CAIRO - 10 July 2017: Documents published by CNN Monday citing the 2013 and 2014 Riyadh agreements ensure that Qatar failed to meet its obligations and commitments, four Arab countries said in a joint statement Monday.
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain issued a joint statement saying:
“Documents published by CNN network that included the 2013 Riyadh Agreement, its mechanism, and the 2014 Riyadh Supplementary Agreement, confirm with no doubt Qatar’s failure to meet obligations, its complete violation to its commitments.”
The statement added, “the four countries stressed that the 13 demands submitted to the Qatari government were to fulfill its previous commitments and obligations, and the demands were either mentioned in the Riyadh agreement or are fully compatible with what agreed upon.”
Earlier today, leaked documents released by CNN indicated that Qatar has failed to comply with written obligations to the GCC. The GCC agreements are results of meetings held in 2013 and 2014 further clarify the strong actions taken against Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt since June 5.
The CNN documents released few hours after Qatar leaked a document that indicates its desire to exit GCC, which is not possible at the current circumstances according to experts talked to Egypt Today.
CNN documents is considered the first evidence that Qatar made promises to its neighbors to stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and undermining the stability of the region The documents that were obtained by CNN, have been verified by Egypt
Today by official sources at GCC. The leak of the papers contradicts Qatar’s repeated denials of understanding what was at the heart of the current diplomatic crisis. “In case there is a failure to work within the agreed framework, the rest of the GCC can take what steps are necessary to protect its security and stability,” the documents said.
The documents also proves that Qatar admitted interfering in Egypt’s internal affairs by signing such agreements as article number 4 of the second document read:
“All countries are committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council discourse to support the Arab Republic of Egypt, and contributing to this security, stability and its financial support; and ceasing all meida activity directed against the Arab Republic of Egypt in all media platforms, whether directly or indirectly, including all the offenses broadcasted on Al-jazeera, Al-Jazeera Mubashir Masr, and to work to stop all offenses in Egyptian media.”
By signing an agreement that has this statement Qatar has admitted that it uses Al-Jazeera and other platforms to undermine stability in Egypt and support an outlawed group like the Muslim Brotherhood.
In the first document the GCC countries also was keen to make Qatar committed to stop supporting the Muslim Brotherhood.
“No support to the Muslim Brotherhood or any of the organizations, groups or individuals that threaten the security and stability of the Council states through direct security work or through political influence,” the document read.
Muslim Brotherhood is labeled as a terrorist group in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and GCC.
Here is the full translation of the documents published by CNN
First the translation of the handwritten document:
On Saturday, 19/1/1435 (Hijri Calendar , November 2013), The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Kind Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz Al-Saud, the Kind of Saudi Arabia, and his brother His Highness Sheikh Sabbah Al-Ahmad Al-Jabber Al-Sabbah, the Prince of Kuwait, and his brother His Higness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the prince of Qatar, met in Riyadh.
They held extensive deliberations in which they conducted a full revision of what taints the relations between the [Gulf Cooperation] Council states, the challenges facing its security and stability, and means to abolish whatever muddies the relations.
Due to the importance of laying the foundation for a new phase of collective work between the Council’s states, in order to guarantee its movement within a unified political framework based on the principles included in the main system of the Cooperation Council, the following has been agreed upon:
1. No interference in the internal affairs of the Council’s states, whether directly or indirectly. Not to give asylum/refuge or give nationality to any citizen of the Council states that has an activity opposes his country’s regimes, except with the approval of his country; no support to deviant groups that oppose their states; and no support for antagonistic media.
2. No support to the Muslim Brotherhood or any of the organizations, groups or individuals that threaten the security and stability of the Council states through direct security work or through political influence.
3. Not to present any support to any faction in Yemen that could pose a threat to countries neighboring Yemen.
Screen shots from the documents released by CNN
The Second documents: Top Secret
The Supplementary Riyadh Agreement:
Based on a generous invitation by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdel-Aziz Al-Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia, the following have met in Riyadh today, Sunday, 23/1/1436 (Hijri Calendar), 16/11/2014 (Gregorian Calendar): His Highness Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabbah, the Prince of Kuwait, His Majesty King Hamad Bin Eissa Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain; His Highness Shiekh Tamim Bin Hamd Bin Khalifa Al-Thanki, Prince of Qatar; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashed Al-Maktom, the vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates and the governor of Dubai; and His Highness Mohamed Bin Zayed AlNahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the deputy Commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates. This was to cement the spirit of sincere cooperation and to emphasize the joint fate and the aspirations of the sons of the Gulf Cooperation Council for a strong bond and solid rapprochement.
