Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 6 June 2017
Arab nations cut ties with Qatar in new Mideast crisis

By JON GAMBRELL Cup, criticized the move airlines announced they rooted in longstanding dif- sion of its flights will take ef-
Associated Press as a “violation of its sover- would suspend service to its ferences and urged the fect Tuesday. Customers
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- eignty.” It long has denied capital, Doha. Yemen’s in- parties to resolve them. affected by the decision
ates (AP) — Saudi Arabia supporting militant groups ternationally backed gov- Saudi Arabia said the de- are being offered a refund.
and other Arab powers sev- and described the crisis as ernment, which no longer cision to cut diplomatic The route between Doha,
ered diplomatic ties Mon- being fueled by “absolute holds its capital and large ties was due to Qatar’s Qatar and Dubai is popular
day with Qatar and moved fabrications” stemming portions of the war-torn “embrace of various ter- among business travelers
to isolate the energy-rich from a recent hack of its country, also cut relations rorist and sectarian groups and both are major transit
aimed at destabilizing the hubs for travelers between
region,” including the Mus- Asia and Europe. Saudi
lim Brotherhood, al-Qaida, Arabia said t would begin
the Islamic State group blocking all Qatari flights at
and militants supported by midnight.
Iran in the kingdom’s restive Qatar said there was “no
Eastern Province. legitimate justification” for
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry ac- the countries’ decision,
cused Qatar of taking an though it vowed its citizens
“antagonist approach” wouldn’t be affected by it.
toward Cairo and said “all “The government had al-
attempts to stop it from ready taken the necessary
supporting terrorist groups measures and precautions
failed.” to ensure that normal life
The Gulf countries ordered continues,” a statement
their citizens out of Qatar from the Qatari Cabinet
and gave Qataris abroad said. “Seaports will con-
14 days to return home tinue to be open for trade
to their peninsular nation, and airspace will continue
whose only land border to be open for trade, trans-
is with Saudi Arabia. The port and air travel, with the
countries also said they exception of the countries
would eject Qatar’s diplo- that have closed their bor-
mats. ders and airspace.”
In this Friday, June 2, 2017 photo released by Saudi Press Agency, SPA, Saudi King Salman bin Ab-
dulaziz Al Saud, left, talks to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince The nations also said they Saudi Arabia also said Qa-
and Deputy Commander in Chief of the Emirates Armed Forces in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. Four Arab planned to cut air and tari troops would be pulled
nations cut diplomatic ties to Qatar early Monday morning, June 5, further deepening a rift among sea traffic. Doha-based from the ongoing war in Ye-
Gulf Arab nations over that country’s support for Islamist groups and its relations with Iran. satellite news network Al- men.
(Saudi Press Agency via AP) Jazeera reported trucks Qatar is the site of the
carrying food had begun sprawling al-Udeid Air Base,
nation that is home to a state-run news agency. with Qatar, as did the Mal- lining up on the Saudi side home to the forward head-
major U.S. military base, ac- Saudi Arabia closed its dives and one of conflict- of the border, apparently quarters of the U.S. military’s
cusing it of supporting ter- land border with Qatar, ridden Libya’s competing stranded. The Qatar Stock Central Command. Maj.
rorist groups and backing through which the tiny Gulf governments. Exchange fell more than 7 Adrian J.T. Rankine-Gallo-
Iran. nation and international The move came just two percent. way said the U.S. military
The decision plunged Qa- travel hub imports most of weeks after U.S. President Qatar Airways, one of the had “no plans to change
tar into chaos and ignited its food, sparking a run on Donald Trump visited Saudi region’s major long-haul our posture in Qatar.”
the biggest diplomatic cri- supermarkets. Arabia and vowed to im- carriers, has suspended “We encourage all our part-
sis in the Gulf since the 1991 Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Ara- prove ties with both Riyadh all flights to Saudi Arabia, ners in the region to reduce
war against Iraq. bia and the United Arab and Cairo to combat ter- the United Arab Emirates, tensions and work towards
Qatar, home to about Emirates began withdraw- rorism and contain Iran. Egypt and Bahrain until fur- common solutions that en-
10,000 U.S. troops and the ing their diplomatic staff U.S. Secretary of State Rex ther notice. On its website, able regional security,” he
host of the 2022 FIFA World from Qatar and regional Tillerson said the move was the carrier said the suspen- said in a statement.q

Defying Russia, Montenegro finally joins NATO

By PREDRAG MILIC Western military alliance at ties’ hostile stance,” ac- ing the ceremony in Wash- from the so-called “warm
Associated Press a ceremony in Washington cording to the Russian state ington that the NATO ac- seas” in Europe that could
BUDVA, Montenegro (AP) on Monday. TASS news agency. cession “is a historic event be used as staging grounds
— Once the Balkan strong- To get there, Montenegro It did not elaborate, but for a country and a nation for military interventions in
hold of pro-Russian senti- has stood up against its for- Russia has threatened eco- which endured enormous the Middle East.
ments, tiny Montenegro mer ally Russia, which has nomic and political retalia- sacrifices in the 19th and The U.S. State Department
is on Monday silently cel- sought to maintain strong tion, including a campaign 20th centuries in order to said Montenegro’s mem-
ebrating its entry into NATO historic, political and cul- to undermine the Mon- defend their right to a free bership “will support great-
in a historic turn toward the tural influence in the Slavic tenegrin tourism industry, life; the right to decide on er integration, democratic
West that has made the country it considers a spe- which relies heavily on Rus- our own future; the right to reform, trade, security, and
Kremlin furious. cial zone of interest. sian visitors. be recognized by the world stability with all of its neigh-
Despite the Russian anger Russia’s Foreign Ministry An estimated 200,000 Rus- under our own name and bors.”
and a deep split within the said on Monday “Russia sians visit Montenegro ev- with our national symbols.” Russia has also banned im-
nation of some 620,000 reserves the right to take ery year and 80,000 Rus- Bringing Montenegro into ports of Montenegrin wine
people over the issue, Mon- counter-measures on the sians own property here. NATO further diminishes and recently deported a
tenegro formally become basis of reciprocity amid Montenegro Prime Minister Russia’s influence in south- ranking official from a Mos-
the 29th member of the the Montenegrin authori- Dusko Markovic said dur- east Europe, and blocks it cow airport.q