Qatar plotted against GCC Initiative in Yemen: Leaked audio

CAIRO – 16 June 2017: A leaked recording of an alleged Qatari intelligence officer plotting to foil the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative in Yemen has surfaced on social media since Wednesday.

The Qatari officer, claimed to be named Nasser al-Merri, urged Hussein al-Ahmar, one of the main tribal leaders in Yemen, to do everything possible to prevent the GCC Initiative from settling the turmoil in Yemen.

The GCC Initiative, signed in November 2011, called on Houthi rebels to give up their military gains and on all parties involved to unite behind the initiative, according to the audio posted by an Emirati Twitter account.

Merri said in the phone call that the Qatari intelligence works on convincing the Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi to refuse the GCC initiative and continue his group’s militant activity Yemen.

The Qatari officer criticized the fourth and eight items in the GCC Initiative and asked Ahmar to ignore the neighboring countries’ calls to support the initiative.

On June 5, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar over accusations of funding terrorism and supporting terrorists through the royal family-owned Al-Jazeera channel.

الخيانة #قطر.. تسجيل صوتي لضابط مخابرات قطري يوجه الشيخ حسن الأحمر للتحرك لإفشال المبادرة الخليجية #دوت_إمارات #قطر_تمول_الإرهاب pic.twitter.com/keTtZXkIme

— دوت إمارات (@dotemirates) June 14, 2017