Qatar FM denies claims it supports terrorism in Syria

The Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, yesterday denied claims that Doha has provided support for any of the terrorist groups in Syria explaining that his country has only supported the Syrian people through humanitarian organisations.

The Qatari minister told reporters in Brussels that “supporting the Syrian opposition at one point was a collective effort by a group of countries”.

Al Thani described all criticism directed at his country over allegedly supporting terrorism in Syria, Libya and the Sahel as “a malicious campaign” led by the countries that have imposed a blockade on Qatar for more than three years.

On 5 June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain severed diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups in the region.

The four countries also imposed an embargo on Qatar and issued a long list of demands, including the closure of Doha-based news broadcaster Al Jazeera, under the threat of further sanctions.

Qatar has refused to submit, denying charges that it supports terrorism and describing the bloc’s efforts to isolate it as a violation of international law and an infringement of its national sovereignty.