The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday downplayed an allegation that the country orchestrated the hacking of Qatari government websites that triggered off the standoff in the Gulf.
UAE Ambassador in Washington, Yousef Al Otaiba, said in a statement that the story published on the Washington Post is “false”, Al Arabiya TV reported.
“The UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article,” Otaiba said in a statement.
Otaiba said, “What is true is Qatar’s behavior. Funding, supporting, and enabling extremists from the Taliban to Hamas and Qadafi,” referring to former Libyan leader Muammar Qadafi.
He also slammed Qatar for “inciting violence, encouraging radicalization, and undermining the stability of its neighbors”.
Despite intensified diplomatic mediation efforts, which included the visit to the Gulf by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last week, the Qatari crisis continues as both sides refuse to back down.
(Report from Xinhua via PNA)
