Saudi led bloc blacklist Qatar, Yemeni organisations, individuals

Cairo [Egypt], July 25 (ANI): Saudi Arabia and its allies on Tuesday released a new list of 18 organisations and individuals with ties to Yemen, Qatar and Libya branding them as "terrorist" over suspected links to Islamist extremism in Syria. Again on Tuesday, the four states - Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain - blacklisted nine organisations and nine individuals "directly or indirectly linked to Qatari authorities" as "terrorist", according to a joint statement carried by Egypt's official MENA news agency. The new list includes three organisations based in Yemen and six based in Libya, the Anadolu News Agency reported. They also blacklisted three Qataris, three Yemenis, two Libyans and a Kuwaiti, citing they were implicated in "fundraising campaigns to support terrorist groups in Syria". "We expect Qatari authorities to take the next step and prosecute the terrorist groups and people," the statement said. "To ensure this, the four countries and their international partners will monitor the commitment of the Qatari authorities," it added. There was no comment from the Qatari authorities on the new list. The four states had issued a list of 59 individuals and 12 organisations they accuse of "terrorist" links, a move decried by Qatar. Appealing for an end to the ongoing "blockade" of his country by the Arab states, Qatar's Ambassador to the United States has said his country won't be affected, if the embargo lasts forever. "There is no damage to our economy. Qatar is solid in its economy and we are comfortable and we can continue like this forever," CNN quoted Ambassador Meshal bin Hamad Al-Thani, as saying. The Middle East has been plunged into one of its worst diplomatic crises in decades after nine countries including United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have cut ties with Qatar, one of the richest states in the Middle East, calling into question the future of a powerful 36-year-old Gulf states union since June 5. The Arab countries had insisted that Doha should fulfill 13 precise demands including reducing diplomatic ties with Iran and supporting counter-terrorism or specify the deadline for them to comply. (ANI)