KATHMANDU, April 23: As many as 17 Nepalis jailed in Qatar has been granted amnesty on Thursday.

Emir Shiekh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani of Qatar announced amnesty to some prisoners in the country keeping in attention the COVID-19 pandemic and their health condition and on humanitarian ground, Embassy of Nepal in Doha shared the information on its Facebook page.

“Among them are 17 Nepali nationals serving jail sentence on offenses including drug abuse, theft, fraud and dealing in banned goods including alcohol,” the embassy added.

Of them, 13 were imprisoned on charge of selling drugs, two on charge of theft, one on charge of selling alcohol and one charge of fraud, according to the embassy.

Qatar has reported 7,764 cases and 10 deaths so far.

OLI THANKS QATARI PRIME MINISTER

Following the announcement, Prime Minister K P Sharma telephoned his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdul Aziz al-Thani and thanked him for releasing Nepali prisoners.

“I held a telephone conservation with the Prime Minister of Qatar today. I expressed my concern about the Nepalis in Qatar. He told me not to worry about the safety and well-being of the Nepalis there. On the occasion, I extended my gratitude towards him for releasing the 17 Nepalis,” the prime minister wrote on twitter.

Qatari PM also lauded the hard work and honesty of Nepali workers and assured Qatari government’s support and cooperation to the Nepalis, according to the PM Oli.

आज मैले भारतका प्रधानमन्त्री श्री नेरन्द्र मोदीजीसँग @narendramodi
टेलिफोन संवाद गरें । कोरोना भाइरसका विरुद्धको सहकार्यलाई अझ सशक्त बनाउने विषयमा हामी सहमत भयौं । लकडाउनको कारण एक अर्काको मुलुकमा रोकिएका नागरिकलाई आ–आफ्नो देशमा राम्रो हेरचाह गर्ने विषयमा जोड दियौं ।

— KP Sharma Oli (@PM_Nepal) April 10, 2020

KATHMANDU, April 17: Qatar has rejected Amnesty Internationals’ claims that the Qatari government illegally expelled dozens of migrant workers including 20 Nepali men.

Amnesty International, after interviewing the expelled Nepali workers, had earlier accused the Qatari authorities of illegally detaining them alongside hundred others on March 12 and 13 telling them they were being taken to be tested for the COVID-19.

The police had assured them they would be returned to their accommodation afterwards but instead they were sent to Nepal after holding them in detention facilities in an industrial area in appalling conditions where their documents and mobile phones were confiscated, before having their photographs and fingerprints taken, the organizations said further claiming that some were not even given chance to collect their belongings. They were expelled on March 15 and 19.

“We have made it clear to the AI that during the routine inspections as part of the government’s coronavirus control measures, officials uncovered individuals engaged in illegal and illicit activity which included manufacture and sale of banned and prohibited substances, along with the sale of dangerous food goods that could seriously threaten the health of people if consumed,” Qatar’s Government Communication Office said in a press release on Friday.

“The individuals were repatriated to their country of citizenship in accordance with Qatar’s legal system. The discovery of illegal activities preceded the Industrial Area public health quarantine.”

“The government rejects these allegations, which are based on the testimony of individuals who have been repatriated as a result of their involvement in illegal activity. The State of Qatar treats all who are arrested or detained in our country with respect, dignity and humanity in line with international standards,” the office said.

DUBAI, Jan 16: The United Arab Emirates claimed Qatari fighter jets intercepted two of its commercial airliners in international airspace on the way to Bahrain, allegations denied by Qatar.

The claims Monday could further escalate tensions between Qatar and the four Arab nations that have been boycotting it for months, among them the UAE, home to the world’s busiest international airport. They also could affect long-haul airline travel, as the region’s carriers are a crucial link between the East and West.

It follows two complaints by Qatar to the United Nations about Emirati military aircraft allegedly violating its international airspace amid the diplomatic crisis. The UAE denies the allegations.

The UAE’s state-run WAM news agency made the claim about the Qatari jet fighters on Monday, citing the country’s General Civil Aviation Authority.

WAM quoted Saif al-Suwaidi, the director-general of the GCAA, as saying the intercepts happened at 10:30 a.m. and 11:05 a.m. He said Bahraini radar, as well as crew and passengers on board, saw the military aircraft, “which constituted a clear and explicit threat to the lives of innocent civilians.”

