Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (L) and former Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani (R) at the opening of the Doha Forum (AFP)CAIRO – 31 October 2017: Statements made by Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani and former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani during an interview on the state television on Thursday sparked rage among Arab politicians and writers.Bin Jassem admitted to supporting the Nusra Front in Syria, which is a branch of al-Qaeda, and other groups in Libya that he identified as opposition rather than terrorist groups. Both were speculating in the call leaked in 2014 that terror groups would take over the rule in 12 years and that the current ruling regime would collapse.Seoud al-Qahtany, a consultant at the Royal Saudi Court and the chairman of Media Studies and Affairs Center, said on Sunday that bin Jassem seemed confused and failed to explain the leaked phone call with late Libyan President Muammar al-Gaddafi as they discussed a conspiracy on Saudi Arabia. “I wish that he said it was a fake recording but he could not,” he added.Qahtany alleged that bin Jassem’s excuses are nothing but lies, describing his words as begging after all mediations have failed. He also emphasized the Qatari state’s tight relations with Iran.On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen decided to cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar, hurling allegations that the state supports terrorism. Ports and airspaces were cut off to Qatari vessels.The countries listed 13 demands to be met by Qatar, including severing ties with terrorist groups, closing down the pan-Arab Al-Jazeera satellite channel, downgrading ties with arch-rival Iran and closing a Turkish air base in Qatar.

Source: Egypt Today October 31, 2017 12:56 UTC