Qatar crisis: Have Saudis gone too far?


Gulf residents are still in shock.
Qatar, a sovereign Arab state, is being subjected to unprecedented sanctions by its Gulf Arab neighbours, led by Saudi Arabia.
The punishing economic and diplomatic measures have been taken because of allegations that Qatar has persisted in funding terrorist groups and destabilising the region, both of which it denies.
So now airspace has been closed, imports stopped at borders, Qatari expatriates expelled.
The veneer of Gulf Arab unity, as embodied in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), has worn off.
Even if, as expected, the immediate crisis is resolved by talks, the Gulf will never be the same again.
Now there are fears this action may push this region down a new and dangerous path.

The Trump factor

The action against Qatar has been initiated by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt - four countries ruled by Sunni Muslim leaderships that see the world through the prism of two major threats to their rule: Iran and political Islam, coupled with violent jihad.
They accuse Qatar of encouraging both strands.
On Iran, the quartet's complaint appears to be excessive.
Qatar shares with Iran the world's largest natural gas condensate field - the offshore South Pars/North Dome Field.
Geography has made them neighbours, they need to get on.
But Saudi Arabia's rulers, encouraged by President Donald Trump's recent visit to Riyadh and his strong condemnation of Tehran, would prefer to see a united Gulf Arab stand against its arch rival Iran.
Qatar, in their eyes, is "letting the side down".
On political Islam, it is easier to see why the dynastic monarchies of the Gulf feel threatened by Qatar's actions.
Qatar's ruling family, the Al-Thani's, have long supported the Muslim Brotherhood, which espouses a pan-Islamic caliphate that would ultimately do away with current rulers.
Qatar has backed Islamist movements in Egypt, Libya, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
They have allowed the country's satellite TV channel, Al-Jazeera, to host vocal critics of Arab leaders, although not Qatar's.
The UAE Crown Prince, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, told me he sees the Muslim Brotherhood as an existential threat to the region.

Saudi troubles

On terrorism, the picture is more opaque.
Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse Qatar of funding terrorist groups, notably in Syria and Iraq.

A lot of people say this is a case of hypocrisy, of the pot calling the kettle black.
In a failed bid to topple Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Arabia has itself funnelled hundreds of millions of dollars to hardline Sunni fighters in Syria, some of which has ended up in the hands of so-called Islamic State.
There is no denying though, that Qatar has had connections to the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front in Syria.
On one of my visits to the Qatari capital, Doha, Qatari intelligence officials personally told me in 2014 how they had successfully brought about the release of hostages held by this group.
That group would naturally have demanded something substantial in exchange.
In April this year it has been reported that a staggering $1bn (£784m) ransom was paid by Qatar to terrorist groups in Iraq, some of it to Iran, in order to secure the release of 26 princes kidnapped while hunting a large game bird called a bustard.
Qatar denies it.
While the action to isolate and punish Qatar reflects a joint view held by several countries, leading the charge is the 31-year-old Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defence Minister, Mohammed Bin Salman, known as MBS.
The question many are asking now is whether MBS has gone too far.
Saudi Arabia already has enough trouble on its hands.
Together with the UAE, it's spent the last two years fighting an inconclusive and deeply destructive war in Yemen.
It's coping with a simmering insurgency in its Shia-dominated Eastern Province.
It is still part of the US-led coalition against IS, a group that has already bombed several Saudi mosques and threatened more attacks only this month.
The real long term cost of isolating Qatar may well turn out to be economic.
To attract business and provide jobs for their swelling youth population, the Gulf Arab states need stability and a business-friendly environment.
It is hard to see how this stand-off could do more to damage this.
The longer it persists, the deeper the wounds, not just to Qatar and its tiny, affluent population, but to the entire region.
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Man severely burned after falling in Yellowstone hot spring

A man has suffered severe burns after falling into a hot spring at Yellowstone National Park in the US state of Wyoming, park officials say.
Gervais Dylan Gatete, 21, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was with seven other people when the incident happened.
Just before midnight on Tuesday the group flagged down park rangers who helped transport Mr Gatete to hospital.
This is the first incident near the famous hot springs this year. Last June a man died after falling into a spring.
Mr Gatete, who is a hotel employee in the park, was flown from the airport in West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City, where he is in stable condition in hospital.
Yellowstone Superintendent Dan Wenk said in a statement that the park's thermal features are dangerous, and the ground nearby is fragile and thin, with scalding water just beneath the surface.
  • "We continually stress that people must stay on trails and boardwalks in geyser basins, not only to protect resources, but for their own safety," he said.
    Some Yellowstone hot spring temperatures can reach up to 199F degrees (93C).
    In 2016, a 23-year-old man died in the Lower Geyser Basin after leaving the boardwalk trail with his sister.
    Authorities later determined it was too unsafe to recover his body, which had dissolved almost entirely by the following day
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Qatar buys F-15 fighter planes in billion-dollar US deal

