Doha - Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has given his first public speech since a diplomatic crisis with neighboring Gulf and Arab countries unfolded last month. Al-Thani said that his country was "subjected to an unprecedented campaign of incitement and siege". "Fabricating false reports are vile and heinous crimes and there were attempts to impose a guardianship system on us," he said in his first public address since the crisis with his country began last month. The Qatari emir recognized during his speech that there were differences between Doha and the GCC on their foreign policies and that they "disagreed with others on the sources of terrorism". He then spoke on the possibility of a solution to a path forward with boycotting countries but one "that should be based on respecting national sovereignty and not be dictated but jointly pledged". "I do not underestimate the pain and suffering caused by the blockade on us. It is high time to stop the imposition on people the price of political differences between governments," Al-Thani said. Qatar's Emir Tamim was supposed to give a speech on June 6, a few days after the crisis began, but delayed it at the time. Al-Thani was reportedly urged by the Kuwaiti ruler to exercise restraint and "not to take any measures that could escalate" the tensions in the region. The Anti-Terror Quartet of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE and Egypt decided to impose a diplomatic and economic boycott of Qatar last month for the latter's history of supporting terrorism and extremist groups in the region.
