At his first on-camera briefing of the press since President Trump returned to Washington, Sean Spicer spent a good 10 minutes Tuesday recapping the highlights of an “incredible, historic trip” to the Middle East and Europe. “We’ve never seen before at this point in a presidency such sweeping reassurance of American interest, and the inauguration of a foreign policy strategy designed to bring back the world from growing dangers and perpetual disasters brought on by years of failed leadership,” said Spicer.
Beyond “sweeping reassurances,” what does the White House believe Trump’s trip actually accomplished, particularly on strengthening America’s national security? When I asked a senior White House aide this, the immediate response was the agreement between the United States and the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council aiming to stop the financing of terrorism in the Middle East. This “memorandum of understanding” also earned a mention in a new Wall Street Journal op-ed from national security adviser H.R. McMaster and director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn. So far, the White House has not released a copy of the memorandum.
Here was how the Washington Post reported on the agreement:
The White House aide noted the achievement of getting the government of Qatar to sign on. The small emirate on the Arabian Peninsula, the aide noted, is often the most recalcitrant on issues relating to terrorism financing. Qatar’s former emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was notoriously negligent in cracking down on domestic financiers of al Qaeda in Syria. In particular Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist organization, has received financial support as well as safe haven from Qatar for years. Hamas frequently holds meetings and conferences in the Qatari capital of Doha, including one earlier this month.
Hamad’s son Tamim became emir in 2013, and some observers hoped the younger ruler would change Qatar’s attitude. But as David Weinberg wrote recently, “there is no persuasive proof that Qatar has stopped letting certain terror financiers off the hook.”
Convincing Qatar and the other signatory states to make good on the agreement would be quite an accomplishment. The administration believes the Arab leaders appreciate Trump’s tough stance on Iran—particularly compared to Barack Obama’s conciliatory position toward Tehran—and they hope that appreciation will translate into respect for the agreement.
