Qatar: Trump can solve the Gulf crisis with one phone call

[bkeiller]

Qatar row: Six countries cut links with Doha

Six Arab countries including Saudi Arabia and Egypt have cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of destabilising the region.

They say Qatar backs militant groups including so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda, which Qatar denies.

The Saudi state news agency SPA said Riyadh had closed its borders, severing land, sea and air contact with the tiny peninsula of oil-rich Qatar.

Qatar called the decision "unjustified" and with "no basis in fact".

The unprecedented move is seen as a major split between powerful Gulf countries, who are also close US allies.

It comes amid heightened tensions between Gulf countries and their near-neighbour Iran. The Saudi statement accused Qatar of collaborating with "Iranian-backed terrorist groups" in its restive Eastern region of Qatif and in Bahrain.

What has happened?

The diplomatic withdrawal was put into motion by Bahrain then Saudi Arabia early on Monday. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, Yemen and Libya followed suit.

SPA cited officials as saying the decision was taken to "protect its national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism".

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have given all Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave their territory.

In the latest developments:

• The UAE has given Qatari diplomats 48 hours to leave the country. UAE airlines Etihad Airways, Emirates and Flydubai said they would suspend all flights to and from the Qatari capital Doha from early Tuesday, local time
• The Gulf allies said they had closed their airspace to Qatar Airways, which has suspended all its flights to Saudi Arabia
• Bahrain's state news agency said it was cutting its ties because Qatar was "shaking the security and stability of Bahrain and meddling in its affairs"
• The Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting Yemen's Houthi rebels also expelled Qatar from its alliance because of its "practices that strengthen terrorism" and its support of extremist groups.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40155829

 

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[yota691]

Allawi calls on Arabs to hold a real conference on national crisis

Political

 Since 05/06/2017 13:04 am (Baghdad time)

BAGHDAD - The balance of News

Called Vice President Iyad Allawi, on Monday, Arab leaders to hold a "real" dialogue conference on national crisis with a number of Arab countries.

 

Allawi said in a statement received / balance News / copy of it, "It is really unfortunate that the decline of Arab situation to the current dangerous limit," he said, adding that this association "began with the Iraq war - Iran and the accompanying split Arab ranks among the pro-states Iran and other pro Iraq was followed by the decrepitude largest when the Iraqi regime invaded Kuwait brother and today we see what is happening in the Gulf cooperation Council of tensions threatens the outcome of the commendable that continued. "

 

Allawi added that "these serious repercussions negatively affect the Palestinian issue, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan," adding that "it is not reasonable to reach conditions to what we have reached."

Allawi pointed out that "wisdom and reason call for holding a real dialogue conference puts points on the special character that he did not go to the Arab summit Optimistic about them under the leadership of King Abdullah II, only a few weeks," he said, adding that "the features of Arab solidarity have begun under the auspices of King Abdullah II" , which Allawi described him as "a man of moderation and wisdom, Jordan and the brotherly state institutions."

 

He appealed to Allawi, "all Arab leaders to work hard to stop all the consequences and hold a meeting Arab dialogue puts the facts and the future of the peoples in the forefront of his priorities," he appealed to "the Arab League to play a leading role and outstanding before losing the reason for its existence already."

 

Allawi warned that "the consequences of the continued will destroy what remains of the region," he said, adding that "the enemies of the Arab terrorists and the forces will not stop the longstanding Arab solidarity has not been achieved and quickly." Ended n 10

[yota691]

The first non-Arab state cut ties with Qatar

History of edits:: 2017/6/5 12:42 • 158 times readable

[Oan- follow - up] 
Maldives announced the severance of diplomatic relations with the State of Qatar to be the first non - Arab country is heading for this step.

This came in a flash Saudi Arabiya reported , quoting diplomatic sources. 
So was the Qatari foreign tweet had been published on its official talks about the reception Foreign Minister Maldivian Qatari Ambassador yesterday. 
It announced that both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt at dawn on Monday to cut diplomatic relations with Qatar, and asked Qatari diplomats to leave, and closed areas of air, land and sea ports with Doha. 
Yemen and Libya also announced a similar decision to cut off the relationship with Qatar.

