Pompeo urges end to Qatar boycott and again plans to confront Saudi Arabia over murder of journalist
DOHA, Qatar - U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo on Sunday urged Saudi Arabia and other U.S. Arab allies in the region to repair a long-festering rift with Qatar, expressing frustration that little progress has been made.
The dispute "has dragged on too long," he told reporters in the Qatari capital, Doha, between meetings with top government officials there. "It's on everyone's mind and not at all clear that the rift is any closer to being resolved today than it was yesterday. And I regret that."
Pompeo was winding down a whirlwind nine-nation Middle East mission to drum up support for a stronger coalition against Iran. He flew later Sunday to Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and on Monday heads to Oman and Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates imposed a blockade on Qatar more than a year ago, cutting land and sea lines in an attempt to cripple its economy. Its neighbors say gas-rich Qatar, home to the region's largest U.S. military base, is too friendly to Iran, too independent and too supportive of Islamist opposition groups that the region's autocrats would like to crush.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pompeo-urges-end-to-qatar-boycott-and-again-plans-to-confront-saudi-arabia-over-murder-of-journalist/ar-BBScLu9?li=BBnb7Kz
Uh huh.