Tabnak – In the latest development regarding the diplomatic spat between Qatar and some other Arab nations, it was announced today that Saudi Arabia and its allies have delivered a list of their expectations to the Qatari officials. However, observers express doubt whether those demands could even be applicable.
Various international news outlets reported today that Kuwait has given Doha a steep list of demands from Saudi Arabia and its allies boycotting Qatar in an attempt to end the unprecedented diplomatic crisis unfolding in the Persian Gulf region.
According to the list, the Saudi-led bloc wants Qatar to shut down the Doha-based Aljazeera broadcaster, cut back diplomatic ties to Iran, close down a Turkish military base in Qatar and pay an unspecified sum in compensation. Doha is also urged to align itself politically, economically and otherwise with the Saudi-led [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council.
The Saudi regime and its allies also require Qatar to cut all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups, including al-Qaeda and ISIS. Qatar is given 10 days to look into the demands and comply with them.
However, the uncompromising demands leave little prospect for a quick end to the biggest diplomatic crisis for years between Sunni Arab states of Persian Gulf, Reuters cites regional analysts as saying.
"The demands are so aggressive that it makes it close to impossible to currently see a resolution of that conflict," Olivier Jakob, a strategist at Switzerland-based oil consultancy Petromatrix, said.
Ibrahim Fraihat, Conflict Resolution Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, forecast a prolonged stand-off. Qatar would reject the demands as a "non-starter", he said, and its neighbors had already escalated as far as they were likely to go. "Military action remains unlikely at the moment so the outcome after the deadline would be a political stalemate ..."
In reaction to the Saudi list, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said that Ankara does not intend to shut down its military base in Qatar, stressing that the site aims to train Qatari soldiers and increase the tiny Persian Gulf nation's security. Isik stated that "no one should be disturbed by” the Turkish military presence in Qatar.
However, for now the US, a major supporter of Saudi Arabia has sent some mixed messages on the diplomatic crisis. Most recently, The Associated Press reports, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had been frustrated at perceived delays in formulating the list of demands — but the wire service notes the US official also warned the demands should be "reasonable and actionable."
The Washington Post believes that Qatar appeared likely to dismiss many of the demands, including the shuttering of the landmark Aljazeera television as well as its affiliates.
Since its founding in 1996, the Qatari-owned channel has attracted praise and controversy for its frank discussions of delicate topics, its wide coverage of the US-led military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan and its reporting on the Arab uprisings that started in late 2010.
Aljazeera itself has hit back at Arab states' calls for it to be closed down. In a statement, Aljazeera said, "We assert our right to practice our journalism professionally without bowing to pressure from any government or authority."
All in all, with these strict demands raised by the Saudi-led bloc, it seems quite impossible that the crisis with Qatar reaches any kind of swift settlement.
