With all diplomatic ties between Qatar and most of its fellow GCC members now severed in an ideological row with Saudi Arabia, the Saudi kingdom has publicly issued an ultimatum, giving Qatar just 24 hours to give in to a litany of major demands, with speculation that they would face immediate military invasion if they don’t submit by then.
The ten demands get progressively more outrageous, starting with demands for Qatar to publicly sever all ties to Iran and officially “apologize” for how mad the Saudis got at them. It gets more and more extreme from there, demanding Qatar expel every member of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood from the nation and freeze all their bank accounts.
Ultimately, the demands also include Qatar publicly vowing to never again have any policy which is perceived as “contradicting” the GCC’s official stance. The GCC is dominated heavily by Saudi Arabia, so in effect this means Qatar must promise to eternally and irrevocably endorse the Saudi position, past, present, and future, on all things.
Then, because as the list goes on the demands are increasingly about just publicly spiting the Qatari Emirate, they demand al-Jazeera be permanently shut down for taking positions contrary to the Saudis, and for Qatar to immediate expel “all the personalities” who they see as in any way hostile to the GCC.
Officially Saudi Arabia hasn’t said what the “or else” part of this ultimatum is, though speculation around the Arab media scene is that it is a military invasion. That would be hugely problematic, however, because Qatar is the host of the largest American military base in the Middle East, and President Trump’s sudden hostility toward Qatar aside the US probably wouldn’t view that invasion favorably.
This is doubly true in the immediate wake of President Trump reaching a huge arms sale deal with Saudi Arabia, as many Americans would doubtless be appalled by the idea of the US selling the Saudis arms just so they could invade and conquer a neighbor who is a long-time US ally.
An invasion of Qatar might not be so easy, either, despite its small size, as the nation has been among the world’s richest for generations and has bought more than a few US weapons themselves. On top of that, Turkey’s parliament has authorized sending their own troops to the country in support of the Emir. Turkey’s government has been critical of the Saudis over this latest move.
And for all of President Trump’s feigning of credit for the hostility toward Qatar right now, US officials clearly did not anticipate this and are describing themselves as having been “blindsided” by the sudden ferocity of Saudi outrage.
On top of that, the demands are largely demands that no other nation within the GCC would ever be asked to make. Oman, for instance, has close diplomatic relations with Iran, and other nations within the alliance certainly having expelled every single Muslim Brotherhood member from their borders, let alone been asked to shut down their state media outlet for contradicting the Saudis.
Jesus, what a f**king hissy-fit. It’s like Mean Girls with WMD.
The fictional analogy here for me is The Game of Thrones. The hunger for political power by any means necessary, to be funded by a gullible public who still insist that the state, esp. the democratic kind is good! not bad! if only…if only…if only we can get “good”, “honest” people to lead us to the promise land.
Most Americans have no idea what real democracy even looks like.
How do you envision a real democracy?
Direct democracy. Workplace democracy. Some people call it syndicalism. Some people call it council communism. To me its the only true kind of democracy there is. All power to all the people with no filters. Democracy uncut. Democracy unterrified. Look to Chiapas. Look to Rojava. Look to Luxemburg and Rocker. Its still possible for those daring enough to work, fight and struggle for it every day. Its not easy but it may be humanities only hope.
Actually the story about the 24 hour Saudi ultimatum been on the internet for more than 24 hours.
http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/32139/53/
Al-Jazeera is not reporting it. They almost certainly would if it was true. As a wise philosopher once said “When we know everyone is out to get us, we can’t afford to get paranoid.”
But what is true is that AJ, Fox and CNN are all reporting that South Korea claims North Korea just launched a barrage of four missles off its east coast.
