President Trump has signed an govt order saying that any armed assault in opposition to Qatar could be thought-about “a menace to the peace and safety of the USA.”
“Within the occasion of such an assault, the USA shall take all lawful and applicable measures — together with diplomatic, financial, and, if mandatory, navy — to defend the pursuits of the USA and of the State of Qatar and to revive peace and stability,” reads the chief order, which was dated Monday, Sept. 29.
A Qatari official confirmed to CBS Information on Wednesday that the Trump administration’s transfer to grant the small Gulf state the uncommon promise of U.S. navy backup within the occasion of an assault on its territory got here in response to Israel bombing Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Sept. 9.
Israel stated its assault was aimed toward Hamas leaders gathered within the Qatari capital, the place the U.S.- and Israeli-designated terrorist group has lengthy maintained a political workplace.
Qatar hosts the biggest U.S. navy base within the Center East, the Al-Udeid Air Base, the place 1000’s of American forces are stationed. America already classifies Qatar as a Main Non-NATO Ally, a designation that was authorised by President Biden.
KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty
The chief order was signed within the wake of Israel’s assault on Doha, and as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington to fulfill with Mr. Trump.
Whereas that go to was largely targeted on Mr. Trump’s announcement of a still-pending proposal for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire settlement to finish the conflict in Gaza, it additionally noticed Netanyahu apologize to Qatar for the strike in Doha.
“As a primary step, Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed his deep remorse that Israel’s missile strike in opposition to Hamas targets in Qatar unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman,” a White Home readout of a trilateral telephone name with Mr. Trump, Netanyahu and Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, stated.
Netanyahu “additional expressed remorse that, in focusing on Hamas management throughout hostage negotiations, Israel violated Qatari sovereignty and affirmed that Israel is not going to conduct such an assault once more sooner or later,” the White Home stated.
The Israeli assault shocked the Qataris and raised questions on Qatar’s safety relationship with the USA.
Netanyahu, simply a number of days after the strikes in Doha, threatened to launch new assaults on Qatar if it refused to eject Hamas political representatives.
The Israeli chief made the remarks after Mr. Trump stated in a social media submit that “eliminating” Hamas was “a worthy aim,” however that he had spoken with leaders in Qatar and guaranteed the nation’s prime minister, “that such a factor is not going to occur once more on their soil.”
Margaret Brennan and
Tucker Reals
contributed to this report.
