Qatar accuses GCC nations of leaking documents

By Ahmed al-Masri and Ali Semerci

DOHA

Qatar late Tuesday accused nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) of leaking documents to the media about the Riyadh Agreements of 2013-2014.

Speaking to Qatar's official news agency QNA, Ahmad Al-Thani who heads Qatar’s government Liaison Office, made the accusation without naming which countries.

The leak "aims to fail mediation attempts of Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to the crisis between Qatar and some Arab countries,” Al-Thani said.

He said Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain know the Riyadh Agreement is a clear deal and provides that any country could complain about another country or take a negative attitude. However, these three countries did not make any complaint or request a meeting to the GCC before imposing sanctions on Qatar.

Instead, they chose black propaganda against Qatar that showed clearly that their purpose was not whether the Riyadh Agreement was being implemented, Al-Thani added.

CNN published Monday the content of the agreements signed between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain accused Qatar of violating the agreements in a statement Tuesday.

Last month, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain abruptly cut diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.

Saudi Arabia also sealed its land border with Qatar, geographically isolating the tiny Gulf nation.

The four countries presented a list of 13 demands to Qatar that included the closure of the pan-Arab Al Jazeera television network, or face further sanctions.

Qatar denies the accusations and calls the move to isolate it diplomatically as "unjustified" and in breach of international law.