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Tillerson Tries Shuttle Diplomacy in Qatar Dispute Tillerson Tries Shuttle Diplomacy in Qatar Dispute
(35 minutes later)
KUWAIT CITY — Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with Qatar’s foreign minister, outlining ways the tiny gas-rich state could fortify its fight against terrorism and address terrorism funding issues, said R.C. Hammond, Mr. Tillerson’s spokesman.KUWAIT CITY — Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with Qatar’s foreign minister, outlining ways the tiny gas-rich state could fortify its fight against terrorism and address terrorism funding issues, said R.C. Hammond, Mr. Tillerson’s spokesman.
On Wednesday, in his first effort at shuttle diplomacy, Mr. Tillerson will take this memorandum to leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to see if it will be enough to end a standoff that has led four Arab nations to blockade Qatar for more than a month. But as temperatures here hovered around 120 degrees, the chances that anything might cool down appeared dim.On Wednesday, in his first effort at shuttle diplomacy, Mr. Tillerson will take this memorandum to leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to see if it will be enough to end a standoff that has led four Arab nations to blockade Qatar for more than a month. But as temperatures here hovered around 120 degrees, the chances that anything might cool down appeared dim.
The dispute began a month ago when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain announced an embargo against Qatar to punish it for what the four nations called its support for terrorism. The four have since created a list of demands for Qatar to meet before the embargo would be lifted, including shuttering the news network Al Jazeera and abandoning ties with Islamist organizations, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood.The dispute began a month ago when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain announced an embargo against Qatar to punish it for what the four nations called its support for terrorism. The four have since created a list of demands for Qatar to meet before the embargo would be lifted, including shuttering the news network Al Jazeera and abandoning ties with Islamist organizations, particularly the Muslim Brotherhood.
But few in the region believe the Qatari government will accede to most of the demands. So far, one result of the dispute has been to push Qatar closer to Iran, which has stepped in with planeloads of fresh vegetables and other support.But few in the region believe the Qatari government will accede to most of the demands. So far, one result of the dispute has been to push Qatar closer to Iran, which has stepped in with planeloads of fresh vegetables and other support.
Before beginning this week’s effort, Mr. Tillerson stopped by the World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul Sunday to accept a lifetime achievement award given for his 41-year tenure at Exxon Mobil. He retired as chief executive at the company to take the job as the nation’s top diplomat.Before beginning this week’s effort, Mr. Tillerson stopped by the World Petroleum Congress in Istanbul Sunday to accept a lifetime achievement award given for his 41-year tenure at Exxon Mobil. He retired as chief executive at the company to take the job as the nation’s top diplomat.
“I miss all of you,” he told the gathered oil executives. “I miss you as colleagues, I miss you as partners, I miss you as competitors.”“I miss all of you,” he told the gathered oil executives. “I miss you as colleagues, I miss you as partners, I miss you as competitors.”
He also is likely to have missed the way his trips here often concluded. For oilmen, the Middle East is a land of fortune and opportunity, and Mr. Tillerson struck some of the most important and lucrative deals of his career here. For secretaries of state, however, it is a place of frustration and failure, where tribal, religious and political differences have stymied some of the most persistent and patient diplomatic campaigns in American history.He also is likely to have missed the way his trips here often concluded. For oilmen, the Middle East is a land of fortune and opportunity, and Mr. Tillerson struck some of the most important and lucrative deals of his career here. For secretaries of state, however, it is a place of frustration and failure, where tribal, religious and political differences have stymied some of the most persistent and patient diplomatic campaigns in American history.
Mr. Tillerson had hoped to avoid this trip. During the first days of the crisis, he spent hours on the phone urging both sides to compromise. In his first major public address about the dispute, he cited humanitarian reasons for the four countries to ease their embargo of Qatar unconditionally. Barely an hour later, President Trump undercut those efforts by explicitly siding with the quartet and accusing Qatar of being a “funder of terrorism at a very high level.” Mr. Tillerson hoped to avoid this trip. During the first days of the crisis, he spent hours on the phone urging both sides to compromise. In his first major public address about the dispute, he cited humanitarian reasons for the four countries to ease their embargo of Qatar unconditionally. Barely an hour later, President Trump undercut those efforts by explicitly siding with the quartet and accusing Qatar of being a “funder of terrorism at a very high level.”
