Why did five countries cut ties with Qatar? The decline of Qatar: why the Gulf countries broke off diplomatic relations with Doha Is there anything new in the disagreements with Qatar?
On Monday, June 5, Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies announced they were severing diplomatic ties with Qatar, citing the tiny state's tolerance of Iran and Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt decided to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar just a week after US President Donald Trump visited the region and joined Saudi Arabia in criticizing Iran for supporting terrorists in countries from Syria to Yemen.
1. What caused the diplomatic friction?
It's mainly about Iran. The spark that ignited this fire was a report by the Qatari state news agency, which included comments from Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who criticized the rise of anti-Iranian sentiment. Qatari officials quickly deleted the comment, blamed it on hackers and urged people to remain calm. Criticism from the Saudi Arabian and UAE media escalated after Sheikh Tamim made a phone call to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani over the weekend, showing clear disdain for Saudi Arabia's views.
2. Is it all about tensions between Sunnis and Shiites?
Partly. The Shiite-led Islamic Republic of Iran is the main regional rival of Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia. The two major oil exporters support opposing sides in several conflicts, including in Syria. Explaining the decision to cut diplomatic ties, Saudi Arabia cited Qatar's support for "terrorist groups seeking to destabilize the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State and al-Qaeda" (terrorist organizations banned in the region). territory of the Russian Federation - editor's note). She also accused Qatar of supporting “Iran-sponsored terrorist groups” that operate in the kingdom’s eastern province, as well as in Bahrain.
3. Why did the rupture of diplomatic relations occur now?
The situation became noticeably tenser after Trump's visit. Days after Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz called Iran the world's top sponsor of terrorism, the kingdom and the UAE accused Qatar of trying to thwart plans to isolate Iran. Sheikh Tamim was criticized by newspapers, spiritual leaders and even celebrities. Al Jazeera's Riyadh affiliate accused him of stabbing his neighbors with an Iranian dagger.
4. What do analysts say?
Context
Cyberwar in the Persian Gulf immediately after Trump's visit. Coincidence?
Essada 06/01/2017Al-Jazeera launched an information war against Russia
Al Bayan 05/31/2017How little Qatar conquered a large region
Carnegie Moscow Center 05/13/2017 Inspired by the prospect of strengthening ties with the United States under the Trump administration, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are trying to crush any opposition that seeks to weaken the united front fighting Iranian influence in the Middle East. The two countries are also trying to pressure Qatar to stop providing aid to Islamist movements such as the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.5. What is Iran saying?
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who was re-elected to a second four-year term in May, says his country is ready to begin negotiations to resolve the crisis. At the same time, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who wields more power than Rouhani, said the Saudi regime was experiencing some decline due to its policies in Yemen. In 2015, Saudi Arabia created a coalition of Sunni states to fight Shiite rebels in Yemen, allied to Iran, who had succeeded in overthrowing a Gulf-backed government. The war in Yemen continues.
6. Where else do the interests of Saudi Arabia and Iran collide?
The two states support opposite sides of conflicts in several countries in the region, from Syria to Yemen. Suspicions that Iran was behind cyberattacks on Saudi government agencies threatened to further heighten tensions between the two countries in late 2016. Earlier in 2016, following the execution of an influential Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia, protesters set fire to the Saudi Embassy in Tehran, causing Saudi Arabia to sever diplomatic ties with Iran.
7. Is there anything new in the dispute with Qatar?
In 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily recalled their ambassadors from Qatar. Then the cause of friction was Egypt, where Qatar supported the Muslim Brotherhood government, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE sponsored a military coup. In addition, Hamas and Taliban leaders have found refuge in Qatar. Analysts say Saudi Arabia and its allies want to show Qatar - a country of 2.6 million people - that it is trying to punch above its strategic weight class.
8. Isn't Qatar trying to do this?
Now to a lesser extent. During the Arab Spring uprisings, Qatar's leadership supported groups calling for change—an outlier among Middle Eastern governments. Muslim Brotherhood groups have largely failed since then, and in 2014, facing threats from its Gulf neighbors, Qatar withdrew its support. Qatar also aims to become a leading mediator in the region. Its leaders maintain ties to a wide variety of parties, from warring tribes in Libya and the Taliban to the United States. On the other hand, by supporting certain parties in the Arab Spring revolutions, Qatar almost lost its status as a neutral mediator.
9. What else can be said about Qatar?
It is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and boasts the world's highest per capita income. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The headquarters of the Al Jazeera television channel is also located there. When in 2003 Saudi Arabia refused to host an American air control center in the region, Qatar offered its services. Today there are 10 thousand military personnel there. (In May, Trump held talks with Sheikh Tamim regarding Qatar's purchase of American military equipment. At the time, Trump said that the United States and Qatar had “been friends for a long time.”)
