Qatar recalls ambassador to Egypt over Libya 'terror' remark

Doha recalled its ambassador to Cairo after a diplomatic official from Egypt accused Qatar of "supporting terrorism" in Libya, the Gulf state's QNA news agency reported on Thursday.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry recalled ambassador Hamad Saif Bu Ainain "for consultations" following remarks made by Egypt's delegate to the Arab League Tariq Adel on Wednesday, the state agency said.

Adel accused Qatar of supporting "terrorism", according to Egyptian media and Al-Jazeera , after Doha's representative expressed reservations over a clause in a communique welcoming Cairo's airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Libya. 

The communique was released at the end of an ambassador-level Arab League meeting in the Egyptian capital.

According to the statement, all Arab League member states – with the exception of Qatar – have expressed their "full understanding" for the Egyptian airstrikes in Libya.

The Arab League also renewed its support for "all measures taken by Egypt in its war to eradicate terrorism".

Qatar, however, expressed reservations regarding the league's position on the Egyptian airstrikes. The Gulf state also expressed reservations on a clause regarding calls to resume international arms sales to Libya's military.

Shortly afterwards, Adel said that Egypt considered the Qatari position as an indicator of Qatar's "supportive stance towards terror". Qatar has previously been accused by western analysts and commentators of funding militant groups, including IS and the al-Nusra Front, in places like Syria - a charge Qatar strongly denies. It has also long been seen as close to the Muslim Brotherhood, which used to govern Egypt but has since been declared a terrorist group there, as well as in some Gulf states. 

Gulf states back Qatar

Meanwhile, Gulf Arab states voiced support for Qatar Thursday in its row with Egypt.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary general Abdullatif al-Zayani "rejects accusations by Egypt's permanent envoy at the Arab League that Qatar supports terrorism," a statement said.

Egyptian F-16s bombed militant bases in the eastern Libyan city of Derna on Tuesday, after IS in Libya released a gruesome video showing the beheadings of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians.

Qatar's director of Arab affairs in the foreign ministry, Saad bin Ali al-Mohannadi, said Doha stresses the need for "consultations before any unilateral military action against another member state".

Mohannadi added unilateral action "may harm unarmed civilians".

The ministry denounced the "tense" statement by Egypt's representative to the Arab League, saying it "confuses the need to combat terrorism (with)... the brutal killing and burning of civilians".

Mohannadi added though that Qatar "is supportive and will always remain supportive of the will and stability of the Egyptian people".

The row comes against a backdrop of difficult relations between the two countries. Relations between Cairo and Doha have deteriorated markedly since the Egyptian military ousting of President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president in July 2013.

Ties, however, appeared to improve between Egypt and Qatar in December following mediation efforts by late Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdelaziz. But it seems the relations are taking a downturn following the death of the Saudi monarch in January.

Egypt had accused Doha of hosting a number of wanted Brotherhood figures following Morsi's overthrow.

It also cites heavy criticism from Qatari-owned Al-Jazeera news channel and its affiliate, Al-Jazeera Mubasher Misr, which before its closure in December had been devoted exclusively to covering events in Egypt.

Morocco talks 

Despite the apparent divisions, the Libya's Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) has agreed to a request by UN mediators to hold talks with its domestic rivals in Morocco next Monday, a GNC source told Anadolu Agency. 

"The GNC's decision to take part in the session came following a series of discussions that concluded that it would be better to hold the meeting outside Libya given the deteriorating security situation, especially after Egyptian warplanes bombed the city of Darnah [on Monday]," said the source who requested anonymity. 

The GNC has agreed – "for the time being" – to hold the planned talks outside the crisis-hit country, the source added. 

"The GNC seeks to promote dialogue and prevent schemes by counter-revolutionary forces to impede talks aimed at finding a political solution to Libya's crisis," the source said.

The UN mission in Libya had earlier agreed to hold talks inside Libya based on a previous request by the GNC, which declined to attend previous sessions held in Geneva.