WAM did not identify the aircraft involved, nor did it elaborate on details of the purported encounters. The GCAA did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.

Bahrain’s state-run BNA news agency, citing its own civil aviation authority, identified the two flights as Dubai-based Emirates flight No. EK837, a Boeing 777, and another flown by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad. The flight number it offered for Etihad did not correspond with any scheduled flight to Bahrain.

“Qatari military fighter jets came within two miles of the Emirates aircraft, which put the lives of passengers and crew at risk,” BNA said. It offered few details about the Etihad flight.

Both airlines declined to comment when reached by the AP.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry called the UAE’s allegations a “totally false claim” in a statement Monday night. “It seems that the UAE is trying to draw attention away from other incidents that have caused media crises,” it said.

That appeared to reference a video released Sunday night of an exiled Qatari ruling family member, once promoted by Saudi Arabia as an alternative to the country’s ruling emir, claiming he’s being held against his will in the UAE, an allegation denied by Abu Dhabi.

The video of Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Thani recalled the bizarre, now-reversed resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri while on a trip to Saudi Arabia, a Nov. 4 decision that was widely seen as orchestrated by Riyadh.

Emirates flight No. EK837 was scheduled to depart Dubai at 8:20 a.m. Monday, but pushed off nearly an hour late. It flew out over international waters near the northern tip of Qatar, a peninsular nation that juts into the Persian Gulf, before arriving in the island nation of Bahrain 46 minutes after takeoff. That’s been the standard route of all Emirati commercial airliners since the crisis began.

FlightRadar24, a plane-tracking website, did not show any unusual routes between the UAE and Bahrain. “There appears to be no deviation from standard routing and approach patterns in today’s flights,” FlightRadar24 spokesman Ian Petchenik told the AP.

US Air Force Central Command, which is based at the sprawling al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, did not have any reports of incidents involving commercial aircraft in the region, said Lt. Col. Damien Pickart, an Air Force spokesman. However, Pickart cautioned that US forces don’t routinely monitor the flights and operations of the Qatari air force.

Qatar’s stock exchange dropped some 2.5 percent in trading Monday, one of its biggest jolts since the crisis began.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE cut off Qatar’s land, sea and air routes on June 5 over its alleged support of extremists and close ties with Iran.

Qatar has long denied funding extremists. It recently restored full diplomatic relations with Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field that makes the country and its 250,000 citizens extremely wealthy.

The crisis has hurt Qatar Airways, Doha’s long-haul carrier that competes with Emirates and Etihad.

Qatar had complained to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization about the boycotting nations cutting off its air routes, forcing the carrier to take longer flights through Iran and Turkey. Its regional feeder flights in Saudi Arabia and the UAE also have been cut off.

However, widening the Gulf dispute to include civilian aviation and airspace could hurt Emirati airlines already stung by President Donald Trump’s travel bans, as well as last year’s since-lifted ban on laptops in airplane cabins.

The White House said Trump spoke Monday with Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, saying the president reiterated his support for unity among Gulf Arab nations. Trump also thanked Sheikh Tamim for Qatar’s “action to counter terrorism and extremism,” the White House said.

Qatar earlier accused Emirati military jets of violating its air space in December and January in two incidents, filing a complaint to the United Nations. Anwar Gargash, the Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs, wrote Friday on Twitter that Qatar’s airspace complaints were “incorrect and confused,” without elaborating.

Sheikh Tamim also traveled Monday to Ankara to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish officials said Erdogan and Al Thani discussed bilateral ties and regional issues, without offering specifics. Turkey has a military base in Qatar and has supported Doha in the diplomatic dispute. AP

RAJBIRAJ, Oct 18: A Nepali migrant worker was killed in a road accident in the Gulf state – Qatar.

He is 27-year-old Bimalesh Mandal of Tilathi Koiladi rural municipality -4, Saptari district, according to a local Shailendra Singh.

Singh said Mandal was hit by an unidentified vehicle and was pronounced dead on the spot.

Mandal had gone to Qatar in connection with employment six months back through the Ali Overseas, Itahari. Mandal’s family has urged the bodies concerned to facilitate in bringing his body home.