The wacky Saudis getting really puffed up as they turn up the heat on Qatar…. And Turkey is saying they will come to the defense of Qatar…
Wouldn’t this be a natural choice & chance for Russia to sign on to this project of defending little Qatar from the big bad Saudi perpetrators of Nine 11 as and other dasturdly deedz including the rape and genocide in Yemen.. I’ m sure Saudi would not want to see any coalition of the “willing” that includes Turkey & Russia.. C Especially how they are the principle supporter of EVERYONES arch enemy…. ISIS… Kinda makes one wonder what the Saudis are putting in the bowls of their hookahs….
It is not directly, as Russia must strenghten regional powers to be able to cope with crisis. Two words: Egypt and Turkey. Russia coordinates with both. Not to mention Iraq and Iran. Turkey needs to get boots on the ground, and Egypt to take over politics of Sunni world. All the Saudi money will not be able to control Egypt. And even Salafi masses were very much in favor of Dgypt’s strikes of terrorists on Libya’s border. It was in response to killing of Christians. This was quite an achievement in Egypt — to get mass suport fir government military response against Islamists — to revenge the death of Egypt’s Christians. Egypt is no longer being scaredem of Salafis. Sisi has coopted them, and turned against Saudi arrogance — be that the takeover of islands, Saudi punishing Egypt by witholding the delivery of already paid for oil, or the mess in Yemen. Sisi plays on nationalism to counter Saudi influence even among Salafis.
i told ya all this age is so similar to pre-ww1-Now here we are with impossible demands ‘given’ to serbia by saudi arabia( only #2 greatest purveyor of violence and terrorism in the seven seas 2 the usa)…
Even the deadline for compliance is similar to Austro-Hungary’s demand on Serbia.
The only thing missing is that Qatar isn’t part of a multi-national alliance, although Turkey was part of the original Axis and is hinting at coming to their aid. Maybe Russia and Iran can pledge support and we can have a rip roaring time. The Neocons in the U.S. would double down on threats because they only study WW2.
Screw the Saudis. Go on Al Jazeera and give the Saudis the one finger salute.
Saudis are lunatics, as their entire ruling class is the product of highly inbred, both physically and ideologically, Saudi family clan. But what is surprising is the insane babble that is emanating from Washington. Just as all the ills of Western politics have been ascribed to “Russia”, so are all the failures in the Middle East being ascribed to Iran. About Iran being presumably the biggest sponsor of terrorism — amazingly how nobody can identify one act of terrorist act — be that in the Middle East, Europe or US perpetrated by Iran. Amazingly, how no one can point to one act of terrorism where a perpetrator is a Shia radicalized Moslem. And amazingly, it is Saudi Wahhabism thet has declared Shia people as apostate, and thus can be killed, but no such reciprocal act is known anywhere. Not one single Shia sect has declared Sunni apostate. But ISIS is Sunni only club, Wahhabi following cult — that looks to Wahhabi dominated Mecca for guidance and apptoval. None if these Islamist terror organizations world-wide is not looking at Karbala, Najaf or Teheran for spiritual guidance. Most mosques in Western world are run by Saudi supplied clergy. Saudis are running all Salafi centers for educating Moslems in “true” Islam.
If Qatar is guilty of sponsoring Moslem Brotherhood — it was to counter Wahhabization of its mosques. Moslem Brotherhood was always an antidote to Wahhabism, as it is based on national interest and statehood. MB is a real threat to KSA as it advocates secular institutions and elections. Qarar was ready to become a constitutional monarchy and give up some power of the purse to growing middle class. KSA was not only opposed to this — but has its own version of how Sunni Moslem countries should be run. The objective is to replace nation-states with a more feudal form of governance — emirates, caliphates, sultanates, have them in all matters of religion, education and judiciary be run by Mecca, and their wordly politics from Saudi Arabia. But to do this, Shia had to be marginalized like all non-believers. To do that, Iraq was splintered, Syria nearly collapsed under Wahhabi armed cults. And Egypt under Mislem Brotherhood nearly brought down by the millions Egyptians that Saudi clergy and food dupplies radicalized into Sslafists. If military did not intervene, Egypt was heading into civil war. Military had no choice but to accept that Saudi Arabia won. Egypt had no miney, no food supplies, tourism vanished. And worst of all masses of Salafis were heading to Cairo — as they declared Morsi to be against true Moslems! Military had to sacrifice MB leadership, in order to appease KSA and their widely spread Salafism. General Sisi has since had a number of run ins with KSA — when Egypt abandoned war on Yemen.
