Arab states say Qatar-US terror accord ‘insufficient’

In this May 14, 2010 file photo, a Qatari woman walks in front of the city skyline in Doha, Qatar. Saudi Arabia and three Arab countries severed ties with Qatar on June 5, 2017, accusing it of supporting regional terror groups. AP

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — An agreement between Qatar and the United States on combating terror funding is “insufficient”, the four Arab states that imposed sanctions on the emirate said in a joint statement Tuesday.

The memorandum of understanding announced in Doha during a visit by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is “the result of pressure and repeated calls over the past years by the four states and their partners upon Qatar to stop supporting terrorism,” said Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

“This step is insufficient,” said the statement carried by Saudi state news agency SPA, adding that the four states would “carefully monitor the seriousness of Qatari authorities in combating all forms of financing, supporting and harboring terrorism.”

The statement said commitments made by Qatari authorities “cannot be trusted,” citing previous agreements that have allegedly not been honored.

It called for “strict monitoring controls to ensure its (Doha’s) seriousness in getting back to the natural and right path.”

Tillerson and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani made the announcement at a joint news conference in Doha.

Tillerson said the agreement was built on decisions made at a Riyadh summit in May to “wipe terrorism from the face of the Earth”.

“As a result of President Trump’s very strong call, these commitments for action will begin immediately on a number of fronts.”

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar was the first country in the region to sign an agreement with Washington to counter terror funding and called on what he called the “siege” nations to follow suit and sign their own agreements with the US.

The statement by the four states said sanctions against Qatar would continue until Doha “commits to comprehensively implement the just demands, including confronting terrorism and establishing stability and security in the region.” CBB