Arab states send Qatar 13 demands to end blockade

Dubai, Jun 23: Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries that have cut ties to Qatar have issued a list of demands to end the crisis, insisting that Qatar shuts down the Al Jazeera network and scales down ties with Iran.

In the 13-point list, the countries also demand that Qatar sever all alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and with other groups including Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and ISIL (also known as ISIS) group.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties to Qatar this month over allegations the country funds terrorism - an accusation that Qatar denies.

Those countries have now given Qatar 10 days to comply with all of the demands, which also include paying an unspecified sum in compensation.

According to the list, Qatar must refuse to naturalise citizens from the four countries and "revoke Qatari citizenship for existing nationals where such citizenship violates those countries' laws".

Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson insisted that Qatar's neighbours provide a list of demands that was "reasonable and actionable".

The Iran provisions in the document say Qatar must shut down diplomatic posts in Iran, expel any members of the Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and only conduct trade and commerce with Iran that complies with US sanctions.

The demands regarding Al Jazeera state that Qatar must also shut down all affiliates and other news outlets that Qatar funds, including Arabi21, Rassd, Al Araby Al Jadeed and Middle East Eye.

If Qatar agrees to comply, the list asserts that it will be audited once a month for the first year, and then once per quarter in the second year after it takes effect.

For the following 10 years, Qatar would be monitored annually for compliance.

The document does not specify what the countries will do if Qatar refuses to comply.

List of demands by Saudi Arabia, other Arab nations

1) Scale down diplomatic ties with Iran and close the Iranian diplomatic missions in Qatar, expel members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and cut off military and intelligence cooperation with Iran. Trade and commerce with Iran must comply with US and international sanctions in a manner that does not jeopardise the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

2) Immediately shut down the Turkish military base that is currently being built, and halt military cooperation with Turkey inside Qatari territories.

3) Sever all ties to all the "terrorist, sectarian and ideological organisations," specifically the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIL, al-Qaeda, Fateh Al-Sham (formerly known as Nusra Front) and Lebanon's Hezbollah. Qatar needs to formally declare those entities as terrorist groups based on the list of groups that was announced by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt, and concur with all future updates of this list.

4) Stop all means of funding for individuals, groups or organisations that have been designated as terrorists by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, US and other countries.
5) Hand over "terrorist figures," fugitives 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.

6) Shut down Al Jazeera Network and its affiliate stations.

7) End interference in sovereign countries' internal affairs. Stop granting citizenship to wanted nationals from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. Revoke Qatari citizenship for existing nationals where such citizenship violates those countries' laws.

8) Qatar has to 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.

9) Qatar must 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.

10) Submit all personal details of all the opposition members that Qatar supported and detail all support that Qatar has provided them in the past. Stop all contacts with the political opposition in Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain. Hand over all files detailing Qatar's prior contacts with and support for those opposition groups.

11) Shut down all news outlets that it funds, directly and indirectly, including Arabi21, Rassd, Al Araby Al Jadeed, Mekameleen and Middle East Eye, etc.

12) Agree to all the demands within 10 days of it being submitted to Qatar, or the list becomes invalid.

13) 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.

Turkey's Defence Minister Fikri Isik said his country had no plans to review its military base in Qatar and that any demand for its closure would represent interference in the country's relations with the Gulf state.

Isik told broadcaster NTV that he had not yet seen a demand for the base to be shut.

"The base in Qatar is both a Turkish base and one that will preserve the security of Qatar and the region," Isik said in an interview on Friday.

"Re-evaluating the base agreement with Qatar is not on our agenda."

Interference in sovereignty

Al Jazeera's Hashem Ahelbarra said the list is "definitely going to be rejected by Qatar".

"Qatar has said it will only look into the demands once the sanctions are lifted," he said, adding that Qatar had already said that closing Al Jazeera was off the table.

"It is a matter of national sovereignty. Anything that is presented to the Qataris which it considers to be interference in its internal affairs is going to be dismissed," Ahelbarra said.

"Just yesterday the general sentiment we had was that perhaps the international community and GCC will turn toward restoring ties. But at this particular moment, I believe that there will be further escalation, mounting tension because of these demands.

"Specifically, this demand on compensation takes the region into unchartered territory. To ask for compensation, you have to have the Qatari government say; 'sorry, I've made mistakes', and look into every single instance where Qataris made mistakes.

"This is unprecedented in the Arab world. What if the Qataris say the Saudis have to pay compensation for every single civilian killed or innocent life taken all over the world. This is really surreal," Ahelbarra added.