After days of the Pentagon insisting the blockade imposed on Qatar by four Arab nations was having no effect on the U.S. war on the Islamic State, the State Department now says the harsh economic sanctions are “hindering” the war effort.
“There are humanitarian consequences to this blockade,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said from the State Department. “The blockade is also impairing U.S. and other international business activities in the region and has created a hardship on the people of Qatar and the peoples whose livelihoods depend on commerce with Qatar. The blockade is hindering U.S. military actions in the region and the campaign against ISIS.”
Tillerson made brief remarks urging all parties to engage in a “calm and thoughtful dialogue,” and seek “mutual understanding.”
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the U.A.E, have all cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing the oil-rich nation of funding terrorism and backing Iran.
Tillerson issued that statement just days after President Trump issued a series of tweets celebrating Saudi Arabia’s decision to impose the blockade and cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, which U.S. officials have long faulted for providing some support to terrorism. Qatar also hosts a critical U.S. military base in the Middle East, so the breach between the Arab countries — and Trump’s public support for the split — left Tillerson with a delicate diplomatic task.
“In the last few days, I have spoken with many leaders in the region, and as I said to all of them, we know you’re stronger together,” Tillerson said. “It is clear to me based on these conversations that the elements of a solution are available.”
The assertion that the cut off of routine commerce and the ban of commercial flights to Qatar was affecting U.S. military operations came less than two hours after military officials assured reporters at the Pentagon that the dispute was having no effect on operations at the Al Udeid Air Base, the nerve center of the war, located in Doha, Qatar’s capital.
Tillerson’s contradictory statement prompted the Pentagon to quickly issue a clarification.
“While current operations from Al Udeid Air Base have not been interrupted or curtailed, the evolving situation is hindering our ability to plan for longer-term military operations,” said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, the Pentagon spokesman who said earlier there was no problem.
Tillerson called on Qatar to do more to halting financial support of terrorist elements, and called on the four nations to ease the blockade against Qatar.
Trump took a more enthusiastic tone in commenting on the divide. “So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off,” Trump wrote in a series of tweets. “They said they would take a hard line on funding, extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!”
Qatar’s dependence on the United States for security raised the possibility that such public statements would increase pressure on the regime. A risk consulting firm suggested that “signals from the U.S. that it would not pressure these countries to back down” might lead to a leadership change in Qatar as well as reform.
But the Qataris responded defiantly. “We are not ready to surrender, and will never be ready to surrender, the independence of our foreign policy,” the nation’s top diplomat said Thursday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin didn’t miss the opportunity to capitalize on tension between the United States and a key Middle Eastern partner. “Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russia’s principled position in favor of settling crises by political and diplomatic means, through dialogue,” the Kremlin said in a summary of Putin’s conversation with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Tillerson said Qatar must “be responsive to the concerns of its neighbors,” but emphasized the need for unity. “Our expectation is that these countries will immediately take steps to deescalate the situation and put forth a good faith effort to resolve the grievances they have with each other,” he said.
