President Donald Trump on Tuesday appeared to cut ties with Qatar via Twitter and took credit for a number of Arab states that have also broken off relations with the nation.
“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!” Trump tweeted. “So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off.”
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
In the wake of Trump’s first trip abroad as president, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties with the nation. Yemen, the Maldives and Libya’s eastern-based government also broke off relations with Qatar.
Qatar hosts the Al Udeid Air Base, a major U.S. military base.
U.S. officials nevertheless claimed that the rift between Qatar and other Arab nations will not affect anti-terrorism efforts.
“I do not expect that this will have any significant impact, if any impact at all, on the unified fight against terrorism in the region or globally,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Monday.
“I am positive there will be no implications coming out of this dramatic situation at all,” Secretary of Defense James Mattis said the same day. “The diplomatic situation, it will probably take some time — I don’t know how long — but it will be resolved.”
