The situation involving the Saudis and the Qataris is still raging…. and of course the president has to mouth his opinion, which does not help the situation….after all Qatar was considered a source of investment not long ago fpr the Trump Group…..
Donald Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner all repeatedly sought financing for various investments in recent years from leading figures in Qatar, according to sources with direct knowledge of the meetings.
Those previously unreported overtures have taken on new relevance as a diplomatic crisis aggravated by President Trump has left the small Gulf nation blockaded and isolated by its rivals, with tensions in the Middle East reaching historic highs.
President Trump on Friday characterized Qatar as “historically” a “funder of terrorism at a high level,” an accusation that came just an hour after his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appealed for “no further escalation” in the Gulf Cooperation Council squabble, urging dialogue to quickly resolve the crisis, which pits Qatar against Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, and Bahrain. Tillerson noted the Qatari emir “made progress in halting financial support and expelling terrorist elements from his country,” comments echoed by the U.S. ambassador to Qatar, Dana Smith, who tweeted “Qatar is a strong partner in combating terrorist financing.”
Source: Trump Says Qatar Funds Terror. Here’s His Record Of Trying To Get It To Fund Him. | HuffPost
The problem is, with the president’s help, the Saudis are a destabilizing force, more so than normal….forcing countries to basically….pick sides…..in essence they, the Saudis, are trying to set up a hegemonic control of the region….
Saudi Arabia is making a drive to become a regional hegemon. It has long used its oil wealth to achieve a great deal of influence among neighbors, of course. But it is now flexing military muscles. From a Saudi point of view, they have suffered decades of dangerous reversals, and they are determined to push back foes and ensure not just their security but their control.
The dangers the Saudis see include the revolutionary, Shiite Islam of Khomeinist Iran. It is not only a hated rival branch of Islam but Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who came to power in 1979, said “there are no kings in Islam.” It is republican with a small ‘r.’ The Saudis hate it just as the Austro-Hungarian emperors hated the French Revolution. Inasmuch as Hizbullah in Lebanon adopted Khomeinism and is close to Tehran, it is also seen as a threat by the Saudis. The anti-Wahhabi, Zaydi Shiite Houthi movement in Yemen has made the error of imitating Hizbullah and speaking of overthrowing the House of Saud in Riyadh, and Saudi Arabia has gone to war against the Houthis in Yemen. The Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad, dominated by Alawite Shiites who are secular socialists, is seen as an enemy mostly because it is allied with Iran (the Saudis used to support the al-Assads back in the 1970s and 1980s). The Saudis have supported radical fundamentalist guerrillas in Syria such as Jaysh al-Islam.
Source: Trump’s Ally: Saudi Arabia’s drive for Aristocratic Hegemony in the Middle East
This embrace of the Saudis as the “power” of the Middle East could prove to be a dangerous move for the US……Hell even conservatives see the problems brewing…..
Emma Ashford notes Trump’s obliviousness to the costs of siding with the Saudis and Emiratis in the Qatar crisis:
Indeed, despite these concerns – and despite the efforts of Tillerson, Mattis and others to mediate the dispute, and to walk back the President’s rash tweets – Trump himself appears determined to publicly take the Saudi side in this dispute and force unity within the GCC. In doing so, he risks raising regional tensions, and complicating the anti-ISIS campaign that was the cornerstone of his campaign.
Foreign policy often requires trade-offs. It is no doubt possible that long-term pressure from regional states may induce Qatar to scale back the scope of its foreign policy. But this will come at the cost of other U.S. foreign policy objectives in the region.
Source: The Qatar Crisis and Trump’s Dangerous Embrace of the Saudis | The American Conservative
How all this shakes out is still up to speculation….but I see nothing good coming from this silliness.
In Saner Thought 
Qatar! Who really cares? It does not seem to garner many headlines anywhere near where I live. Is that another stronghold of Islam or something? What is the significance of Qatar to us. I’m not being cute, I just would love to understand.
By the way — The President of The United States has every right to “Open his mouth” about the Qatar mess or about anything concerning foreign affairs that might impact the United States.” He not only has a right to open his mouth, he has a sworn duty to open his mouth.
Oh well let’s just send McCain over there. I am sure he could have the whole thing worked out in record time.
A McCain hater…..don'[t we can blame him right now…maybe later
The best reason I can think of for the “Term Limit” argument.
Cannot argue with that…has been needed for decades….
I like this guy’s disjointed tirade on the subject of “Baseball” during one of his recent interviews about the happenings in Washington.
You know damn well what I am talking about….
No, I don’t.
Okay his Tweets are stabbing his people in the back and endangering his agenda…if he cares about either he would stay off Twitter for awhile.
He needs an outlet and the Lame Stream media sure aren’t going to be of any use to him … I guess he feels like Twitter is his best bit to connect to his support base … Obama got elected primarily by the use of social media such as twitter — but I agree that the President could use a few courses in tactfulness or in “Journalism” because I don’t believe he often thinks before he tweets.
I understand that….nut do not send people out with a story then Tweet and stab them in the back…..not everything needs a Tweet…if he wants his agenda to get play then stop crap on it with Twitter.
He is new at the Politics game. By the way somebody has reported that my blog is showing as having been deleted. Are you seeing that notice too?
Kohn I understand that but he needs to listen to the lawyers he has on retainer……they will look after him…bit he needs to listen.
Yes, I agree. He needs to listen. He seems to have the habit of listening to the last person he talks to about a subject. I am not sure that is a plus factor for him.
The lawyers are there for his protection…he needs to listen to them whether they were first of last….
He does seem to have a problem with listening and then again he may hear more than the rest of us can comprehend. This shall forever remain a mystery … ripe for all kinds of conspiracy theories.
And that will detract from his agenda….not a good idea when you have a spineless Congress.
Not a good idea at all.
You should care because it could involve the troops in a family feud….it has the biggest base in the ME….
Let’s get the hell out of there and let them kill each other because that is what they are going to do anyway — It is in their dna.
Qatar is Arabic for a popular musical instrument. You know, the one that’s vital to the Rock N Roll. It don’t get more American than that! (Cue Qatar solo!)
Let them all kill each other because that seems to be what they do best and let the rest of us learn to mind our own business and do something for America and Americans for a change.
“Let’s get the hell out of there and let them kill each other because that is what they are going to do anyway — It is in their dna.” – Johnny Rotten
That is such a Rock N Roll attitude! And from a guy in a cowboy hat.
I’m concerned about our troops stationed there. This President mouth may cause them danger !
I agree…..
Lending new meaning to the word “clusterfuck”….
*grin* Fun to watch, though….
Idiots.
gigoid, the dubious
A very accurate term…and yes it is hilarious to watch….chuq
I am finishing a piece about a conserv commentator had to say….interesting…will posy soon…chuq
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
Sorry to interrupt your debate with John, But I think they need to take the US troops out of there. NOW.
Best wishes, Pete.
The troops may be the only thing keeping Qatar from becoming the next Yemen….no need to apologize….jump in whenever you feel like it……chuq