10. How will the severance of diplomatic ties affect markets?
Any friction in the region causes unrest in the markets. Disputes between Gulf countries could limit their attractiveness to foreign investors. Even before Trump's visit, Citigroup representatives noted that rising tensions between the United States and Iran could have a "significant" impact on oil and financial markets. Qatar securities lost 5% of their value.
11. How are current tensions different from previous ones?
“Internal divisions and disputes are nothing new, but the timing and the unprecedented level of pressure are particularly noteworthy,” said Mehran Kamrava, director of the Center for International Area Studies at Georgetown University in Qatar, referring to the recent visit Trump. This suggests that “Saudi Arabia and the UAE want to completely subjugate Qatar.”
InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively of foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.
The children's opera Brundibar, written by Czech composer Hans Krasa, is dedicated to the tragic events of the Second World War. The opera will be performed in concert by the St. Petersburg Children's Television and Radio Choir. A work with an amazing fate has become known
Event details
The children's opera Brundibar, written by Czech composer Hans Krasa, is dedicated to the tragic events of the Second World War. The opera will be performed in concert by the St. Petersburg Children's Television and Radio Choir.
A work with an amazing fate became known to the whole world when in 1943 it was performed by little prisoners of the Theresienstadt concentration camp in the Czech Republic. The opera, calling for the fight against evil, was performed in the camp 55 times and became a symbol of resistance to fascism throughout the planet.
Today, Hans Kras's work is staged in theaters in Europe, North America, and Australia, and each time it is performed in memory of the children killed in concentration camps. The Russian-language version of “Brundibara” was performed for the first time in the spring of 2015, the anniversary year of the Great Victory.
The opera was written entirely for child actors, its duration is about 30 minutes. Bright, imaginative music, memorable melodies, complex and exquisite orchestration make the opera a wonderful work of art, attracting both the general public and professionals.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Libya and Yemen have severed diplomatic relations with Qatar. What could this mean for the Qatari economy and for those doing business in the country?
Qatar has a population of just 2.7 million, but the country's influence on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula is disproportionate to its modest size.
Qatar is known around the world for its national airline Qatar Airways, the international television channel Al Jazeera, and also for sports - the emirate will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and also sponsors Barcelona, the most famous football club in the world.
In the capital of Qatar, Doha, many skyscrapers have been built in recent years, in which several multinational companies have opened their offices.
The severance of relations with Saudi Arabia and its allies threatens Qatar with negative consequences.
Etihad Airways, which flies from Abu Dhabi, and Dubai-based Emirates will stop flying to Qatar from Tuesday morning. Each of them has four daily flights to and from Doha.
Also, the low-cost airline FlyDubai will stop flying on this route, and Bahrain's Gulf Air and Egypt's Egyptair may follow.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have decided to stop air traffic with Qatar and close their airspace to Qatari aircraft.
For Qatar Airways, this is fraught with serious losses. First, it will have to cancel dozens of daily flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Cairo.
Secondly, and more importantly, the closure of large swathes of the region's airspace is forcing the airline to change flight routes.
Many flights will inevitably take longer, which is a major concern for the carrier: it increases fuel costs and can lead to passenger dissatisfaction.
Qatar Airways attracts passengers not so much with trips directly to Qatar, but with the opportunity to fly from Europe to Asia or Australia with a convenient transfer in Doha.
“If a trip to Europe that used to take six hours now takes eight to nine hours because of the need to change routes, it will be much less attractive to passengers and they will turn to other carriers,” says Ghanem, director of consultancy Cornerstone Global. Nuseibeh.
Products will become more expensive
A significant part of Qatar's territory is occupied by desert. It is difficult to produce food in the desert country, and for Qatar the situation is made worse by the fact that its only land border is with Saudi Arabia.
Hundreds of trucks cross this border every day, and one of the main categories of cargo is food. Up to 40% of food products enter Qatar via this route.
Now Saudi Arabia has decided to close the border, after which food will have to be delivered to Qatar either by sea or by air.
“This will immediately lead to inflation and will directly affect the lives of normal people in Qatar,” Nuseibeh explains. “If everything becomes significantly more expensive, the Qatari people will begin to put pressure on the ruling family, demanding either a change of leadership or a change of course.”
Also, according to him, poor Qataris go to Saudi Arabia weekly, or even daily, to buy products that are cheaper there. After the border is closed, this will no longer be possible.
Construction will slow down
Qatar is currently undergoing a number of large-scale construction projects related to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including a medical complex, a metro station and eight stadiums.
Basic building materials are imported by sea, but also by land - from the same Saudi Arabia.
Closing the Saudi border, as with food, will lead to delays and higher prices.
The Qatari construction complex is already experiencing a shortage of building materials. Closing the Saudi route will make the problem worse.
