Four Arab states that have isolated Qatar have handed the country a list of 13 demands, including some that are likely to infuriate Doha and exacerbate the region’s worst crisis in decades.
The Reuters news agency reported that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had given Qatar 10 days to comply with the list, citing an official from one of those four countries.
Here are some key demands:
– Shut down the Al Jazeera media network and its affiliates.
– Halt the development of a Turkish military base in the country.
– Reduce diplomatic ties with Iran.
– Cut ties to terrorist organizations.
– Stop interfering in the four countries’ affairs.
– Stop the practice of giving Qatari nationality to citizens of the four countries.
The Arab nations cut ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the region. Qatar — which shares its only land border with Saudi Arabia — has rejected the accusations, calling them “unjustified” and “baseless.”
Qatar has yet to publicly respond to the demands.
The four countries have given Doha just 10 days to meet the demands, and say that the list will become void if it fails to do so.
The list was presented to Qatar by neighboring Kuwait, which is acting as a mediator in the crisis, the Qatari-owned Al Jazeera reported. It was released more than two weeks after Saudi Arabia led a coordinated freeze by nine countries on diplomatic and trade relations with Qatar.
It also demands that Qatar pay reparations to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt for damages or costs incurred because of Qatari policies, according to Reuters.
It says the demands will be monitored and involve monthly reports in the first year, then every three months the next year, then annually for 10 years, the official said.
Earlier this week, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the US was “mystified” as to why the Gulf states hadn’t yet issued such a list of demands.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the US hoped the list of demands, once released, would be “reasonable and actionable.”
