Trump backs sanctions on Qatar
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump took sides in a deep rift in the Arab world yesterday, praising Middle East countries’ actions against American ally Qatar over Islamist militants even though the tiny Gulf state hosts the largest US air base in the region.
Trump wrote on Twitter that his recent trip to the Middle East was ‘‘already paying off’’ and cast an antiIslamist speech he made in Saudi Arabia as the inspiration for a decision by Arab powers to sever ties with Qatar in protest at what they say is the Gulf nation’s support for terrorism.
‘‘So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off. 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 wrote on Twitter.
Qatar vehemently denies the accusations.
Trump later spoke by phone with Saudi King Salman and stressed the need for Gulf unity, a senior White House official said.
US officials were blindsided by Saudi Arabia’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar in a coordinated move with Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), current and former officials in Washington told Reuters. The United States was not informed of the decision until just before it was announced, the State Department said.
Even as Trump applauded the Arab countries’ move, the Pentagon yesterday renewed praise of Qatar for hosting US forces and its ‘‘enduring commitment to regional security’’.
Some 8000 US military personnel are stationed at al Udeid in Qatar, the largest US air base in the Middle East and a staging ground for USled strikes on the Islamic State militant group that has seized parts of Syria and Iraq.
Trump’s tweet appeared at odds with comments from US officials who had said on Tuesday that the United States would quietly try to calm the waters between Saudi Arabia and Qatar because Qatar was too important to US military and diplomatic interests to be isolated.
Qatar has for years parlayed its enormous gas wealth and media strength into broad influence in the region. But Gulf Arab neighbours and Egypt have long been irked by its maverick stances and support for the Muslim Brotherhood, which they regard as a political enemy.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said on Tuesday that Qatar needed to take several steps, including ending its support of Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, to restore ties with other key Arab states, which also cut transport links.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the United States was communicating with all the parties in the Middle East ‘‘to resolve issues and restore cooperation’’ over the Qatar dispute.
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad AlJaber alSabah flew to Saudi Arabia for talks with King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi and Kuwaiti state media reported, but gave no details on the discussions.
The rift has affected global oil prices, hit travel plans and sown confusion among businesses.
Saudi Arabia’s central bank advised banks in the kingdom not to trade with Qatari banks in Qatari riyals, banking sources said.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman alThani told Qatarbased Al Jazeera TV that Qatar would not retaliate, hoping Kuwait would help resolve the dispute.
A Qatari official said the rift was pushing Doha in the direction of leaving the sixstate Gulf Cooperation Council, ‘‘with deep regret’’.
The split among the Sunni Muslim states erupted last month after the summit of Muslim leaders in Saudi Arabia, where Trump denounced Shi’ite Muslim Iran’s ‘‘destabilising interventions’’ in Arab lands, where Teheran is locked in a tussle with Riyadh for influence.
Bans on Doha’s fleet using regional ports and anchorages threatened to halt some of its exports and disrupt those of liquefied natural gas.
Traders on global markets worried that Egypt might bar tankers carrying Qatari cargoes from using the Suez Canal as they head to Europe and beyond. Saudi Arabia’s aviation authority revoked the licence of Qatar Airways and ordered its offices to be closed within 48 hours.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said isolating Qatar, including the use of sanctions, would not resolve any problems. The Muslim Brotherhood has close ties with Turkey’s ruling AK Party, which Erdogan cofounded.
Yesterday, the West African country of Mauritania, a member of the Arab League, severed ties with Qatar over allegations it ‘‘supports terrorists’’, the state news agency reported. — Reuters