06-24-2017, 10:54 PM
*** 25-Jun-17 World View -- Al-Jazeera may be at the center of the Gulf crisis with Qatar
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Saudi Arabia, UAE leak 13 demands to end Qatar crisis
****
![[Image: g170624b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170624b.jpg)
An aerial view of Doha, Qatar, in the fog, as the sun rises
On June 5, four Arab countries -- Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
(UAE), Bahrain and Egypt -- imposed a land, sea and air blockade on
Qatar. Other Arab countries followed suit. Many international
politicians have said they were "mystified" by what the Arab countries
were demanding of Qatar to end the crisis. The US asked Saudi Arabia
to produce a list of demands that were "reasonable and actionable."
It's known that Saudi Arabia and UAE had heavily criticized Qatar for
its strong support of the Muslim Brotherhood, considered a terrorist
organization by America and some European nations, for its continuing
trade and diplomatic relations with Iran, with whom Saudi Arabia and
some other Arab countries have broken diplomatic relations entirely,
and for its use of al-Jazeera to propagate a message of support for
the Muslim Brotherhood, and criticism of the leaders of other Arab
states. However, the detailed demands were not known.
On Friday, a list of 13 demands appeared in the media. It's not clear
where the list came from. The Saudis claim that the list was supposed
to remain secret, so that negotiations would be effective. The Saudis
claim that Qatar leaked the list in order to sabotage the
negotiations. Other reports claim that the list came from Kuwait,
which is acting as a mediator.
Here are the demands, as leaked to AP:
Many analysts have said that these demands are not "reasonable and
actionable," and that in fact the demands are so drastic that the list
appears to have been designed to be rejected. AP and Atlantic
****
**** UAE threatens 'parting of the ways' unless Qatar meets 13 demands
****
According to reports from Qatar, the land, sea and air blockade has
little effect on the daily lives of the citizens. Although Qatar
imports 90% of its food, and formerly imported most of it from Saudi
Arabia and UAE, the grocery store shelves are fully stocked, with
supplies coming in from Iran and Turkey. According to one reporter,
the main difference is that there are more Turkish dairy products,
"which have proven to be higher quality and less expensive" than
previous products. To all appearances, the blockade has been a
failure.
UAE's foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash spoke out on Saturday to
say that the purpose of the blockade was not to punish Qatar, but to
change its behavior:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"The alternative is not escalation, the alternative is
> parting of ways, because it is very difficult for us to maintain a
> collective grouping. This is not about regime change, this about
> behavioral change.
>
> "The mediators’ ability to shuttle between the parties and try and
> reach a common ground has been compromised by this leak [the leak
> of the 13 demands]. Their success is very dependent on their
> ability to move but not in the public space."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Gargash says that unless Qatar meets the demands, it will be expelled
from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Beyond that, it's not clear
what is being threatened by "parting of ways." Doha News and The National (UAE)
Related Articles
****
**** Al-Jazeera takes center stage in the Gulf crisis
****
Although all 13 of the demands in the list are serious, especially
Qatar's relationship with Iran, it's hard to escape the feeling that
the heart of the dispute is over al-Jazeera.
I've watched al-Jazeera English (AJE) for years, and there's no
question that it has an editorial point of view. I've written on
several occasions that AJE hates Israel, which is what one would
expect and is not surprising. But what is surprising is that AJE
seems to hate Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority even more
than it hates Israel. I can't recall ever hearing an editorial
criticism of Hamas, which is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood,
and I certainly can't recall AJE referring to Hamas as a terrorist
organization. So those who claim that al-Jazeera is "pro-Palestinian"
are being misleading in my opinion. What they are is pro-Hamas.
Al-Jazeera was launched in 1996, and since then its two major
affiliates, AJE and al-Jazeera Arabic (AJA) have become the most
widely heard news sources in the Mideast. It is owned and funded by
Qatar's government. It has always been encouraged to have an
editorial policy of criticizing other Arab governments, although
Qatar's government never received much criticism. Attempts by other
countries to compete, such as Saudi Arabia's al-Arabiya, have
succeeded only moderately.
On AJA, one of the most popular shows for years has been "Sharia and
Life," a call-in show hosted by a leading Muslim Brotherhood cleric
Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Viewers could call in and received advice on food,
family, clothing, politics, or anything else. Much of this advice
contradicted the policy of Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.
