Arab countries support economic sanctions on Qatar: MP

CAIRO – 31 May 2017: Member of the Parliament Information Committee, Nader Mustafa, told Egypt Today on Wednesday that the announced intention by the U.S. administration to impose economic sanctions on Qatar and moving out the U.S. military base from the country is vital. He said that this step would expose the role Qatar plays in supporting and financing terrorists groups.

Mustafa added that Qatar intentions and directions towards the region are clear and no longer hidden; hence request the U.S. administration to activate the decisions to impose economic sanctions on Qatar and to move out its military base from the country.

The MP pointed out that Trump and Sisi share the same vision towards the importance of countering terrorism and that both presidents share mutual trust especially after the strong speech by Sisi in the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh on May 22, 2017.

This is not the first call in the Egyptian parliament. On May 24, 2017 Parliamentarian Tarek el-Khouly called for international actions against Qatar. This call was after alleged comments attributed to Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani carried by official state news agency QNA endorsing Iran deviating from the stance of Qatar’s Gulf neighbors.

During this week, at a conference hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, congressman Ed Royce and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates raised possible sanctions and the moving of the U.S. military base out of the country (where the U.S. has been operating since 2003) if Doha does not change its stances on terrorist groups.

Earlier on Sunday May 28, 2017 the descendants of Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdel Wahab, Al Elsheikh in Saudi Arabia released a statement to disown the pedigree of Qatar’s ruling family, Al-Thani, announcing that the 200 descendants in Saudi Arabia are the only lineage of the 18th-century cleric.