Crossword Genius

Start of trouble close to Doha in country on the Arabian Peninsula and that's without exception (2,1,3)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

to a man

'that's without exception' is the definition.
(synonyms)

'start of trouble close to doha in country on the arabian peninsula' is the wordplay.
'start of' indicates taking the first letters.
'close to' says to take the final letters (the close/ending of).
'in' is an insertion indicator.
'country on the arabian peninsula' becomes 'oman' (I've seen this in another clue).
The initial letter of 'trouble' is 't'.
The last letter of 'doha' is 'a'.
'a' put into 'oman' is 'oaman'.
't'+'oaman'='TO A MAN'

'and' is the link.

(Other definitions for to a man that I've seen before include "All united-males only?" , "all of us" , "All without exception - excluding women?" , "Unopposed" .)

I've seen this clue in the Irish Times and the Irish Times (Crosaire).
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