The biggest differences began to emerge after the July 2013 coup that
ousted Egypt's democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi and his
Muslim Brotherhood government. Al-Jazeera came down firmly on the
side of Morsi, and against the coup leader, General Abdel al-Fattah
al-Sisi, who later became Egypt's president. Several al-Jazeera
reporters were arrested in Egypt, and remained in jail for several
years. Gulf Times and Atlantic
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Russia,
United Arab Emirates, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Egypt, Anwar Gargash,
al-Jazeera, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas,
Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi, Abdel al-Fattah al-Sisi
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Saudi Arabia, UAE leak 13 demands to end Qatar crisis
- UAE threatens 'parting of the ways' unless Qatar meets 13 demands
- Al-Jazeera takes center stage in the Gulf crisis
****
**** Saudi Arabia, UAE leak 13 demands to end Qatar crisis
****
An aerial view of Doha, Qatar, in the fog, as the sun rises
On June 5, four Arab countries -- Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
(UAE), Bahrain and Egypt -- imposed a land, sea and air blockade on
Qatar. Other Arab countries followed suit. Many international
politicians have said they were "mystified" by what the Arab countries
were demanding of Qatar to end the crisis. The US asked Saudi Arabia
to produce a list of demands that were "reasonable and actionable."
It's known that Saudi Arabia and UAE had heavily criticized Qatar for
its strong support of the Muslim Brotherhood, considered a terrorist
organization by America and some European nations, for its continuing
trade and diplomatic relations with Iran, with whom Saudi Arabia and
some other Arab countries have broken diplomatic relations entirely,
and for its use of al-Jazeera to propagate a message of support for
the Muslim Brotherhood, and criticism of the leaders of other Arab
states. However, the detailed demands were not known.
On Friday, a list of 13 demands appeared in the media. It's not clear
where the list came from. The Saudis claim that the list was supposed
to remain secret, so that negotiations would be effective. The Saudis
claim that Qatar leaked the list in order to sabotage the
negotiations. Other reports claim that the list came from Kuwait,
which is acting as a mediator.
Here are the demands, as leaked to AP:
- Curb diplomatic ties with Iran and close its diplomatic
missions there. Expel members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard from Qatar
and cut off any joint military cooperation with Iran. Only trade and
commerce with Iran that complies with U.S. and international sanctions
will be permitted.
- Sever all ties to “terrorist organizations,” specifically the
Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic State group, al-Qaida, and Lebanon’s
Hezbollah. Formally declare those entities as terrorist groups.
- Shut down Al-Jazeera and its affiliate stations.
- Shut down news outlets that Qatar funds, directly and indirectly,
including Arabi21, Rassd, Al Araby Al-Jadeed and Middle East Eye.
- Immediately terminate the Turkish military presence currently in
Qatar and end any joint military cooperation with Turkey inside of
Qatar.
- Stop all means of funding for individuals, groups or organizations
that have been designated as terrorists by Saudi Arabia, the UAE,
Egypt, Bahrain, the United States and other countries.
- Hand over “terrorist figures” and wanted individuals from Saudi
Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain to their countries of origin.
Freeze their assets, and provide any desired information about their
residency, movements and finances.
- End interference in sovereign countries’ internal affairs. Stop
granting citizenship to wanted nationals from Saudi Arabia, the UAE,
Egypt and Bahrain. Revoke Qatari citizenship for existing nationals
where such citizenship violates those countries’ laws.
- Stop all contacts with the political opposition in Saudi Arabia,
the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. Hand over all files detailing Qatar’s
prior contacts with and support for those opposition groups.
- Pay reparations and compensation for loss of life and other,
financial losses caused by Qatar’s policies in recent years. The sum
will be determined in coordination with Qatar.
- Align itself with the other Gulf and Arab countries militarily,
politically, socially and economically, as well as on economic
matters, in line with an agreement reached with Saudi Arabia in
2014.
- Agree to all the demands within 10 days of it being submitted to
Qatar, or the list becomes invalid. The document doesn’t specify what
the countries will do if Qatar refuses to comply.
