The rift between the Saudi and Sunni block in the Middle East doesn’t seem to pacify as reports now emerge that United Arab Emirates was responsible for the incendiary quotes falsely attributed to Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
The events had led to the Saudis, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt immediately cutting all diplomatic ties with Qatar and banning its state sponsored news outlet Al-Jazeera. What followed was an escalation involving six other countries and a divided Middle East. While US President Donald Trump had clearly favoured the Saudi Bloc, State Secretary Rex Tillerson had warned the move could undermine U.S. counterterrorism efforts against the Islamic State. Responding to the report that cited US intelligence Officials, the UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef al-Otaiba denied any involvement by the government stating, “The UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article. What is true is Qatar’s behaviour. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi. Inciting violence, encouraging radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbours.”
While Otaiba overtly denies any involvement, the US officials remain unclear whether the UAE carried out the hacks itself or contracted to have them done.
On the other hand, Ali Bin Fetais al-Marri, Qatar's attorney general, told reporters in the capital, Doha, on 21 June that "Qatar has evidence that certain iPhones originating from countries laying siege to Qatar were used in the hack".
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