In series of Tweets, Trump takes credit for Gulf nations’ rift with Qatar
As the Gulf crisis was playing out, the White House had said that they were trying to de-escalate the current tensions in the Gulf region.
“We certainly would encourage the parties to sit down together and address the differences. If there’s any role that we can play in terms of helping them address those, we think it’s important that the GCC remain unified,” said US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Sydney.
However just a few hours later, US President Donald Trump, in a series of Tweets on his personal Twitter account, claimed credit for the current situation, saying his trip to the Middle East was ‘already paying off,’ reported Al Jazeera.
During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017
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...
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017
...extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 6, 2017
He referenced Qatar when he said leaders of the Middle East have stated that they ‘would take a hard line on funding extremism.’
No immediate response was forthcoming from the Qatari government.
However, Pentagon officials moved in quickly to limit the damage, with spokesman Captain Jeff Davis telling reporters that the US is ‘grateful to the Qataris for the longstanding support for our presence and their enduring commitment to regional security,’ reported CNN.
He added that the US had ‘no plans to change our posture in Qatar,’ stressing that there has been no impact on military operations and urged all parties to work together to resolve the crisis.
On Monday, Dana Shell Smith, US ambassador to Qatar, posted an embassy statement saying the ‘US supports Qatar's efforts in combating terrorism financing, and appreciates its role in coalition against ISIL.’
And this https://t.co/226bFZw83B
— Dana Shell Smith (@AmbDana) June 5, 2017
Defense Secretary James Mattis called his Qatari counterpart on Tuesday to discuss the situation, a US defense official said. There was no formal readout on the call, but a second defense official said it was an effort to keep the dialogue open on positive military relations between the two countries.
Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has accused Trump of stirring up conflicts in the Middle East and risking a new arms race in the region, reported The Peninsula.
“US President Trump’s recent giant military contracts which Gulf monarchies raise the risk of a new spiral in arms sales," Gabriel warned in an interview.
“This policy is completely wrong and is certainly not Germany's policy. I’m very concerned with the dramatic escalation and the consequences for the whole region,” he added.
Gabriel warned against completely isolating Qatar and said the move is an attack on the Gulf state's very existence.
“Such a ‘Trumpification’ of relations in a region already susceptible to crises is particularly dangerous," Gabriel said.
Mods is that true ? @ ExQat.
Hey, Mr. President. I think you've got it all wrong! 15 of the 9/11 terrorists came from Saudi Arabia, your friend and business partner, 2 from the UAE, 1 from Egypt, one from Lebanon, and NONE from Qatar. I am afraid your brain functions are not working properly. It seems that YOU are supporting terrorists!
USA, in collision with Saudi is playing dirty game to marginalize another Arab country. Looks like they dont want peace in the region.