SAUDI-BROKERED RECONCILIATION
BETWEEN EGYPT AND QATAR MARRED BY EMIRATE’S HOSTING OF MESHAAL
EGYPTIAN
President ABDEL FATTAH AL-SISI and top QATARI envoys went through the motions
of formalizing the SAUDI-brokered reconciliation between them, when they met in
CAIRO.
The
SAUDIS hailed the first meeting between SISI and QATARI officials, since the EGYPTIAN
ruler took office last summer, as the turning of a new page between the two ARAB
states. And Shekh MOHAMMAD BIN ABDEL RAHMAN AL THANI, the QATAR Emir’s special
envoy, expressed support for “a leading role for EGYPT in the ARAB and MUSLIM worlds.
Background
Information:
QATAR: STRIVING FOR
BECOMING THE REGIONAL POWER PLAYER
These
steps were in keeping with the policy adopted by the GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL summit
of late November in DOHA to end the dispute between the GCC and QATAR and
“contribute to EGYPTIAN security and stability.” However the GULF rulers also
agreed to disagree on certain key policies, such as the SYRIAN conflict, on
which each member would abide by its position.
At
the same time, the QATARI emir did bow to the SAUDI and EGYPTIAN demand to tone
down his support for the EGYPTIAN MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD and halt the anti-SAUDI
and anti-EGYPTIAN propaganda broadcast by EL JAZEERA.
But behind the
meticulously constructed edifice of good intentions, formal statements and
peace-pipe smoking among rulers, the main bone of intention, QATAR’S sponsorship
of the MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD and its PALESTINIAN offshoot HAMAS, remained
unresolved.
Background
Information:
IMPACT FROM QATAR’S
AGGRESSIVE INTERVENTIONIST POLITICS IN SYRIA AND LIBYA, UNDER WHAT HAS COME TO
BE KNOWN AS THE “QATARI FOREIGN LEGION”
Recently,
SAUDI ARABIA was deeply affronted by HAMAS and furiously demanded the
deportation of the HAMAS political leader KHALED MESHAAL from QATAR,
maintaining that his presence on emirate soil was unacceptable and jarred with
GCC resolutions.
RIYADH
was reacting to a development: HAMAS leaders did not bother to reply to an
offer of SAUDI sponsorship coupled with a magnanimous financial, political and
economic aid package for the GAZA Strip. There was one proviso: GAZA’S rulers
must turn their backs on IRAN.
HAMAS
chiefs, instead of sending a reply to RIYADH, showed their contempt by a final
decision to strengthen their financial and military ties with TEHRAN and bury
the hatchet with SYRIAN ruler BASHAR ASSAD.
Background
Information:
QATAR INVESTED
BILLIONS TO EXPAND ITS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
HOW MUCH AND TO WHOM
IS QATAR PAYING? THE ANSWER: WAHHABI ASSOCIATIONS AND THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD
MESHAAL
began packing his bags for a trip to the IRANIAN capital recently, in order to
attend a ceremony marking the reconciliation between IRAN, SYRIA and HAMAS. The
approaching radical alliance was marked by HAMAS rocket fire against ISRAEL,
which was met by an ISRAELI air strike that night which destroyed a HAMAS
cement factory.
SAUDI
and EGYPTIANS feel badly let down by QATAR. They are sure that had the emir
squeezed hard enough, HAMAS would have been forced to turn away from its
alliance with IRAN and SYRIA. But he did
not, and RIYADH and CAIRO strongly suspect that QATAR has engaged in an
intrigue against them with IRAN. AL JAZEERA meanwhile has not altered its tone,
despite the promises from DOHA.
Background
Information:
A PLAN TO FAIL - HOW
DOES ONE TRAIN "MODERATE" REBELS?
It
remains to be seen whether SAUDI King ABDULLAH and EGYPT’S EL-SISI decide to
throw down the cards and punish QATAR and HAMAS, or are willing to climb over
the ups and downs and give the fluctuating course of “reconciliation” another
try after all.
Via
DEBKAfile
No comments:
Post a Comment