Essay Example on Qatar Blockade

In June 2017, a diplomatic crisis, which brought about the Qatar Blockade, began when various countries neighboring Qatar abruptly cut off all the diplomatic relations with the West Asian nation. The countries which included, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, imposed a blockade on Qatar ordering a discontinuation of various services, the withdrawal of ambassadors and also imposing trade and travel bans on the Qatari citizens. This was also followed by a 14 days ultimatum ordering all the Qatari citizens to leave the territories of the four neighboring countries that imposed a blockade on Qatar (McKernan, 2017). Although various reports suggest that all the four nations had serious issues against Qatar, increasing evidence substantiates that the crisis which led to the imposition of the blockade is an immediate result of the escalation of the existing proxy conflict between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. With this put into consideration, this essay seeks to explore all the factors associated with the Qatar blockade as well as the aftermath of the blockade.

Firstly, Qatar has for a long time been accused of grave association with terrorism which has led to the consequent destabilization of its neighboring regions. Although many recent reports have put great emphasis on these accusations, various Qatari leaders such as the prime minister have refuted the allegations citing that Qatar is among the worlds pioneers of combating terrorism and extremism. According to the countrys prime minister, Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar has more than once, proven to be a nation that does not support terrorism or any form extremism through various acts such as hosting the central command of the global coalition as well as participating in the renowned American war against terrorism (QL News, 2017).

The Qatar blockade was initiated by Saudi Arabia, who alongside its allies, issued Qatar with a list of demands in June 2017. These demands were such as shutting down Al Jazeera, which is a Doha based broadcaster, the closure of a Turkish military base that is located in the emirate and also curbing all its existing relations with Iran. However, despite the numerous implications of the Qatar Blockade, HE Sheikh Abdulla bin Saoud al Thani claims that the siege that has since been imposed on Qatar has not negatively impacted the countrys economy. Instead, Qatars economy has in the recent past, grown at the fastest pace of all the other states in the GCC region (Mohamed, 2017).

In the same vein, Qatar, which is an oil-rich state has for the longest time been known to practice an ambitious foreign policy with different priorities to its neighboring countries. Nonetheless, their neighbors are said to have been angered by two very crucial issues over the recent past. The first and most common issue is related to Qatars support and relation to the Islamists groups (BBC News, 2017). Based on this premise, although Qatar acknowledges that it has offered assistance to some Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the country strongly refutes the allegation by its neighboring Arab countries to have been associated with the various militant groups that are particularly linked to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (ISIS) (Cohen, 2017). The other standard issue is linked to Qatars relations with Iran, a country that they both share the worlds largest gas field. Therefore, problems arise from what is referred to as Qatars close associations to Iran owing to the fact that Shia Muslim power is Sunni Muslim-ruled Saudis greatest regional rival.

In response to the allegations made by the four blockade countries, Qatar, as a country claimed that the claims made against it were overly offensive to its sovereignty. Besides, in attempt to try and stop the ongoing allegations by the blockade countries, Qatar is said to have filed various official complaints. For instance, the country filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO), seeking to challenge the existing trade boycott by the three Asian blockade countries, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Saudi Arabia. Based on this context, reports claim that these official reports filed to be considered beneficial to the country since there is a possibility that the blockade countries would be forced to dialogue with Qatar in an attempt to reach a peaceful solution before the World Trade Organization decides to intervene. In a similar regard, the Qatar foreign minister contends that the ongoing blockade by the neighboring Gulf countries is in violation of the international law and human rights. Thus, based on this context, Qatar feels that it is important that the United Nations (UN) takes action, particularly against the Saudi-led blockade (The New Arab, 2017).

With regard to the consequences which are as a result of the blockade, while speaking at a United Nations Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Switzerland, the countrys prime minister contended that Qatar, has since the embargo, suffered various challenges owing to the illegal imposition by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain. Besides, after its Arab neighbors cut ties with the country, Qatar, has for the past couple of months received food aids from countries such as Iran and Turkey (Al Jazeera News, 2017). More fundamentally, after the four countries accused Doha of having a close association with terrorist groups and extremists, Iran air has since then, been involved with the transportation of various foods and vegetables to different parts of Qatar.

Besides, another grave consequence of the blockade involves the disruption of various social activities such as business, education, as well as transport links that connect Qatar and its neighbors. This has also led to the tearing up of numerous families that were composed of members holding different passports. Similarly, due to their heavy reliance on both oil and gas exports, the conflicting GCC states, therefore, maintain weak trade and investment ties with each other. This, in essence, has to a broader extent limited the economic effects of the countries dispute. Qatar, on the other hand, enforces a ban on its citizens restricting them from leaving the country into the rival Gulf-states.

