The Qatar crisis has taken center stage and has brought out fundamental differences in Trumps administration between the top players. The President and his Secretary of State Tillerson have been speaking with different voices. It should not be forgotten that it was Trump's choice to pick Tillerson who was expected to run foreign policy. However, there is a fly in the ointment in the shape of the Jared Kushner, the Son In Law of the President. Both have been pulling in different directions and the result is that US policy in Qatar has two faces.
In a speech in Washington last Thursday the Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani hailed the "invaluable efforts" of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in seeking to resolve the diplomatic crisis that has engulphed the Middle East. It was noted that the Qatari minister made no mention of President Trump.
Jared Kushner
Trump has come out in support of the Saudi position, while Tillerson is convinced that the latest statement is the handiwork of UAE ambassador to the USA Yousef Al Otaiba. He is reportedly a friend of Jared Kushner. The general impression is that Otaiba convinced Kushner to talk to Trump, and for Trump to issue a statement in favor of the Saudi action, which he did.
Kushner is 36 years old and has no diplomatic or foreign policy experience.
The Qatar crisis does not have a meeting point. The Saudi’s and their allies have presented the Qatari regime with a set of demands that cannot be met. Perhaps they know that these demands will be rejected hence the pressure on Trump through his son in law to reverse US policy in favor of the Saudi group.
Blockade and Trumps support
A blockade has been imposed but Qatar will ride it out. It has rich resources of liquefied gas that can keep the economy going. Turkey has chipped in with troops to support Qatar.
Tillerson's disagreements with the White House have come to the fore. In a statement, he urged swift reconciliation but Trump congratulated the Saudis on their "hard but necessary" move.
Tillerson was reportedly irked by what he perceived to be the influence the UAE's envoy in Washington. In the long run, the Secretary will have to eat the humble pie as Jared is also entrusted with a task of finding a solution to Israeli-Palestine problem. The future alone will show what happens.
