
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE Cut Diplomatic Ties with Qatar - imartin2k
https://www.rferl.org/a/saudi-arabia-bahrain-uae-egypt-cut-ties-with-qatar-terrorism/28528574.html
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infodroid
With the Middle East, things are never what they seem on the surface. In this
case, what is not so obvious is that Qatar has recently refused [1] to tow the
anti-Iranian line of the Saudi-led Gulf states, who consider Iran to be their
regional rival and mortal enemy. And that most of the Gulf states are already
fighting regional proxy wars [2] using "rebel fighters" (if we are charitable
about the wording), many of whom are in fact groups of former or future ISIS
soldiers [3]. Hence, the hypocrisy here of the Gulf states accusing Qatar of
supporting terrorism, when these states are engaging in the very same
activities. Without more detail, it seems that Qatar's actual crime is
standing up to the Saudis or just not towing the same line on foreign policy.

[1] [http://www.businessinsider.com/r-gulf-arab-row-rattles-
trump...](http://www.businessinsider.com/r-gulf-arab-row-rattles-trumps-anti-
iran-axis-2017-5) [2] [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/07/boris-
johns...](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/07/boris-johnson-
accuses-saudi-arabia-of-twisting-and-abusing-islam) [3]
[http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hillary-clinton-
wikileak...](http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/hillary-clinton-wikileaks-
email-isis-saudi-arabia-qatar-us-allies-funding-barack-obama-knew-
all-a7362071.html)

~~~
toomuchtodo
Interesting timing.

[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4571320/Jeremy-
Corby...](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4571320/Jeremy-Corbyn-
accuses-Theresa-ignoring-warnings.html)

"Jeremy Corbyn accuses Theresa May of ignoring terror warnings when she cut
20,000 police officers and claims she is suppressing a report about Saudi
funding of extremists"

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shard972
Anyone with a bit of insight into ME politics know if this is a big deal?

~~~
forkLding
Lived there (Bahrain) for 12 years, this is pretty big deal, you have to take
this in context of both religious and location-wise, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia are
literally within 25 min to max. 2hrs flight from Qatar. This is similar to
Germany and several European countries suddenly declaring that France should
be kicked out of the European Union and cutting off ties.

As well, a lot of business and trade happens between the Gulf countries which
is pretty much put to a stop right now. My family has business in both Qatar
and Bahrain and they're very much wondering what to do.

Moreover, religious-wise, I'm not too familiar with Qatar, but I believe they
would have a similar system to Bahrain where the rich 10% are Sunni and the
poor 90% are Shia left over from the colonial days.

~~~
_nedR
This is incorrect. Only 10% of Qatari muslims are Shia.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Qatar#Shia_Islam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_Qatar#Shia_Islam)

~~~
forkLding
I meant the minority 10% who are usually rich vs the majority 90% who are
usually poor that have different cultural or religious scenarios

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propman
Qatar has been known to fund most of Sunni Terrorism in the World. They have
been caught directly giving hundreds of millions to ISIS. In Wikileaks,
Hillary admonished Qatar for funding Isis and told her assistants that they
needed to put pressure on their government (she accepted a $10M donation from
them after saying they sponsor terrorism before Isis and then increased their
military arms sales by 6000% but that's not the point).

They have the worst violations of human rights. They lure in foreign workers,
take their passports and make them slaves working them to death. If Qatar man
rapes a foreign woman, foreign woman is jailed according to law. Worst country
in the world but unfortunately one of the richest. I think Trump how much ever
of a Buffon he is somehow spearheaded this because Qatar has been a major hub
for these countries.

~~~
ars
You and infodroid said basically opposite things about ISIS and Quatar.

How do I know who to believe? I'm not familiar enough with Quatar to know
either way.

~~~
mythrwy
Both Qatar and KSA can have similar behaviors while still being at each others
throats.

There is a saying supposedly from that part of the world:

"I, against my brothers. I and my brothers against my cousins. I and my
brothers and my cousins against the world. "

