Dubai: UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash has branded Qatar’s recent move to launch an anti-UAE website as futile. “Qatar’s inauguration of an account in English calling for boycotting the UAE is a futile way of dealing with its crisis,” he posted on his Twitter account. “Qatar should refocus its efforts on changing its policy of supporting extremism and terrorism.”

Gargash said Doha should realise that the dispute was not a public relations issue. “It is not a public relations crisis and it was not started by Abu Dhabi or Riyadh. It is rather a policy that was established in 1995 to support extremism and terrorism and to stab the neighbours in the back. There is an urgent need for reconsideration.”

On June 1995, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the father of the current emir, deposed his own father in a palace coup that shocked the Gulf and the international community. The deposed emir, who was in Switzerland at the time, reportedly described the coup as “abnormal behaviour of an ignorant man.”

Shaikh Hamad, as the new ruler, adopted policies that were off the general line adopted by the GCC.

Gargash also commented on Qatar hosting the 2022 Fifa World Cup in light of the diplomatic crisis between Doha and four Arab nations.

He wrote on Twitter yesterday: “Qatar’s hosting of World Cup 2022 should include a repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism. Doha should review its record.”

Doha has often been reminded of its obligations and commitments, but the country’s ruler regularly broke ranks with odd policies, while voicing support for GCC unity.

After four Arab states cut off relations in June, Qatar has been engaged in a massive charm offensive in Western countries to claim it was under siege, and to win support for its positions and condemn the Quartet.

In his tweets, Gargash branded Qatar’s actions as wasteful efforts. “The launch of a website in English against the UAE is only a waste of effort and money. Without a genuine review of its policies, all doors will remain locked in Qatar’s face. All signs indicate that the crisis is hurting Qatar,” he said.

“After trying and failing to solve its crisis through the media and by taking it to the world stage, Qatar had better head toward Riyadh and it will find a solution right there. The intransigence of a single individual and his ambiguous legacy should not be the cause of such a collapse.”