[Butifldrm]

Iraq warns of the Gulf crisis: will destroy what remains of the area

 

 Twilight news    

 

 

 

 

Twilight news/Vice President Iyad Allawi warned that the new crisis in the Gulf could destroy what remained in the region, calling for a dialogue conference to contain the crisis, which it said will adversely affect several including Iraq.

Allawi said in a statement to twilight news, that "it is really unfortunate that Arabic conditions to reduce the current dangerous, where this started creaking with the Iran-Iraq war and the accompanying split Arab ranks among the States in favour of Iran and in favour of Iraq and subsequent decrepitude when the Iraqi regime invaded Kuwait and today we see what is happening in the Gulf Cooperation Council tensions threaten to undesirable results that lasted."

"These serious consequences negatively affect the Palestinian issue and Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Bahrain and Lebanon and Egypt and Jordan, and unreasonable to get to where I am."

Allawi noted that "wisdom and reason call for genuine dialogue conference puts dots on special characters that haven't gone on top Arabic that we and the leadership of his Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein Allah saved only a few weeks, so that the features of Arab solidarity has begun under the auspices of King Abdullah II, a man of moderation and wisdom, and fraternal Jordan State institutions".

Vice President of the Republic of Iraq and appealed to all the Arab leaders "to work hard to stop all the repercussions and met an Arab dialogue puts the facts and the future of peoples in the forefront."

Arabic Allawi also appealed to the League to "play a leading role and distinct before reason loses existed and not forget that these implications to continued to destroy what's left of the region."

Seal and Allawi say, "Arab terrorists, enemies strong yearning won't stop unless the Arab solidarity and quickly."

And cut Egypt and Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Yemen diplomatic relations with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting "terrorism" at worst a crack in the region for years and some limbs of the most powerful States in the Arab world.

Qatar replied that she faces smear campaign reached an end the fabricated to impose full custody of her.

 

 

Keywords: 

 

http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shafaaq.com%2Far%2FAr_NewsReader%2Fa1f0fe42-7b8b-40fa-b44e-90fd328cbf98

[Butifldrm]

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, & Bahrain Cut Diplomatic Ties, Shut All Borders With Qatar

 

 

by Tyler Durden

Jun 5, 2017 6:20 AM

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Just days after president Trump left the region, a geopolitical earthquake is taking place in the Middle East tonight as the rift between Qatar and other members of the (likely extinct) Gulf Cooperation Council explodes with Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt cutting all diplomatic ties with Qatar accusing it of "speading chaos," by funding terrorism and supporting Iran.

The dispute between Qatar and the Gulf's Arab countries started over a purported hack of Qatar's state-run news agency. It has spiraled since, and appears to be climaxing now... just days after President Trump left the region.

As Al Arabiya reports, Bahrain has announced it is cutting diplomatic ties with Qatar, according to a statement carried on Bahrain News Agency.

 

 

The statement on Monday morning said Bahrain decided to sever ties with its neighbor “on the insistence of the State of Qatar to continue destabilizing the security and stability of the Kingdom of Bahrain and to intervene in its affairs”.

 

The statement also said Qatar’s incitement of the media and supporting of terrorist activities and financing groups linked to Iran were reasons behind the decision.

 

“(Qatar has) spread chaos in Bahrain in flagrant violation of all agreements and covenants and principles of international law Without regard to values, law or morals or consideration of the principles of good neighborliness or commitment to the constants of Gulf relations and the denial of all previous commitments,” the statement read.

 

Qatari citizens have 14 days to leave Bahraini territories while Qatari diplomats were given 48 hours to leave the country after being expelled. Meanwhile, Bahrain has also banned all of its citizens from visiting or residing in Qatar after the severance of ties.

Additionally, Bahrain has has closed both air and sea borders with Qatar.

Saudi Arabia then confirmed the same - cutting ties and shutting down all sea, airspace, and land crossings with Qatar as well asdissolving Qatar's role in the Saudi-led coalition fighting against Yemen. Emirates, Etihad, Saudia, Gulf Air, and Egypt Air are no longer allowed to fly to Qatar and Saudi Arabia is providinhg facilities, services to Qatari pilgrims

Egypt then followed, confirming it was cutting diplomatic ties with

Then UAE confirmed it would cut ties, shut down all sky, water, and land crossings, and expel all Qataris within 48 hours.