With Mr. Trump squarely on their side, Saudi Arabia and its allies have done little to resolve the dispute. The State Department then lashed out at the four Gulf nations, questioning whether their stated concern about Qatar’s support for terrorism was just a pretext for settling other scores. Mr. Tillerson publicly washed his hands of the crisis, saying the countries had to work out a resolution on their own — just what any top executive would do when two sides in a dispute are far apart.With Mr. Trump squarely on their side, Saudi Arabia and its allies have done little to resolve the dispute. The State Department then lashed out at the four Gulf nations, questioning whether their stated concern about Qatar’s support for terrorism was just a pretext for settling other scores. Mr. Tillerson publicly washed his hands of the crisis, saying the countries had to work out a resolution on their own — just what any top executive would do when two sides in a dispute are far apart.
But diplomats live by a different set of rules than businessmen, and Mr. Tillerson soon realized he could not simply write off the confrontation as a bad deal. Many crucial American policy priorities depend on Arab unity, including the defeat of the Islamic State and the rebuilding of devastated portions of Iraq and Syria. Qatar is home to the largest United States military base in the Middle East while Bahrain hosts the Fifth Fleet, American installations caught in opposite sides of the dispute. But diplomats live by a different set of rules than businessmen, and Mr. Tillerson soon realized he could not simply write off the confrontation as a bad deal. Many crucial American policy priorities depend on Arab unity, including the defeat of the Islamic State and the rebuilding of devastated portions of Iraq and Syria. Qatar is home to the largest United States military base in the Middle East, while Bahrain hosts the Fifth Fleet, American installations caught in opposite sides of the dispute.
Last week, after the State Department warned that the dispute could drag on for months and possibly intensify, Mr. Tillerson announced that he would travel to the region for talks.Last week, after the State Department warned that the dispute could drag on for months and possibly intensify, Mr. Tillerson announced that he would travel to the region for talks.
“The purpose of the trip is to explore the art of the possible of where a resolution can be found,” said R.C. Hammond, a spokesman for Mr. Tillerson.“The purpose of the trip is to explore the art of the possible of where a resolution can be found,” said R.C. Hammond, a spokesman for Mr. Tillerson.
But with failure all too likely, Mr. Hammond said that Mr. Tillerson was maintaining his distance and not trying to act as a mediator.But with failure all too likely, Mr. Hammond said that Mr. Tillerson was maintaining his distance and not trying to act as a mediator.
“No, a mediator says this is what the final resolution is going to be, we’ll decide it for you, that’s a mediation,” Mr. Hammond said, and then added: “The emir of Kuwait is leading these efforts, our job is to make sure everybody continues to talk to each other.” “No, a mediator says this is what the final resolution is going to be, we’ll decide it for you, that’s a mediation,” Mr. Hammond said, and then added: “The emir of Kuwait is leading these efforts. Our job is to make sure everybody continues to talk to each other.”
The meetings on Tuesday in Qatar were unlikely to lead to a resolution, because Mr. Tillerson has largely sided with the tiny gas-rich state since the beginning.The meetings on Tuesday in Qatar were unlikely to lead to a resolution, because Mr. Tillerson has largely sided with the tiny gas-rich state since the beginning.
“I think Qatar has been quite clear in its positions and I think very reasonable,” Mr. Tillerson said Tuesday, just before his meeting with Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.“I think Qatar has been quite clear in its positions and I think very reasonable,” Mr. Tillerson said Tuesday, just before his meeting with Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
Saudi Arabia’s claim that Qatar has an unusually bad record of funding terrorism has been met with deep skepticism among American diplomats, since the Saudis have long been the principal funder of mosques around the world that teach a stark form of Islam strongly associated with extremism.Saudi Arabia’s claim that Qatar has an unusually bad record of funding terrorism has been met with deep skepticism among American diplomats, since the Saudis have long been the principal funder of mosques around the world that teach a stark form of Islam strongly associated with extremism.
The memorandum signed Tuesday with Qatar may make Saudi Arabia’s claims that the dispute is all about terrorism funding more difficult.The memorandum signed Tuesday with Qatar may make Saudi Arabia’s claims that the dispute is all about terrorism funding more difficult.
“It’s a two-way street,” Mr. Hammond said. “There are no clean hands here.”“It’s a two-way street,” Mr. Hammond said. “There are no clean hands here.”