Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has formally delivered the hand-written letter of response to Saudi Arabia’s list of 13 demands. The response was sent by way of Kuwait, which is trying to mediate the dispute, to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt.
Though the exact text of the response has not been made public, it’s safe to say it’s a broad rejection of both the allegations contained within the demands, and the specific demands themselves, with Qatari officials saying they believe it was intended to be rejected all alone.
The response to the response is the big question now, as the four blockading countries are expected to get together to make some sort of new formal statement related to the ongoing defiance of the Qatari emirate. If history is any judge, this will be more accusations and even more demands.
Saudi Arabia initially gave Qatar 10 days to capitulate, and extended this 48 further hours, through Tuesday night. It is likely that this deadline will inform the rate of the response to the response, as if the Saudis want to give Qatar one last chance to give in, they may quickly respond while the deadline is still active.
Does this have anything to do with the new gas field discovered by Qatar and Iran?
I am no fan of Qatar they have supported the same Sunni insurgents the Americans support in Syria. However I do admire their resolute defense of sovereignty and wish them luck in holding firm against the Saudi’s and their Israeli partners.
It’s pretty evident to me that the new heir to the Saudi throne is operating on a playbook that most people will not recognize, but one that is a reflection of his upbringing as a prince of this very traditional regime.
The Saudi state tried to conquer the whole of the Arabian Peninsula beginning in the early 1800s, but were forestalled by interference from first Britain, and later the Ottomans.
All these demands, all these conditions are just so much smoke.
Salman intends to finish the project of conquest his ancestors started. He intends to erase Qatar, which he believes is simply unfinished business. It should never have been there in the first place.
That’s what this is about. This is 19th-century tribal warfare. Nothing more complicated than that.
I fear you are probably right. However the Saudis are smart enough to realize that bullying Qatar into giving up its sovereignty carries much fewer risks than using military force. And the Saudis are not Israel… there may actually be limits to US loyalty to the alliance. How the Saudis are perceived abroad, in the region and within Saudi Arabia would take a huge hit, with real consequences. But I’m not sure there is a face-saving way out of this for the royal family at this point.
“…not sure there is a face-saving way out of this for the royal family…”
Given their tribal nature and the internecine familial machinations inherent in old bloodlines such as the house of Saud, I’m pretty sure there are things that could happen within the palace that might change the direction the Saudis have chosen to go.
I think they just handed a drawing of the finger.
I’m pretty sure the reply from Qatar is the Arabic equivalent of ‘F- off, Saudi Arabia’. At least I hope it is.
Here ya go
اللعنة المملكة العربية السعودية
(allaen almamlakat alearabiat alsaeudia)
Glad to be of service.
(Don’t forget Arabic reads from right to left)