Page 6 - aruba-today-20210107

A6 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 7 January 2021
Qatar emerges from Gulf spat resolute and largely unscathed

By AYA BATRAWY Qatar rejected the de-
Associated Press mands.
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- Although it stamps out dis-
ates (AP) — Qataris awoke sent domestically, Qatar
to a surprise blockade framed its support of op-
and boycott by Gulf Arab position Islamist groups in
neighbors 3 1/2 years ago, other Arab countries as a
and this week were jolted sign of its tolerance and
again by the sudden an- pluralistic approach.
nouncement that it was all When asked about the list
over. by CNN's Becky Anderson
The period in between was on Tuesday, a top Emirati
bitter, with mud-slinging diplomat downplayed its
by both sides and viscous significance.
media blitzes, social media "The 13 demands at the
trolling, expensive lobbying time were what I would
efforts in Washington, and consider a maximalist ne-
allegations of hacks and gotiating position," Anwar
leaks. Criticism of the boy- Gargash said.
cott was a criminal offense Pivoting to the UAE's new
in Saudi Arabia, the United public stance, he said the
Arab Emirates, Bahrain and In this May 5, 2018, file photo, the images of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani focus now is on beginning
Egypt as the four sought to hang on the towers in Doha, Qatar. the process of healing. Still,
punish Qatar. Associated Press he said one should be real-
Qatar's resolve in the face istic about the road ahead.
of the assault showed go, opening its airspace other imported food items. was seen as a "firm, steady, "The issue of rebuilding con-
how little the campaign and, in the coming days, its Qatar's government imme- wise and mature hand at fidence is one that takes
achieved as the small, but land crossing to it's tiny Gulf diately drew from its sub- the wheel," said Mitchell, time, takes some energy
influential U.S. ally holds firm neighbor. On Tuesday, Gulf stantial cash reserves, used who has lived in Qatar for and takes a lot of transpar-
with its ties to Turkey, Iran Arab leaders and a repre- alternative shipping and 13 years and witnessed ency," he said, adding: "We
and Islamists. sentative from Egypt gath- flight routes, flew in thou- the country of 2.7 million have to work at making this
"In terms of foreign policy, ered in Saudi Arabia and sands of cattle to ensure a people rally around their deal quite waterproof in
the international relations signed a declaration to steady supply of fresh dairy leader. many ways."
of the blockade, Qatar start a new page in broth- and deepened alliances Economically, the uber- On Wednesday, Qatari
didn't have to change erly relations, effectively with Turkey and Iran. wealthy nation took a hit news websites, including
much because the block- ending Qatar's isolation Qatar also used its strategic from the blockade. Qatar the Doha-based Al Jazeera
ade was on such shaky among the quartet. location in the Persian Gulf Airways says it lost billions English and Arabic pages,
ground to start," said Joc- So stark was the about- as the world's largest pro- of dollars by being blocked were still blocked in the
elyn Sage Mitchell, an assis- face that Saudi Arabia's ducer of liquefied natural from the quartet's airspace UAE. There was, however,
tant professor in residence crown prince embraced gas to continue shipments and markets. a palpable shift in tone in
at Northwestern University's Qatar's ruling emir upon his to major world powers. Despite the pressure, Qa- state-linked news outlets,
campus in Qatar. arrival to the summit, and Construction supplies were tar's ability to assert its sov- signaling a new under-
She said the quartet's efforts later drove him to see his- rerouted, allowing Qatar to ereign independence was standing. Newspapers in
to internationally isolate toric desert sites in the area. continue pace with build- strengthened by the crisis. the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Qatar failed. This, coupled In a nod to their fraternal ing new roads, hotels and Now that the embargo has led with front-page photos
with an incoming Biden ad- ties, Qatar's emir landed in mega-stadiums as it pre- ended, Qatar may soften of Tuesday's Gulf summit
ministration in Washington a jet named after an an- pares to host the FIFA World some of its policies, but it's and positive headlines of
that is expected to take a cient town located in Saudi Cup in 2022. unlikely to sever ties with the rift ending.
firmer stance toward Saudi Arabia's landlocked Najd Sheikh Tamim's resolve and Turkey, said Ayham Kamel, While there is relief that ten-
Arabia and re-engage with region, the birthplace of his handling of the crisis cata- head of Eurasia Group's sions have eased, there
Iran, put Qatar in a strong Bani Tamim tribe. pulted his popularity at Middle East and North Af- is also deep skepticism
negotiating position. Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim home. His image was plas- rica division. among Gulf Arab citizens.
"I don't expect to see any bin Hamad Al Thani, was tered on high-rise build- "As a result, all the Gulf Families who'd intermarried
concessions or changes of 37 years old when the crisis ings and car windows with countries will not align their with Qataris were divided,
significance from Qatar," erupted in mid-2017, mark- pledges of loyalty and slo- foreign policies," he said. Qataris living in the UAE
Mitchell said. "Doha is actu- ing the biggest political gans praising him as "glori- "These issues could once and Saudi Arabia were ex-
ally used, and recognized, challenge of his rule. ous". Qatar's National Mu- again become problem- pelled, and social ties were
and welcomed for their In the initial days of the seum dedicated a gallery atic as Qatari support for frayed by the crisis.
ability to be the ally in the boycott, worried residents to the nation's solitary un- Muslim Brotherhood orga- "When you're connected
middle." rushed to grocery stores in der his leadership amid the nizations across the region to these countries by ties
On Monday night, Saudi the capital, Doha, emp- crisis. could become significant." of family and friendship,
Arabia ended its embar- tying shelves of milk and The young ruler, now 40, Days after the crisis erupt- it's painful to watch it de-
ed, the quartet issued a list scend into what it did," said
of 13 demands on Qatar, Ahmed Al-Omran, a Saudi

ordering it to shutter its Al analyst and author of the
Jazeera news network, ex- Riyadh Bureau newsletter.
pel a small contingency of "People I think will be happy
Turkish troops from its terri- to see and hear less nasty
tory, cut ties with the Mus- exchanges in media, and
lim Brotherhood and hand personal attacks and all of
over political dissidents liv- this ugliness that marked
ing in exile there. this dispute."q