US, Qatar sign deal to combat 'terrorism financing'
Tillerson praised Qatar for committing to the effort 'to track down and disable terror financing' [Reuters] |
Qatar and the United States have signed an agreement to help combat
"terrorism financing" during a visit to Doha by US Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson.
Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Tillerson made the announcement on Tuesday during a joint press conference in the Qatari capital.
Tillerson is in Doha pushing for dialogue to resolve a dispute between Qatar and its neighbouring Gulf countries.
Sheikh Mohammed said the signing was "not related to the recent crisis and the blockade imposed against Qatar".
Tillerson praised Qatar for signing the deal, and for committing to the effort "to track down and disable terror financing".
"The US has one goal: To drive terrorism off the face of the Earth," Tillerson said.
"Together the United States and Qatar will do more to track
down funding sources, will do more to collaborate and share information,
and will do more to keep the region and our homeland safe."
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates
accuse Doha of funding what they call terrorism - something Qatar
denies.
The four countries cut ties with Qatar on June 5 and imposed a land, air and sea blockade on the country.
Tillerson is on a four-day trip to the region to try and help find a solution to the crisis.
On Wednesday, he will meet the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt in Jeddah.
Tillerson first met with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani before his talks with Qatar's foreign minister on Tuesday [AP] |
'Strategic timing'
"My role here is to support the efforts of the emir of Kuwait and the
Kuwaiti mediator to bring what we can to the discussions to help both
sides more fully understand the concerns of the relative parties and
also point out possible solutions to those," he told reporters.
Kuwait is trying to mediate in the crisis.
Al Jazeera senior political analyst Marwan Bishara said, "there is no better timing than now" to sign the agreement.
"This has been
going on for a while. I think it is timely, it is important, it is
strategic for them to sign this memorandum of understanding now, because
that certainly pulls the rug from under those who still are skeptical
of the Qatar's attempt to stop [terror] financing," he said.
Shafeeq Gabra, professor
of political science at Kuwait University, said Tuesday's agreement
between the US and Qatar would help ease tensions in the Gulf.
"It will make
the US and Qatar closer," he told Al Jazeera. "It will allow the
Americans to clearly say they can see through what Qatar is doing
regarding at least one major accusation from the countries that imposed
the blockade - terrorism.
"And that takes a major chunk of the whole story, totally out the window."
Source: Al Jazeera news
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