The media is finally beginning to catch on to the larger picture: ♦Jared Kushner is in Israel continuing talks toward a Israeli/Arab peace deal. ♦ Secretary Rex Tillerson is continuing to leverage Qatar away from funding the Muslim Brotherhood terror networks. ♦President Trump is working through King Salman and today contacting newly elevated Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman:
President Donald J. Trump spoke today with Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia to congratulate him on his recent elevation. The President and the Crown Prince committed to close cooperation to advance our shared goals of security, stability, and prosperity across the Middle East and beyond.
The two leaders discussed the priority of cutting off all support for terrorists and extremists, as well as how to resolve the ongoing dispute with Qatar. They discussed efforts to achieve a lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. And they discussed ways to further deepen economic cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia. (link)
Those of you who have been following along already know this is all carefully planned.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump called Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince Wednesday as the U.S. stepped up efforts to mediate a crisis between Qatar and America’s closest regional allies.
The president called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after Saudi Arabia’s King Salman appointed his 31-year-old son as crown prince. The elevation places Mohammed bin Salman as first-in-line to the throne and removed the country’s counterterrorism czar and a figure well-known to Washington from the line of succession.
[…] Several members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, including Saudi Arabia, recently cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of funding extremism. Trump injected the U.S. into the volatile crisis among America’s Mideast allies, siding with Saudi Arabia and other countries against Qatar.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Wednesday that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain have prepared a list of demands to submit to Qatar in an effort to defuse ongoing tensions.
“We hope the list of demands will soon be presented to Qatar and will be reasonable and actionable,” Tillerson said in a statement. “We support the Kuwaiti mediation effort and look forward to this matter moving toward a resolution.”
The dispute threatens to disrupt efforts to defeat the Islamic State group and counter Iran.
Earlier this month, Trump appeared to endorse the accusation that the small, gas-rich emirate funds terrorist groups, a serious allegation against a strategic U.S. partner that hosts a base with some 10,000 American troops.
He tweeted that he’d told the kings, presidents and prime ministers he met in Saudi Arabia that funding “Radical Ideology” can’t be tolerated, and “Leaders pointed to Qatar – look!”
Trump also sought to cast the anti-Qatar action led by the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates as the result of his trip last month to Riyadh, where he pressed leaders from dozens of Arab and Muslim governments, including Qatar’s emir, to combat extremism.
Trump and Salman also discussed efforts to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, Jared Kushner, was in Israel Wednesday for meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in his attempt to revive long-dormant peace talks. (read more)
In regards to the continuing dispute within the GCC, we understand a list of demands has been prepared and coordinated by the Saudis, Emiratis, Egyptians, and Bahrainis. We hope the list of demands will soon be presented to Qatar and will be reasonable and actionable. We support the Kuwaiti mediation effort and look forward to this matter moving toward a resolution.
