*Annual Country Report on Terrorism 2016 says UAE uses counter-terrorism and cyber crime laws as cover to pursue cases against political dissidents and activists
In its annual Country Report on Terrorism 2016, the US Department of State has praised the “full partnership” between the US and Qatar in the fight against terrorism, highlighting the public role of Doha in the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS.
The report stressed that Qatar cooperated and worked to strengthen regional and international cooperation against terrorism and supported significantly in facilitating US military operations in the region.
The report also pointed out that the US security agencies and their Qatari counterparts have a strong and constructive relationship, especially in the exchange of terrorist-related information.
With regard to the Saudi-led Islamic alliance, the report said that Qatar supported this alliance in its war against terrorism. The report also referred to Doha's basic strategy to counter violent extremism through its investment in education. In this regard, the report quoted a statement by Qatari Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani: “Neglecting education means that whole generations would become more vulnerable to human trafficking or falling prey to terrorism”.
The report added that “the Government of Qatar has made progress on countering the financing of terrorism (CFT), but terrorist financiers within the country are still able to exploit Qatar’s informal financial system.”
On the UAE , the report stated that the country "remained a regional and global financial and transportation hub, and terrorist organisations exploited it to send and receive financial support.”
The report also referred to the international human rights non-governmental organisations' and activists' "claim[s] that the UAE uses the counter-terrorism and cyber crime laws as cover to pursue cases against political dissidents and activists.”
With regard to Saudi Arabia, the report said that despite the measures Riyadh maintained to stop financing of terrorism, "funds are allegedly collected in secret and illicitly transferred out of the country in cash".