If the closure of airspace and land borders continues for a long time, the preparation schedule for the 2022 World Cup will be disrupted, fears Christian Ulrichsen, an expert on the Persian Gulf countries from the American Baker Institute.
Labor resources
The authorities of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain also banned their citizens from traveling to Qatar, living in this country and even transit. Those already in Qatar are required to leave the emirate within 14 days.
The same period is given to Qataris located in Saudi Arabia, the UAE or Bahrain to leave the territory of these countries.
However, there will be more serious consequences if Egypt takes similar measures. According to a recent study, about 180 thousand Egyptians live in Qatar - these are not only builders, but also doctors, engineers and lawyers. The loss of such skilled labor will create problems for international companies with presence in Qatar.
Deals in Qatar are already falling through. Many firms from the Gulf countries have a presence in Qatar, including in the retail sector. Their stores will likely close, at least temporarily, Nuseibeh believes.
And the largest Saudi football club, Al-Ahly, has already abandoned its sponsorship of Qatar Airways.
Major Arab powers announced a severance of relations with Qatar, accusing it of financing terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of neighboring states.
Eight countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen, Egypt, Libya, the Maldives and Mauritius - one after another ended diplomatic relations with Qatar.
Strict measures followed the tour of the American president.
Korrespondent.net figured out why the Gulf countries decided to isolate Qatar and what this would lead to.
What is Qatar accused of?
This is not the first time that Qatar has been criticized for its support of Islamist movements. The UAE is particularly opposed to Doha's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, as Abu Dhabi views them as a mortal threat to the Gulf.
Qatar has also supported and is supporting Islamist parties and rebel groups in various conflicts, including Libya and Syria.
He is considered the most aggressive ally of Islamist groups in Syria seeking to topple the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Critics say it is indirectly helping al-Qaeda-linked groups such as Tahrir al-Sham.
Assistance was provided in the form of ransom payments for the release of hostages.
Regionally, Doha has forged closer ties with Turkey, which has similar principles in supporting Islamist groups in Syria. A Turkish military base has opened in Qatar.
Qatar acknowledges that its position on political Islam differs from that of its neighboring states and notes that it supports organizations that are widely popular among the masses.
Qatar denies supporting armed terrorist groups.
The last straw for its disgruntled neighbors was the $1 billion ransom that Doha paid to the Iranians and jihadists for the release of members of the royal family kidnapped during a hunt.
According to the Financial Times, about 400 million euros ended up in Iran, 300 million were to be received through Hezbollah by Iraqi militants, and the rest by the Syrian group Tahrir al-Sham, associated with al-Qaeda.
The countries of the region considered this story a cover for financing terrorists and a betrayal of the pan-Sunni cause.
In addition, observers note that the reason for the sudden isolation of Qatar could be the discontent of Saudi Arabia.
Riyadh claims leadership in the region, but wealthy Qatar has an independent policy and wants to mediate in numerous conflicts in the Gulf.
Doha also maintained ties with Iran and was the only Sunni country to congratulate Hassan Rouhani on his recent re-election as president.
How the Gulf countries responded
On June 5, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia were the first to announce the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar.
Bahrain announced attempts to interfere in domestic politics, destabilize the situation in the region and finance Iranian-backed terrorist groups.
The country announced the cessation of sea and air communications and the expulsion of all diplomats. In addition, Bahrain will expel all Qatari citizens in the next 14 days and ban its citizens from visiting the country.
Saudi Arabia took the same measures, explaining its decision as protection against terrorism and extremism.
Yemen and Libya, also suffering from civil war, joined the demarche.
The United Arab Emirates cited Qatar as destabilizing the region and creating security threats.
Egypt has directly accused Qatar of financing and supporting the Islamic State, al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Mauritius and the Maldives also joined the blockade.
The scandal in the Persian Gulf broke out two days after Donald Trump's visit.
Last month, the Qatari state news agency published a statement purportedly made by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in which he expressed support for the Muslim Brotherhood and offered peace to Iran.
Doha claims that the agency was then subjected to a hacker attack. But Saudi Arabia and the UAE did not believe Qatar's words.
Soon, countries in the region banned the broadcast of Qatari media. It should be noted that the Al-Jazeera channel is used by Qatar to undermine the influence of Saudi Arabia.
Worsening after Trump's visit
The intensification of the conflict between the US's Middle Eastern allies, which began in 2014, occurred immediately after President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia.
During this visit, he reaffirmed Riyadh's leadership role in combating Iranian interference in the Arab world.
Trump's tour was designed to unite American allies in countering Iranian influence and in the fight against radical Sunni groups.
Speaking to the heads of 55 Muslim states invited by the host party, Trump called for special attention to be paid to the problem of financing terrorism and extremism.
Trump in Saudi Arabia / EPA
Thus allowing the Gulf countries to isolate their independent neighbor.
