Trump backs move to isolate Qatar
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US President Donald Trump yesterday threw his weight behind efforts to isolate Qatar, backing Saudi Arabia and its allies after they cut ties with Doha over claims it supports extremism.
In a surprise move against a key US ally, Trump suggested Qatar — home to the largest American airbase in the Middle East — was funding extremism as he tacitly backed the diplomatic blockade of the emirate.
“So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off,” Trump said in a morning tweet, in reference to his trip to Riyadh last month.
“They said they would take a hard line on funding ... extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!”
Trump’s broadside came as Kuwait’s ruler headed to Saudi Arabia in a bid to resolve the feud, the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the Arab world in years.
Saudi Arabia and allies including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced on Monday that they were severing diplomatic relations and closing air, sea and land links with Qatar.
They accused the tiny Gulf state of harboring extremist groups and suggested Qatari support for the agenda of Saudi Arabia’s regional arch-rival Iran.
Energy-rich Qatar has long had strained ties with its neighbors but the move by Riyadh and its supporters shocked observers, raising fears the crisis could destabilize an already volatile region.
The dispute comes less than a month after Trump visited Saudi Arabia and called for Muslim nations to unite against extremism.
The rift is already having tangible effects, with dozens of flights canceled, Qatari planes barred from regional airspace, and panic buying in Doha amid fears of food shortages.
Kuwait did not join fellow Gulf countries in taking measures against Doha, and its Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah left yesterday for Saudi Arabia for talks to resolve the crisis.
In a call with Sheikh Sabah on Monday, Qatari leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani had agreed to put off a speech to the nation in order to give mediation a chance.
Several Kuwaiti lawmakers voiced support for the emir’s efforts. “We pray to God to help him succeed in achieving Gulf unity,” veteran MP Ali al-Deqbasi said during a parliamentary session.
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani signaled that Qatar was open to talks, calling for “a dialogue of openness and honesty” to resolve the crisis.
“We believe any issue could be solved through discussion and mutual respect,” he told Doha-based news channel Al-Jazeera.
Anwar Gargash, UAE state minister for foreign affairs, said yesterday that a “guaranteed roadmap” was needed before it would consider mending ties.
As well as cutting diplomatic relations and ordering Qatari citizens to leave their countries within 14 days, the Gulf states and Egypt banned all flights to and from Qatar.
UAE carriers Emirates, Etihad, Flydubai and Air Arabia, as well as Saudi Airlines had all announced the suspension of flights to and from Qatar as of yesterday morning.
A total of 27 flights from Dubai to Doha had been scheduled yesterday and the Dubai Airports website showed all flights to Doha had been canceled.
Qatar Airways said it had suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt “until further notice.”
Countries including Saudi Arabia also banned Qatari planes from their airspace and Riyadh yesterday revoked Qatar Airways’ operating license in the kingdom.
Doha’s Hamad International Airport was virtually deserted early yesterday.
“This is the emptiest airport I have been in so far,” said Katie, transiting in Qatar en route to Thailand.
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