The Maldives also just cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

All of this happens within 24 hours of Iran calling out 'The West' for ignoring the real sponsors of terrorism around the world andUK's Labor party leader outright name-shaming Sauid Arabia's funding of terrorism.

Qatari officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

As a reminder, documents obtained by Middle East Eye show strategic alliance includes pledge by Ankara to protect Gulf state from external threats...

 

 

In December 2015, Turkey announced, to the surprise of many, that it planned to establish a military base in Qatar. Behind the scenes, the agreement was about forming a major strategic alliance.

 

After a 100-year hiatus, Turkey is militarily back in the Gulf and ramping up its presence overseas. In January, Ankara announced that it would also establish a military base in Somalia.

 

Specific details about the Qatar agreement, which Turkey described as an alliance in the face of "common enemies",remain scant, but Middle East Eye has acquired copies of the agreements, as well as further details, which include a secret pledge by Ankara to protect Qatar from external threats.

Did Qatar just get scapegoated in the 'war on terror'? One thing seems clear, support for a Syrian gas pipeline will be dwindling and with it the need for a Syrian war.

Notably, this raises further doubts about OPEC's stability. As Bloomberg notes, while Middle East ructions have historically added risk premia to oil prices, discord here could theoretically put downward pressure on prices as OPEC members struggle to maintain unity and compliance on production cuts.

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-04/saudi-arabia-egypt-uae-bahrain-cut-diplomatic-ties-block-all-borders-qatar

[yota691]

 

The most prominent decisions "Qatar Province" two hours ago Last updated 01:19 PM       Follow - up / Tomorrow 's Press:  included the decisions of the six countries announced cut ties with Qatar, a set of procedures that stop all dealings with Doha and require the withdrawal of nationals and close all land and air ports.  It announced that Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, on Monday, cut diplomatic and consular relations with Qatar, motives related to destabilize the security and stability of the region.   The decision , according to those countries data, from the exercise of its sovereign rights guaranteed by international law, and the protection of national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism.  The decisions of these countries included: - severance of relations with Qatar , including diplomacy, and the grace of country 's diplomatic mission 48 hours to leave the country.  - prevent the entry or transit Qatari nationals to the territory of those countries.  - grace residents and visitors of them for 14 days to leave.  - prevent nationals from traveling to the State of Qatar or residence or transit through it .  - Close all air and sea ports within 24 hours before the next move and departure to Qatar.  - prevent the transit transport Qatari all arriving and departing.  - take legal action and understanding with friendly countries and international companies regarding the transit atmosphere and territorial waters of those countries and to Qatar, for reasons of national security.  Deteriorated Qatar 's relationship with its neighbors over the past month, after the publication of the official Qatar News Agency "Qena," remarks to the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad, is not consistent with the Gulf Cooperation Council 's policy on the position of Iran, denies the agency later justified it broke its account.

[Butifldrm]

Iran is preparing to supply Qatar with food within 12 hours

Arab and international  Monday June 5, 2017 at 17 o'clock: 19:00 (3115 Views)

Iran is preparing to supply Qatar with food within 12 hours

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BAGHDAD / Sky Press:

 

Iran has announced its readiness to supply Qatar materials and food supplies in the event of Doha asked that, following the announcement by the Gulf states to sever ties with the Gulf state, on Monday.

The head of the union expressed exporters of agricultural crops in Iran, Reza Noorani, his country's readiness to export various agricultural crops and food to Qatar through three southern ports, according Mazkrth news agency Fars.

He Noorani, that Iran is considered the closest to the sea this country can have food shipped within 12 hours, in response to sanctions imposed by the Arab countries to Qatar, including a ban on food.

He pointed out that Qatar imports about 4 to $ 5 billion of various types of food from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, but the ban imposed by those countries because of the tension in the relations which resulted in the people went to shopping malls heavily

It is said that Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Libya severed ties with Qatar and imposed sanctions because of their position regarding developments in the region.

