‘Qatar must do more to combat extremism,’ says Tillerson

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. (AP)

JEDDAH: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Qatar must do more, “more quickly” to combat extremism.
Delivering a short statement at the State Department in Washington on Friday, he said: “US expectation is that Gulf countries would immediately take steps to de-escalate situation in region.”
“The GCC must emerge united and stronger,” he said.
He called on Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt to ease blockade on Qatar.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump spoke to Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi on the Qatari issue, according to a senior administration official.
A diplomatic crisis of unprecedented scale erupted in the Gulf and wider region Monday, as eight governments dramatically cut ties with Qatar over its alleged support for extremist groups.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, the UAE and other countries announced they would withdraw diplomatic staff from Qatar.
The move saw Qatar’s only land border closed and air and sea links cut by the four Arab countries. As well as closing all transport links with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain also gave Qatari visitors and residents two weeks to leave.
Fifty-nine Individuals, including members of the Qatari royal family and controversial Muslim Brotherhood cleric Yusuf Qaradawi, as well as 12 Qatari entities have been listed on a new terror list announced in a Saudi, Emirati, Bahraini and Egyptian joint-statement.