DOHA: The FBI is helping Qatar investigate the source of an alleged “hack” of state media which sparked diplomatic tensions in the Gulf, a source with knowledge of the probe said today.
An FBI team has been in Doha for the past week after the Qatari government asked for US help following the claim of an unprecedented security breach by hackers last month, the source told AFP.
“American support was requested and a team sent which has been in Doha since last Friday, working with Qatar’s interior ministry,” the source said.
Two other unnamed countries are also helping with the probe.
The results of the investigation could be released as early as next week.
Doha launched the probe after accusing hackers of publishing false remarks attributed to Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the Qatar News Agency website.
The stories quoted him questioning US hostility towards Iran, speaking of “tensions” between Doha and Washington, commenting on Hamas and speculating that President Donald Trump might not remain in power for long.
Doha denied all the comments and said it had been the victim of a “shameful cybercrime”.
But regional powers including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have used the comments to demonstrate that Qatar is out of line with Gulf foreign policy, especially regarding Iran.
AFP