 

http://www.skypressiq.net/2017/6/5/ايران-تستعد-لتزويد-قطر-بالمواد-الغذايئية-في-غضون-12-ساعة

 

Edited June 5, 2017 by Butifldrm

[yota691]

Meeting, "an Iranian Iraqi Turkish" in Baghdad to discuss the Qatari crisis

Political

 Since 06/05/2017 17:38 am (Baghdad time)

Balances News - Follow-up

The head of the Expediency Council in Iran, Mohsen Rezai, Monday, that a trilateral meeting brings together politicians from Iran, Iraq and Turkey will be held in Baghdad to resolve "the Qatari issue."

Rezai said, in a tweet posted on the official page in the "Twitter", said on Monday: "Iran, Turkey and Iraq will meet in Baghdad to invite the Islamic Conference (OIC) to resolve the issue of Qatar."

The Iranian official did not reveal, at the same time, on the date of this meeting.

The announcement comes after he held the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, earlier Monday, telephone talks with Turkish counterparts, born Jawish Oglu, and Iraq, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, and Oman Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, as well as the Indonesian Foreign Minister, Ritno Mrsudi, so, according to the official Iranian media transfer, to discuss "the current situation in the region and tension simmering in the relations between Qatar and some Gulf countries."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has expressed, before that, in the words of her spokesman, Bahram Ghasemi, it expressed concern about recent developments in some countries of the southern neighborhood relations, "saying it hopes to be settled soon.

He stressed Ghasemi that "the settlement of differences between the regional countries must be carried out through political means and dialogue, transparent, non-not."

The comments came against the backdrop of the declaration of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Bahrain, Monday morning, cut all diplomatic ties with Qatar and stop the sea, land and air traffic with the Gulf state, to join this list later the Government of the Yemeni president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and the Libyan government interim led by Abdullah al-Thani, as well as the state of the Maldives.

The Foreign Ministry expressed regret the country of this decision, arguing that these measures are unjustified and based on the allegations and unfounded allegations of Asahh.anthy 29/9 P

[blueskyline]

www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/middle-east/355586......

Iran, Turkey and Iraq to Meet in Baghdad over Qatar Rift

 

 

 Basnews English

 05/06/2017 - 20:40 

Middle East

 

 

 

 

ERBIL— An emergency meeting will gather Tehran, Ankara and Baghdad senior officials in Baghdad to discuss the recent rift among the regional countries over Qatar.

Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary for Iran's Expediency Discernment Council posted the news on his twitter account, saying the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation will also be summoned to help in resolving the issue.

The official, however, did not reveal any more details such as the timing of the assembly.

On Monday Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced they have broken off relations with Qatar, accusing the rich Gulf country of supporting "terrorism" and destabilizing the region.

Yemen, Libya and the Maldives followed the four countries and cut ties with Qatar.

Qatari government refuted the charges, saying the decision has “no legitimate justification" and is “based on claims and allegations that have no basis in fact.”

 Earlier on Monday Rezaei had accused Saudi Arabia of "planning to impose full guardianship on Qatar, after what the regime did with Bahrain."

The news about tripartite meeting in Baghdad was made public after Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed the recent diplomatic crisis in the Gulf countries with his Turkish, Jordanian and Indonesian counterparts.   

Bahram Qasemi, spokesperson for Iranian Foreign Ministry said Iran is calling on all parties to the current dispute "to learn from lessons of the region's past bitter experiences, and move towards decreasing tension by avoiding excited reactions and resorting to wisdom and restraint."

[NoviceInvestor]

Praying that this issue is resolved peacefully ..

[blueskyline]

I also NoviceInvestor . I think it's significant that they are having this meeting in Iraq .

[ChuckFinley]

I feel you right on both counts. Resolution peacefully and Iraq hosting is a big deal. We will just have to wait and see. 

[SnowGlobe7]

I have a friend that flies planes for the UAE. I emailed him and asked what was going on

[ChuckFinley]

4 minutes ago, SnowGlobe7 said:

I have a friend that flies planes for the UAE. I emailed him and asked what was going on

Thanks SnowGlobe, like to know what is really going on over there. 