DUBAI, Oct 12: Qatar on Wednesday strongly criticized Emirati officials for questioning Doha’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, saying that the tournament “is not up for discussion or negotiation” amid a diplomatic crisis engulfing the region.

Four Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, have been boycotting Qatar for months, in part over allegations that it supports extremists and has overly warm ties to Iran. Qatar, which hosts a major U.S. military base, has long denied supporting extremists.

Qatar’s Government Communications Office said the attempt by Emirati officials to link the games to the dispute shows that the boycott “is founded on petty jealousy, not real concerns.”

“This demand is a clear attempt to undermine our independence. The World Cup, like our sovereignty, is not up for discussion or negotiation,” it added.

Organizers of the Middle East’s first World Cup urged regional rivals to rally behind the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us all” and stop the blockade.

“We’ve always taken the simple position that sport is elevated from conflict and that the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be a platform to bring people together, separate from any political ideology,” the supreme committee said in a statement.

“We also see the tournament as a powerful tool for Qatar and the region to counter extremism and reject terrorism.”

Lobbying firms and interest groups funded by the boycotting Arab nations increasingly have focused on Qatar’s hosting of the soccer tournament. They’ve pointed to allegations of corruption surrounding Qatar’s winning bid, as well as the conditions that laborers working in Qatar face in building infrastructure for the games. Such conditions are prevalent across Gulf Arab nations.

On Sunday, a Dubai security official wrote on Twitter that the only way for “Qatar’s crisis” to end is if Doha gives up the tournament. Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan later said his “personal analysis” of the financial pressure Doha faces in hosting the games had been misunderstood.

On Tuesday, Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash followed up by writing on Twitter that Qatar’s hosting of the games should “include a repudiation of policies supporting extremism & terrorism.”

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE began their boycott of Qatar on June 5. Mediation efforts by Kuwait, the U.S. and others so far have failed to resolve the diplomatic crisis, the worst to hit the Gulf since Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

When Qatar’s sole land border with Saudi Arabia was closed and sea traffic cut off by the boycott, World Cup organizers were forced to instigate a “Plan B,” including bringing in supplies from Turkey. Qatari authorities say their efforts at building stadiums and infrastructure for the tournament remain on track.

“Even today, when we are faced with the current illegal blockade, we stand resolute that everybody will be welcome when the first ball is kicked on 21 November 2022,” Qatar’s World Cup supreme committee said. AP

DUBAI, July 23: A top official in the Arab bloc isolating Qatar says the Gulf state needs to change its policies as part of any direct negotiations to resolve the crisis.

Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said late Friday that Qatar is prepared to talk with the four countries lined up against it, but that any resolution must respect its sovereignty and the terms cannot be dictated from outside.

United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Relations Anwar al-Gargash responded in a Twitter post late Saturday that dialogue is necessary, but that Qatar must review its policies since repeating its previous positions only “deepens the crisis.”

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut ties and transport links with Qatar in early June.-AP

DUBAI, July 7: A diplomatic standoff between Qatar and four other Arab nations that accuse it of sponsoring terrorism has turned a spotlight on an opaque network of charities and prominent figures freely operating in the tiny Gulf country.

It also raises questions about what constitutes a “terrorist” in the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have released a list of two dozen groups and nearly 60 individuals that they allege have been involved in financing terrorism and are linked to Qatar.

Qatar insists it condemns terrorism and that it does not support extremist groups.

The crisis began last month when the four Arab countries cut ties to Qatar. They demanded it end the alleged support of terrorism, and also that it cut its relations with Shiite power Iran and stop meddling in their affairs through support of Islamist opposition groups.

The energy rich nation is an important U.S. ally in a volatile region. It hosts about 10,000 U.S. troops at an air base used to launch coalition airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq.

The list of the groups and individuals released by Qatar’s neighbors reflects longstanding concerns raised by U.S. officials. At the same time, it also includes political dissenters and opposition voices.

“The allegation that Qatar supports terrorism was clearly designed to generate anti-Qatar sentiment in the West,” Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said Wednesday in a speech in London.

