Gulf Spat over Qatar Resolved amid Rise of Jihadists
A spat over Qatar's alleged support for the Muslim Brotherhood that alienated other nations in the six-country Gulf Cooperation Council appears to have been resolved because of major regional challenges.
Possible concessions by Doha may also have paved the way in overcoming the unprecedented dispute.
After a surprise mini-summit late Sunday in Riyadh, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain agreed to return their ambassadors to Doha, eight months after withdrawing them in protest at gas-rich Qatar's "interference" in their affairs.
Sunday's reconciliation, which means the annual GCC summit will now proceed as planned in Doha next month, comes amid security fears over the rise of radical jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq.
Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have all joined a U.S.-led coalition against Islamist insurgents in Syria. Oman is the only GCC member not to have done so.
"What is important now is that the worst crisis to hit the GCC in its 33 years of existence is over," Emirati political science professor Abdulkhaleq Abdulla said.
"2014 was the worst year for the GCC. The return of the ambassadors means that GCC states have turned a page on this major dispute," he said.
Qatar was accused of destabilizing the region by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood -- branded as a "terrorist" organization by Saudi Arabia and the UAE -- and other Islamist groups, notably in Syria and Libya.
Manama, where the ruling Sunni Muslim dynasty has squared up against the Shiite majority, has accused Doha of naturalizing Bahraini Sunnis, a move that could eventually exacerbate the kingdom's demographic imbalance.
In a bid to defuse the crisis, "Qatar must have made major commitments... after a period of hesitation and procrastination," Abdulla told Agence France-Presse.
The GCC has not provided information about the agreement or any Qatari concessions.
Kuwaiti political analyst Ayed al-Manaa says Doha has already "taken measures to meet the demands of its partners, such as asking some people linked to the Muslim Brotherhood to leave Qatar."
In what was seen as a goodwill gesture to fellow GCC members, Doha in September asked several Brotherhood leaders to leave the country.
"Qatar also seems to have agreed to stop naturalizing or welcoming citizens" of other Gulf states who are wanted by their governments, Manaa said.
However, he noted that the editorial line of the influential Doha-based Al-Jazeera news channel, accused of bias in favor of Islamists, remains largely unchanged.
The Muslim Brotherhood is viewed by several Gulf monarchies as a threat to their rule because of its grass-roots political advocacy and calls for Islamic governance.
Resolving the GCC crisis was given added impetus by the rise of Islamic State group (IS) extremists in Syria and Iraq, which borders Saudi Arabia.
Since Qatar's regional and international influence rose in the late 1990s, the energy-rich U.S. ally has been regularly accused of supporting or financing insurgent movements.
The UAE on Saturday issued a list of 83 Islamist groups it classified as "terrorist organizations", among them the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars headed by the Brotherhood's spiritual guide Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Qatari of Egyptian origin.
In September, Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani denied that Doha funds extremists in Syria, while stressing his commitment to the U.S.-led campaign against IS.
Washington is also likely to have urged GCC leaders to bury the hatchet, another analyst speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP.
Sunday's GCC statement said the accord "promises the opening of a new page... especially in light of the sensitive circumstances the region is undergoing."
"The danger threatens us all, and had it not been for the (coalition) intervention, the Islamic State could have seized full control of Syria and Iraq," said Manaa, noting that Gulf states are "prime targets" for radicals.
However, "Qatar would never sacrifice its GCC membership" which is "more important that its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood," he added.
Source: Agence France Presse
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