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State Dept. is Confused About Saudi Move to Cut Ties with Qatar

HeadlineJun 21, 2017

The State Department expressed confusion Tuesday about Saudi Arabia’s move to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, saying the Saudis and other Gulf countries have not revealed their grievances more than two weeks after they severed ties. State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said Tuesday, “At this point, we are left with one simple question: Were the actions really about their concerns about Qatar’s alleged support for terrorism, or were they about the long-simmering grievances between and among the GCC countries?” referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. President Trump initially celebrated and even tried to claim credit for Saudi Arabia’s decision to cut ties with Qatar, tweeting, “During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar–look!” But then a week later, the U.S. agreed to sell $12 billion worth of U.S.-manufactured F-15 fighter jets to Qatar.

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