Egypt calls for Qatar’s expulsion from anti-Daesh coalition

An Egyptian delegation yesterday called for Qatar to be ousted from the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, according to news agency Reuters.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid, who is heading the delegation which is in Washington for a meeting with coalition members, said in a statement: “It is unacceptable for the coalition to have amongst its members, states that support terrorism or advocate for it in their media.”

The statement comes in the same week that the US and its allies declared victory in liberating Mosul from Daesh militants. Abu Zeid encouraged that the victory be expanded to uproot all terrorist organisations and those that support them.

Read: Saudi attempts to encourage Iraq to join Qatar boycott

“Based on that principal, the decision by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain to boycott Qatar, was made in light of the latter’s support of terrorism in the region, especially in Libya, Syria and Yemen,” he said making reference to the current Gulf crisis.

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“The coalition should be open only to those countries with similar thoughts in dealing with terrorism,” Abu Zeid underlined.

Last Thursday, the four boycotting Arab states vowed to enact further measures against Qatar, after it failed to accede to their initial demands given last month.

Qatar has denied accusations that it supports terrorism and pointed to its work in countering the global plague. Officials from the country yesterday signed an agreement with the US aimed at combating the financing of terrorism.