As he spoke, foreign ministers from the Arab quartet met in Cairo to review Qatar’s response to their demands. At the top of those demands is that Qatar end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which briefly held power in Egypt and whose offshoots are active across the Middle East.

Though Qatar has cracked down on dissent at home, it views the Brotherhood as a legitimate political force. This has put it at odds with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, which have branded the Brotherhood a terrorist organization and see it as a threat to political stability and security.

In his speech, Al Thani said there is a danger in “labeling political opponents as terrorists merely to silence them.”

“Our neighbors see change — those advocating for it and those reporting on it — as a threat, and they are quick to label anyone who opposes their governments as a ‘terrorist,’” he said.

The Brotherhood’s spiritual guide, Sheikh Youssef al-Qaradawi, was among those accused by Qatar’s neighbors of having ties with terrorism. The 90-year-old Egyptian cleric, who has lived in Qatar for decades, previously was embraced by Gulf leaders and was seen alongside Saudi Arabia’s top cleric, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdelaziz Al Sheikh, and the UAE’s rulers.

In 2013, he joined a chorus of preachers in the Gulf urging young men to defend Sunni Muslims in Syria, calls that coincided with official backing of rebels fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Al-Qaradawi differed from other Gulf preachers in that he strongly criticized Egypt’s government when it ousted the Brotherhood from power. He also was critical of Gulf countries that backed the lethal crackdown.

Qatar’s support of the Brotherhood has made it an outlier, as has its unique role as a mediator in hostage negotiations, helping to free Western captives held by al-Qaida in Syria and Yemen.

Christopher Mellon, a researcher with the New America Foundation who co-authored a report about ransom payments, said these negotiations have often involved paying extremist groups. He said European governments have similarly gone to extreme lengths to keep these transactions private.

“They’re very deliberately nontransparent. They don’t want anyone to know that they’ve paid,” he said.

Reports emerged earlier this year that Qatar paid hundreds of millions of dollars to release members of its ruling family who were kidnapped in Iraq. Allegations were raised that the complex deal included Qatari payments to an al-Qaida-linked group in Syria, as well as to an Iranian-backed militia in Iraq.

Qatar said reports of ransom payments to these groups are false and that it provided Iraq’s government with financial aid to support the release of the Qataris.

The Arab quartet’s list names a number of Qatari nationals, including Khalifa al-Subaie, Saad bin Saad al-Kabi, Abdelrahman al-Nuaymi, Ibrahim al-Bakr and Abdel-Latif al-Kuwari. All have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department as material supporters of al-Qaida. The five appear to be living in Qatar — their assets are frozen, they are under surveillance and are barred from traveling abroad — but they are not imprisoned.

The U.S. Treasury said al-Bakr was detained in Qatar in the early 2000s for his role in a jihadist network but that he was released from prison after promising not to conduct terrorist activity in Qatar. Treasury alleged that in 2006, he played a key role in a terrorist cell plotting to attack U.S. military bases in Qatar, and as of mid-2012 was serving as a link between Gulf-based al-Qaida financiers and Afghanistan.

While some of those sanctioned by the U.S. have faced trial and may have been detained by Qatar at some point, there does not appear to be a single individual jailed in Qatar for terrorism financing, according to David Weinberg, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Weinberg, who has written extensively about terror financing in the Gulf, said Qatar has been “inexcusably negligent” when it comes to cracking down on such financiers.

“There’s been a longstanding debate within the U.S. government about whether Qatar’s lax enforcement is related to lack of capability or lack of will. My research leads me to believe it’s the latter: lack of will,” he said.

The Associated Press asked Qatari officials Wednesday for information on the prosecution of individuals suspected of terrorism financing. The officials said they would look into the request but had not provided details by Thursday evening.

Also on the list is Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Thani, a senior member of Qatar’s royal family and a former interior minister. The quartet accused him of giving shelter to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in the 1990s as he actively funded al-Qaida operations abroad, but before he became the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.

The allegations leveled against Qatar cut both ways.

In the U.K. this week, a right wing think tank released a study alleging Saudi Arabia has spent 67 billion pounds (nearly $87 billion) to export its austere Wahhabi interpretation of Islam around the world. The report by the Henry Jackson Foundation has increased pressure on the British government to make public a study on Saudi Arabia’s role in inciting extremism in Britain.