Despite the numerous consequences that have befallen Qatar after the four Arab countries have cut diplomatic relations with the country, other gulf-countries such as Kuwait have considered helping Qatar with their ongoing crisis. Kuwait, has, therefore, reportedly launched a new initiative that is primarily aimed at breaking the stalemate in the current crisis that has befallen Qatar (Osborne, 2017). Kuwait plans to achieve this through focusing on specific measures that would help initiate dialogue. Based on this context, reports substantiate that Kuwaits bid to help Qatar solve its ongoing crisis is a move that intentionally coincides with a new drive by the United States to maintain a constant pressure on the ground through measures such as sending a diplomat to the Arabian Gulf.

The Qatar foreign and prime minister also contends that, in an attempt to counter the current GCC crisis facing the country, the United States was offering full support to Doha so as to put an end to the blockade. Although the prime minister has cited concrete support from the United States administrations ranging from the president, Donald Trump, to the State Secretary Rex Tillerson, there is evidence that this Qatar siege is still in place, as of December 2017 (Doha News, 2017). Citing this claim, the prime minister argues that the only reason why the siege is still in place in Qatar is owing to the actions of Saudi Arabia and UAE towards Qatar, alongside the illegal measures that these countries have taken against Qatar through shutting down the boarders and also separating families which have also seen the launch of the anti-Qatar propaganda campaign.

Besides, concerning the grave consequences associated with the Gulf crisis affecting Qatar as a result of the blockade, the United States government through the leadership of President Donald Trump has offered a hand to Qatar in attempt to bring to an end the Gulf diplomatic crisis. More specifically, Donald Trump intends to bring the conflicting gulf neighbors together in a bid to mediate the existing dispute (Toumi, 2017). Therefore, based on this context, it is evident that Qatars emir, as well as the countrys prime minister, are more than willing to negotiate with the four boycotting countries and for this reason, have welcomed calls from international leaders for all the involved parties to come together and discuss the issue.

In conclusion, having been accused of sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the Gulf region, Qatar has experienced numerous consequences which have affected various sectors such as the education, transport, and trade. Although the Qatar blockade was initially imposed by its rival gulf-states to enforce a potential regime change in Doha, the extensive effects of the blockade have, for the past six months, significantly increased the negative effects on Qatar. Nonetheless, countries such as the United States and Kuwait, have since been on the forefront calling for dialogue among the four conflicting Gulf-states and as a result, resolve this existing crisis.

References

Al Jazeera News., 2017, October 25. Qatar commits to Kuwait's mediation on Gulf crisis. Retrieved from http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/10/qatar-commits-kuwaiti-gcc-mediation-efforts-171025091527276.html

BBC News, 2017, July 31. Qatar 'files WTO complaint' on boycott. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-40780793

Cohen, J., 2017, November 26. America Must Actively Seek an End to the Qatar Crisis. Retrieved from http://nationalinterest.org/feature/america-must-actively-seek-end-the-qatar-crisis-23353

Doha News., 2017, October 30. Saudi-led blockade aimed at forcing 'regime change?, says Emir of Qatar. Retrieved from https://dohanews.co/saudi-led-blockade-aimed-at-forcing-regime-change-says-emir-of-qatar/

McKernan, B., 2017, July 5. Gulf States criticise Qatar's 'negative' response to their demands as diplomatic crisis deepens. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/qatar-response-cairo-meeting-gulf-states-saudi-arabia-bahrain-uae-diplomatic-crisis-us-a7824906.html

Mohamed, S., 2017, November 28. Qatar's growing tourism sector beats rumours of siege countries. Retrieved from http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/28/11/2017/Qatar%E2%80%99s-growing-tourism-sector-beats-rumours-of-siege-countries

The New Arab., 2017, November 6. Qatar calls for talks to end Gulf crisis. Retrieved from https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2017/11/6/qatar-calls-for-talks-to-end-gulf-crisis

Osborne, S., 2017, June 11. Iran sends aid to Qatar amid fears of food shortages. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/qatar-crisis-iran-food-flights-shortages-isolated-by-arab-neighbours-saudi-arabia-a7784871.html

QL News., 2017, December 4. Signs of a breakthrough seen as Qatar, Saudi Arabia decide to attend GCC summit. Retrieved from http://www.qatarliving.com/forum/news/posts/signs-breakthrough-seen-qatar-saudi-arabia-decide-attend-gcc-summit

Toumi, H., 2017, August 8. Kuwait in new bid to resolve Qatar crisis. Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-in-new-bid-to-resolve-qatar-crisis-1.2070643