Arab States Cut Diplomatic Ties with Qatar
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My logbook tells me I last flew out of OTBH on 31/08/16. At that time there was no visible UK military presence although it was ticking-over from an American perspective.
Some of the underlying tension between Saudis and Qatar (FWIW, over a decade ago when I was last at Al Udeid, the Al Thani family leader (previous Emir to this one) was considered by many to be (as Arab heads of state go) fairly progressive).
Another look at this, in part
(SOURCE) Qatar also gradually eclipsed Saudi Arabia as a regional leader entrusted to resolve civil disputes, frequently hosting warring factions from Afghanistan, Sudan, Lebanon, and the Palestinian territories for reconciliation talks.
At other times, Qatar supported the emergence of alternative centres of power around the region, launching the Al Jazeera network in 1996 with the aim of bringing to light views that had been largely suppressed by regional dictatorships, including those of the Islamist opposition.
Most of the current accusations against Qatar date back to the years leading up to and during the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010. Unlike its neighbours, Qatar lent its support for the removal of authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, and generally endorsed the possibilities offered by a new era of political openness for repressed populations around the region.
That support was quite often channelled through Islamist parties poised to take power in democratic elections such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Ennahda Movement in Tunisia. Even amid questions surrounding Qatar's actual motives for pursuing such a policy, or the fact that it stopped short of supporting the uprising in neighbouring Bahrain, Qatar was placed in the anti-establishment camp
At other times, Qatar supported the emergence of alternative centres of power around the region, launching the Al Jazeera network in 1996 with the aim of bringing to light views that had been largely suppressed by regional dictatorships, including those of the Islamist opposition.
Most of the current accusations against Qatar date back to the years leading up to and during the Arab Spring uprisings that began in 2010. Unlike its neighbours, Qatar lent its support for the removal of authoritarian regimes in Egypt and Tunisia, and generally endorsed the possibilities offered by a new era of political openness for repressed populations around the region.
That support was quite often channelled through Islamist parties poised to take power in democratic elections such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and the Ennahda Movement in Tunisia. Even amid questions surrounding Qatar's actual motives for pursuing such a policy, or the fact that it stopped short of supporting the uprising in neighbouring Bahrain, Qatar was placed in the anti-establishment camp
(Source is PhD candidate/political analyst at U of Maryland, College Park, which is just outside of Washington DC).
While the two countries {Saudi/Qatar} were able to contain their policy differences through diplomatic means for the better part of the four decades since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC), there have been previous precedents to the current Riyadh-Doha rift.
In 1992, for example, the two neighbours had a border skirmish. More recently, Saudi Arabia, along with United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, withdrew its ambassador from Doha back in 2014.
But it is also necessary to evaluate the US' position in the region. Qatar, after all, is the home of the largest US military base in the region. I think the Trump administration is implicitly pleased to see the Qataris sweat this crisis out. From Washington's point of view, this crisis may help Doha to fully understand the importance of the American presence, and to modify some of its regional policies that are not aligned with US interests.
In the American capital, some view Doha's support for political Islam to be at odds with its relations with the United States. Only hours after Riyadh and UAE's announcement about severing ties with Doha, US Secretary of State Tillerson stated that he "encourage[s] the parties to sit down together and address these differences … it is important that the GCC remain unified". It would be safe to say that a military activity on the Qatari-Saudi border is highly unlikely, and it would constitute a red line for the Pentagon. Also, the US government will not allow Doha to fall out of the American sphere of influence.
While the two countries {Saudi/Qatar} were able to contain their policy differences through diplomatic means for the better part of the four decades since the establishment of the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC), there have been previous precedents to the current Riyadh-Doha rift.
In 1992, for example, the two neighbours had a border skirmish. More recently, Saudi Arabia, along with United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, withdrew its ambassador from Doha back in 2014.
But it is also necessary to evaluate the US' position in the region. Qatar, after all, is the home of the largest US military base in the region. I think the Trump administration is implicitly pleased to see the Qataris sweat this crisis out. From Washington's point of view, this crisis may help Doha to fully understand the importance of the American presence, and to modify some of its regional policies that are not aligned with US interests.
