Qatar used charities as cover for funding Hezbollah

CAIRO – 6 July 2017: Al-Watan Saudi newspaper said Thursday that Qatar used funding charities as cover for backing terrorism, especially the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.

“The Qatari regime has been working with Hezbollah for a long time. They are also known for backing the Iranian soldiers, especially after the Israeli bombing of Lebanon in 2006, as Iran asked Qatar then to interfere to support Hezbollah,” Lebanon activist Tarek Abu Zeinab told Al-Watan.

He added that Qatar’s relations with the terrorist group started under the rule of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, not just since Sheikh Tamim took office. Several secret meetings have been held between Qatari officials, including former interior minister Hamad bin Jassim, and Hezbollah officers. “They have been tricking the world through sending aid planes, but the truth is that these were planes full of weapons heading to the terrorist groups based in Lebanon,” Abu Zeinab said.

Qatar’s relations with several Arab and Gulf States have been strained since May 24, when the Qatari state-run news agency reported Sheikh Tamim bin Hammad Al-Thani’s statements regarding Gulf foreign policy with Iran as “unwise”.

On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen decided to cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar, hurling allegations that the state supports terrorism. Ports and airspace were cut off to Qatari vessels.

On June 6, Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Al-Sabah started a tour that included Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar in an attempt to mediate between the three countries.

A list of 13-demands was given to Doha’s government by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain for reconciliation; however, Qatar’s response was described as “negative” by the four countries’ foreign ministers in a joint statement released after holding a summit in Cairo Wednesday.