DOHA: Qatar has blacklisted 20 people and eight organisations as“terrorist,” nine months after finding itself isolated in the Gulf overalleged support for extremists and their sympathisers.
The list, published by the interior ministry late Wednesday, includes 12Qatari nationals, two Saudi Arabians, four Egyptians and two Jordanians.
The move comes nine months after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing Dohaof bankrolling extremists and fostering ties with Iran.
Qatar has denied the allegations and says the Saudi-led bloc aims to inciteregime change in the emirate, the world’s richest country per capita.
Saudi Arabia and its allies months ago unveiled a “terrorist” list of 90organisations and individuals in Qatar accused of ties to extremist groupsincluding Al-Qaeda.
The new Qatari list overlaps significantly with that list.
Among the names now blacklisted by Doha is Qatari Abdulrahman al-Nuaimi,who in 2013 landed on the US list of Specially Designated Global Terroristsfor “providing financial support” to Al-Qaeda and its affiliates acrossSyria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia.
The Qatari list also includes the Islamic State group branch in Egypt’sSinai Peninsula, as well as a car rental company and tent and furniturestores.
The decision to publish the list received a lukewarm welcome by the UnitedArab Emirates, which along with its allies has banned all Qataris from itsterritory.
“Pride aside, Qatar is confirming evidence against it and confirming thatits support for extremism and terrorism is at the heart of the crisis,”tweeted UAE state minister for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash.