Washington questions Saudi concerns over Qatar’s alleged support for terrorism
The United States has questioned the true motive behind Saudi and Emirati governments war on terrorism saying it is mystified by their failure to present details on the diplomatic tension with Doha.
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"The more the time goes by, the more doubt is raised about the actions taken by Saudi Arabia and the UAE,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Tuesday.
Nauert made the comments over two weeks after Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies imposed an embargo on Qatar, citing its support for terrorism.
"Now that it has been more than two weeks since the embargo started we are mystified that the Gulf states have not released to the Qataris nor to the public the details about the claims they are making toward Qatar," she said.
"At this point we are left with one simple question: Were the actions really about their concerns regarding Qatar's alleged support for terrorism? Or were they about the long-simmering grievances between and among the (P)GCC [Persian Gulf Cooperation Council] countries?"
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is scheduled to visit the US next week to discuss the blockade imposed on Qatar’s economy as well as Doha’s fight against terrorism.
At a press conference in the capital earlier in the day, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar was ready to engage in a dialogue after the blockade is lifted, highlighting Kuwait’s mediation.
Qatar's state TV, meanwhile, showed Turkish troops, who arrived in the capital Sunday in a show of support for the Qatari government in the wake of Saudi efforts to isolate it.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates cut their diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar earlier this month, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism, an allegation rejected by the Qatari government.
Trump recently signed an arms deal worth $110 billion with the Saudis, despite warnings he could be accused of being complicit in the regime’s war crimes in neighboring Yemen and its support for terrorism.
Nauert's comments run counter to the president's rash expression of support for Riyadh in the aftermath of cutting ties with Doha.
