Contact: Heather Hughes
Tel. 435.840.5415
Email: info@nycfpa.org
Date: 8/10/2020
PRESS RELEASE: NYCFPA’S RESPONSE TO THREATENED INVASION
The New York Center for Foreign Policy Affairs (NYCFPA) is alarmed and disappointed by the proposal of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to invade Qatar as revealed by the recent edition of the Foreign Policy Magazine (FP). FP shared Saudi Arabia’s King Salman communicated plans to invade Qatar to U.S. President Donald Trump in 2017 shortly after diplomatic ties were cut along with boarding closing between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt. While the invasion proposal was immediately rejected, the U.S. asked Kuwait to mediate the delicate waters of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This is a continuation of the on-going aggressive nature of the Saudi government. And while it is not surprising, it is disconcerting.
The invasion of Qatar is alarming on multiple levels, least of all being the importance of regional stability. Additionally important, we believe:
- Unifying through the Middle East Strategic Alliance serves as a buffer against Iran
- Stability is already fragile in the region, invading a sovereign country would undermine Middle East stability and threaten peace in the gulf region.
- No use of force against any sovereign state that is not justified.
- Qatar is a strategic ally in the Middle East, especially in the balance of GCC.
- A Peaceful resolution is possible and necessary.
We applaud the U.S. government’s rejection of invasion and diplomatic approach. We call on the U.S. government to:
- Continue to use diplomatic means to maintain peace and stability in the region.
- Confirm that it does not support the current blockade.
- Condemn any human rights violations in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
We also encourage the UN, EU, and other governments and world organizations to condemn the threat of a Qatar invasion.
