The Latest: France calls Qatar to address terror questions
PARIS (AP) — The Latest on the Gulf crisis after Saudi Arabia and other nations cut ties to Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism (all times local):
3:10 p.m.
France is calling on Qatar to answer its Gulf neighbors’ questions in order to find a solution to the current diplomatic crisis.
French government spokesman Christophe Castaner says Wednesday in a news conference following the weekly Cabinet meeting that “Qatar must ensure transparency.”
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday. They accuse Qatar of funding terror groups and having a worryingly close relationship with Iran, a nation with which it shares its vast offshore natural gas field.
Castaner said France doesn’t intent to take sides. He said “it’s important for France to remain in partnership with all these countries”, especially with diplomatic, financial and economic interests at stake.
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2:55 p.m.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister is calling for Qatar to end “its support for extremist groups” and its “interference” in other countries in the region.
Adel al-Jubeir spoke Wednesday after meeting his German counterpart in Berlin. He said he hopes that “Qatar responds to our call to end its support for extremist groups and its interference in the affairs of the countries in the region.” He called for Qatar “to become a neighbor and partner as we were accustomed to it.”
Saudi Arabia and others cut ties with Qatar this week, accusing it of supporting extremists. Qatar denies the allegations.
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2:50 p.m.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister says it’s with “great pain” his country and others took measures against Qatar and insists the “crisis” with the small Gulf nation goes back years.
Adel al-Jubeir says he hopes Qatar can respond to demands put forward by his country, Bahrain, The United Arab Emirates and Egypt to “restore relations to how they were in the past.” He said in Berlin he is seeking a response “soon.”
Al-Jubeir said that “the issue goes back many years.” He added that there was an “understanding” that Qatar would “take measures in relation to supporting some organizations and … some individuals,” but that Qatar didn’t live up to its commitments.
Saudi Arabia and others cut ties with Qatar this week, accusing it of supporting extremists. Qatar denies the allegations.
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1:20 p.m.
A Hamas official says Saudi Arabia’s call to Qatar to cut ties with the Palestinian group is “regrettable” and contradicts traditional Arab support for the Palestinian cause.
Hamas official Mushir al-Masri also accused Saudi Arabia on Wednesday of siding with “American and Zionist calls to put Hamas on the terrorism list.”
Al-Masri’s strongly worded criticism of regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia was unusual for Hamas.
Qatar has been one of the few foreign backers of internationally shunned Hamas, an Islamic militant group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries cut ties with Qatar this week, accusing it of supporting extremists. Qatar has denied the allegations.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Tuesday that Qatar must sever ties with Hamas.
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12:40 p.m.
The United Arab Emirates’ Justice Ministry is warning social media users that they can face prison time and fines for offering sympathy for Qatar amid a growing diplomatic crisis in the Middle East.
The ministry put out a statement on social media Wednesday saying those found guilty could face three to 15 years in prison and fines starting from 500,000 dirhams ($136,000).
The ministry quoted UAE Attorney General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi making the warning, saying it came over Qatar’s “hostile and reckless policy.”
While liberal compared to much of the Middle East, the UAE has tough cybercrime and slander laws under which people can be arrested, imprisoned and deported for taking photographs without the consent of those shown or being insulting.
The United Arab Emirates, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and other Arab nations severed ties with Qatar and have cut off land, sea and air access. They accuse the energy-rich Gulf nation of supporting terror groups, charges denied by Qatar.
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12:30 p.m.
Mauritania has become the latest country to cut diplomatic relations with Qatar as part of a growing rift between the energy-rich Gulf nation and other Arab countries.
In a statement by the Foreign Ministry, the African country accused Qatar of having connections to terrorist organizations. It said Qatar is “promoting extremist thoughts and spreading chaos and disturbances across many of the Arab countries, resulting in big humanitarian miseries.”
Qatar long has denied supporting terror groups.
Mauritania has strong military and economic ties to oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which led the diplomatic spat with Qatar.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and others have severed diplomatic relations and cut off air, land and sea access to Qatar, in the most serious Gulf diplomatic crisis since the 1991 war against Iraq.
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12:15 p.m.
An outspoken Emirati ruling family member has raised the prospect of a change in leadership in Qatar, which is embroiled in a major diplomatic crisis with its Gulf neighbors.
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi says Qatar’s citizens are “questioning if this is going to end up in seeing a change in leadership itself.”
Al Qassemi, of the ruling family of the sheikhdom of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he hopes Qatar ends its “rogue, maverick” ways.
He says Qatar will need to close or limit its Al-Jazeera news network and stop funding extremists groups to end the crisis.
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on Monday.
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