Qatar is a powerful player in the Gulf and the Middle East. This is because they share a gas field with Iran, and they have good relations with Iran. Asking them to slap Iran would be like asking the Netherlands to slap Germany. Qatar prospers because it has an understanding with Iran. President Trump is trying to destroy Qatar's association with Iran.
Saudi Arabia (SA) hates it that Qatar because of its special relations with Iran. SA also rages because Qatar supports Hamas and the Islamic Brotherhood. Egypt has the exact same emotions as SA. So, Qatar needs to be brought to its knees so it will submit to SA and Egypt.
The wild card in Qatar is Al Jazeera, the Middle Eastern news agency that ALL Arabs worldwide watch for news. With Al Jazeera based in Qatar, SA and Egypt must keep their distance as to free speech and Qatar's right to set its own policies.
Finally, Qatar has excellent relations in Europe, Turkey, Russia, and China, as well as Iran. They have friends to come to their aid if SA and Egypt attempt total sanctions. Only a threat of war by Trump against Qatar could virtually force the Qataris to submit. And, Russia might find that a nice chance to enter another stand off with the US.
Speaking of Trump, his visit to SA was a smart one in some ways, but it was also a visit to a nation whose recent ventures and policies have been a total disaster. The Saudi war against Yemen has caused the whole Arab world to puke. They massacred thousands of innocents in Yemen, and they often did it on purpose for shock value. Trump gave implied consent to this by visiting Saudi Arabia, and Trump continues to supply Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen.
Trump is in over his head this time. He is tied to a loser in SA and to an outsider in Egypt. The Middle East no longer revolves around Cairo and Riyadh as it did in the days of Nasser and Sadat. Trump desperately needs a Henry Kissinger type to shuffle about the various nations massaging egos and handing out cookies and baksheesh. There ain't no Hank in the White House today.
I also remind you who the richest nations are in the world. This is usually determined by gross domestic product (GDP) based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) per capita.
The top richest nations in the world, based on this real life factoring, are:
1 | Qatar | $129,726 |
2 | Luxembourg | 101,936 |
3 | Macao | 96,147 |
4 | Singapore | 87,082 |
5 | Brunei Darussalam | 79,710 |
6 | Kuwait | 71,263 |
7 | Ireland | 69,374 |
8 | Norway | 69,296 |
9 | United Arab Emirates | 67,696 |
10 | San Marino | 64,443 |
11 | Switzerland | 59,375 |
12 | Hong Kong | 58,094 |
13 | United States | 57,293 |
14 | Saudi Arabia | 54,078 |
So, where will this end?
Watch for both Trump and Saudi Arabia to put sanctions on Qatar.
Watch for those sanctions to totally fail as Qatar's gas customers line up at the pump just as they always have.
Watch for the CIA to kill the ruler of Qatar or foment a coup.
Watch for Putin to make a visit to Qatar soon. And, this may include gifts of extremely modern defense weapons.
Watch for Qatar to toss the US Military out of Qatar, or at least tighten down on the US Military in some way. One way might be to use Al Jazeera to turn locals against US soldiers in Doha.
Watch for Trump to kiss up to NATO and the EU in order to convince them to cut off trade with Qatar.
In other words, watch for another wretched monster in failing world diplomacy for the USA.
We conclude this discussion with context from the Word of God. Many who read here have no use for the Bible, but God spoke of these struggles we are looking at in the Middle East about 4000 thousand years ago.
Hagar, the handmaid of Sarah who was the wife of Abraham, had been used by Abraham to have a son, and Hagar was pregnant. God did not approve of this arrangement, and Sarah began to hate Hagar because she was going to bear a son to Abraham. So, Hagar fled into the desert to escape from the wrath of Sarah.
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
9 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.
10 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude.
11 And the angel of the LORD said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
13 And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
14 Wherefore the well was called Beerlahairoi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
While God did not allow Ishmael to receive the covenant of God as the founder of Israel, God did bless Ishmael, and the Arabs who descended from Ishmael have indeed thrived, and no empire has ever been able to completely subdue them or drive them out of their territories.
The key verse which we need to consider today is verse 12:
12 And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren.
The Arabs are wild for sure, But, Bible scholars seldom check the Hebrew word here and its meaning. They like to call Ishmael a wild jack ass. The New International Version stupidly translates the Hebrew to "wild donkey," which shows someone on the translation committed thought the Arabs are jack asses. The Hebrew for "wild" is Pereh. "Wild man" becomes Pereh Adam a wild running man, or a nomad like the Bedouin of Saudi Arabia.
Historically, when any US President enters into the struggles between the wild men of the Middle East, the US always ends up with egg of its face. President Trump claims to have turned the Saudis against Qatar, which is extremely stuck on stupid. Qatar is host to two monster US Military bases from which we launch attacks in the Middle East against ISIS. Trump is gambling on being tossed out of Qatar. Trump seems to be trying to divide the Arabs from one another. STORY HERE
This trick by Donald Trump will most certainly make a fool of him. There is NO DEAL to be made this time around. Qatar could simply become another hot spot of tension between the US and Russia, both struggling to control their realms of influence in the world. In fact, I will predict that if Trump does not back off quickly, Russia and/or China will have aircraft carriers cruising the Persian Gulf before this mess is cleaned up. BRICS could also join in and bring India into the mix.
Is there precedent for this historically? Answer: YES
Ancient Persia tried to subdue the wild men of the Arab world and failed.
So did Assyria, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Turkey, and England.
It is highly instructional, and certainly should be to Donald Trump, that Qatar is the richest nation on earth per capita. Also, they, along with Iran, have their hand on the valve to the largest gas reserves in the world. If Trump stupidly drives Qatar into a close alliance with Iran, the world will be at their mercy, and the US will look like the jack ass of the New International Version of the Bible.
This could eventually turn Europe violently against the USA if they end up without natural gas from Qatar. Qatar is the largest exporter of LNG in the world. THAT is power!
If the CIA fails to snuff the ruler of Qatar, watch for the USA to totally lose its grip on the Middle East because of this trick by Trump.
