Oh man.
So first, is Qatar really a greater supporter of terrorism than Saudi Arabia, home of the Wahhabi? What about Egypt? Wasn’t Egypt the original home of Muslim Brotherhood which has recently sworn off violence, but which has quite an energetic history? I ask because Trump claims credit for a recent diplomatic break between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Egypt, UAR and Bahrain, which has a despotic ruler and frequently victimizes dissidents:
www.amnesty.org/...
And what about Yemen? Isn’t Yemen one of the countries Trump wants on his Muslim Travel Ban Vetting Program? Oh yes, I believe it is! It is officially dangerous according to Presidential Tweet, and as I recall Qatar didn’t ram four airplanes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania, and doesn’t the ruling family of Qatar partially fund al Jazeera? I think in fact the Emir of Qatar is remarkable in his independence having even visited Israel (gasp) and the PA on diplomatic missions whereas Israeli reporters were banned from Saudi Arabia during Trump’s recent visit.
Also, there is the minor detail that, Qatar is an important military ally of the United States of America, of which Donald J. Trump is supposedly President.
www.stripes.com/...
But never fear, in case you were bored and tired of peace, progress and prosperity, things have just gotten even more complicated and dangerous in the Middle East thanks to You Know Who, apparently having broken up with Qatar via Twitter (natch), per the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — President Trump thrust himself into a bitter Persian Gulf dispute on Tuesday, claiming credit for Saudi Arabia’s move to isolate its smaller neighbor, Qatar, which is a major American military partner.
“During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology,” Mr. Trump said in a morning tweet. “Leaders pointed to Qatar — look!”
On Monday, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen broke diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar, citing its support for terrorist groups. Mr. Trump, who made the cutting of terrorist funding a centerpiece of his trip to Saudi Arabia in May, said he was responsible.
“So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off,” the president said on Twitter. “They said they would take a hard line on funding.”
www.nytimes.com/…
Really? I’m trying to imagine Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt dispensing with Yalta and just, you know, twittering.
Pass the bourbon.