Qatar has recalled its ambassador to Egypt in a dispute over Cairo’s decision to carry out airstrikes on Islamic State (IS) targets in Libya, according to Qatar’s state news agency QNA.
The airstrikes came Monday just hours after IS released a video showing the beheadings of 21 Coptic Christians — all but one of them Egyptian — on a beach in Sirte.
The response to the video in Egypt on Monday was one of horror and disbelief among Muslims and Christians alike, leading to overwhelming popular support for the airstrikes.
Qatar, however, has expressed reservations over the attack. At a meeting of the Arab League early this week, Qatari foreign ministry official Saad bin Ali Al-Muhannadi had qualms about “unilateral military action in another member state in a way that could harm innocent civilians”.
Nevertheless, the Arab League has released a statement saying that it understands Egypt’s reasoning for the airstrikes and has officially supported Cairo’s call for the United Nations to lift the arms embargo, effective since 2011, on the Libyan army.
Qatar has said that it is reluctant to open the door for arms to the Libyan government before the conclusion of the peace talks and formation of the unity government, as it would give the Beida government an unfair advantage over the Tripoli-based General National Congress (GNC) in the dialogue process.
Doha’s show of concern for the Libya Dawn-backed GNC has provoked the Egyptian envoy to the Arab League, Tareq Adel, to blast Qatar’s envoy, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, the Egyptian news agency MENA reported.
By Libya Herald staff.
