Secret documents show Qatar's wanton disregard

 Four Arab states sought to pile pressure on Qatar over charges it backs terrorism, saying the publication of a previously secret accord between Riyadh and Doha showed Qatar broke a promise not to meddle in the affairs of Gulf countries.

The text of the 2013 accord, whose existence was known but whose contents have never before been made public, was first published by CNN on Monday and later released on social media by Saudi officials.

In a joint statement, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates said the publication of the accord, meant to settle a dispute between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours, "confirms beyond any doubt Qatar's failure to meet its commitments and its full violation of its pledges".

Amid fresh tension with Qatar, the four slapped sanctions on Doha on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism, cosying up to Iran, backing the Muslim Brotherhood - the world's oldest Islamist organisation - and interference in their affairs.

The four say Qatar pledged to desist from interfering in its neighbours' politics in the 2013 agreement.

The document surfaced as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrived in the region to help Washington's allies hammer out a way out of the crisis.

The Riyadh accord aimed to enhance cooperation between sovereign Gulf Arab states and avoid interference in their internal affairs, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.

Kuwaiti mediation efforts hit a snag last week when the four Arab states said they were disappointed with Qatar's response to their list of 13 demands.

Qatar said the demands, which included ending support for militant groups, the closure of the Al Jazeera TV channel, shutting down a Turkish military base in Qatar and downgrading ties with Iran, were an infringement of its sovereignty.

QNA reported Sheikh Saif bin Ahmed Al Thani, director of Qatar's government communications, as saying the 13 demands bore no relation to the Riyadh accord.

The 2013 agreement, reached in Riyadh hosted by the then Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, was signed by the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Kuwaiti Amir His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah while an implementation mechanism was signed by the six GCC foreign ministers.

The parties agreed to refrain from backing any political currents that pose a threat to any member country of the (GCC and provided for Muslim Brotherhood leaders who are non-GCC citizens to leave the area.

Key contents of the 2013 Riyadh agreement

> In the first agreement, the countries vowed not to support "antagonistic media," a reference to Al Jazeera -  the news station based in Qatar and funded by its government - which other Gulf states accuse of trumpeting opposition groups in the region including Egypt and Bahrain.

> A second agreement headlined "top secret" and dated November 16, 2014, adds the King of Bahrain, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the Prime Minister of the UAE. It mentions the signatories' commitment to support Egypt's stability, including preventing Al Jazeera from being used as a platform for groups or figures challenging the Egyptian government.

> The second agreement specifically mentions Al Jazeera. After the agreement was signed, Al Jazeera had shut down a channel dedicated to Egypt coverage: Al Jazeera Mubashir Misr.

> A document to the 2013 agreement signed by the countries' foreign ministers discusses implementation of the agreement.

> It includes provisions barring support of the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as outside groups in Yemen and Saudi Arabia that pose a threat to security of Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

US, UK and Kuwait call for swift solution to the crisis

The United States, United Kingdom and Kuwait urged all parties to a Gulf Arab diplomatic row over Qatar to resolve their dispute as quickly as possible through dialogue, Kuwait state news agency Kuna reported on Tuesday.

The statement came as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and British National Security Advisor Mark Sedwill visited Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator, in order to patch up the row among the Western-allied countries.

Coming from some of the most influential powers in the dispute, the plea for a negotiated solution may aim at an earlier refusal by Qatar's adversaries to discuss renewing ties with Doha until it first acquiesced to a list of stiff demands.

The State Department said Tillerson held talks with leaders in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.  The United States worries the crisis could affect its military and counter-terrorism operations.

Source: Khaleej Times