Araweelo News Network
Dubai security chief Dhahi Khalfan
Dubai(ANN)-A top security official in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has called on the Saudi-led coalition attacking Yemen since 2015 to bomb the Qatari media network Al Jazeera.
“The alliance must bomb the machine of terrorism … the channel of Daesh, al-Qaeda, and the al-Nusra front, Al Jazeera the terrorists,” Dubai security chief Dhahi Khalfan tweeted.
The UAE is a partner in the bombing campaign against Yemen. It is also part of a Saudi-led bloc that cut ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade over the country in June.
In his diatribe, Khalfan blamed Al Jazeera for the Friday terror attack in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula that killed 305 people and injured 128 others.
“For how long will they [Al Jazeera] continue to tamper with the security of Egypt and the Arab world?” he asked, blaming Al Jazeera for the assault.
Khalfan, who has been a key agitator in the ongoing standoff between Qatar and other Gulf States, underlined his point by putting out a composite picture that placed the channel’s logo next to images of ISIS leader Bakr al-Baghdadi, Osama bin Laden, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, and Muslim Brotherhood ideologue Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who has his own show on the channel.
The Doha-based Al Jazeera has replied by saying that it is Khalfan who is inciting terrorism, and said that he would bear responsibility for any attacks against its journalists.
“The UAE needs to respond. Khalfan is not just an Emirati citizen but an official in the UAE government. He is using a moment of anger and grief over the terrible attack in Sinai to fuel his hatred against Al Jazeera.” Yaser Abuhilalah, managing director of Al Jazeera Arabic, told al-Quds al-Arabi.
“What Dhahi Khalfan is doing is incitement to terrorism. Terrorism is not just limited to committing a crime, but any act or statement that paves the way for a terrorist act or incites it, and incitement to terrorism is terrorism itself.”
No group has claimed responsibility for the Sinai attack but Egyptian officials have said the attackers were a group of 25-30 men who carried Daesh flags.
Khalfan is known for making controversial remarks in the past, including calling on Arabs to unite with Israel, supporting US President Donald Trump’s travel ban against Muslim countries, and urging Doha to decide against hosting World Cup 2022.
The Saudi-led bloc has presented Qatar with a 13-point list of steep demands, including its closure of Al Jazeera, before the countries restore ties.
Qatar has rejected the demands, denouncing them as interference in its internal affairs.
