind to terrorist or extremist individuals, entities or organizations.
• Designations: Qatar hands all those terrorist designated and those requested by four countries (who wrote demands) and terrorist elements on US and International lists, freeze their assets, and don’t harbor more elements in future, offer Intel on members especially related to movement, finances.
• Al-Jazeera: Shut down Al-Jazeera channel and offshoots.
• Interference: Stop interfering other countries’ domestic affairs. Don’t grant citizenship to anyone from 4 countries (who wrote demands), strip citizenship from those that have been granted who violates law of these countries. Cut relations with opposition elements in these countries and hand over relevant files.
• Compensation: Give compensations to victims and losses on 4 countries because of Qatar policy in last few years. Agreement would decide mechanism.
• Riyadh agreement: Qatar commits to be harmonious with its Gulf and Arab surroundings on all levels (militarily, politically, economically, socially), in a way that respects Gulf and Arab security and active Riyadh agreement from 2013 and the second Riyadh agreement in 2014.
• Opposition: Qatar hands over records/data on opposition they supported and kind of support they received.
• Media: Shut down all media supported by Qatar directly or indirectly (for example Arab 21, Rasd, Araby Jadid/new Arab, Sharq, Middle East eye, etc….these are examples not exclusive)
• Time Frame: All these demands have to be agreed in 10 days or will be voided.
• Reports: Agreement will have clear goals and mechanism and will be followed up with periodic reports, monthly for first year, every 3 months for second year and once every year for next 10 years.

Qatar didn’t give in to the demands and said many of those demands can’t be fulfilled as they are not true. Global leaders including those in the United States have called for diplomatic solutions to the current crisis. Saudi Arabia, which was supposed to join other countries at the meeting of the G20 leaders have decided to skip the meeting, raising further tensions.  

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