Trump thanks Qataris for fight against terror – UAE to file complaint

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WASHINGTON, Jan 16, (Agencies): US President Donald Trump on Monday thanked the ruler of Qatar for “action to counter terrorism and extremism in all forms,” the White House said in a statement that suggested a warming of ties between the two countries.

In June, Trump had called on Qatar to stop funding groups that commit terrorism, saying the Gulf nation had historically done so “at a very high level.” Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who along with Qatar are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, plus non-GCC member Egypt cut off diplomatic, travel and trade ties with Qatar last year, accusing it of supporting militants and their arch-foe Iran. Qatar denies the charges and says their move is aimed at curtailing its sovereignty.

The White House statement on the call with Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani did not directly address the rift but said Trump “reiterated his support for a strong, united Gulf Cooperation Council that is focused on countering regional threats.” “The leaders discussed areas in which the United States and Qatar can partner to bring more stability to the region, counter malign Iranian influence, and defeat terrorism,” it said.

The UAE will lodge a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organization after Qatari jets came within little more than three kilometres of Emirati passenger flights, its civil aviation chief said on Tuesday. “Today we will file our complaint to the International Civil Aviation Organization about the two serious incidents, along with the evidence that we’ve gathered, and ask for the intervention of the council to stop Qatar from repeating the act,” Saif al-Suwaidi, head of the general civil aviation authority, told AFP.

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that Qatari fighter jets had “intercepted” two passenger flights headed for Bahrain, drawing a swift denial from Gulf rival Qatar. Abu Dhabi is also looking at rerouting flights to Bahrain to avoid Qatari airspace, as a feud between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours escalates. “We are now studying changing the route to another one which is very far from Qatar,” Suwaidi said.

“However that will take some time as we have to reach an agreement with Bahrain”. Suwaidi declined to name the airlines operating the two flights, which he said had been forced to delay their descent into Bahrain International Airport as Qatari fighter jets came within little more than three kilometres (two miles). But Bahrain’s civil aviation authority identified the aircraft as Emirates Flight EK837 and Etihad Flight EY23B.

Bahrain too plans to file a complaint to the ICAO, a Montreal-based specialised agency of the United Nations. The allegations came after Qatar accused UAE fighter jets of violating its airspace in December and January, most recently on Sunday.

The Qatari foreign ministry charged that they were a baseless attempt to overshadow its own complaints against the UAE. Bahrain and the UAE have no diplomatic ties with Qatar, which lies between the two Gulf allies and is banned from using their airspace. In June, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt broke diplomatic relations and most trade links with Qatar, accusing it of ties to Islamist extremists and Saudi arch-rival Iran. Qatar denies the allegations and accuses the four states of aiming to incite the overthrow of its government.

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