Qatar row: Kuwait for thaw as Trump fuels fire
Riyadh/Doha, June 6: Even as Kuwait’s ruler travelled to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, hoping to heal the damaging rift between Qatar and powerful Arab states over the former’s alleged support to Islamist militants and political and religious rival Iran, US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind efforts to isolate Qatar.
In a surprise move against a key US ally, Mr 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,” Mr 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...
Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism — Donald Trump, US Prez
extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!”
Mr Trump’s broadside came as Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah headed to Saudi Arabia to meet with King Salman to try and resolve the worst infighting among the Arab world’s strongest and richest powers in decades.
Kuwait’s ruler played a pivotal role in mediating a compromise in a 2014 diplomatic dispute between Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other Gulf states.
Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad AlThani deferred a speech, planned to be broadcast on Doha-based satellite channel Al-Jazeera, at the request of the Kuwaiti ruler, Qatar’s foreign minister said Tuesday.
US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind efforts to isolate Qatar on Tuesday backing Saudi Arabia and its allies after they cut ties with Doha over claims it supports extremism.
Riyadh and Bahrain revoked the licences of Qatar Airways and ordered its offices to close within 48 hours
In a surprise move against a key US ally, Mr 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,” Mr Trump said in a 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!”
Meanwhile, the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged Gulf countries that have cut ties with Qatar to restore air links with the country warning of major travel disruptions.
“Of course, we accept that countries have the right to close their borders,” said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac. But connectivity with Qatar must be restored as quickly as possible,” he told AFP.
Earlier, a statement carried by Saudi’s official SPA news agency said, “The General Authority of Civil Aviation has decided to cancel all licences granted to Qatar Airways and to close all of its offices in the kingdom within 48 hours.” Bahrain’s BNA news agency carried a similar statement suggesting “all passengers who purchased tickets to or from Qatar make arrangements with the airline's offices for a refund within the next 48 hours or via the website” after that.