Saudi-Qatar clash

Qatari support of terrorists

 * Qatar was a double agent in war on terror - Ilan Berman, USA Today, June 6, 2017
 * ''Simultaneously, however, the Qatari crown has emerged as a major backer of a bevvy of radical groups. The list includes the Muslim Brotherhood and its Palestinian offshoot, Hamas, as well as Afghanistan’s Taliban and the al-Qaeda-affiliated Nusra Front, all of which are known to have received support from the emirate.
 * U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell Into Jihadis’ Hands - The New York Times, December 5, 2012
 * ''The Obama administration secretly gave its blessing to arms shipments to Libyan rebels from Qatar last year, but American officials later grew alarmed as evidence grew that Qatar was turning some of the weapons over to Islamic militants, according to United States officials and foreign diplomats.
 * ''No evidence has emerged linking the weapons provided by the Qataris during the uprising against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi to the attack that killed four Americans at the United States diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, in September. But in the months before, the Obama administration clearly was worried about the consequences of its hidden hand in helping arm Libyan militants, concerns that have not previously been reported. The weapons and money from Qatar strengthened militant groups in Libya, allowing them to become a destabilizing force since the fall of the Qaddafi government.
 * ''The experience in Libya has taken on new urgency as the administration considers whether to play a direct role in arming rebels in Syria, where weapons are flowing in from Qatar and other countries. The Obama administration did not initially raise objections when Qatar began shipping arms to opposition groups in Syria, even if it did not offer encouragement, according to current and former administration officials. But they said the United States has growing concerns that, just as in Libya, the Qataris are equipping some of the wrong militants.

Support for Syrian rebels

 * Russian warplanes in Syria destroy U.S.-trained rebels' weapons depots: commander - Reuters, October 7, 2015
 * ''The Liwa Suqour al-Jabal, whose fighters have attended military training organized by the Central Intelligence Agency in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, was also hit last week by Russian raids as Moscow began its air campaign in support of Damascus.
 * The Manchester Bombing: Blowback from British state collusion with jihadists abroad - Mark Curtis and Nafeez Ahmed, Insurge Intelligence, June 3, 2017
 * ''4. UK covert action in Libya in 2011 included approval of and support to Qatar’s arming and backing of opposition forces, which included support to hardline Islamist groups; this fuelled jihadism in Libya.
 * ''5. One of the groups armed/supported by Qatar in 2011 was the February 17th Martyrs Brigade which, some reports suggest, was the organisation which Ramadan Abedi joined in 2011 to fight Qadafi.
 * ''6. Qatar’s arms supplies to Libya in 2011 also found their way to Islamist fighters in Syria, including groups affiliated with al-Qaeda and ISIS.
 * We finally know what Hillary Clinton knew all along – US allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar are funding Isis - Patrick Cockburn, The Independent, October 14, 2016
 * ''The memo says: “We need to use our diplomatic and more traditional intelligence assets to bring pressure on the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to Isis and other radical groups in the region.” This was evidently received wisdom in the upper ranks of the US government, but never openly admitted because to it was held that to antagonise Saudi Arabia, the Gulf monarchies, Turkey and Pakistan would fatally undermine US power in the Middle East and South Asia.

Support for the Muslim Brotherhood

 * Qatar's Brotherhood Ties Alienate Fellow Gulf States - Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Al-Monitor, January 23, 2013
 * ''Qatar has dedicated Al Jazeera, the country’s most prized non-financial asset, to the service of the Muslim Brotherhood and turned it into what prominent Middle East scholar Alain Gresh calls a “mouthpiece for the Brotherhood.”
 * Inside Doha, at the heart of a GCC dispute - Lauren Williams, The National (UAE), March 19, 2014
 * UAE lists Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist group - REUTERS, November 15, 2014
 * ''Saturday's move echoes a similar move by Saudi Arabia in March and could increase pressure on Qatar whose backing for the group has sparked a row with fellow Gulf monarchies.
 * ''In an unprecedented public move, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recalled their ambassadors to Qatar in March, accusing Doha of failing to abide by an agreement not to interfere in one another's internal affairs.
 * Muslim Brotherhood in Qatar - GlobalSecurity.org, July 1, 2015

Alleged support for Hezbollah

 * Iraq considers next move after intercepting 'world's largest' ransom for kidnapped Qataris - Patrick Cockburn, The Independent, April 26, 2017
 * ''The militia widely reported to have carried out the original kidnapping of the hunting party in Iraq’s southern Muthanna proince in December 2015 was the powerful Iranian-supported movement known as Ketaeb Hezbollah, which is distinct from Lebanese Hezbollah.