After discussing the commitments stemming from the Riyadh Agreement signed 19/1/1435 (Hijri) – 23/11/2013 and its executive measures; reviewing the reports of the committee following the execution and the results of the joint follow-up [operation] room; and reviewing the conclusions of the report of the follow-up room signed on 10/1/1436 (Hijri) – 3/11/2014 (Gregorian) by the intelligence chiefs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdome of Bahrain and the state of Qatar.
The following has been reached:
1. Stressing that non-committing to any of the articles of the Riyadh Agreement and its executive measure amounts to a violation of the entirety of the agreement.
2. What the intelligence chiefs have reached in the aforementioned report is considered a step forward to implement (not clear because of the bad resolution, it could be SAVE) )Riyadh agreement and its executive measures, with the necessity of the full commitment to implementing everything stated in them(agreement and the Intelligence report ) within the period of one month from the date of the agreement.
3. Not to give refuge, employ, or support whether directly or indirectly, whether domestically or abroad, to any persons or a media apparatus that harbors inclinations harmful to any Gulf Cooperation Council state. Every state is committed to taking all the regulatory, legal and judicial measures against anyone who [commits] any encroachment against Gulf Cooperation Council states, including putting him on trial and announcing it in the media.
4. All countries are committed to the Gulf Cooperation Council discourse to support the Arab Republic of Egypt, and contributing to this security, stability and its financial support; and ceasing all meida activity directed against the Arab Republic of Egypt in all media platforms, whether directly or indirectly, including all the offenses broadcasted on Al-jazeera, Al-Jazeera Mubashir Masr, and to work to stop all offenses in Egyptian media.
Accordingly, it has been decided that the Riyadh Agreement, and its executive measures, and the components of the supplementary agreement, requires the full commitment to its implementation. The leaders have tasked the intelligence chiefs to follow up on the implementation of this results of this supplementary agreement and to report regularly to the leaders, in order to take the measures the deem necessary to protect the security and stability of their countries.
It has been agreed that implementing the aforementioned commitments pours in the unity of the Council states and their interests and the future of their peoples, and signals a new page that will be the strong base to advance the path of joint work and moving towards a strong Gulf entity.
Screen shots from the documents released by CNN
Earlier on Monday a leaked letter revealed that the Qatari regime is ready to exit the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) within three days if the Arab countries' policy with it continues.
The letter, which was labeled as secret and leaked to the media, was sent by Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the GCC Secretary General Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani on Thursday.
Copy of the secret letter
However, experts talked to Egypt Today believe that Qatar is threatening to leave GCC to maneuver and buy time.
Tarek Fahmy, political science professor at Cairo University, commented on the leaked letters, saying, “The leaked letter is not yet sufficient to confirm if Qatar would take such action or not, since it’s not something official,” adding that in general, “Qatar will not quit the GCC and will not take such action alone, and that its withdrawal will only happen if the other remaining five countries of the council agreed on this or forced Qatar to leave”.
Still, it is unclear if the five countries would agree to withdraw Qatar from the council, as Kuwait’s and Oman’s stances might be different than the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Agreeing with Fahmy, member in the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Samir Ghataas also noted that he doubts that Qatar will quit the council that represents importance to the Gulf nation’s work.
Both professors urged that Qatar believes that remaining in the council, and being keen to the Gulf is significant for its interests. They also added that in the case Qatar left the council, either by its own decision or forced, the Gulf emirate will focus on strengthening a regional axis with Iran and Turkey.
Following the crisis of cutting ties, Iran has already shown support for Qatar, as the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been sent to protect Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani inside his palace.
Meanwhile, Turkey has also sent products to Qatar a few days after cutting ties with Gulf neighbors, as the country faced a shortage of fresh produce, subliminally messaging that Qatar is not alone.
Turkey also has sent focuses from a Turkish military base to Qatar, in exchange for economic benefits from Qatar.
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Infograpah by Ahmed Hussein
Abdel Moneem Saeed, the head of Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, said that if Qatar left or withdraw from the council, that would put it in more diplomatic and political isolation, explaining that the Gulf country had been receiving products from its neighboring Gulf countries, such as the UAE, which then stopped, subjecting the Gulf nation to face shortages.
Qatar will address these shortages through partnerships with countries that might geographically be far away and will cost Qatar more customs expenses, Saeed continued.
Last week, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain said in a joint statement that the ultimatum that had been given to Qatar is now void, leading to further legal, political and economic measures against the government of Qatar.
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