Qatar likely seeking Kuwaiti Mediation for Reconciliation

CAIRO – 2 June 2017: There have been various explanations and speculations over the real purpose of the latest trip by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Ben Hamad Al Thani to Kuwait on Wednesday. According to Qatari media outlets such as Al-Jazeera and the Kuwaiti news agency Kuna, the visit was carried out to congratulate the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on Ramadan.

The Qatari Emir has caused a shock to the Arab world by launching an attack against many Arab countries in offensive tweets directed towards Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, following the American-Islamic summit held on May 21.

The Qatari Emir’s statements included defending the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood against terrorism accusations and advocacy for allying with Iran. The statements have later been denied by the Emir saying that the account was hacked.

The offense has resulted in the withdrawal of Qatari ambassadors from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Egypt due to the objection of these countries on the Qatari Emir’s acts.

The Saudi newspaper Akaz stated that the real goal of the visit is seeking the Kuwaiti mediation for reconciliation between Qatar and other Gulf countries.

As the Saudi Electronic newspaper Weam reported, Kuwaiti writer Fouad Hashem declared the news was confirmed by Kuwaiti sources.

The Emirati newspaper El Bayan published an article on Thursday displaying the analysis of Gulf political experts of the visit and its consequences. They all doubted it would be beneficial in resolving the situation.

They said that Qatar’s credibility has been permanently tarnished which diminishes any confidence in its promises. The experts accused Qatar of hiding the real purpose of their visit. The experts explained that the step came as a consequence of Qatar’s self-imposed isolation, which makes changing its foreign policies a must to regain good relations with other Arab countries.

The Saudi newspaper El Riyadh had speculated that the crisis caused by Sheikh Tamim’s offense could result in the sixth coup in the history of the state.

According to CNN Arabic, the Kuwaiti state succeeded in 2014 in resolving a crisis that occurred between Qatar on one hand, and Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain which resulted in the withdrawal of the ambassadors of those countries from Qatar.