Donald Trump

Qatar and Its Neighbors Have Been At Odds Since the Arab Spring: Analysis

For the first time, the Gulf states are laying siege on one of their own

While President Donald Trump has said his visit to Saudi Arabia influenced four key Middle Eastern states to sever their diplomatic ties with Qatar, tensions with this tiny nation in the Arab Gulf preceded Trump's trip to the region, NBC News reported.

Officials from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates — two of the countries that explled Qatari diplomats — believe that the small monarchy has been providing support to groups that are seen as radicalist or extremist, including Hamas and the Taliban.

That would make the nation's meddling in others' affairs a destabilizing force in the region, and has led to the first siege by Gulf states on their own.

It began when the official Qatari news agency issued a series of controversial statements attributed to the country's ruler in May, which it later claimed came as the result of hacking, that criticized Trump, embraced both Hamas and Israel and praised Iran.

Although President Donald Trump is saying his visit to Saudi Arabia influenced four key Middle Eastern states to sever their diplomatic ties with Qatar, tensions with this tiny nation in the Arab Gulf have preceded Trump's trip to the region.
NBC News reported that officials from Egypt and the United Arab Emirates—two of the countries that explled Qatari diplomats–believe that Qatar has been providing support to groups that are seen as radicalist or extremist, including Hamas, the Taliban, and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Moreover, the country has carried out a paradoxical foreign policy, engaging with populist revolutionary forces in Tunisia and Libya but backing establishment powers in other Arab Spring countries like Yemen. 
When the official Qatar News Agency issued a series of controversial statements attributed to the country's ruler—which it later claimed came as the result of hacking–these statements were picked up and treated as news in neighboring countries, fueling opposition to Qatar.
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