Qatar has signed a $12bn deal to buy F-15 fighters jets from the US.
The sale was finalised at a meeting in Washington between US defence chief Jim Mattis and his Qatari counterpart.
It comes days after US President Donald Trump accused Qatar - a major US ally - of funding terrorism "at a very high level" - a charge Qatar denies.
Other Gulf countries recently cut ties with Doha, accusing it of destabilising the region through its alleged support of extremist groups and links to Iran.
Qatar is home to the biggest US air base in the Middle East, Al-Udeid. It houses around 10,000 troops and plays a key role in the US-led operations against the so-called Islamic State (IS) group in Syria and Iraq.
Mr Trump's comments appeared at odds with the US Department of Defence, which had praised Qatar's "enduring commitment to regional security" just days earlier.
Saudi Arabia, another key US ally, has led moves to isolate the gas-rich emirate since earlier this month. Riyadh sealed its border, closed its air space to Qatari Airways and - along with Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt - severed diplomatic relations.
A Qatari official said the deal for the fighter planes was "proof that US institutions are with us but we have never doubted that," Reuters news agency reported.
"Our militaries are like brothers. America's support for Qatar is deep-rooted and not easily influenced by political changes," the unnamed official was quoted as saying.
A Qatari defence ministry source told Reuters Doha had bought 36 of the planes.
The deal comes just weeks after the US agreed to sell the Saudis more than $100bn-worth of weapons.
As tensions between Qatar and its neighbours escalate, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was due in Kuwait on Thursday as part of a shuttle mission to try to resolve the crisis.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly backed Qatar, calling the Saudi-led measures "inhumane and against Islamic values". Kuwait has also been mediating.
Last week, the Turkish parliament authorised the deployment of Turkish troops to Qatar in what was seen as a show of support for the embattled emirate. Ankara has also sent planeloads of food to Qatar, which had been dependant on imports from Saudi Arabia.
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London fire: First victim named as Mohammed Alhajali

The first victim of the fire at Grenfell Tower in London has been named by a charity as a Syrian refugee.
Mohammed Alhajali, who is reported to be 23, came to the UK in 2014 and was studying civil engineering whilst living in North Kensington.
Syria Solidarity Campaign said: "[He] undertook a dangerous journey to flee war and death in Syria, only to meet it here in the UK, in his own home."
At least 17 people died in the fire which started early on Wednesday.
The charity said he had been in a flat on the 14th floor with his brother, Omar, and the pair had tried to escape, but lost each other on the way downstairs.
Omar was rescued by firefighters, but Mohammed returned to his flat and tried to call family members back in Syria.
"Mohammed was on the phone for two hours with a friend in Syria, waiting to be rescued," said a statement from the charity.
"He was trying to reach his family... but he could not get connected to them due to the situation in Syria. He had not seen his family for four years.
"When the fire reached his flat... Mohammed bid his friend goodbye. He asked his friend to pass on the message to his family."
Both Mohammed and Omar had been due to join the charity with another brother on Saturday as part of The Great Get Together - celebrating the life of murdered MP Jo Cox - and Refugee Week.
Now the event will be used to pay tribute to Mohammed and the others who lost their lives in the fire.
The charity called for a "thorough investigation" into building regulations, adding: "Mohammed came to this country for safety and the UK failed to protect him."
Mohammed's family told the BBC that Omar was being treated in King's College Hospital and was improving.
They are trying to get UK visas for their parents so they can come from Damascus to see Mohammed's body.
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'Monumental U-turn' on cancer drug

A pioneering and life-extending drug repeatedly deemed too expensive will now be offered on the NHS in England.
It is the result of a confidential deal between the health service and the drug company Roche.
Kadcyla, the undiscounted cost of which had been £90,000 per patient, adds an average of six months of life to women with a form of terminal breast cancer.
Campaigners have praised the "monumental" U-turn, which will benefit about 1,200 women a year.
"Tough negotiation and flexibility between the NHS and Roche means both patients and taxpayers are getting a good deal," said NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens.

Cost-effectiveness test

Kadcyla, a combination of two drugs, is used to treat people with HER2-positive tumours that have spread to other parts of the body and cannot be surgically removed.
Scotland decided in April to pay for the drug, but it had been deemed too expensive by the rest of the UK.
In order for a drug to be approved by the regulatory body, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), it has to pass a cost-effectiveness test.
The full price drug worked out at £166,000 for every "quality adjusted life year" of good health.
It is not clear how much of a discount has been offered, but it is understood the cost per quality adjusted life year is down to about £50,000.
That is in line with other drugs that extend the life of terminally ill patients.