[SnowGlobe7]

Me too We made a pact a long time ago that his friends quit asking about the DInar..lol he says he is a pilot not a politician, but hopefully he can give us some info in English what is going on

[boosterbglee]

If Iraq could just realize that with our support, they could become a very prominent player in the region! JMO

[SnowGlobe7]

Just now, boosterbglee said:

If Iraq could just realize that with our support system" rel="">support, they could become a very prominent player in the region! JMO

 

i have hope in the fact that Trump made that PERFECTLY clear with them!!!

[ChuckFinley]

I think he for sure did, just as he made it sure that Europe better pony up some funding. 

[Butifldrm]

The Shocking Trigger Behind Today's Gulf Scandal: Qatar Paid Al-Qaeda, Iran $1BN In Hostage Deal

 

 

by Tyler Durden

Jun 5, 2017 2:21 PM

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The FT has unveiled what its believes is the key trigger behind the shocking overnight collapse in diplomatic relations between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors. According to the FT, the catalyst that forced the Saudis and their allies to unveil the cut in diplomatic and economic ties, is that Qatar allegedly paid up to $1 billion to Iran and al-Qaeda affiliates "to release members of the Gulf state’s royal family who were kidnapped in Iraq while on a hunting trip, according to people involved in the hostage deal"; the secret deal was allegedly one of the triggers behind Gulf states’ dramatic decision to cut ties with Doha.

The details of the payoff: "around $700m was paid both to Iranian figures and the regional Shia militias they support, according to regional government officials. They added that $200m to $300m went to Islamist groups in Syria, most of that to Tahrir al-Sham, a group with links to al-Qaeda."

 

 

A regional Arab official said the total paid to jihadi groups was closer to $300m. “So, if you add that up to the other $700m they paid to Iran and its proxies, that means Qatar actually spent about a billion dollars on this crazy deal,” he said.

* * *

The Iraqi Shia militia commanders in Iraq, all from hardline Iranian-backed groups, said that, to their knowledge, Iran had obtained around $400m after giving them a payment they would not disclose. They agreed to share some details because they were unhappy about their share of the payment.

 

“They [the Iranians] took the lion’s share,” said a member of one of the Iranian-backed Shia militias in Iraq. “That’s caused some of us to be frustrated, because that was not the deal.”

The "ransom payments are the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said one Gulf observer.

Not to be confused with the Obama administration secretly airlifting crates full of $1.7 billion in cash to Tehran to release five US hostagesheld by Iran, the FT writes that commanders of militant groups and government officials in the region told the Financial Times that "Doha spent the money in a transaction that secured the release of 26 members of a Qatari hunting party in southern Iraq and about 50 militants captured by jihadis in Syria."

 

www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-05/shocking-trigger-behind-todays-gulf-scandal-qatar-paid-al-qaeda-iran-1bn-hostage-dea

By their telling, Qatar paid off two of the most frequently blacklisted forces of the Middle East in one fell swoop: an al-Qaeda affiliate fighting in Syria and Iranian security officials.

If nothing else, at least Qatar got a better bang for the physical buck, at $38 million per hostage, compared to the $340 million the Obama administration paid for the five US hostages released by Tehran.

While there is no official evidence, the FT adds that the deal, which was concluded in April, heightened concerns among Qatar’s neighbours about the small gas-rich state’s role in a region plagued by conflict and bitter rivalries, which however is at least somewhat confusing: after all it was well-known since the Podesta emails that even the US state department had confirmed that both Saudi Arabia and Qatar were the two primary funders of the Islamic State and various Jihidaist groups in the region. Recall from our October 2016 post:

 

 

In a leaked email sent on August 17, 2014 by Hillarious Clinton to her current campaign manager, John Podesta, who back then was counselor to Barack Obama, she admitted that Qatar and Saudi Arabia "are providing clandestine financial and logistic support to ISIL and other radical Sunni groups in the region."

 

The email, which was sent just days after the US launched it "temporary" air campaign in Syria, which has now extended over two years, represents an eight-point plan laying out ideas how to defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Clinton’s email said that the United States should engage in "military operations against these very irregular but determined forces" by "making proper use of clandestine/special operations resources, in coordination with airpower, and established local allies" such as Kurdish forces.

