News that the Americans have signed an agreement with Qatar to sell $12 billion worth of F-15 fighters and that the U.S. Navy is preparing joint military exercises with the Qatar Navy must have come as a shock to the Saudi Arabian leadership who had been encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump to gang up with the helpless United Arab Emirates (UAE) and poor Egypt to impose political and economic sanctions against Doha.
It is no secret that after his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, President Trump boasted that he was behind the decision that Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt impose these massive sanctions against Qatar for allegedly funding terrorism and extremism.
President Trump stated that when he asked nearly 50 leaders, at a meeting in Saudi Arabia, who was behind terrorism they all pointed to Qatar and later on he posted a tweet that terrorism is supported by Qatar "at the highest level."
So is President Trump sending these killing machines to a state that funds terrorism or is it true that he really does not believe for one minute that Qatar funds terrorism and that all he wanted was to appease the Saudis and fooled them?
Some people are trying to cover up the mess made by President Trump by saying the contract for the fighter jet sales was drawn up long before and had nothing to do with this administration. Yet that is hardly convincing as the American president has the power to block such critical sales. His inaction is a sign of approval.
As Turkey said all along, Qatar is not a state to be dreaded; on the contrary it is one of the most level-headed political entities in the region.
Saudi Arabia should be more worried about taming the UAE, which is trying to spread discord and instability in various regional countries including Turkey. They should also concentrate on putting Egyptian junta leader Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi in his place.
Egypt, which has become the sick man of the Middle East, has stated that Saudi Arabia and the countries that ganged up against Qatar should be ganging up against Turkey, curbing diplomatic ties and imposing sanctions on Ankara.
Of course this is "mission impossible" but it is good to hear as it shows the state of mind that the Egyptian dictator has fallen into.
Saudi Arabia is the big brother of the region, the respected guardian of our Holy Lands and a good friend to Turkey. King Salman has a trusted and loyal friend in President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who will stand by him at the worst of times. So at the end of the day, Saudi Arabia and King Salman should know well that they can safely lean their backs on the Turks.
The arms sale by the U.S. to Qatar should be an eye opener. The Americans are selling new arms to the Saudis to the tune of $105 billion, they are selling jet fighters to Qatar and then President Trump encourages friction between the two countries? Can't anyone see the real picture here?
Saudi Arabia has the means and influence to defuse the current tensions and sort out the mess with Qatar and also tame the other Gulf countries. Turkey can and will help Saudi Arabia ease the regional tensions and put things right before it is too late, while Muslims continue to hurt Muslims in this holy month of Ramadan.