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Saudi, Egypt lead Arab states cutting Qatar ties, Iran blames Trump
By Noah Browning,Reuters 1 hour 55 minutes ago

Here's What's Behind the Qatar Diplomatic Split
By Noah Browning

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed their ties with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting terrorism and opening up the worst rift in years among some of the most powerful states in the Arab world.

Iran -- long at odds with Saudi Arabia and a behind-the-scenes target of the move -- immediately blamed U.S. President Donald Trump for setting the stage during his recent trip to Riyadh.

Gulf Arab states and Egypt have already long resented Qatar's support for Islamists, especially the Muslim Brotherhood which they regard as a dangerous political enemy.

The coordinated move, with Yemen and Libya's eastern-based government joining in later, created a dramatic rift among the Arab nations, many of which are in OPEC.

Announcing the closure of transport ties with Qatar, the three Gulf states gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave. Qatar was also expelled from the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen.

Oil giant Saudi Arabia accused Qatar of backing militant groups -- some backed by regional arch-rival Iran -- and broadcasting their ideology, an apparent reference to Qatar's influential state-owned satellite channel al Jazeera.

"(Qatar) embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS (Islamic State) and al-Qaeda, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly," Saudi state news agency SPA said.

CAA Flagship wrote:Just stirring up interest for the World Cup 2022 because it was such a great choice.

Chizzang wrote:At this pace it will only take 300 more years for Islam to have it's Reformation

Chizzang wrote:At this pace it will only take 3000 more years for Islam to have it's Reformation

∞∞∞ wrote:Our own government doesn't speak out against the worst offender in that area: Saudi Arabia.

Ibanez wrote:

∞∞∞ wrote:Our own government doesn't speak out against the worst offender in that area: Saudi Arabia.

Why would they? They're a business partner. The same would be true if Clinton were POTUS right now. She's wouldn't be anymore in a position to criticize the Saudi's than any other politician.

kalm wrote:

Ibanez wrote: Why would they? They're a business partner. The same would be true if Clinton were POTUS right now. She's wouldn't be anymore in a position to criticize the Saudi's than any other politician.

Agreed on what Clinton do, but no one is in a better position to criticize and punish the Saudis than the POTUS. It's simply a choice not to.

∞∞∞ wrote:Our own government doesn't speak out against the worst offender in that area: Saudi Arabia.

NOT LONG BEFORE a major crisis ripped through the Middle East, pitting the United States and a bloc of Gulf countries against Qatar, Jared Kushner’s real estate company had unsuccessfully sought a critical half-billion-dollar investment from one of the richest and most influential men in the tiny nation, according to three well-placed sources with knowledge of the near transaction.

Kushner is a senior adviser to President Trump, and also his son-in-law, and also the scion of a New York real estate empire that faces an extreme risk from an investment made by Kushner in the building at 666 Fifth Avenue, where the family is now severely underwater.

Qatar is facing an ongoing blockade led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and joined by Egypt and Bahrain, which President Trump has taken credit for sparking. Kushner, meanwhile, has reportedly played a key behind-the-scenes role in hardening the U.S. posture toward the embattled nation.

That hard line comes in the wake of the previously unreported half-billion-dollar deal that was never consummated. Throughout 2015 and 2016, Jared Kushner and his father, Charles, negotiated directly with a major investor in Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, known as HBJ for short, in an effort to refinance the property on Fifth Avenue, the sources said.

Trump himself has unsuccessfully sought financing in recent years from the Qataris, but it is difficult to overstate just how important the investment at 666 Fifth Avenue is for Kushner, his company, and his family’s legacy in real estate. Without some outside intervention or unforeseen turnaround in the market, the investment could become an embarrassing half-billion-dollar loss. It’s unclear precisely how much peril such a loss would put Jared’s or his family’s finances in, given the opacity of their private holdings........

Ivytalk wrote:Don Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner are all embarrassing little bitches without a shred of political judgment. When was the last time a POTUS had kids that made the nation proud? Reinforces the old adage that "children should be seen and not heard."

ASUG8 wrote:

Ivytalk wrote:Don Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner are all embarrassing little bitches without a shred of political judgment. When was the last time a POTUS had kids that made the nation proud? Reinforces the old adage that "children should be seen and not heard."

C'mon Ivy - were you asleep during the Obama's "Camelot 2.0"?

kalm wrote:Hey...you guys can now quit pining on about moderate muslim leaders not speaking out against islamists!

kalm wrote:

Ibanez wrote: Why would they? They're a business partner. The same would be true if Clinton were POTUS right now. She's wouldn't be anymore in a position to criticize the Saudi's than any other politician.

Agreed on what Clinton do, but no one is in a better position to criticize and punish the Saudis than the POTUS. It's simply a choice not to.

Grizalltheway wrote:

ASUG8 wrote:
C'mon Ivy - were you asleep during the Obama's "Camelot 2.0"?

Yeah, those Obama girls were real shameful little brats, amirite?

ASUG8 wrote:

Ivytalk wrote:Don Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner are all embarrassing little bitches without a shred of political judgment. When was the last time a POTUS had kids that made the nation proud? Reinforces the old adage that "children should be seen and not heard."

C'mon Ivy - were you asleep during the Obama's "Camelot 2.0"?

Ivytalk wrote:Don Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Jared Kushner are all embarrassing little bitches without a shred of political judgment. When was the last time a POTUS had kids that made the nation proud? Reinforces the old adage that "children should be seen and not heard."

Ivytalk wrote:

ASUG8 wrote:
C'mon Ivy - were you asleep during the Obama's "Camelot 2.0"?

Well, I lived through the next generation of Kennedys, and they were nothing to write home about. Three of them were at Harvard at the same time as I was, but only one (RFK Jr.) was in my class.

dbackjon wrote:Obama's Daughters never caused a problem.

89Hen wrote:

dbackjon wrote:Obama's Daughters never caused a problem.

If you overlook the drug issues.