Qatar plotted Mubarak assassination in Addis: US file reveals

CAIRO -17 June 2017: The late Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz had focused his attention on Qatar. There were several assassination attempts on political and military leaders in the region. Those that took a stance against the Muslim Brotherhood or terrorist groups were targeted.

The assassinations attempts came through by way of funding and instigations. Many of these attempts are still well known today. The assassination of the Libyan rebel military chief, Major General Abdel Fattah Younis and the liberal Tunisian politician Chokri Belaid, and the failed attempts such as the attempted assassination of King Abdullah, as well as the former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Beside, U.S Judicial evidence revealed the involvement of Doha.

Attempted Assassination of Mubarak

In 1995, Egypt directed its accusations of a failed assassination attempt on the life of President Mubarak toward the Sudanese leader Hassan Al-Turabi. President Mubarak was in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, participating in the African Summit.

Al-Turabi and Qatar

While ties between al-Turabi and Qatar have not been obvious, the former Sudanese leader's relationship with al-Qaeda could hardly go unnoticed.

Al-Turabi gave shelter to al-Qaeda's leader Osama bin Laden and other extremists from Arab countries.

This agreement eased the restrictions on the Sudanese regime, in exchange for releasing the terrorists. Currently, Arab countries are asking Qatar to comply with similar demands.

The link between bin Laden and Mubarak's failed assassination was revealed for the first time in 2003. Enaam M. Arnaout pleaded guilty to financing terrorism and conspiracy in Illinois Federal Courts. Arnaout is A Syrian American from Hamah, and was working for the Saudi Al-Batterjee’s charity foundation. Saudi Arabia proved his involvement through an investigation in 1993, and proceeded with his suspension

In one example, the prosecution presented evidence supporting Arnaout's confession of funding al-Qaeda and its terrorist operations through organizations registered as charity, including the Qatar Charity Foundation.

According to U.S prosecution evidence, on page 25 of the prosecution's file: "In 1995, after a failed attempt by al-Qaeda elements to assassinate Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bin Laden blamed al-Qaeda member (the accused in the case referred to above) for using funds received through Qatar Charity in the operation and was concerned that al-Qaeda’s ability to use charity funding may be adversely affected as a result.”

Perhaps even more research and exploration into the many cases of terrorist financing in the United States and elsewhere may reveal the name of Qatar in more than one case.

On June 5, a number of Arab countries including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar over accusations of funding terrorism and supporting terrorists.