Because of reciprocated accusations on supporting opposition; No normalization between Riyadh and Doha
Saudi Arabia-Qatar, Politics, 6/12/2004

It seemed that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar find it difficult to settle their differences despite the resumption of the Kuwaiti mediation during the current week.

A Qatari source announced on Thursday that the Amir of Qatar and prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, brothers of the Saudi King Fahd and ruler of Riyadh district, met in Monte Carlo in France with the objective of settling the differences between the two states within a Kuwaiti mediation reflected in the figure of the Kuwaiti prime minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

The Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem al-Thani told al-Jazeera TV that the " meeing falls in the course of developing relations and solving obstacles, if any between the two countries." Diplomats said that differenced erupted between the two sides because of each and every country's accusation on suporting the opposition in the other. One Arab diplomat in the Gulf region said that the " Qatari authorities accuse Saudi officials of involving in the coupe attempt in 1996," that targeted the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani. He added " the Saudi officials, for their part, accuse Qatar of financing the Saudi opposition in London including Saad al-Faqih who leads the Islamic movement for reforms in Saudi Arabia.

In its Thursday's issue, the " Gulf state Newsletter" said that the Saudi officials accuse Qatar of financing members of the Islamic opposition in London and stress that they have evidences on that. These opposition is represented in the Islamic movement for reforms in Saudi Arabia which is led by Saad al-Faqih since 1996. A diplomat in the Gulf said that in the context of the Kuwaiti mediation which started during the recent summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Kuwait in December 2003 "demanded the Qataris to discuss their accusations on a saudi involvement in the failed coupe " of 1996. A matter which was ultimately rejected by the Saudis.

In May of 2001, a Qatari court of cassation sentenced to death 19 persons involved in the assassination attempt of the coupe including 18 Qataris including the former minister of finance and the economy Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Hamad al-Thani, while the sentenced man number 19 is a Saudi. The cousim of the Amir of Qatar Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Hamad al-Thani was accused of planning for the coupe at the support of foreign sides which were not specified by the Qatari authorities.

Moreover, relations between Riyadh and Doha witnessed a tension after the Qatari al-Jazeera TV in June 2002 broadcast a program in which the telephone callers to the station criticized the Saudi crown prince Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz especially for his initiative for a settlement in the Middle East, accusing Riyadh of betraying the Palestinian question." A mater which pushed the latter to summon its ambassador from Doha and crown prince Abdullah to boycott the GCC summit which was held in Doha.

Previous Stories:
  Saudi- Qatari reconciliation talks in Paris, under Kuwaiti patronage   (6/11/2004)
  Al-Jazira TV banned from covering al-Haj rituals events   (2/11/2003)
  Saudi Arabia apologizes for not receiving the Qatari foreign minister   (12/2/2002)

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