Arab States Break Ties with Qatar

[javero]

The NY Times is reporting that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, and Yemen severed all ties with Qatar earlier today.

Someone please explain to me what it's all about!

There's nothing that Trump or SoS Rex Tillerson can say to inspire any confidence.

5 Arab States Break Ties With Qatar, Complicating U.S. Coalition-Building (NY Times)

 

[LYLS3637]

I don't think it's that hard to explain. A coalition of Middle Eastern nations got fed up with US-sponsored attacks in their region, and decided to pull away from a huge Western ally in the Persian Gulf. 

[UncleCharlie]

LYLS3637 said: "I don't think it's that hard to explain. A coalition of Middle Eastern nations got fed up with US-sponsored attacks in their region, and decided to pull away from a huge Western ally in the Persian Gulf. 

 

It would be humanly impossible for your explanation to be more wrong. It's all about Iran, KSA hating Iran and leading the charge to try to isolate them and recent statements by Qatar's leader to some degree embracing Iran and not being tough enough against the Muslim Brotherhood and other orgs like Hamas that are believed to support terror with help from Iran. And if you think this happening 2 weeks after Trump's visit to KSA and their kissing his ass to make sure he does what they want is a coincidence, you're kidding yourself. I could go into more detail but it's all out there on the internet.

 

[South Florida]

Yep, UC well said.  Bad LYLS.

[LYLS3637]

No sorry. Iran is all but a red herring. Naturally, Iran is in the equation, but with a unstable Commander-in-Chief of the US military, Qatar has all but become an unstable linchpin.

Reuters

[javero]

Could we agree that Obama doesn't exactly have clean hands here either?  The Obama-ordered drone strikes in Yemen targeting al Qaida occasionally took out civilians instead.

Furthermore, KSA inks a $110 B weapons deal with Team USA while Yemen plunges further into despair.  Worse still, Trump's temporary travel ban would include Yemen which is smack-dab in the middle of a humanitarian crisis of epic proportion.  KSA with an assist from Team USA basically beat Yemen into submission, all in the name of curbing the influence of Iran aka Evil Empire.  So, according to Team USA, Iran is bad, ISIS/IL is worse, Wahhabism is tolerable if kept at bay in KSA, and the KSA royals can do no wrong.  

It wasn't as clear cut as LYLS3637 presented it, at least not to me.  But, thanks UncleCharlie for shining a light on the Iranian bogey man that's driving Trump's policy in the region.

Yemen is descending into total chaos, and Trump is making it worse 

[UncleCharlie]

LYLS3637 said: "No sorry. Iran is all but a red herring. Naturally, Iran is in the equation, but with a unstable Commander-in-Chief of the US military, Qatar has all but become an unstable linchpin.

Reuters

 

Don't be sorry, just read your own article. It says the exact same thing I said, support for terrorists and Iran in the very first paragraph. I understand your agenda but twisting this to try to fit it isn't working.

 

[LYLS3637]

UncleCharlie said: "LYLS3637 said: "No sorry. Iran is all but a red herring. Naturally, Iran is in the equation, but with a unstable Commander-in-Chief of the US military, Qatar has all but become an unstable linchpin.

Reuters

 

Don't be sorry, just read your own article. It says the exact same thing I said, support for terrorists and Iran in the very first paragraph. I understand your agenda but twisting this to try to fit it isn't working."

 

Your regurgitating the Saudis argument, which I'm arguing is not truthful and a red herring. Which is what the Reuters article reinforced. The Saudis have a history of funding and supporting the same groups they now criticize Iran for-- a by their own proxy-- Qatar. 

[Liza's Headband]

Could we agree that Obama doesn't exactly have clean hands here either?  The Obama-ordered drone strikes in Yemen targeting al Qaida occasionally took out civilians instead.

 

Occasionally??? Let's try replacing that with "frequently," and then remember TIME's investigative wing estimates roughly 150,000+ deaths of innocent civilians can be attributed to Obama's expansion of the drone program across Pakistan, Yemen and Afghanistan during his presidency.  Amazing how quickly people forget...  

[UncleCharlie]

LYLS3637 said: "UncleCharlie said: "LYLS3637 said: "No sorry. Iran is all but a red herring. Naturally, Iran is in the equation, but with a unstable Commander-in-Chief of the US military, Qatar has all but become an unstable linchpin.

Reuters

 

Don't be sorry, just read your own article. It says the exact same thing I said, support for terrorists and Iran in the very first paragraph. I understand your agenda but twisting this to try to fit it isn't working."

 

Your regurgitating the Saudis argument, which I'm arguing is not truthful and a red herring. Which is what the Reuters article reinforced. The Saudis have a history of funding and supporting the same groups they now criticize Iran for-- a by their own proxy-- Qatar. 

 

Well, your argument that they're doing it cause they think Qatar is too close to the US and Trump and they don't trust Trump doesn't seem to hold water given the events of the last two weeks. I'm curious how you feel you know exactly what the Saudis really are thinking and how seasoned journalists covering the region for years don't see the real reasons behind it, but you do.