I just knew the entire Qatar mess was linked to

[malaise]

Al Jazeera

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/23/close-al-jazeera-saudi-arabia-issues-qatar-with-13-demands-to-end-blockade
<snip>
Saudi Arabia and its allies have issued a threatening 13-point ultimatum to Qatar as the price for lifting a two-week trade and diplomatic embargo of the country, in a marked escalation of the Gulf’s worst diplomatic dispute in decades.

The onerous list of demands includes stipulations that Doha close the broadcaster al-Jazeera, drastically scale back cooperation with Iran, remove Turkish troops from Qatar’s soil, end contact with groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood and submit to monthly external compliance checks. Qatar has been given 10 days to comply with the demands or face unspecified consequences.

Saudi Arabia and the other nations leading the blockade – the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt – launched an economic and diplomatic blockade on the energy-rich country a fortnight ago, initially claiming the Qatari royal family had licensed the funding of terrorism across the Middle East for decades. Since then, the allies appear to be pushing for the isolation of Iran and the suppression of dissenting media in the region.

[Achilleaze]

1. Like republicans, the 9/11 Saudis don't want no stinkin truth

[2naSalit]

2. +1

[malaise]

3. Precisely

Al Jazeera's office in Iraq was bombed during the occupation - people were killed. It's not only the Saudis who don't want the truth

[Initech]

4. $10 says Russia is the one playing the ME for chumps.

[politicat]

5. Press freedom is dangerous to authoritarians. But being a middle man doesn't make friends.

Qatar has used/allowed AJ to be deeply critical of the House of Saud, and does exert editorial influence over AJ when Saud is being testy. So that is absolutely a part of this.

But Qatar is also a middleman. They seem to be trying to have a good relationship with both sides of the religious divide (much like the Netherlands during the Reformation and Thirty Years' War) in a regional culture where friendship and allyship requires agreement and loyalty. When Qatar supports an organization in the region, it's important to consider the source of the claim that the organization is "terrorist." Sunnis see any social aid society that benefits Shia (or the smaller sects) as anathema, and the reverse is also true. There's also the issue of arming a group that's trying to defend themselves -- is that supporting terrorism, or supporting a resistance? Depends on perspective. I can see how trying to thread that narrow path makes House of Saud crazy, because H of S has used their financial power as a regional bludgeon for 70 years. Qatar didn't have that financial power until relatively recently.

There are multiple Islamic scholars who have been warning that a religious Reformation is imminent, overdue and starting to break out in regional and internal conflicts. All wars are economic at base, but the rules of war require Othering the opposition and inspiring the grunts to pick up a gun in service of something. I don't think Qatar has been trying to start that war -- if anything, I think they've been trying to keep a lid on it. But the new Saudi Crown Prince/Minister of Defense/young callow playboy warmonger wants a lot of war. (He's the one pushing (I won't call it mastermind, because there's no mastery or mind involved) the Yemen war.) It's not entirely stupid, because Saudi Arabia also has a population issue -- too many young men, too few jobs and not enough industry. When a nation has that specific population problem, they're going to go to war somewhere -- either at home in rebellion or crime, or elsewhere.

TL;DR: the Qatar situation is really complicated and both very old and new, and is breaking out because right now, there's no global leadership and diplomacy to talk this down.