UAE minister: Qatar ‘conspired against’ Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah

UAE foreign minister Anwar Gargash said that Doha chose to be isolated and argued its denials of supporting extremism and terrorism is a media tactic. (Reuters)

DUBAI: The UAE’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Qatar must change its policies that have damaged both itself and the region, adding that Doha had “conspired against” the late Saudi King Abdullah.
In a series of tweets, Anwar Gargash said that Doha chose to be isolated and argued its denials of supporting extremism and terrorism is a media tactic.
The minister stated that Egyptian Islamic scholar Yusuf Al-Qaradawi called for the targeting of the UAE from Qatari territory and was part of the incitement of the 2014 GCC diplomatic crisis.
“We have been used to the duality of the Qatari political discourse. For it is Qatar that hosted Al-Qaeda which bombed Iraq and supported Hamas and created warm relations with Israel,” he tweeted. “And it communicated with Saudi Arabia while it conspired against King Abdullah.”
Gargash stated that the political solution called for by the four countries that cut ties with Qatar — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain — clearly demands a framework for negotiations.
“The Qatari crisis cannot be solved without changing its orientation that supports extremism, terrorism and conspiracy against its neighbors and countries in the region,” he said.
The foreign minister pointed out that Qatar’s crisis and isolation continue, stating that the country’s leadership “is confused and does not wish to address the core issue.”
Qatar was a “great neighbor” prior to 1995, he added.
“The solution is for them to change the orientations that have hurt Qatar, damaged it and isolated it from its neighbors,” Gargash added.