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DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Tue Jun 6, 2017, 11:58 AM Jun 2017

Did Trump's attack on Qatar endanger fight against Isis? It hosts U.S.' Biggest ME military base

DID TRUMP’S ATTACK ON QATAR ENDANGER FIGHT AGAINST ISIS? COUNTRY HOSTS U.S.’ BIGGEST MIDDLE EAST MILITARY BASE

BY JASON LE MIERE ON 6/6/17 AT 11:39 AM

In a tweet Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump seemingly took credit for several Gulf countries severing ties with Qatar, a country that hosts the largest United States airbase in the Middle East. The base has been key in supporting the fight against the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).

On Monday, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced they were cutting ties with Qatar and closing their airspace to Qatari airplanes, accusing the country of supporting terrorism in the region. And Trump hinted that it was his tough words on terrorism that convinced the countries to make the decision.

“During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology,” he tweeted. “Leaders pointed to Qatar - look!” A short time later, Trump doubled down on suggestions that Saudi Arabia and others were correct in taking action against Qatar.

-snip- (Trump's tweets)

The comments are not likely to go down well in Qatar, which has hosted the United States’ Al Udeid Air Base since 2003. The base, which Qatar spent $1 billion of its own money to help build, houses 11,000 U.S. troops and was an important tool in the war in Afghanistan. It also has been utilized in the fight against ISIS, notably as the base for B-52 bombers to carry out a series of airstrikes against ISIS supply warehouses in Iraq and Syria in 2016.

more
http://www.newsweek.com/qatar-trump-tweets-isis-base-621618

4 replies

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Did Trump's attack on Qatar endanger fight against Isis? It hosts U.S.' Biggest ME military base (Original Post) DonViejo Jun 2017 OP

If we lose the base and China or Russia end up in Qatar wouldn't be surprised MattP Jun 2017 #1

Looks like Trump's International trip was part of a "scorched earth" policy. delisen Jun 2017 #2

Stupid Narcissusist Orange Shitgibbon bitches battle. jpak Jun 2017 #3

That entire photo opt of a trip to Saudi Arabia might be the WORST foreign policy event I can think karynnj Jun 2017 #4

MattP

(3,304 posts)

1. If we lose the base and China or Russia end up in Qatar wouldn't be surprised

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Jun 6, 2017, 12:02 PM

Jun 2017

delisen

(6,044 posts)

2. Looks like Trump's International trip was part of a "scorched earth" policy.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Jun 6, 2017, 12:04 PM

Jun 2017

How we handle this "Trump Republicanism Period" and its aftermath will have important lessons for survival of democracies going forward.

jpak

(41,758 posts)

3. Stupid Narcissusist Orange Shitgibbon bitches battle.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Jun 6, 2017, 12:07 PM

Jun 2017

Historians will note.

karynnj

(59,504 posts)

4. That entire photo opt of a trip to Saudi Arabia might be the WORST foreign policy event I can think

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Tue Jun 6, 2017, 12:12 PM

Jun 2017

of.

He completely made up that he now had created this new coalition to fight terrorism. It even appears his $110 billion dollar weapons deal was not what it seemed -- other than it does allow some weapons Obama prohibited because of their atrocities in Yemen.

I knew that Qatar had a large air base. I did not know that they paid for it - not us. I thought Donald wanted countries to pay more military costs. That's a significant contribution. Not to mention, I think Qatar was the country that has sometimes helped us get Americans out of tricky situations as they had good contacts with everyone.

Would anyone have thought 5 years ago, that a German leader would question whether we were a reliable partner? The US can not lead diplomatically. here, Trump might have compromised our military efforts in the Middle East. If Trump's goal was to diminish the importance of the US, I doubt he could have done better.

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