Trump backs Saudi-led efforts to isolate Qatar

US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind efforts to isolate Qatar on Tuesday, backing Saudi Arabia and its allies after they cut ties with Doha over claims it supports extremism.

In a surprise move against a key US ally, Trump suggested Qatar – home to the largest American airbase in the Middle East – was funding extremism as he tacitly backed the diplomatic blockade of the emirate.

"So good to see the Saudi Arabia visit with the King and 50 countries already paying off," Trump tweeted, in reference to his trip to Riyadh last month. "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!"

US President Donald Trump (C) and leaders of Arab countries attend the Arab-Islamic-American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 21, 2017. /VCG Photo

Saudi Arabia and allies including Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain announced Monday they were severing diplomatic relations and closing air, sea and land links with Qatar. They accused the tiny Gulf state of harboring extremist groups and suggested Qatari support for the agenda of Saudi Arabia's regional arch-rival Iran.

Speaking to the BBC, Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani gave the first response to Trump's tweets, denying any Qatari funding "of terrorism." He said there was not any "evidence that the Qatar government is supporting radical Islamists."

But another Arab nation, Jordan, later Tuesday announced that after studying the causes of the crisis with Qatar it was downgrading its diplomatic representation in Doha, said Mohammed al-Momani, minister for Media Affairs, the Petra state news agency reported.

Amman has also withdrawn the licenses for a bureau of the Doha-based TV news channel Al-Jazeera. Momani said Jordan hopes that the Arab countries overcome this "regrettable stage" and resolve the crisis on solid ground, the news agency said.

US President Donald Trump (R) shaking hands with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani during a bilateral meeting at a hotel in the Saudi capital Riyadh on May 21, 2017. /VCG Photo

Kuwait did not join fellow Gulf countries in taking measures against Doha, and its Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah went to the Saudi city of Jeddah for talks to resolve the crisis with King Salman. No details were released of the discussions and the emir has now left the kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency said.

Another voice of support for Qatar came from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who criticized the sanctions and vowed to maintain and develop ties with Doha. "Efforts to isolate Qatar... will not solve any problem," said Erdogan, praising Doha's "cool-headedness" and "constructive approach."

Qatar ready for talks

Qatar has said it is open to talks, but Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said Qatar must "change their policies" and stop supporting "extremist groups."

Energy-rich Qatar has long had strained ties with its neighbors but the move by Riyadh and its supporters raised fears of more volatility in the region. The rift comes less than a month after Trump visited Saudi Arabia and called for Muslim nations to unite against extremism.

It is already having tangible effects, with dozens of flights canceled, Qatari planes barred from regional airspace, and panic buying in Doha amid fears of food shortages.

French President Emmanuel Macron called for Gulf unity, saying he was ready to back "all initiatives to encourage calm."

Trump spoke by phone with Saudi King Salman on Tuesday and also stressed the need for Gulf unity, a senior White House official said.

"His [Trump's] message was that we need unity in the region to fight extremist ideology and terrorist financing. It's important that the Gulf be united for peace and security in the region," Reuters quoted the unnamed official saying.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis (C) arrives at Al Udeid Air Base of the US in Doha, Qatar on April 21, 2017. /VCG Photo

Even as Trump applauded the Arab countries' move, the Pentagon on Tuesday renewed praise of Qatar for hosting US forces and its "enduring commitment to regional security."

US Defense Secretary James Mattis spoke on Tuesday by phone with his Qatari counterpart, a Pentagon spokesman said, without disclosing the details of their discussion.

Trump's tweet appeared at odds with comments from US officials who had said on Monday that the United States would quietly try to calm the waters between Saudi Arabia and Qatar because Qatar is too important to US military and diplomatic interests to be isolated.

(Source: AFP, Reuters)