Relations with Saudi Arabia

 * How Saudi Arabia and Qatar Became Friends Again - Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Foreign Policy, July 21, 2011
 * ''During its decade of cold relations with Saudi Arabia, Qatar warmed up to Syria, the leader of the so-called resistance axis in Arab politics. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani were frequent visitors to each other’s countries, and Qatari investors poured billions of dollars into the struggling Syrian economy. Both states, along with Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, were seen as a regional counterbalance to the pro-Western axis of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Before crisis

 * Qatar-Gulf rift: The Iran factor - Ted Regencia, Al Jazeera, June 6, 2017
 * ''Deep in the Gulf waters between Qatar and Iran lies the world's largest gas field, a 9,700-sq-km expanse that holds at least 43 trillion cubic metres of gas reserves.
 * ''Qatar's southern portion is known as North Field, while Iran's slice to the north is called South Pars. The two countries share exploration rights in the area, and its one of many ties that bind them.

Post crisis

 * Houthi militia leaders, Iran come to Qatar’s defense after severance of ties - Al Arabiya English, June 6, 2017
 * ''It has also been estimated that Qatar stands to lose 82 percent of its Gulf imports due to closing of the borders and economic sanctions. Qatar relies heavily on the Gulf countries in its trade and imports, especially with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
 * ''However, the Association of Iranian Agricultural Exporters announced that it would be ready to supply Qatar with food products and other needs.

Alleged hacking incident

 * Qatari Emir: Doha has ‘tensions’ with the Donald Trump administration - Al Arabiya, May 24, 2017
 * ''It was also reported on Tuesday that the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, had said that Doha has “tensions” with the Trump administration, and acknowledged that Iran is an “Islamic power.” “There is no wisdom in harboring hostility toward Iran,” he said, adding that President Donald Trump is facing legal issues in his home country as claims over his Russia links continue.
 * Hack, fake story expose real tensions between Qatar, Gulf - Jon Gambrell, AP via Washinton Post, May 24, 2017
 * ''Online footage of Qatari state television’s nightly newscast from Tuesday showed clips of Sheikh Tamim at the ceremony with the anchor not mentioning the comments, though a scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen had the alleged fake remarks. They included calling Hamas “the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people,” as well as saying Qatar had “strong relations” with Iran and the United States.
 * 'Fake news' sparks real crisis in the Gulf - Giorgio Cafiero. Al-Monitor, May 25, 2017
 * ''Qatari officials quickly denied these statements attributed to their monarch. They accused an "unknown entity" of hacking Qatar News Agency and publishing false statements. Officials vowed to investigate the matter and prosecute those held responsible. Nonetheless, Saudi and Emirati media broadcast this "fake news" throughout the night of May 23, leading many Qataris to believe that a foreign-orchestrated coup was underway in Doha.
 * Qatar hacking row fuels Gulf tensions BBC, May 25, 2017
 * ''The disputed statement touched on many sensitive regional issues, but above all, praised Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and carried thinly-veiled criticism of the kingdom. In the report, Sheikh Tamim was quoted as saying: "There is no reason behind Arabs' hostility to Iran and our [Doha's] relationship with Israel is good." The statement also had favourable words about the Lebanese Shia militant movement Hezbollah, a close ally of Iran.
 * ''Saudi media continued to report the comments even after Qatar said they had been "fabricated".
 * Qatar to 'prosecute perpetrators' of QNA hacking - Al Jazeera, May 25, 2017
 * ''The government said the state TV footage posted online were "fake videos". The fake report said Sheikh Tamim, in a speech at a military graduation ceremony, was critical of renewed tensions with Iran, expressed the need for contextualising Hezbollah and Hamas as resistance movements, and suggested that Trump might not last long in power.
 * Three potential motives behind the spat between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours - David Hearst, Middle East Eye, June 5, 2017
 * ''The hacking of Qatar News Agency on 24 May was just the starting pistol. Within minutes of the hack at 12:14 am, Al Arabiya TV and Sky News Arabia quoted the text of the fake material. Within 20 minutes, the networks ran analyses, implications, quotes and tweets. According to the Qatari authorities, between 12:51 am and 3:28 am, the networks managed to find 11 politicians and analysts to interview on-air. Fast work for a duty editor “reacting” to a story in the middle of the night. He deserves a raise.
 * ''Another strange coincidence: all of this was preceded by 14 different op-ed pieces in the US press about the danger to regional stability that Qatar represented. This, again, is puzzling because it has been years since anyone bothered to write opinion pieces about Qatar in the US media.
 * ''it's clear what happened. This was a premeditated assault. What is less clear is why, and why now?
 * Four Arab States Cut Diplomatic Ties With Qatar - Sputnik, June 5, 2017
 * ''The conflict between Qatar and its neighbors occurred one week after the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, when the Qatari news agency posted a speech on behalf of the country's emir in support of building relations with Iran. At the summit, Saudi Arabia on behalf of all the guests condemned Iran for its hostile policies and threatened with an adequate response. Later, the official representative of the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that the agency's site was hacked, and the speech on behalf of the emir was published by hackers and has nothing to do with the Qatari leader.
 * ''However, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain considered this refutation to be unconvincing and continued to insist that the words about the normalization of relations with Iran really belong to the emir.
 * CONFIRMED: Arab countries break ties with Qatar - Adam Garrie, The Duran, June 5, 2017
 * ''In spite of what Saudi says, the real reason for isolating Qatar is its attempted rapprochement with Iran.
 * ''It has emerged that since the infamous deleted Tweets from the Qatar News Agency, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a positive phone conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, something which infuriated the leaders of Saudi and the UAE.
 * CNN Exclusive: US suspects Russian hackers planted fake news behind Qatar crisis - Evan Perez and Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, June 6, 2017
 * ''Intelligence gathered by the US security agencies indicates that Russian hackers were behind the intrusion first reported by the Qatari government two weeks ago, US officials say. Qatar hosts one of the largest US military bases in the region. The alleged involvement of Russian hackers intensifies concerns by US intelligence and law enforcement agencies that Russia continues to try some of the same cyber-hacking measures on US allies that intelligence agencies believe it used to meddle in the 2016 elections.
 * "To hack Qatar" - Cassad, 7 June, 2017 (with graphics proof on top, and a poem at the bottom).
 * User comment (Shedrov): Тут получается, что клинтоновские начинают Катар отмазывать - типа это не он, это русские хакеры... So, turns out, the Clintonites start to justify Qatar - like it's not it, it's the Russian hackers...
 * User comment (ma-han): Какой там взломать. Озабоченные лохи только подружиться с Катаром попытались,часть Роснефти им продали,но и здесь облажались и поставили не на тех What hacking, concerned suckers just tried to make friends with Qatar, they sold part of Rosneft, but they screwed it up and put on the wrong ones
 * Hacking, bots and information wars in the Qatar spat - Marc Jones, Washington Post, June 7, 2017 (archive)
 * ''U.S. investigators claim Russians might be behind some the hacking of the Qatar News Agency that prompted a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, but that seems unlikely given current GCC tensions and the homegrown nature of the cyber battle leading up to the spat.
 * Qatar Points to ‘Fake News’ Amid Diplomatic Crisis - Snopes, June 6, 2017
 * Qatar reveals preliminary results of QNA hacking probe -
 * ''The investigation team confirmed that the hacking operation used high technology and innovative methods by exploiting a cyber-bug in the website of Qatar News Agency. The investigation team was able to identify the sources through which the cyber-attack was carried out. The team confirmed that the hacking file was installed in month of April, which was later exploited to disseminate the fabricated news on 24 May 2017 at 12:13am."

