Qatar isolated: concerns over stability in Gulf region

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Background

What is at the heart of the tension between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council?
Simon Mabon in The Conversation (see related url hyperlink above) wrote that there were: 'two main issues that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain view as existential threats: Qatar’s support for Islamist groups across the Middle East, notably the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, and its relationship with Iran, which is far more nuanced than Saudi Arabia’s. The Saudi line on terrorism in the region is generally to blame Iran, with other members of the GCC expected to follow suit'.

The EU and the Gulf
EU relations with Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates mainly takes the shape of a region-to-region relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf is a regional organisation, with six members: The Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Set up in 1981, its objectives are to enhance coordination, integration and inter-connection among its members. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar on the 5 June 2017, accusing the emirate of supporting terrorism. Do the Saudis feel encouraged by comments by US President Donald Trump? And what does the diplomatic crisis mean for the unstable Middle East?

On 5 June 2017, several Arab nations, including Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), simultaneously announced that they were severing ties with Qatar, a fellow member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Accusing Qatar of supporting and financing 'terrorism and extremism' in the region, the above countries announced that they would halt all land, air and sea traffic with Qatar, expel its diplomats and ask Qatari citizens to leave their territory within 14 days. Oil prices rose initially as markets responded nervously to the worst crisis to involve the GCC since its creation in 1981, but then dropped again. Any escalation in the crisis would likely lead to more sustained increases in oil and gas prices.

http://archiv.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/aktuell.html http://archiv.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/aktuell.html

EU: EEAS: Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the EU https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/338/gulf-cooperation-council-gcc-and-eu_en

EU: EEAS: Qatar and the EU https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage_en/2309/Qatar%20and%20the%20EU

Deutsche Welle, 05.06.17: Qatar in regional economic crossfire http://p.dw.com/p/2e8zN

BBC News, 06.06.17: Qatar row: Calls for diplomatic talks to end Gulf crisis http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-40168856

Al Jazeera: Tag: Qatar diplomatic crisis: All the latest updates http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/qatar-diplomatic-crisis-latest-updates-170605105550769.html

EurActiv, 06.06.17: Saudi and allies cut Qatar ties in diplomatic crisis http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/saudi-and-allies-cut-qatar-ties-in-diplomatic-crisis/

The Conversation, 06.06.17: Qatar must choose whether to bow to Saudi pressure or defy it https://theconversation.com/qatar-must-choose-whether-to-bow-to-saudi-pressure-or-defy-it-78856

The Guardian, 07.06.17: Qatar: FBI says Russian hackers 'planted fake news story' that led to crisis – report https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/07/qatar-fbi-says-russian-hackers-planted-fake-news-story-that-led-to-crisis-report

Politico, 06.08.17: Turkey backs Qatar in Middle East spat http://www.politico.eu/article/turkey-backs-qatar-in-middle-east-spat/

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 07.06.17: In Qatar v Saudi Arabia, the West Can't Afford to Pick a Side https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/qatar-v-saudi-arabia-west-cant-afford-pick-side

EP: EPRS: AT a Glance, June 2017: Qatar: Rising tension in the Gulf http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/ATAG/2017/603977/EPRS_ATA(2017)603977_EN.pdf

EU: EEAS: Press Release, 09.06.17: Remarks by the High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini at the doorstep following her meeting with the Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/27951/

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 20.06.17: Is the GCC Worth Belonging To? https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/gcc-worth-belonging

EurActiv, 27.06.17: Germany brands Arab states’ Qatar demands ‘very provocative’ http://www.euractiv.com/section/global-europe/news/germany-brands-arab-states-qatar-demands-very-provocative/

The Guardian, 03.07.17: Qatar responds to Gulf neighbours' demands https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/03/qatar-given-more-time-to-respond-to-gulf-neighbours-demands

The Guardian, 04.07.17: Qatar objects to being singled out in Gulf diplomatic crisis https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/04/qatar-objects-to-being-singled-out-in-gulf-diplomatic-crisis

The Conversation, 04.07.17: Qatar blockade is a warning to all desert countries that rely on imported food https://theconversation.com/qatar-blockade-is-a-warning-to-all-desert-countries-that-rely-on-imported-food-80283

Chatham House: Expert Comment, 27.07.17: Look to Social Media for the Gulf’s Burgeoning Debates https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/look-social-media-gulf-s-burgeoning-debates

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