 

Having confirmed the role of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Hillarious then states that "we need to use our diplomatic and more traditional intelligence assets to bring pressure on the governments of Qatar and Saudi Arabia" and recommends to step up US commitment to the Kurdish Regional Government or KRG. "The Qataris and Saudis will be put in a position of balancing policy between their ongoing competition to dominate the Sunni world and the consequences of serious U.S. pressure.  By the same token, the threat of similar, realistic U.S. operations will serve to assist moderate forces in Libya, Lebanon, and even Jordan, where insurgents are increasingly fascinated by the ISIL success in Iraq."

In any case, last year's revalation appears to have been "news" to Saudi Arabia - the other named source of funding to ISIS, and on Monday, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain took the extraordinary step of cutting off diplomatic ties and transport links to Qatar, alleging the country fuels extremism and terrorism.“

The FT further notes that "Doha denies it backs terrorist groups and dismissed the blockade by its neighbours as “founded on allegations that have no basis in fact”. It said it could not immediately respond to a request for comment on the hostage deal. But a person close to the Qatari government acknowledged that “payments” were made. The person was unaware of the amounts or where the money went."

 

 

Doha has a history of reaching out to all kinds of controversial groups, from rebels in Sudan’s Darfur region to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Hamas in Gaza. Qatar touts itself as a neutral player that can act as an intermediary in regional conflicts. But its critics, notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE, allege it also uses such interventions to play both sides and fund radical Islamist groups, most recently in Libya and Syria. And to Doha’s critics, the hostage deal was further evidence of that role.

In an amusing twist, one FT source - a Syrian opposition figure who has worked with an al-Qaeda mediator on hostage swaps in Syria. - adds that "if you want to know how Qatar funds jihadis, look no further than the hostage deal.... And this isn’t the first — it is one of a series since the beginning of the war."

 

 

Those who spoke to the FT said the deal highlighted how Qatar has allegedly used hostage payments to bankroll jihadis in Syria. But to its Gulf neighbours, the biggest issue is likely to be the fact that Doha could have paid off their main regional rival, Iran, which they accuse of fuelling conflicts in the Arab world.

 

This particular saga began when an Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militia, known as Kata’eb Hizbollah, kidnapped the Qataris in December 2015. Three Iraqi militia leaders say the hostages were held in Iran.

 

Kata’eb Hizbollah is an Iraqi group but it is seen as having links with Iran’s main regional proxy, Hizbollah, the Lebanese militant group. The latter is helping Iran back Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian president, in his country’s six-year conflict.

It gets better: the hostage transaction was also linked to a separate agreement, signed in March 2017, to facilitate the evacuation of four mutually besieged towns in Syria — two surrounded by jihadi forces and two besieged by Shia militias — according to the FT's sources: "Syrian rebels and diplomats." One western diplomat said the arrangement provided Qatar the “cover” to finance the hostage deal.

“Iran and Qatar had long been looking for a cover to do this [hostage] deal, and they finally found it,” he said.

According to two opposition figures with close contact with the groups paid, Qatar used the evacuation arrangement to pay $120-$140m to Tahrir al-Sham. Another $80m, they said, went to the Islamist group Ahrar al-Sham. “The Qataris pay anyone and everyone, to what end? They have only brought about our ruin,” said a Syrian rebel commander, who gave details about the payments but asked not to be identified.

* * *

Going back to our analogy of Obama dumping crates of cash - anywhere between $400 million and $1.7 billion - in Iran, it appears this time was not that different:

 

 

Another confusing chapter of the deal is that Haidar al-Abadi, Iraqi prime minister, said in April his government had seized hundreds of millions of dollars, which Iraqi officials said arrived on Qatari planes “illegally”. It is not clear if this is money is part of the sums mentioned above, or an additional amount.

The punchline: “The money all came in suitcases, can you imagine this?” said one senior official.