Qatar produces oil and gas in the north of its territories together with Iran. Doha prides itself on its neutral status and hosts officials from organizations considered terrorist by many other states.
But according to Qatar's critics, neutral mediation has gradually turned into support for groups that actively act against the interests of the Sunni Gulf states.
Some observers note that America has no intention of excluding Qatar from the list of allies - the Al-Udeid airbase, owned by the US Regional Central Command, remains, as well as the largest investment of any country.
However, on June 6, Trump supported the isolation of Qatar. Traditionally, on Twitter, he first commented on the demarches of the Persian Gulf countries.
"During my recent trip to the Middle East, I stated that there can be no more funding for radical ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!" Trump wrote.
He also noted that Qatar's isolation could mark the beginning of the end of the "horror of terrorism."
Extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
A total of seven states - Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Libya and the Maldives - severed diplomatic relations with neighboring Qatar on Monday. Muslim countries accused Qatar of “stirring up” the situation in the region, in particular, of supporting terrorist groups and interfering in the affairs of neighboring countries. What does such a diplomatic step mean for Russia and the world - in the material “360”.
Back in the spring of 2014, Bahrain, the UAE and Saudi Arabia recalled their ambassadors from Qatar, accusing the emirate of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood terrorist organization banned in Russia.
On Monday night, a more serious diplomatic step followed - Bahrain announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar. Within a few hours, six more countries joined it.
This was a continuation of the scandal that occurred back in May, when the Qatari agency QNA published the words of Emir Tamim al-Thani about his intention to recall the ambassador from Saudi Arabia and improve relations with Iran, which has rather difficult relations with the Arab world - and because of the sensational nuclear program , religious differences and a number of other reasons. Later, the Qatari Foreign Ministry stated that the agency’s website was hacked and the words attributed to the emir actually had nothing to do with him. But the Arab states found this denial rather unconvincing.
The head of the HSE School of Oriental Studies, Alexey Maslov, said that such a diplomatic step is unprecedented for the Muslim world.
“In the Arab world, this is, of course, an unprecedented case - basically the split occurred along other lines - between the Arab world and Israel, between the Arab world and the United States,” the expert believes.
The decision to sever relations was made, in fact, by the key leaders of the Arab world, and this immediately reduces Qatar’s political status in the world, moreover, leaving very few options for improving the economic situation.
Qatar is essentially isolated - if you look at the map, it is essentially surrounded by the Arab world, and finally, it is important for the Arab countries to show that terrorism is not part of their world, that the Muslim world does not equal terrorism
Alexey Maslov.
Maslov believes that despite the complexity of the situation, this was a very painful decision for the states, since previously the Arab world acted as a single space, connected not only by the bonds of Islam, but also by family and ethnic ones - after all, in fact, a single ethnic group lives in the Persian Gulf.
Arab unity, no matter how fragile it may be, is a very important factor, especially regarding trade and maintaining economic balance.
“In particular, a number of airlines operate through Qatar, which are serviced by Arab airlines. Obviously, these flights will be interrupted, and therefore serious financial losses are expected. On the other hand, the losses will probably be small. For Saudi Arabia this is nothing, for Egypt it is more. But here they all lose their status as an unshakable Muslim stronghold, which acted as a united front. But it was precisely the thesis of the fight against terrorism that outweighed all other considerations,” Maslov said.
The effect of such a diplomatic “shake-up” will be noticeable not only at the regional but also at the global level, Maslov noted. After all, the Muslim world occupies an important place at the heart of global development, and both sides cannot live without mutual involvement.
The Arab world's economy is largely outward looking - it serves very little of itself. Its partners are both the United States and China - countries that are firmly against such actions. From an image point of view, this is a very serious step forward.
Alexey Maslov.
The expert noted that such a step would be a plus for Russia as well - Moscow has repeatedly indicated where the sources of terrorism are, pointing out that these are not “crazy people”, but a massive, well-thought-out and enforceable “ideological charge.”
“Russia has never pointed a finger at Qatar, but has pointed out that a hotbed of terrorism is brewing in the Middle East,” Maslov noted.
He suggested that in connection with what had happened, a slight rise in oil prices was possible, but not for long, since Qatar did not play the only key role in oil supplies.
Candidate of Economic Sciences Sergei Chernykh believes that the decision of a number of Arab countries to sever relations with Qatar will ultimately only be a plus for countries outside the region.
In the end, everyone will only sigh from such a gap, because Qatar has long been a hotbed of terrorist financing
Sergey Chernykh.
He suggested that fluctuations in oil prices are indeed possible, but these changes will have very little impact on the global situation, since the current center of confrontation is now shifted to the Asia-Pacific region.
In addition, such a situation is unlikely to affect the Russian economy, since now the price of oil does not play a strong role on the situation in our country, Chernykh noted.
