UAE Competed to Host Taliban Office

BUSINESS | Page 1 SPORT | Page 1 Barcelona block Neymar’s INDEX DOW JONES QE NYMEX QATAR 2-6, 20 COMMENT 18, 19 Economic and liquidity $31mn REGION 7 BUSINESS 1–6, 11-16 conditions key to rate 21,963.92 9,308.91 49.16 ARAB WORLD 7 CLASSIFIED 7-11 +72.80 -97.15 -1.01 INTERNATIONAL 8–17 SPORTS 1–8 decisions, says QCB bonus +0.33% -1.03% -2.01% Latest Figures published in QATAR since 1978 WEDNESDAY Vol. XXXVIII No. 10533 August 2, 2017 Dhul-Qa’da 10, 1438 AH GULF TIMES www. gulf-times.com 2 Riyals NHRC chief in UK meeting Our Say US deputes 2 envoys to solve Gulf crisis By Faisal Abdulhameed US Secretary of State al-Mudahka lauds Emir’s eff orts to Editor-in-Chief end rift; calls for dialogue and concessions to reach Gulf crisis, beating solution around the bush! Tillerson confirms s the Gulf crisis drags on, Qatar Qatar’s commitment to is gaining more leverage, both at UK Foreign and Commonwealth Off ice director general (political) Karen Pierce met with National Human Rights Committee implementing agreement Athe regional and international (NHRC) chairman Dr Ali bin Sumaikh al-Marri in London yesterday. The meeting reviewed the bilateral relations and means of on combating terrorism levels. The latest gain was the directive strengthening and developing them, in addition to issues of common concern. issued by ICAO, asking the blockaders to financing comply with the Chicago Convention. The July 30 Manama meeting backfi red QNA on the quartet as it highlighted the con- Washington tradictions persisting among them. This is a quick recall: On June 5, the siege countries imposed an arbitrary atar is committed to imple- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson blockade on Qatar. Following inter- UAE competed to host menting the memorandum of national pressure, they issued an im- Qunderstanding (MoU) signed AFP adds: The US Secretary of State aginary list of 13 demands which was between Washington and Doha on the said he has asked two offi cials, including rejected by Qatar. On July 5, the quar- fi ght against the fi nancing of terror- retired general and former Middle East tet came out with the ‘Six Cairo Prin- ism, said US Secretary of State Rex envoy Anthony Zinni, to work to end the ciples’ with no mentioning of the 13 Taliban offi ce: NYT Tillerson, adding that it is important to crisis. demands. Then on July 30, the block- build confi dence at both bilateral and On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the aders met in Manama and expressed Otaiba changes colours an embassy in their own country, ac- group Hamas was also arranged with regional level to end the Gulf crisis. United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut their willingness to sit for a dialogue, cording to the New York Times. American approval.) “The United States is following the ties with key US ally Qatar, accusing it provided that Doha implements the faster than a chameleon “Three former American offi cials, Over the weekend, The Times ob- Gulf crisis and is concerned about it of backing extremism and building ties list of 13 demands and the Six Cairo however, confi rmed this week that the tained a leaked e-mail dated September because it contributes to destabilising with Iran. Principles. In other words, the block- QNA UAE had initially sought the Taliban 12, 2011, for the Emirati ambassador the Gulf region and undermines unity Qatar, home to the largest US air aders have been beating around the Washington embassy,” the newspaper added. in Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, who among the GCC countries, which the base in the Middle East, has denied the bush. With the Manama meeting, the The report added that, “American according to the e-mail, even received United States considers an important claims but has agreed to Kuwait acting Gulf crisis went back to square one. offi cials have regularly said that Qatar “an angry phone call” from the UAE council in maintaining stability in the as a mediator and has come to an agree- However, a new development at he United Arab Emirates (UAE) agreed to host the Taliban offi ce as part Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed at region,” Tillerson told a news confer- ment with Washington to fi ght terror the Manama meeting was the injec- frequently accused Qatar of abet- of a broader American-led eff ort to fa- the time complaining that the Taliban ence in Washington. fi nancing. tion of the word ‘dialogue’. To be fair, Tting Islamist militants, citing as cilitate peace talks in Afghanistan, not had ended up in Qatar and not the UAE. He praised the eff orts exerted by His The parties to the dispute are still not the