Delighted

Richard Erwin, general manager at Roche, said: "Close collaboration between Roche, NHS England and NICE has resulted in NICE recommending Kadcyla as a cost-effective treatment.
"This is a positive example of how solutions can be reached when all parties show flexibility."
The Welsh government expects to offer Kadcyla as soon as an equivalent deal is agreed with Roche. And the decision could allow the drug to be prescribed in Northern Ireland too.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, the chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said: "This is exceptionally good news... we are absolutely delighted."
She added: "Today's landmark decision bodes well for patients looking for reassurances that modern cancer treatments can get through to NHS patients more quickly and can bring transformational improvements in patient outcomes for the future."
A petition by the charity to get Kadcyla funded had amassed more than 115,000 signatures in less than a month.
Gunes Kalkan, from Breast Cancer Care, said: "This U-turn decision is monumental.
"This proves innovative treatments can be made widely available, and it is hugely frustrating this agreement did not come sooner."
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London fire: 'The working class aren't being listened to'



Maria Vigo has lived opposite Grenfell Tower for 11 years, and she's upset.
Not just with the fire that claimed so many lives in the block she can see from her kitchen window.
She's also upset with how expensive her local playgroup has become, and how the people of north Kensington can't afford the properties in the area.
But - most of all - she's upset that she's not being listened to.
"There was a lot of anger on the school run this morning," she says.
"There's a lot of separation between classes and people are telling me that it's down to social cleansing."
Maria says people are angry that things didn't work in the tower, and that there weren't any sprinklers.
"They need to train us how to get out of buildings safely, not just put up a fire notice," she says.
The mother of two, whose children both have special needs, talks of how, years ago, the affluence of Knightsbridge spilled into parts of Kensington, then Notting Hill, then Holland Park.
She puts her hands into a circle. "We feel like we're being surrounded."

How house prices compare

£1,369,708
Average in Kensington and Chelsea
£220,094
Average for UK
  • £66,384 Increase in average Kensington and Chelsea price since 2016
Source: Land Registry
Getty Images
Maria was born in the area, and talks about how local playgroups have been privatised.
"If they were £2 and now they're £7.50, then no-one can afford to take their kids there."
She speaks without drawing breath, frustration spilling out.
"This area's always been working class. It's starting to become a bit less so now, and the working class are feeling that they're being left without a voice.
"The council isn't listening to us. We don't want a pretty building. They should ask us 'What do we need? or 'What would we like?'"
Maria also says a desire for profits is encroaching on the lives of working-class locals.


"Properties are being built in this area that aren't being bought by people in the local community."
The area around Grenfell Tower is busy, especially near Latimer Road tube, but voices are low and sombre.
People stand huddled in groups, looking downcast. Some don't want to talk to the press.
Others take photographs of the blackened block; a scar in the sky that dominates everyone's thoughts.
Young men in sports gear and oversized caps, old men in shirts and trousers, and women in hijabs, all pull out their phones to take photographs of the soot-stained tower, bits of which float onto the street.
People's faces screw up as they look up. No-one can believe what they're seeing.

Snatches of conversation can be heard in the streets.
"Can you imagine how desperate..." says one man to a woman as they walk.
People drive to various churches and buildings that are now refuge centres, trying to hand over bundles of clothes, but they're politely turned away.
One man pulls up to Latymer Community Church in a van, with two big bags of clothes. He's turned away as there are too many clothes being donated now.
He sticks them into his white van, explaining that he's from Essex but was passing and wanted to help. He grins, helplessly.
In the streets, it looks like a mass house move is under way - cars are stuffed with bin liners. Their drivers call out to pedestrians and police officers for directions to drop-off centres.
They too are told their kindness can't be accepted, that so much has been donated, but that nappies are still needed.
Father Bisrat Berhanu, 55, is an Orthodox priest and lives in Lancaster Way. He's been around here for 19 years.
He would visit people in Grenfell Tower, knew families there, and is shocked at what's happened.
"The community is dynamic, it's close," he says.
"The people in the tower blocks knew each other, they were like a family. I've met people who lived there. We've cried together.
"We're feeling shock and shock. Everyone's been ringing me, even people from overseas, asking just what has happened."
He too says that locals feel like they're being pushed out by affluence, that numbers mean more than people do.
"There are conspiracy theories but I don't get into that. We need love and kindness, to try and cure the wound, and cure people's hearts."
Christina Simmons, 56, lives in a street close to the tower and has been a local for 27 years. She's disabled and has difficulty walking.
"People are coming together and rallying together," she says.
"I didn't realise we had so many Eritreans and Somalians, they've all come out to offer support."
She too believes that "they aren't listening to us," a phrase she repeats several times.
"Roads were closed recently because of gas works apparently. Well, I didn't see any works. It creates chaos and I can't walk very far. No-one told us they were closing the roads.
"They don't listen to us. We're being neglected and ignored. I'm bloody angry."
But she does soften her tone, after expressing sympathy for the horrors for those caught up in the fire.
"I'd like to see some community meetings," she says. "Maybe this'll all bring us closer together."
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