At present, sho is really supporting KSA. Other then an apartheid state of Bahrein, and a double deaking UAE — nobody. For Egypt has its own agenda, Kuweit is staying away from the conflict, and so is Oman. Yemeni government amounts to Hadi outfit that controls nothing. Tobruk government does what Egypt tells them to do. And support is comming from Maldives? Iraq is closing border to Ssudi Arabia.
What Qatar said — that Iran is a moslem country that they should be working with — was a provocation of the first order.
What is happening perhaps is the stage setting for Egypt taking over the leadership from Saudi Arabia. There are two problems eith Qatar — one MB. Egypt cannot allow to be weak on MB. Second problem is Al-Jazeera. Everyone who follows it knows that since 2014, the outfit became taken iver by globalists. Entire Beirut bureau of Al-Jazeera resigned due to censorship of reporting from Syria. So, at this point, globalists will be dorry to see it go — but those that were targeted for being “bad” from CNN perspective, would not mind seeing it shut. Since KSA can count only on Bahrain to be true to anti-Iranian agenda, all oghers either are already collaborating eith Iran, or have had various meetings with Iran. ISIS terrorism in Iran is a height of stupidity of those who sponsored it. Attacks in Egypt, Phillipines, London, Iraq or Syria — somebody is investing heavily in weaponizing Saudi Wahhabism for global disorder.
I believe thst Egypt will come ahead in this spat at the expense Of Saudi leadership of Sunni world. Egypt will force the issue of a cleric that is ensconced at Al-Jazeera claiming to be MB member, while spewing Wahhabi mantra. Only Israel will hate to see him go. But Egypt will not go aling with anti-Iranian agenda. KSA is isolared — as the stance of Kuweit, Oman and Iraq show. And as UAE is challending KSA on South Yemen, actually fighting against Saufi forces in Aden — what can one conclude.
In the meantime, US generals are trying their best to protect ISIS pickets on Syria/Iraq border. Even bombing Syrian forces attacking ISIS. But aIraq has sent a stern message that they will work with Syria to secure border crossings. Now Turkey has positioned itself in Qatar — and will KSA attack NATO member? Turkey and Iran are partners in Syria, so if KSA is unhappy with Qatar saying few nice words — how is it going to take Turkey with its relationship with Iran.
It is very difficult not to see a connection between Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi ‘ultimatum’ with regard to Qatar and the terror attacks in Iran and the recent US bombing in Syria. The dots line up very neatly.
Iran is peaceful compared to the Sunni Arabs.
I got an idea. Rather than dealing with all the corruption of all the governments in the world. Why don’t you all just say 1, 2, 3, and just get the whole world out of OUR MISERY? The rich are the ones committing the atrocities around the world and FORCING the TAXPAYERS of the WORLD to fund it. Just destroy all of us in one shot and get it over with rather than invading 1 country at a time.
The world is destroying itself by listening to the ignorance of the USA and Saudi Arabia. Both of them EXCELLENT at TERRORISM, as the world knows first hand! I apologize to the WORLD for the USA IGNORANCE, TERRORISM, & CORRUPTNESS, not only at home but around the world.
With Saudi Arabia and Israel as allies in the region the USA has ties to the two largest exporters of terrorism on the planet.
No. The second and third largest exporters of terrorism on the planet have ties to the USA.
Regime change attempt coming. They have a candidate from the same family who is much more obedient.
A Saudi invasion is unlikely, although I wouldn’t rule it out entirely.