word dialogue seemed to have one prime example the 2013 opening of because of any support for the Taliban Al-Otaiba said: “They want to be in Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin in direct talks, however, and Washing- been forcefully inserted as a deco- a Taliban offi ce in Doha. However, Emi- or their ideology.” (The opening of a the middle of everything those guys,” Hamad al-Thani in his interaction with ton is keen to pressure its allies in the ration and is meant for foreign con- ratis also tried to get the Taliban to open Qatar offi ce of the Palestinian militant referring to the Qataris. To Page 20 mediation eff orts aimed at resolving the region to mend ties and work together sumption. The meeting also did not Gulf crisis since the fi rst day of the rift. against extremism. fail to add some lies about Qatar, the The Secretary of State noted that the Tillerson told reporters that Qatar is top among them being the claim that United States continues its eff orts and so far fulfi lling its commitment to the Qatar asked for the internationalisa- contacts with all sides of the Gulf crisis United States, but that he had sent sen- tion of the Haj pilgrimage. on a nearly daily basis, adding that re- ior US diplomat Tim Lenderking to the Saudi Arabia has been using reli- solving the crisis requires “signifi cant region to push for progress. gion as a tool in its blockade on Doha. ‘No political prisoner in Qatar; concessions”, which the United States is “And I’ve also asked retired General It imposed unjust restrictions on Qa- now working with the parties concerned. Anthony Zinni to go with Tim so that tar residents, who want to perform He stressed the parties need to sit we can maintain a constant pressure on the Haj. Qatar has only complained to siege nations have thousands’ down and start a dialogue on the causes the ground because I think that’s what the UN about the unjust restrictions. of diff erences in order to reach a solu- it’s going to take,” he said. Riyadh politicised Haj. tion. “There’s only so much you can do In a nutshell, the blockaders have Fair distribution of expressing their opinions. Tillerson asserted that the United with telephone persuasion.” missed several face-saving opportu- “Of late they have stipulated a law States is committed to resolving this Zinni, now 73, was a Marine gen- nities to end their crisis. They could wealth is behind Qatar’s that provides for up to 15 years in jail for dispute and restoring the unity of the eral who once commanded US forces in have availed of the opportunity of the success those expressing sympathy with Qatar.” Gulf, because America “believes its uni- the Middle East. After the military he MoU signed between the US and Qa- He said that even those who took ty is very important to help defeat the served as special envoy to Israel and the tar on combating terrorism on July Arrayah part in the conspiracy to overthrow the ISIS group (Daesh)”. Palestinian Authority. Pages 2, 20 11. Saudi Arabia could have taken the Doha regime in 1995, were eventually par- Haj opportunity and lifted the re- doned by His Highness the Emir. strictions on Qataris. HE al-Attiyah recalled that some of Dialogue the only way to save GCC, says minister The blockaders have reached a atar prides itself on having no them (the conspirators) were employ- phase where a sense of loss is preva- political prisoners while the ees at Qatar Petroleum while he was the HE the Minister of State for Defence have the responsibility of rescuing lent. His Highness the Emir Sheikh Qprisons of the blockading coun- Minister of Energy and Industry. “Their Aff airs, Dr Khalid bin Mohamed whatever remains of this unique Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani wel- tries are full of them, HE Abdullah bin salaries were withheld because of being al-Attiyah, has said that the GCC entity in the Arab World. comed dialogue in his July 21 speech, Hamad al-Attiyah, chairman of Abdul- HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah convicted of illegal actions,” he said is not comprised only of the three HE Dr al-Attiyah said in an interview provided that Qatar’s sovereignty re- lah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Internation- adding he was surprised to receive an countries putting the State of Qatar that even if the siege countries mained untouched, and any solution al Foundation for Energy and Sustain- for Qatar that it has not imprisoned any order from the Emiri Diwan to pay their under siege, but includes all its retracted their violations against is binding on all. Qatar is hopeful the able Development, has said.

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