UAE denies reports on hacking Qatari state media

By Ahmed al-Masri

DOHA

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday denied reports that it was behind a series of hacks that sparked regional discord that isolated Qatar from its neighbors.

The Washington Post said Sunday that the UAE had orchestrated the hacking of Qatar's state-run news and social media sites "to post incendiary false quotes attributed to Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani".

The hacked reports said Qatar's emir called Iran an "Islamic power", and heaped praise on Palestinian resistance group Hamas, among other controversial claims.

The comments prompted Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt and Bahrain to ban all Qatari media before ultimately severing ties with Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

“Reports about the UAE hacking of the Qatari news agency are untrue,” UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash told a seminar held by the London-based Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House).

The UAE envoy in Washington earlier called The Post story as “false”.

“The UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article,” according to the statement.