The Government of Qatar has been asked to adhere to a series of reforms and undertakings by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt to show Doha is committed to ending its support for extremists and those who are undermining the security and stability of the region and further afield. The brotherly Arab nations have asked Qatar to live up to its commitments when it comes to United Nations charters, international conventions and Arab League agreements and commit to fighting all forms of extremism and terrorism, and cease its discourse of hate and violence.
READ MORE:
Read foreign ministers' full Qatar statement
Mohammad Bin Rashid poem urges Qatar to 'return to GCC'
Qatar crisis: Gulf intelligence chiefs meet in Egypt
Qatar crisis: 'We are at the crossroads'
Qatar-linked people, groups on terror list
Qatar has also been asked to abide by its undertakings at the 2014 Riyadh Summit Accord as well as by the principles agreed upon at the Arab-Islamic-American Summit held in Riyadh this May that called for rooting out terrorism and drying its sources of financing.
Simply put, Qatar has been asked to stop funding and giving voice to those who support extremism and terrorism. And it must stop supporting those who wilfully and purposefully interfere in the internal affairs of brother Arab nations and others.
On Tuesday, the Government of Qatar responded to these reasonable and necessary reforms and requests for commitment, tendering its answers for the Foreign Ministers of the four nations meeting in Cairo on Wednesday.
Over the past three weeks, since the four nations exercised their legitimate sovereign rights and closed their airspace and ports to Qatari planes and ships, the Qatar has had ample time to fully contemplate the requests and to appreciate that the four Arab nations are fully intent on resolving Doha’s transgressions and its misguided moral and monetary support for the voices and vassals of extremism.
It’s unfortunate that Qatar has not used this period of contemplation wisely. It is regrettable that the answers so far communicated from Doha to the four brotherly Arab nations fall short on commitment. And it is indeed disturbing that the Qatar has failed to fully comprehend that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt will make sure that the raft of international accords and agreements are wholly endorsed.
Now is not the time for quick decisions or a rush to judgement. Instead, now is the time for careful deliberation and coordinating an appropriate measured response. What is clear now is that the measures put in place must remain so at present. But Qatar will not be allowed to continue down its erroneous path.
