New report claims Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have been working against Doha for over 20 years.

When the blockade against Qatar began in June last year, the question on everyone's mind was, "Why?"

A new Al Jazeera investigation suggests the answer does not lie in events of nine months ago, but those more than two decades before.

The report reveals new evidence of an attempt by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain to overthrow the Qatari government in 1996. It includes interviews with coup leaders who conspired to remove the emir of Qatar at the time - Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who is the father of the current emir.

The investigation implicates leaders from all four blockading countries.

It says the committee formed to organise the 1996 coup was led by many who are today at the helm of power in some of the nations who imposed the 2017 siege.

On Inside Story, an in-depth discussion tackles why the anti-Qatar quartet has been targeting the government in Doha.

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra

Guests:

Abdulaziz Alhorr - Qatari academic and researcher

Andreas Krieg - assistant professor at the defence studies department at King's College London

Claude Salhani - opinion editor of the Arab Weekly newspaper

Source: Al Jazeera News