Al-Watan: Qatar looms to pullout of the AL

The Saudi daily al-Watan said yesterday that Qatar loomed to withdraw from the Arab League in protest of what it described as Arab criticism made against Doha because of its stances concerning the file of Iraq or the "media issue," (a reference that refers to the criticism Qatar received because of its Al-Jazeera Satellite TV station).

The paper added quoting will informed sources at the Arab League that the Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasem al-Thani hinted of his country's withdrawal from the Arab league during his recent talks with the secretary general of the Arab League Amr Moussa.

However, Qatar has not yet proposed officially doing that, noting that Qatar will carry out this step following the end of its presidency over the Organization of the Islamic Conference OIC in January 2003, and that Qatar also considers its withdrawal from the Islamic conference.

The paper explained that Qatar's remarks to make such a step came because of the Arab criticism made against Qatar because of its stances concerning the Iraqi file and over giving the Americans the "al-Aideed" airbase to serve the American military objectives.