Qatar joins Gulf partners in backing Sisi's Egypt

Qatar has joined its neighbours at a summit in supporting Egypt under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whose crackdown on the Doha-backed Muslim Brotherhood had divided the Gulf monarchies for months.
Leaders of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, in their final statement, yesterday announced their "full support to Egypt" and the "political programme of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi".
"We believe that a strong Egypt is in the interest of all Arabs and especially for GCC states," Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah told a press conference at the end of the summit.
Convening the Doha summit, which had been shortened to one day, was made possible only by last-minute Kuwaiti mediation that succeeded in resolving a dispute between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain with Qatar over the Brotherhood.

In an unprecedented development, the three nations had recalled their ambassadors from Doha in protest against Qatar's support for the Islamist movement, branded as a terrorist organisation by Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and outlawed in Egypt.
Qatar had repeatedly denounced Sisi's ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, and still provides shelter for many Brotherhood leaders, especially those who have been forced to flee a crackdown in Egypt.

Diplomatic staff returned to Qatar last month, paving the way for yesterday's summit.
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said he hoped the summit would "signal a new beginning for Gulf relations".

The GCC leaders reiterated their resolve to combat terrorism and welcomed a UN Security Council resolution condemning human rights abuses in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State (IS) group and Al-Qaeda's Al-Nusra Front.
"The leaders have reaffirmed the GCC positions of deploring terrorism and extremism in all forms, regardless of its reasons and justifications or source," the final statement said.
In his opening remarks, Sheikh Tamim called for a joint regional effort to confront "terrorism".
Most GCC states are members of the US-led international coalition fighting IS jihadists in control of large parts of Iraq and Syria.
Saudi and UAE warplanes have carried out raids on IS targets while Kuwait has provided the coalition with logistical support.