Breakup of diplomatic ties with GCC

 * UAE Cuts Ties With Qatar Over Support for Muslim Brotherhood Terrorists - Sputnik, June 5, 2017
 * Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen cut ties with Qatar - The Guardian, June 5, 2017
 * Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, U.A.E. Cut Contacts With Qatar, Citing 'Terrorism' - RFE/RL, June 5, 2017
 * Reasons why Saudi, UAE, Bahrain, Yemen and Egypt severed ties with Qatar - Al Arabiya English, June 5, 2017

U.S. role?

 * Trump Takes Credit for Saudi Move Against Qatar, a U.S. Military Partner - The New York Times, June 6, 2017 (archive)
 * Trump's Sword Dance Sets Off the War of the Wahhabis - Pepe Escobar, Sputnik, June 7, 2017

Embargo and blockade

 * Qatar diplomatic crisis: All the latest updates - Al Jazeera, June 5, 2017
 * 4pm - ''Iran's food 'can reach in 12 hours' - Food shipments sent from Iran can reach Qatar in 12 hours, said Reza Nourani, chairman of the union of exporters of agricultural products.
 * Qatar diplomatic crisis: How it affects air travel - Al Jazeera, June 5, 2017
 * ''Several people have expressed concern on social media over disrupted travel, with images posted of travellers stranded at airports. Twitter user @FahadBuwazir posted a photograph...
 * ''Qatar Airways, on its website, said it has stopped flights to Saudi Arabia, starting at noon on Monday.
 * Note: Al Jazeera is a "Doha-based state-funded broadcaster owned... funded by the House of Thani, the ruling family of Qatar."
 * Flight Ban for Qatar Flights in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt - Flightradar24, June 5, 2017
 * Hundreds of Pakistanis stranded at Doha airport amid Saudi-Qatar row - GEO TV, June 6, 2017
 * Qatar is falling into a rapid socio-economic death spiral and the UAE made it illegal to feel sorry for it - Lianna Brinded, Business Insider, June 7, 2017
 * Qatar in talks with Turkey and Iran to provide food, water - official - Reuters, June 7, 2017
 * Qatari flight paths rerouted by Gulf crisis - Al Jazeera, June 7, 2017