The quartet list also names Kuwaiti national Hajjaj al-Ajmi, who is sanctioned by the U.S. for allegedly raising funds that led to the procurement of weapons for al-Qaida-linked fighters in Syria. The UAE and its allies say he raised some of that money through a Qatar-based fundraising campaign, but he appears to be living in Kuwait.-AP

DOHA, July 3:  A group of Arab nations early on Monday extended a deadline for Qatar to respond to their list of demands in a diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf, saying Kuwait’s emir requested the delay as part of his efforts to mediate the dispute.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut off ties with 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar on June 5, restricting access to their airspace and ports and sealing Qatar’s only land border, which it shares with Saudi Arabia.

They issued a 13-point list of demands to end the standoff June 22 and gave the natural gas-rich country 10 days to comply.

The joint statement early Monday by the four Arab nations said they expected Qatar to respond to their demands later in the day. The new deadline would expire late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

“The response of the four states will then be sent following the study of the Qatari government’s response and assessment of its response to the whole demands,” the statement said.

U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, spoke with Qatar’s emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as well as King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi.

The White House said Trump urged unity and reiterated the importance of stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology. A separate statement carried on the official Qatar News Agency said the emir’s discussion with Trump touched on the need to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms and sources, and was a chance for the countries to review their bilateral strategic relations.

Qatar, like the countries lined up against it, is a U.S. ally. It hosts the some 10,000 American troops at the sprawling al-Udeid Air Base. The desert facility is home to the forward headquarters of the U.S. Central Command and has been a key staging ground for the campaign against the Islamic State group and the war in Afghanistan.

The four nations cut ties to Qatar over allegations it supports extremists and over worries it maintains too-close ties to Shiite power Iran. Qatar has long denied sponsoring extremist groups and maintains ties to Iran as it shares a massive offshore natural gas field with the country.

“Qatar is not an easy country to be swallowed by anyone. We are ready. We stand ready to defend our country. I hope that we don’t come to a stage where, you know, a military intervention is made,” Qatari Defense Minister Khalid bin Mohammed al-Attiyah told Sky News.

Qatar’s main QE stock index lost more than 3 percent when it reopened Sunday following a weeklong hiatus for the Eid al-Fitr holiday break — its first session since the demands were laid out. It eventually recovered some of its losses later in the trading session to close down 2.3 percent at 8,822.15.

Qatari supermarkets saw panic buying when the four countries initially cut ties. But the capital, Doha, was largely calm Sunday as residents waited to see how the crisis would play out.

Abdelaziz al-Yafaei, a Qatari out for an evening walk along the city’s bayside, said he was reassured that things would be fine, regardless of what happens over the course of the next days.

“We have a government, thank God, that is wise and knows how to provide for all of our needs, how to maintain security,” he said. “We have enough funds in the country, on the economic side. All of the affairs are headed for the better.”

Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, showed no signs of backing down in during a press briefing in Rome on Saturday, saying the demands were never meant to be accepted and that his country “is prepared to face whatever consequences.”

While in Rome, Al Thani met with Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who gave his backing to ongoing mediation efforts led by Kuwait. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has also tried to resolve the dispute, with the U.S. last week urging Saudi Arabia and its allies to stay “open to negotiation” with Qatar.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has separately spoken with the leaders of Qatar and Bahrain, urging direct dialogue among all the states involved, according to statements released by the Kremlin on Saturday.-AP

DOHA, Jun 14: World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar improbably kept alive their slim hopes of qualifying for next year’s tournament in Russia with a thrilling victory over South Korea.

On a politically charged night in Doha yesterday, a Hasan Al-Haydos goal, his second of the match, secured a 3-2 win after Qatar had squandered a two-goal lead and looked to be heading out of the competition.

It means Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts who have endured a dreadful final round in the AFC qualifying competition, still have a remote chance of playing in Russia.

They now stand five points behind third-place Uzbekistan and will need to win both their final games in Group A — and hope Uzbekistan lose both — to stand a chance of qualifying.

The team that finishes third will head into play-offs for a place in Russia.

Qatar coach Jorge Fossati said after the match that his team needed “miracles” to play next year at next year’s World Cup.

