Bahrain Mirror (Exclusive): Qatar does not seem ready to loosen the rope with Bahrain yet, as Al-Jazeera's coverage and Qatari-funded newspapers' talk of Bahraini affairs indicate that Doha believes it is not time yet to settle their issues with Manama.

What is clear from this Qatari intransigence is that Doha wants Bahrain, attached to the tripartite alliance, to pay the price for playing the role of the fool, who does not know its own interests.

On the subject of the dispute with Bahrain, Qatar continued to direct media and political attacks to Bahrain as if the Al-Ula summit had not taken place and its outputs had not been signed. Al-Jazeera continued to shed light on the violations practiced by the government against the opposition majority.

Al-Jazeera's coverage of Bahrain's political turmoil since 2011 has been one of Manama's protests, as well as the granting of citizenship to Sunni tribesmen on which the Al Khalifa family rely in ruling the country.

Politically, Doha has rejected repeated requests from Bahrain to send a delegation to discuss "outstanding issues", foreign minister Abdulatif Al-Zayani and other Bahraini officials said, despite Manama informing its allies of Doha's intransigent behavior.

In the same context, Qatar has regained the right to control its airspace by decision of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council. Bahrain said it controlled the airspace under an agreement with Qatar.

While ICAO called for talks between the two sides under its supervision to agree on technical arrangements for the establishment of a Doha flight information region, Bahrain said this should be within the framework of the Cooperation Council.

With regards to all these attacks, Bahrain does not have any pressure papers to put on Qatar, as the state television does not reach much further than the broadcasting area of Isa Town, and the Bahraini newspapers are only read by a bunch of retirees.

There are, therefore, two options for Bahrain; either to continue receiving Qatari hits or to implement its orders if it wishes to end the ongoing tensions with it and restore relations to how they were before June 2017.

But the question that comes to mind is when will Qatar satisfy its pride?

Qatar has not really declared its desire to continue its hostility with Bahrain and its attacks against it indefinitely, which would bring disputes back to the forefront at some point in the medium term.

Qatar does not aspire to make a financial gain, because the Government of Bahrain has nothing to give Qatar, quite the contrary, the ruling family complained that Qatar did not grant gas to Bahrain despite its wide availability in Doha.

Qatar, hence, seems to be looking for a moral gain, possibly by a visit paid by one of the leaders of the boycotting states to a Sheikh of Al Thani tribe; which the tribe Sheikhs know very well how humiliating of a move that is.

Arabic Version