Qatar refusing to give in to Saudi-led blockade and demands
Donald Trump's failure to promote a peaceful solution means the stand-off is set to continue, writes Sky's Dominic Waghorn.
Monday 3 July 2017 17:27, UK
There is a sense the Saudi-led coalition against Qatar has overreached.
The aim seems to have been to shock and awe the Gulf kingdom into submission at the outset with a severe blockade and overbearing demands.
The problem with that strategy is what to do if your victim fails to submit. Qatar is a proud nation with a history of defiant independence.
::
It appears to have been a naive miscalculation on the part of its neighbours if they thought it would just roll over and give in on issues of national sovereignty.
This is an issue of supreme importance to America. A crisis between its close ally Saudi Arabia and the country where it has its biggest military base is not good for US interests in the region.
But instead of seeking the role of neutral mediator Donald Trump has , infuriating both his Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (reportedly) and the Qataris.
There is probably a formula that can be reached to resolve the crisis and to a certain extent save face on either side.
However, it would need sustained mediation from outside, which is unlikely at the moment, at least until Washington gets its act together.
It also requires trust on both sides - and due to a vicious war of words over the last four weeks, that is currently in short supply.