Tillerson makes vigorous push in Qatar stalemate
With Mideast allies at loggerheads, U.S. faces tricky work
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson launched an invigorated mission in Kuwait on Monday to defuse a crisis between Qatar and its Persian Gulf neighbors that has so far defied U.S. diplomatic efforts and threatened the region’s stability.
Qatar is locked in a bitter confrontation with a Saudiled group of Arab states over the tiny, gas-rich emirate’s ties to Iran and supposed friendliness with a number of militant groups. All of the countries involved are important U.S. allies, making the fight particularly tricky for the White House, which has sided with the Saudis.
Qatar is home to the United States’ largest military base in the Middle East and about 11,000 American troops. Tillerson has said the prolonged dispute could hurt U.S. counterterrorism operations that are based out of Qatar.
Tillerson unexpectedly added the trip to the Gulf region after his swing through Hamburg, Germany, for the Group of 20 summit, and then Kiev, Ukraine, and Istanbul.
He is resorting to shuttle diplomacy, hopscotching among the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, after more than a month of Washington meetings, telephone calls and angry ultimatums — plus contradictory messages from the White House — have failed to push the sides any closer to negotiation. The crisis is at an impasse, Tillerson acknowledged.
“We are trying to solve an issue that concerns not just us but the entire world,” Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, said as he greeted Tillerson on Monday night.
Tillerson was joined by Britain’s top national security adviser, Mark Sedwill, in another sign of ramped up mediation efforts.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt have suspended diplomatic ties with Qatar and blockaded it by sealing sea and land borders and banning flights from its air space. Tillerson called for a lifting of the blockade, but President Donald Trump seemed to contradict him and accused Qatar on several occasions of being a major financier of terrorism, while lavishing praise on Saudi Arabia.
The four countries issued a 13-point ultimatum to Qatar, which the country’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, resolutely rejected. Demands included shutting down the Arab world’s premier television news network, the Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which is often critical of the region’s autocrats, and reducing relations with Iran.
The Saudis and their allies are threatening additional punitive actions against Qatar.
U.S. diplomats are alarmed at the escalation and have urged Tillerson to take more forceful action, something he had resisted.
The trip now “is to explore the art of the possible” in hopes of finding a solution, Tillerson adviser R.C. Hammond said, according to the pool report filed by the two U.S. journalists who were allowed to accompany the secretary on his flight.
Perhaps what has most weakened Tillerson’s hand has been the manner in which Trump has undercut him. There have been suggestions in recent days, however, that Trump may have decided to step back.
Hammond did not dispute that portrayal, but he also insisted that Tillerson’s more active role did not amount to mediation. “The president has said — this is not a new instruction — find a resolution,” Hammond said.
Hammond conceded that the 13 demands made of Qatar were not “viable” as a package but that some components “could work.” He did not elaborate, but said Qatar’s foes would also have to meet conditions.
“This is a two-way street,” he said. “There are no clean hands.”