Trump, Tillerson differ on approach to Qatar tensions
WASHINGTON — As his top advisers sought to defuse an escalating crisis in the Middle East, President Donald Trump on Friday doubled down on his criticism of Qatar, a key U.S. ally, calling it a longtime “funder of terrorism at a very high level.”
Trump again took credit for what he described as a growing movement to fight Islamist-inspired terrorism in Sunni Arab countries. He did not acknowledge any responsibility, however, for adding to the tension with criticisms that his aides have been trying to counter.
To that end, just an hour before Trump’s comments at a news conference, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on Saudi Arabia and three other Arab nations to ease their recent crackdown on Qatar.
Tillerson said the decision of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to cut diplomatic and economic relations with the neighboring, energy-rich emirate was having dire humanitarian consequences and hurting U.S. military operations fighting Islamic State militants.
Qatar is the site of the largest U.S. military base in the region and the launching point of numerous U.S. Air Force bombing missions.
“Our expectation is that these countries will immediately take steps to deescalate the situation and put forth a good faith effort to resolve their grievances they have with each other,” Tillerson said, reading from a statement. He called for a “calm and thoughtful dialogue” to ease the crisis, which he said was causing food shortages, separation of families and loss of business in Qatar.
Trump, however, did not seem to be on the same page, and a short time later contradicted his secretary of state, again praising Saudi Arabia, “my friend King Salman” and the “truly historic summit” that the Saudi ruler hosted in Riyadh.