And while Qatar has now been scapegoated for funding Al-Qaeda and ISIS, something most have known for years, a question emerges: does this mean that Saudi Arabia - another chronic supporter of terrorism in the region and around the globe - is now off the hook. That would be problematic in light of Saudi Arabia's own on the record admission that it itself created Daesh, or ISIS, which however it allegedly did only in response to Obama's disastrous policy in the region. From the Financial Times:

 

 

After the Iraqi city of Mosul fell to a lightning Isis offensive in 2014, even the late Prince Saud al-Faisal, the respected Saudi foreign minister, remonstrated with John Kerry, US secretary of state, that “Daesh [Isis] is our [Sunni] response to your support for the Da’wa” — the Tehran-aligned Shia Islamist ruling party of Iraq.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-06-05/shocking-trigger-behind-todays-gulf-scandal-qatar-paid-al-qaeda-iran-1bn-hostage-dea

[Donziman]

I thing DJT told the Saudi ptb that they better decide who's side the're on.

How many 911 high-jackers were from Saudi Arabia ???

[ChuckFinley]

Trump is going old school with these boys. 

[mylilpony]

This story goes way deeper than most think. I for one do not believe that saudi arabia would fund isis to take over a huge caliphate in iraq knowing full well that iran and all the militias would come swooping in to rescue iraq. Many many articles going back four years showed how assad let many sunnis out of prison in his country thinking that because they were syrian arabs that they would help him fight the rebels and to seize control of his country again. Also there were many many articles about sunnis who were broke out of abu graib, and tahji prisons in iraq and were met with iranian buses to be trucked into syria. Think about this. If raqqa syria is the headquarters of isis, how in the heck did they all get there if they were from saudi arabia or funded by saudi? Assad's own army would have taken alot of them out before they ever got a chance to reach raqqa. I know to some this will seem like a stretch but i still believe that izzat douri, saddams second or fourth in command was working with iran as a proxy to help gather these sunni's with the belief that if he did they would have a place in iraq again of some sort of power, but under the watchful eye of iran. These old hardliners have proven that they will do anything to gain back power of the glory days and they dont care who they use to get it and the same with iran. Iran came riding in on a white horse to help iraq and now wants to claim land they have helped take back. There is no way that saudi would have been this stupid. The saudi kingdom got rid of bandar bin sultan for just these reasons. He used to be the saudi's defense minister and when the old king died the new one got rid of him within days. Dont get me wrong i am not saying that saudi is innocent by no means, but to this large of a degree to have created isis and turned them lose in iraq which would completely destabilize the whole region is a little too far fetched to me. The saudi's had no idea who was going to be our new president and if Hillarious would have won, that would have put saudi in the cross hairs of iran and the houthi's in yemen and all of iraq's shiite militias and also irans. They would have been sitting ducks with no alliance with the u.s. Way too much of a gamble as far as i see it. Iran needed an excuse to get into iraq further and they got it by creating isis through back channels and then coming to fight them to save the day. That is why all those articles surfaced that yota posted saying how upset the iraqi's were that u.s shipments being dropped from the air were landing into the hands of isis. OOPS, is our military that dumb or was obama aiding iran?? I know it sounds crazy but heck, crazier things have happened.

[yota691]

26 minutes ago, mylilpony said:

is our military that dumb or was obama aiding iran??

you can probably take that statement to the bank or the bank come to them...From the time Obama got elected, He always stated that little tiny blah blah..Here it is 

 

[yota691]

Published on Apr 25, 2017

[tigergorzow]

Tillerson: Qatar diplomatic isolation 'not good' for anti-ISIS war

June 05 2017 05:45 PM

Rex Tillerson

 

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has urged Gulf nations to find a way-out for their rifts after five countries cut off diplomatic ties with Doha on Monday. 

Speaking in Sydney along with Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Tillerson said the move would bear no fruits in fighting terrorism in the region. 

Saudi Arabia, UAE. Bahrain, Egypt, Yemen and others have severed ties with Qatar over allegedly supporting terrorism and maintaining powerful relations with Iran.

"I think what we're witnessing is a growing list of disbelief in the countries for some time, and they've bubbled up to take action in order to have those differences addressed," Tillerson was cited by Fox News as saying. 

"We certainly would encourage the parties to sit down together and address these differences," he added. 
The Arab countries confirmed they would withdraw their diplomatic missions from Doha. 

Riyadh announced Qatari military forces partaking in the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting Houthis in Yemen would be pulled out. 

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/11630/Tillerson-Qatar-diplomatic-isolation-not-good-for-anti-ISIS-war