Analysis

 * Trump and Salman’s Folly: After Riyadh Summit, ‘Sunni Unity’ Crumbles - Sharmine Narwani 21st Century Wire, June 2, 2017
 * Qatar row: What's caused the fall-out between Gulf neighbours? - David Roberts, BBC News, June 5, 2017
 * 5 things you need to know about what’s going on with Qatar - Adam Garrie, The Duran, June 5, 2017
 * Saudi Arabia versus Qatar: more folly from Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince - Alexander Mercouris, June 5, 2017
 * Exposure of Emirati Role in Inaugurating MBS behind Diplomatic War on Qatar, Al Manar (Hezbollah outlet), June 5, 2017
 * The current diplomatic war on Qatar was caused by the leaked reports about the Emirati role in inaugurating Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) as KSA’s king and the possibility that more scandalous reports would be leaked, according to the famous Saudi social media activist Mujtahid.


 * Gulf Monarchies Sacrifice Neighbor Qatar as “Sponsor of Terrorism” - Stuart J. Hooper, 21st Century Wire, June 4, 2017
 * Why Saudi Arabia is mad at Qatar and why we care - John Bacon, USA Today, June 5, 2017
 * Where Does the Saudi-Qatar Death Match Leave Trump’s Troops? - Christopher Dickey, The Daily Beast, June 5, 2017
 * ''But there is, for Trump, a painful paradox here. Qatar also hosts the most important U.S. military installations in the Gulf, which are vital to operations against the so-called Islamic State and al Qaeda. According to the website of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Qatar “hosts more than 10,000 U.S. and Coalition service members at Al-Udeid Air Base.” It’s the home of CENTCOM’s Forward Headquarters, its air component, U.S. Air Forces Central Command and its Combined Air Operations Center.
 * The Little Gang Who Couldn’t: Lessons from the Saudi-Qatar crisis - Praveen Swami, Indian Express, June 5, 2017
 * ''This West Asian crisis might seem like it can be condensed into three words: pot, kettle, black.
 * Saudi-Qatar rift is old theme with Trumpian twist - Andy Critchlow, Breakingviews (Thomson Reuters), June 5, 2017
 * The Qatar Conundrum - Craig Murray, June 5, 2017
 * "The GCC States Led By Saudi Arabia Will Collapse Into Oblivion" - Moon of Alabama, June 5, 2017
 * Saudi Arabia revokes all Qatar Airways licences as row escalates - Bethan McKernan, The Independent, June 6, 2017
 * ''The unprecedented row has been caused in part by backlash over Qatar’s decision to rescue 24 members of the royal family, as well as two Saudi nationals, who were kidnapped by Shia paramilitaries while on a hunting trip in southern Iraq - a deal exclusively revealed by The Independent in April.
 * Everybody is 'driving over' Qatar - President of the (Russian) Institute of the Middle East Evgeny Satanovsky, TASS, 6 June 2017
 * Saudi Arabia and Qatar simply hate each other fiercely, and the alleged words of Qatari emir about Iran are nothing more than an excuse for the current crisis of relations.
 * ''"Saudi Arabia and Qatar fiercely hate each other for decades. For the two Salafi states, the "love" is as between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks," said Satanovsky. "This has to do with attempts to overthrow the past and the current regime in Qatar from Saudi Arabia, and sharp crisis due to Doha support of the "Muslim Brotherhood" around the world. "
 * ''Everyone is fed up with Al Jazeera, who can overthrow revolutionary dictators, presidents and kings and showed it in the "Arab spring"
 * The Machiavellian Plot to Provoke Saudi Arabia and Qatar into a “Blood Border” War - Andrew Korybko, 21st Century Wire, June 7, 2017
 * How Trump's Saudi visit triggered Qatar-Gulf crisis - Abdullah Al-Arian, Al Jazeera, June 7, 2017
 * The Qatar Crisis - Daniel Larison, The American Conservative, June 7, 2017
 * ''The possible deployment of Turkish forces is presumably intended to discourage Saudi adventurism, but it might very well precipitate the escalation it is meant to deter.

Qatar fights back !

 * "Analysts: Leaks could threaten Emirati diplomacy Leaked emails point to strong relationship between the UAE and think tanks closely allied to Israel"- Aljazeera, 4 June 2017
 * ''On Saturday, hackers released what they claimed was the first in a series of emails taken from the inbox of Otaiba. The leaks have revealed a strong relationship between the UAE and think-tanks closely allied to Israel, along with Emirati efforts to tarnish the images of Qatar and Kuwait; Emirati involvement in the failed coup attempt in Turkey; and the UAE's fight against Islamist movements, particularly Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.