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WORLD NEWS Friday 26 May 2017
Qatar hack, bloody Bahrain raid follow Trump’s Mideast trip

the hackers said it planned few weeks criticizing Qatar.
to recall some of its ambas- It also noted that shortly
sadors from Arab nations. before the hack, an event
No one has claimed re- in Washington was hosted
sponsibility for the purport- by the Foundation for the
ed hack. Despite Qatar Defense of Democracies,
refuting the comments, which repeatedly has criti-
Saudi Arabia’s state-linked cized Qatar’s support of Is-
media ran the purported lamists.
fake remarks by Sheikh Ta- The foreign minister told
mim and accused Qatar journalists that his country
of siding with regional en- wants “brotherly” ties with
emies. Egypt on Thursday its Gulf Arab neighbors,
also blocked other web- but that there have been
sites as well, including that no direct talks with any re-
of Mada Masr, a popular garding the alleged cyber-
online news outlet known attack.
for its investigative reports Meanwhile, other con-
on the Egyptian govern- frontations have followed
ment. Qatari Foreign Min- Trump’s visit.
ister Mohammed Al Thani Police in Sunni-ruled Bah-
told reporters at a news rain — a member of the
A Qatari employee of Al Jazeera Arabic language TV news channel walks past the logo of Al conference Thursday that Gulf alliance — raided a
Jazeera in Doha, Qatar. Hackers allegedly broke into the website of Qatar’s state-run news agen- Qatar was facing a “hostile town home to a prominent
cy and published a fake story quoting the ruling emir, authorities there said Wednesday, May 24, media campaign” in the Shiite cleric, arresting 286
2017, as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates responded by blocking Qatari media, includ- U.S., pointing to 13 opinion people in an assault that
ing broadcaster Al-Jazeera.
(AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili) pieces written in the past killed five demonstrators. q
Associated Press and North Africa direc-
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- tor of the Eurasia Group.
ates (AP) — Qatar found it- “Even before Trump, the
self on the defensive once Saudis hand embarked on
again Thursday as more a harsh policy toward Iran
Arab nations blocked ac- — the new U.S. administra-
cess to websites of its flag- tion will only increase their
ship Al-Jazeera news net- confidence on this issue.”
work, just days after U.S. Trump’s visit to the king-
President Donald Trump’s dom included a staggering
Mideast visit positioned $110 billion dollar Saudi de-
America squarely with Sun- fense purchase and a sum-
ni Arab countries against mit of heads of state from
Shiite power Iran. Muslim-majority nations —
Bahrain and Egypt joined an event to which Iran re-
Saudi Arabia and the Unit- ceived no invitation.
ed Arab Emirates in block- Qatar’s ruling emir Sheikh
ing the websites, the latest Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
development in a regional was among several region-
crisis sparked by what Qa- al leaders to have one-on-
tar described as hackers one talks with Trump during
publishing fake comments his Saudi visit. Trump re-
on Iran and other issues via ferred to Qatar,
its state-run news agency which hosts the U.S. Cen-
this week. tral Command and some
While Trump’s visit reas- 10,000 American troops, as
sured a six-nation Saudi-led a “crucial strategic part-
Gulf alliance of its regional ner.”
standing, tiny, energy-rich However, the peninsular
Qatar has found itself on nation’s relations with its
the fringes of the Western- neighbors were thrown
backed alliance as the into chaos this week after
hack rekindled long-stand- Qatari authorities say its
ing suspicions over its sup- state-run news agency was
port of Islamists. Qatar’s hacked.
woes could signal more Officials say hackers pub-
unsettled weeks ahead as lished a fake story claiming
newly emboldened Gulf that the emir had called
rulers translate Trump’s sup- Iran an “Islamic power”
port into action. and said Qatar’s relations
“Trump’s approach will with Israel were “good”
complicate any admittedly during a military ceremo-
remote chance of a Saudi- ny. Messages on the news
Iranian detente,” warned agency’s Twitter account
Ayham Kamel, the Mideast that Qatar also blamed on