Are the Saudis funding extremism?
Report in the UK points to Saudi Arabia, and Theresa May’s government is under pressure to reveal inquiry findings.
The diplomatic crisis in the Gulf has seen Qatar living under a blockade for more than a month now.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt accused Qatar of, among other things, supporting extremists – claims Doha strongly denies.
Now, a report from a UK think-tank is pointing the finger at Saudi Arabia for being a key figure in financing such groups.
And it raises questions about Riyadh’s role with armed groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant armed group (ISIL, known as ISIS).
There is also another report on the subject – from the British government, but its conclusions have not been made public.
So, why is Saudi Arabia accusing other countries of sponsoring extremism?
Presenter: Sohail Rahman
Guests:
Shafeeq Ghabra – Professor of political science at Kuwait University
Simon Mabon – Lecturer in international relations at the University of Lancaster
Marwan Kabalan – Associate analyst at the Doha Institute: Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies