RUSI panel discussion on Qatari terrorism

CAIRO-7 May,2017: The Royal United Services Institute ( RUSI) organized on Friday a panel discussion on the current political impasse inside the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its implications for policy-making process in the United Kingdom.

The speakers for the discussion included former Foreign Secretary and Defense Secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, former Defence Senior Adviser Middle East, Ministry of Defence Lt Gen Sir Simon Mayall, and the Bahraini Researcher Mohammed Mubarak Juma.

Rifkind said that the current escalation between Arab nations is unacceptable, noting that Qatar is seeking to acquire an active role in the region, even through involving in funding terrorist and extremist groups such as Hamas, outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and others in troubled Syria.

The former Defense Secretary said that Saudi Arabia was a victim for a series of terrorist operations, however the kingdom was accused of harboring extremists previously, adding that the sanctions imposed against Qatar will not do a lot of harm as the tiny emirate is considered among the wealthiest nations in the world.

Rifkind stressed that the current crisis comes in favor of the Iranian state that have always sought to control the region using the sectarian strife and the Shiite Umbrella, now getting closer to Qatar amid the rising tension between the latter and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

On the other hand, the Bahraini researcher Juma asserted that there are clear evidences indicate that Qatar funds and support terrorism in the region, the thing that destabilize the national security of several states other than those boycotting the tiny Emirate.

Juma pointed out that the economic sanctions against Qatar started to affect negatively the tiny Emirate despite its wealth. He called the west to join the campaign against Qatar as they are suffering from terrorism funded by the tiny Gulf Emirate.

Mayall criticized the British absence in the Gulf political crisis despite the historical relations between UK and the Gulf monarchies, noting that the states involved in the political dilemma are the source of half the energy of the world.

Mayall said that UK should take part in finding a solution for the crisis before more escalation that would harm the economic interests of several parts.