FOREIGN POLICY/STATE/TRUMP PEOPLE/REX TILLERSON: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in the Persian Gulf region Monday [7-10-17] for a round of shuttle diplomacy aimed at resolving a conflict among U.S. allies that Washington fears will drag on for months.
The former Exxon Mobil Corp. chief executive, who has close ties to many Arab officials in the region and has attempted to mediate the dispute, will throw himself more deeply into efforts to resolve differences between Qatar on one side and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on the other.
The four countries accuse Qatar of funding terrorist groups and meddling in their domestic affairs, and severed diplomatic relations and imposed a transport ban on June 5. Qatar denies the allegations and accused the block of Arab nations of waging a smear campaign.
Top officials from the feuding nations have been passing through Washington in recent weeks, making their case to Mr. Tillerson and others. The U.S. diplomat first will travel to Kuwait and later will head to Saudi Arabia and Qatar to try to bring the sides closer to a solution. It is unclear if he will meet with Emirati and Bahraini officials this week.”
-Felicia Schwartz, “Tillerson Starting Shuttle Diplomacy in Middle East, Hoping to Resolve Dispute Over Qatar,” The Wall Street Journal online, July 10, 2017 10:28am