MIDEAST TURMOIL

UAE Denies Role in Qatar ‘Hacking’ That Led to Gulf Turmoil

WaPo report claimed intel officials believe UAE planted incendiary quotes that led to boycotts.

The United Arab Emirates on Monday denied it was behind the alleged hacking of Qatari government news sites that led to the current turmoil between Qatar and its Middle East neighbors. On Sunday, the Washington Post cited several U.S. intelligence officials saying the UAE orchestrated the hacking of Qatar’s state news to post pro-Iran and pro-Hamas quotes from the country’s emir, leading to diplomatic and trade boycotts against Qatar. The emir, however, has insisted the quotes were fabricated. UAE’s ambassador to the United States, Yousef Al Otaiba, said late Sunday that “The @washingtonpost story is false. UAE had no role whatsoever in the alleged hacking described in the article.” The country’s minister of foreign affairs similarly described the report as simply “not true.”