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Al-Ahed Telegram

Qatar Row: US Envoys Arrive in Gulf for Talks to Resolve Dispute

Qatar Row: US Envoys Arrive in Gulf for Talks to Resolve Dispute
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Two US envoys had arrived in Kuwait at the start of a tour of Mideast states aimed at resolving a diplomatic rift between Qatar and four Arab countries.

Qatar Row: US Envoys Arrive in Gulf for Talks to Resolve Dispute

The official Kuwait News Agency reported late Monday that retired US Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Timothy Lenderking met with Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah and reiterated Washington's support for Kuwait's efforts to mediate the crisis.

Zinni's presence would help "maintain a constant pressure on the ground, because I think that's what it's going to take," Tillerson told reporters last week. "There's only so much you can do with telephone persuasion. But we are committed to see this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we think it's important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region."

Zinni, who has not been given any formal role as a US envoy to the countries involved in the dispute, served as commander of US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the Middle East. He is now chairman of The Spectrum Group, which lobbies the US government on behalf of the defense and other industries.

The State Department said the envoys will also meet with leaders in all five countries over the coming days.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and severed air, land and sea links with it on June 5 after accusing it of backing extremist groups. Qatar strongly denies the charge and argues the isolation effort is politically motivated.

They later issued a tough 13-point list of demands needed to resolve the crisis, including shutting down news outlets including al-Jazeera, limiting ties with Iran and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country.

Qatar refused to bow to the demands within a 10-day deadline, and the anti-Qatar bloc has begun to shift its focus toward six principles on combating extremism and terrorism.

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani said on July 31 that the crisis should be solved through diplomacy without touching Qatar's sovereignty and made it clear that Qatar will not accept any demands that are not in line with international law.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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