- Consent to monthly audits for the first year after agreeing to the
demands, then once per quarter during the second year. For the
following 10 years, Qatar would be monitored annually for
compliance.
Many analysts have said that these demands are not "reasonable and
actionable," and that in fact the demands are so drastic that the list
appears to have been designed to be rejected. AP and Atlantic
****
**** UAE threatens 'parting of the ways' unless Qatar meets 13 demands
****
According to reports from Qatar, the land, sea and air blockade has
little effect on the daily lives of the citizens. Although Qatar
imports 90% of its food, and formerly imported most of it from Saudi
Arabia and UAE, the grocery store shelves are fully stocked, with
supplies coming in from Iran and Turkey. According to one reporter,
the main difference is that there are more Turkish dairy products,
"which have proven to be higher quality and less expensive" than
previous products. To all appearances, the blockade has been a
failure.
UAE's foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash spoke out on Saturday to
say that the purpose of the blockade was not to punish Qatar, but to
change its behavior:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"The alternative is not escalation, the alternative is
> parting of ways, because it is very difficult for us to maintain a
> collective grouping. This is not about regime change, this about
> behavioral change.
>
> "The mediators’ ability to shuttle between the parties and try and
> reach a common ground has been compromised by this leak [the leak
> of the 13 demands]. Their success is very dependent on their
> ability to move but not in the public space."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Gargash says that unless Qatar meets the demands, it will be expelled
from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Beyond that, it's not clear
what is being threatened by "parting of ways." Doha News and The National (UAE)
Related Articles
- Qatar-Arab crisis is unlikely to be resolved soon (13-Jun-2017)
- Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations cut ties with Qatar in new Mideast crisis (06-Jun-2017)
- Gulf Arab states have major split over Egypt and Iran (06-Mar-2014)
- Arab League holds annual meeting among bitter splits (26-Mar-2014)
****
**** Al-Jazeera takes center stage in the Gulf crisis
****
Although all 13 of the demands in the list are serious, especially
Qatar's relationship with Iran, it's hard to escape the feeling that
the heart of the dispute is over al-Jazeera.
I've watched al-Jazeera English (AJE) for years, and there's no
question that it has an editorial point of view. I've written on
several occasions that AJE hates Israel, which is what one would
expect and is not surprising. But what is surprising is that AJE
seems to hate Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority even more
than it hates Israel. I can't recall ever hearing an editorial
criticism of Hamas, which is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood,
and I certainly can't recall AJE referring to Hamas as a terrorist
organization. So those who claim that al-Jazeera is "pro-Palestinian"
are being misleading in my opinion. What they are is pro-Hamas.
Al-Jazeera was launched in 1996, and since then its two major
affiliates, AJE and al-Jazeera Arabic (AJA) have become the most
widely heard news sources in the Mideast. It is owned and funded by
Qatar's government. It has always been encouraged to have an
editorial policy of criticizing other Arab governments, although
Qatar's government never received much criticism. Attempts by other
countries to compete, such as Saudi Arabia's al-Arabiya, have
succeeded only moderately.
On AJA, one of the most popular shows for years has been "Sharia and
Life," a call-in show hosted by a leading Muslim Brotherhood cleric
Yusuf al-Qaradawi. Viewers could call in and received advice on food,
family, clothing, politics, or anything else. Much of this advice
contradicted the policy of Saudi Arabia and other Arab states.
The biggest differences began to emerge after the July 2013 coup that
ousted Egypt's democratically elected president Mohammed Morsi and his
Muslim Brotherhood government. Al-Jazeera came down firmly on the
side of Morsi, and against the coup leader, General Abdel al-Fattah
al-Sisi, who later became Egypt's president. Several al-Jazeera
reporters were arrested in Egypt, and remained in jail for several
years. Gulf Times and Atlantic
Related Articles
- Rift grows between Palestinian Authority and Al-Jazeera (31-Jan-2011)
- Egypt's Kangaroo Court finds Al-Jazeera journalists guilty with no evidence (24-Jun-2014)
- Egypt inflames tensions with Qatar with al-Jazeera reporter verdicts (30-Aug-2015)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Russia,
United Arab Emirates, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Iran, Egypt, Anwar Gargash,
al-Jazeera, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas,
Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi, Abdel al-Fattah al-Sisi
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