In the American capital, some view Doha's support for political Islam to be at odds with its relations with the United States. Only hours after Riyadh and UAE's announcement about severing ties with Doha, US Secretary of State Tillerson stated that he "encourage[s] the parties to sit down together and address these differences … it is important that the GCC remain unified". It would be safe to say that a military activity on the Qatari-Saudi border is highly unlikely, and it would constitute a red line for the Pentagon. Also, the US government will not allow Doha to fall out of the American sphere of influence.
Indeed. Interesting this morning to see uncorroborated comment that the Russians my have had a part to play in fake news regarding Qatar's support of terrorism. Another unrelated snippet is the US Ambassador to the UN having a go at the UN Human Rights Council. In particular:
Hello! Didn't Trump just spread the love with the Saudis, this potentially being the catalyst for excommunication of Qatar? From Trump's Twitter account:
So, on the one hand he wants to spread the fear regarding terrorism and destabilise the Middle East but in the same breath his representative is having a dig at the Main Player about human rights. The Executive arm of the USA is intentionally feeding the chaos; this isn't just Trump shooting from the hip.
Bannon will be getting increasingly moist over all of this.
Hello! Didn't Trump just spread the love with the Saudis, this potentially being the catalyst for excommunication of Qatar? From Trump's Twitter account:
So, on the one hand he wants to spread the fear regarding terrorism and destabilise the Middle East but in the same breath his representative is having a dig at the Main Player about human rights. The Executive arm of the USA is intentionally feeding the chaos; this isn't just Trump shooting from the hip.
Bannon will be getting increasingly moist over all of this.
And Saudi's leaping in with a military that is hardly who I'd want on my left or my right.
Men mean more than guns in the rating of a ship
~John Paul Jones
Men mean more than guns in the rating of a ship
~John Paul Jones
Turkish troops take part in joint military exercises in Qatar
In The Guardian
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Turkish troops have arrived in Qatar to take part in joint training exercises, the Qatari defence ministry has said, as a diplomatic crisis in the Gulf enters its third week.
The first drills took place on Sunday at the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in Doha, the ministry said in a statement.
Qatar has been subject to an embargo led by Saudi Arabia since 5 June, when Riyadh and its allies including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties over accusations that Qatar supports extremism. Qatar says those allegations are an attempt to compromise the independence of its foreign policy.
Turkey, one of Qatar’s strongest allies, has offered diplomatic support and flown in fresh dairy produce to get around the blockade.
Although the military drills had been “planned for some time” according to the Qatari defence ministry, the message of cohesion is significant given the extent to which both sides have been anxious to demonstrate how they are winning international support.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been outspoken in his support for the Qatari cause, condemning the Saudi-led blockade as “almost like a death sentence” for Qatar.
The first drills took place on Sunday at the Tariq bin Ziyad military base in Doha, the ministry said in a statement.
Qatar has been subject to an embargo led by Saudi Arabia since 5 June, when Riyadh and its allies including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties over accusations that Qatar supports extremism. Qatar says those allegations are an attempt to compromise the independence of its foreign policy.
Turkey, one of Qatar’s strongest allies, has offered diplomatic support and flown in fresh dairy produce to get around the blockade.
Although the military drills had been “planned for some time” according to the Qatari defence ministry, the message of cohesion is significant given the extent to which both sides have been anxious to demonstrate how they are winning international support.
The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been outspoken in his support for the Qatari cause, condemning the Saudi-led blockade as “almost like a death sentence” for Qatar.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
Turkey Deploys Artillery to Qatar
The Qatari ministry of defence (MoD) announced on 18 July that a sixth batch of Turkish troops had arrived in the country, and released photographs of a T-155 Fırtına self-propelled howitzer being unloaded from a Qatari C-17 transport aircraft at Al-Udeid Air Base.
This is the first time Turkish artillery has been seen in Qatar, although the MoD released photographs of the first two deployments that arrived in June, showing the units with ACV-15 armoured personnel carriers.
The Qatari ministry of defence (MoD) announced on 18 July that a sixth batch of Turkish troops had arrived in the country, and released photographs of a T-155 Fırtına self-propelled howitzer being unloaded from a Qatari C-17 transport aircraft at Al-Udeid Air Base.
This is the first time Turkish artillery has been seen in Qatar, although the MoD released photographs of the first two deployments that arrived in June, showing the units with ACV-15 armoured personnel carriers.
