There's a week to go for Qatar to meet a list of 13 demands imposed on it by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. It includes shutting down the Al Jazeera network and aligning Qatar's foreign policy with that of the GCC among many other demands. Qatar has rejected the list, saying it violates its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the US is calling on all sides to sit down and talk. A statement from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says while some of the measures will be very difficult for Qatar to meet, there are significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution. So, is dialogue even possible?
Presenter: Hazem Sika | Guests: Abdulaziz Al-Horr - CEO of the Qatar Finance and Business Academy; Ahmed Al Burai - Lecturer at Istanbul Aydin University; Hillary Mann Leverett - Former White House official.
The foreign minister of Qatar is in Washington, seeking ways to resolve an ongoing diplomatic crisis. He met with the U.S. secretary of state, to discuss the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar.
Qatar has dismissed a list of demands submitted by four Arab countries, which have imposed a transport and economic embargo against their neighbour, as neither reasonable or actionable.
Authorities in Doha, however, say they are reviewing the demands and is preparing an official response after confirming the receipt of a document containing demands from the countries that cut ties with it and imposed a blockade against it earlier this month amid a major diplomatic crisis.
The Arab states that have cut ties with Qatar have given the Gulf nation 10 days to comply with a series of demands, including the closure of the Al Jazeera satellite television channel.
The battle for regional power between Saudi Arabia and Qatar dates back to the very creation of the State of Qatar; back then, just as it is now, it was about regional dominance, explains Professor Seif Da'na
Qatar has reportedly been given 10 days to comply with a list of demands from Arab nations which have imposed a blockade on the Gulf nation. News agencies say the Saudi-led bloc is demanding financial compensation and wants Qatar to downgrade its relations with Iran. It has also called for the closure of Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera’s Tony Birtley explains.