“We are very upset because we are convinced Qatar has the quality, unfortunately we don’t have enough points,” he said.

Despite the defeat, qualification for Russia is still in South Korea’s own hands.

They remain a point ahead of Uzbekistan in the race for the automatic second qualifying spot in the group.

Tuesday’s result could also set up a thrilling finale in the group as Uli Stielike’s team play Uzbekistan in the last match.

“I take full responsibility for this result,” said Stielike, who admitted his job could be on the line after a stuttering campaign. “I am the one who makes the tactical decisions.”

Stielike under threat

Asked if he would consider his position following the latest setback, the German said it was not up to him.

“I have to say this is not my decision, we have to wait and see,” he said.

Qatar largely owed their victory to the industry and finishing of Al-Haydos and young forward Akram Afif.

It was a 25th-minute foul on Afif, who is the first ever Qatari to play in La Liga, which lead to Qatar’s opener.

Al-Haydos took the resulting free-kick from 20 yards, scoring with a fine finish before running to the touchline to hold up a T-shirt of the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the crowd.

Afif scored Qatar’s second in the 51st minute, which seemed to assure victory, but the home side’s fragile defence could not stand firm.

Goals from South Korea’s Ki Sung-Yueng and Hwang Hee-Chan in the 62nd and 69th minute seemed to have secured Korea a valuable point in their attempt to get to Russia.

But fine work from Brazilian-born Rodrigo Tabata set up Al-Haydos for a 74th-minute winner, prompting delirious scenes on the touchlines and in the stands.

Tottenham’s Son Heung-Min went off injured in the 33rd minute after suffering a suspected broken right arm.

Stielike said after the game that Son may have suffered a fracture. “We have to have a scan, it may be broken,” said Stielike. “It’s not good.-AFP

WASHINGTON, Jun 10: Amid a raging diplomatic face- off between Qatar and its neighbours, US President Donald Trump has accused Doha of “historically” being a funder of terrorism and asked the Gulf emirate along with other nations to stop “teaching hate”.

“Stop funding (terrorism). Stop teaching hate. Stop the killing,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House in a joint news conference with the visiting Romanian President Klaus Johannis.

In a strong-worded opening remarks, Trump alleged that Qatar was funding terrorism at the “highest level” and asked other countries doing the same to stop with immediate effect.

“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level. And in the wake of that conference, nations came together and spoke to me about confronting Qatar over its behaviour,” Trump told reporters at the news conference.

“So we had a decision to make: Do we take the easy road or do we finally take a hard but necessary action? We have to stop the funding of terrorism. I decided, along with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end its funding — they have to end that funding — and its extremist ideology in terms of funding,” said the US President.

“I want to call on all of the nations to stop immediately supporting terrorism, stop teaching people to kill other people, stop filling their minds with hate and intolerance. I won’t name other countries, but we are not done solving the problem. But we will solve that problem. Have no choice,” Trump said.

Trump’s comments came after his top diplomat Rex Tillerson appealed to Saudi Arabia and its regional allies to ease their blockade of Qatar, saying it is hindering US military actions in the region and the fight against the Islamic State.

In his remarks, Trump said he has just returned from a historic trip to Europe and the Middle East, where he worked to strengthen its alliances, forge new friendships and unite all civilised people in the fight against terrorism.

“No civilised nation can tolerate this violence or allow this wicked ideology to spread on its shores. I addressed a summit of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, a unique meeting in the history of nations, where key players in the region agreed to stop supporting terrorism, whether it be financial, military or even moral support,” Trump said.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have cut ties with Qatar, accusing their former Gulf Cooperation Council ally of supporting extremist groups.

Trump said defeating ISIS and other terror organisations is something he has emphasised all during his campaign.

“To do that, stop funding, stop teaching hate and stop the killing,” he said.

“For Qatar, we want you back among the unity of responsible nations. We ask Qatar and other nations in the region to do more and do it faster,” the US President said.

“I want to thank Saudi Arabia and my friend King Salman and all of the countries who participated in that very historic summit. It was truly historic. There has never been anything like it before and, perhaps, there never will be again,” he said.

“Hopefully it will be the beginning of the end of funding terrorism. It will, therefore, be the beginning of the end to terrorism. No more funding,” Trump said.-PTI