by Fiona Macdonald and Glen Carey
June 15, 2017, 6:03 PM GMT+8 June 15, 2017,
8:05 PM GMT+8
· Gulf official sees signs that parties
want to resolve crisis
· Kuwait, Turkey are mediating between
Qatar, Saudi-led alliance
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are expected to relay
to mediators what they want Qatar to do in return for ending
their isolation of the tiny Gulf nation, according to a
Gulf official
with direct knowledge of the matter.
The proposals, which may come in the next two days, would
make it easier to end the dispute, the official said on
condition of
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. While the two
sides are far apart at the moment, there are positive signs
they’re
willing to reach a conclusion and want Kuwait to continue to
mediate, the official said, adding that Turkey was also helping.
Qatar said the absence of a clear list of demands has
complicated efforts to resolve the crisis, which escalated
this month when Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Bahrain
severed ties and transportation links with their neighbor,
accusing its government of supporting extremist groups and
cozying up to Iran. Qatar, which described the action as an
illegal siege, has denied
the charges.
“A clear list of demands will be critical toward reaching a
resolution -- without it, it’s difficult to find a starting
point,”
said Allison Wood, an analyst with Control Risks in Dubai.
Saudi and U.A.E. officials didn’t immediately return requests
for comment. Kuwait has played a role in trying to end the
Gulf conflict since it started, with the country’s emir visiting
Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Qatar last week. Turkey has joined
the efforts, with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu holding
talks with Qatari and Kuwaiti officials this week.
Stocks
Gain
Qatar’s benchmark stock index rose after the report, closing
0.7 percent higher.
Members of the Saudi-led alliance have said nothing short of a
complete overhaul of Qatari foreign policy to stop supporting
extremist groups could restore ties. They’ve put more than 50
people and entities in Qatar on a terrorism list, and have
ordered
Qatari citizens to leave their countries.
Qatar has responded by expanding trade ties with Turkey and
Iran, as well as ramping up domestic food production. Its
finance minister, Ali Shareef Al Emadi, has said the country’s
pockets are deep enough to withstand the pressure.
Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. have failed to build “a real
groundswell of support by nations following suit in breaking
off relations with Qatar,” said James Dorsey, a Gulf specialist
and senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University in
Singapore. Their action has been “hampered by the bad optics
of blocking the flow of food and medicine, the hardship opposed
on individuals,” and “Qatar emerging as an underdog putting up
a fight against what many may have seen as bullying,” he said.
Mixed
Messages
The U.S. has sent mixed message about resolving the crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson initially declined to take
sides, but his cautious approach was overshadowed almost
immediately by President Donald Trump -- who sent tweets
appearing to take credit for and praising the Saudi-led bloc’s
decision.
The four Gulf Arab monarchies at the heart of the dispute
are U.S. allies. Qatar hosts the regional headquarters for U.S.
Central Command, which includes a state-of-the-art air base
the U.S. depends on to target Islamic State.
In a surprising twist, Qatar on Wednesday completed a $12
billion deal to buy as many as 36 F-15 jets from the U.S.
“The mixed signals from the U.S. aren’t productive when it
comes to negotiating a settlement,’’ said Wood at Control
Risks. “The different signals will allow the various parties to
ally themselves with the individuals and departments that
support their side within the Trump administration.’’
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