Trump firmly rejected Saudi proposal to invade Qatar in 2017

A report appeared in the Foreign Policy Magazine has again exposed designs of Saudi Arabia to invade Qatar one day after imposition of June 5, 2017 blockade against Qatar by the quartet.

“During a June 6, 2017, call with Saudi King Salman, US President Donald Trump firmly rejected a Saudi proposal to invade Qatar,” writes Sigurd Neubauer in the Foreign Policy.

He further writes that soon after, the United States requested Kuwaiti mediation with the goal of resolving the conflict within the confines of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The article also points out crucial role played by Turkey and Iran in thwarting plans of Saudi-led coalition against Qatar.

“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped in on Qatar’s side by engaging leaders from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and urging them not to be drawn into the crisis by going along with the quartet’s plans. Erdogan also dispatched Turkish troops to Qatar as part of a deterrence strategy against Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”

The article says that Iran likewise played key role in foiling the siege plan by opening its airspace and ports.

Qatar was well aware that there was a plan to target its national sovereignty, a fact also confirmed by the Amir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah during a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House on September 7, 2017.

H H the Amir of Kuwait, who is the main mediator to resolve Gulf crisis had said that his mediation efforts had managed to prevent military action against Qatar. “What is important is that we have stopped any military action.”

Commenting on the FP revelation, Director of the Information Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Ambassador Ahmed bin Saeed bin Jabor Al Rumaihi tweeted that what was revealed by the American Foreign Policy magazine about the firm rejection of US President Donald Trump of a proposal to invade Qatar, during a phone call with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz on June 6, 2017, is a shocking matter for a member state of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

“We emphasized from the beginning that the allegations against Qatar were a justification attempt in order to achieve other bigger goals that gamble with the future of the region and its people,” he tweeted.

“The military plan set up by the blockading countries violates international law and all conventions which we agreed on, as members of the United Nations to resolve disputes in peaceful means. As well clearly shows that it is irresponsible adventure policy, similar to the policy which led the region to instability in the early 1990s,” Al Rumaihi further wrote on his Twitter account.

Earlier a report appeared on Al Jazeera website on February 3, 2018 had revealed the intentions of the blockading countries to invade Qatar. “Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had intentions to invade Qatar at the beginning of a diplomatic crisis that erupted in June, according to Qatar’s defence minister.”

The new article of the Foreign Policy magazine also highlights the importance of Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base particularly in reference to Trump administration’s initiative of forming of Middle East Strategic Alliance.

“Formally announced in May 2017, the Middle East Strategic Alliance would include the six GCC countries, along with Egypt and Jordan.”

It adds: “While it is unclear when the Middle East Strategic Alliance will be launched, it could be headquartered at Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Base, which houses US, Qatari, and other allied troops.”

The writer observes that the US presence would effectively provide Qatar with some security against future embargos or worse. “Further, given that the GCC headquarters is already based in Riyadh, establishing the new grouping’s counterpart at Al Udeid Air

Base would not only strengthen the balance of power within the Gulf but also ensure that not all of the Gulf region’s multilateral organizations are concentrated in one country.”