The Trump administration is offering to mediate a percolating crisis in the Middle East that has seen several key Arab nations break relations with Qatar, a top U.S. military ally that has played a central role in American counter-terrorism operations, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke to the Washington Free Beacon about the situation.
Major Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia, announced this week that they are ceasing formal ties with Qatar over its continued funding of radical terrorism groups, including Hamas and others.
The announcement took Washington by surprise and sparked concerns that the move could negatively impact American-backed counter-terrorism operations in the region, many of which are coordinated via the U.S.-operated Al Udeid Air Base in Doha.
While Qatar’s long-running support for some of the globe’s most nefarious terror groups has stoked tensions regionally and with the West, it has often been overlooked due to the Pentagon’s reliance on Qatar’s military help in the region.
Originally published by the Free Beacon.
