Qatar crisis grows as Arab nations draw up terror sanctions list

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The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and other Arab states severed all ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing the country of funding terrorist organisations and backing Iran.

The designations point to the fact that despite repeated calls from the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the worldwide community, Qatar remains a permissive jurisdiction for terrorism financing.

Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah was met by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, when he arrived on Wednesday night.

Saudi Arabia's al Watan newspaper published what it said was a list of eight "extremist organizations" seen as working to destabilize the region from Qatar, including Qatar's al Jazeera news channel, that were targeted by Gulf Arab states.

Qatar is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

Qatar, on the other hand, took a separate path. Saudi Arabia's powerlessness in the face of the Iraqi invasion was a lesson to key Qatari leaders that their nation's survival required building influence with great powers, and perhaps even nonstate actors, beyond the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Arabia has also closed its land borders with Qatar, geographically isolating the tiny Gulf state.

Qatar is already home to the biggest air base in the Middle East, al-Udeid, where some 10,000 military personnel are stationed, and is the forward headquarters of US Central Command.

Included on the list were Doha-based Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi and Qatari-funded charities.

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"This is not about regime change-this is about change of policy, change of approach", U.A.E. state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash said in an interview with AFP.

As Kuwait's emir shuttled between Gulf capitals for talks, USA president Donald Trump offered to host a White House meeting if necessary, in a change of heart from his initial support for the Saudi-led boycott.

Qatar vehemently denies the allegations.

Trump initially took sides with the Saudi-led group before apparently being nudged into a more even-handed approach when US defence officials renewed praise of Doha.

Phone numbers were provided for the call centre available for enquiries in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

The impact of the crisis on Qatar was reflected in Standard & Poor's decision to downgrade Qatar's credit rating, as well as Moody's warning that the country's sovereign debt rating could decline.

"The emir has no plans to leave Qatar while the country is under a blockade", the official told Reuters.

"Now we need to check how the neutral venues will be impacted and we will have to go back to the countries that have chosen Doha as a neutral venue to come up with alternatives".

He said Qatar as an independent nation also had the right to support groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, despite its neighbors outlawing the Sunni Islamist group. It can be traced to Saudi Arabia and Qatar's contrasting views on two risky forces: Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.

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