Excerpts: IS fears foster Gulf cooperation re Qatar September 02, 2014

+++Source: Jordan Times 2 Sept.’14:”IS fears make Gulf monarchies set aside
differences”,‘, Agence France Presse

SUBJECT: IS fears foster Gulf cooperation re Qatar

QUOTE:”Advances by jihadists in Syria and Iraq and US calls for a coallition
against them have made Gulf monarchies set aside disputes over Qatar’s
support for the Muslim Brotherhood.

FULL TEXT:DUBAI — Advances by jihadists in Syria and Iraq, and US calls for
a coalition against them have made Gulf monarchies set aside disputes over
Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, analysts say.

Wary of spectacular gains made by Islamic State jihadists, the oil-rich
monarchies fear the militants could advance towards their own borders, where
their extreme ideologies could find support.

“The biggest danger [in the Gulf] comes now from these [emerging] terrorist
groups, and not from the Muslim Brotherhood,” said Abdulaziz Sager, head of
the Gulf Research Centre think tank.

Qatar’s relations with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain
sank to a new low in March when the three governments withdrew their
ambassadors from Doha, accusing it of meddling in their affairs and
supporting the Brotherhood — designated as “terrorist” by Riyadh.

For Sager, the UAE was “the strictest” against Qatar among the Gulf
Cooperation Council countries.

UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash wrote on Twitter
Sunday[31 Aug.] that his country’s interest lies “in a strong Arab Gulf...
sheltered from regional differences.”

Speaking to reporters following a meeting of Gulf Arab foreign ministers,
Kuwait’s top diplomat Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Sabah said that the six-month
spat with Qatar was on its way to being resolved.

He said the ambassadors could return to their posts “at any time”, without
giving a specific date.

The announcement came as Saudi King Abdullah underscored the threat posed by
jihadists unless there is “rapid” action.

“Terrorism knows no border and its danger could affect several countries
outside the Middle East,” the Saudi monarch was quoted as telling
ambassadors, including the US envoy, on Friday[29 Aug.].

“If we ignore them, I am sure they will reach Europe in a month and America
in another month,” he warned.

Saudi Arabia follows a strict version of Sharia law. Fifteen of the 19
hijackers who took part in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United
States were from the kingdom.

Saudi authorities have long feared blowback from jihadist groups,
particularly after a spate of Al Qaeda attacks in the kingdom from 2003 to
2006.

IS beliefs supported in Gulf

Kuwaiti political analyst Ayed Manaa agrees that “we now have a fear which
is much bigger than the differences in foreign policies, with IS taking over
one-third of Syria and Iraq”.

“IS as an ideology is not only present in [Iraq and Syria]. It is present in
our countries and is waiting for the opportunity to appear,” said Manaa.

“The political disputes [with Qatar] are no longer a priority... We live in
danger from northeast Syria and northwest Iraq. This is an alarm bell for
GCC nations to end their differences.”

GCC states on Saturday[30 Aug.] said they are ready to act “against
terrorist threats that face the region and the world”.

The foreign ministers of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the
UAE — the six GCC states — also pledged a readiness to fight “terrorist
ideology which is contrary to Islam”.

However, “we are waiting for more details to understand what is needed” for
the coalition proposed by US President Barack Obama, said Sabah.

Obama said he was developing a broad plan that would involve military,
diplomatic and regional efforts to defeat the IS jihadists who have sown
terror through crucifixions and gruesome beheadings.

Obama said he would dispatch Secretary of State John Kerry to the Middle
East to discuss the plan with regional allies, including the Gulf Arab
states.

Regional expert Frederic Wehrey said that “the GCC does not have the
capacity for real expeditionary military operations outside the Gulf.”

“The question is what military value would they bring beyond the symbolic
legitimacy of Arab participation,” said Wehrey of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace.

Sagar agrees, pointing out that the participation of GCC leader Saudi Arabia
would be limited to “intelligence” and the kingdom’s “ability in influencing
public opinion in the Muslim world”.

Saudi Arabia’s top cleric has already branded Al Qaeda and IS jihadists as
“enemy number one” of Islam and warned young Muslims to steer clear of
“calls for jihad” issued on “perverted” grounds.

Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA