GCC most effective when unified, US spokesman tells Arab News

Gulf Cooperation Council leaders meet during a summit in Bahrain. (AP)

LONDON: The US State Department has fired off a message to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, saying they should set aside their differences and work toward unity — not least in order to defeat Daesh.
In response to a question about America’s current thinking on the rift with Qatar, US State Department spokesman Jared Caplan told Arab News: “The US remains concerned about the continuation of the Gulf dispute. This has direct, negative consequences economically and militarily all involved — including the United States.”
Caplan said a strong GCC would bolster “our collective effectiveness on many fronts, particularly on counterterrorism, defeating ISIS. This must be our shared focus since ISIS remains a threat to the region, the US and our allies.”
A key objective was for the GCC to continue to pursue unity. Caplan added that the US would continue to support the emir of Kuwait in his efforts to find a diplomatic solution.
“The GCC is most effective when it is unified,” he said.
He added: “We call on all parties involved to continue to work towards discussion and dialogue and finding a way to deal with the differences.”
His comments were in line with a White House statement released after a phone call between President Donald Trump and the emir of Qatar on Jan. 15. According to the statement, the president spoke with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani “to discuss ways to strengthen United States-Qatar bilateral relations on security and economic issues.”
In the statement, Trump reiterated his support for a strong, united GCC that was focused on countering regional threats. “The president thanked the emir for Qatari action to counter terrorism and extremism in all forms, including being one of the few countries to move forward on a bilateral memorandum of understanding,” said the statement.
The two leaders discussed areas in which the US and Qatar could partner “to bring more stability to the region, counter malign Iranian influence, and defeat terrorism.”
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, who along with Qatar are members of the GCC, plus non-GCC member Egypt cut off diplomatic, travel and trade ties with Qatar last year, accusing it of supporting militants and Iran. Doha denies the charges.
In June 2017, President Trump called on Qatar to stop funding groups that commit terrorism, saying the Gulf nation had historically done so "at a very high level.”
But Trump has since adopted a softer tone, bringing his views closer to the more conciliatory approach of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
At a Gulf summit in Kuwait City in December, the Kuwaiti leader Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad suggested the GCC look at adopting a more streamlined process to swiftly resolve disputes in the future.
The Kuwait Times reported at the time that Sheikh Sabah said “despite negative developments and sorrowful events over the last six months, GCC leaders managed to calm the situation, which is an important step in addressing the recent feud.”
Turkish President Erdogan has been a major supporter of Qatar since the boycott was imposed in June, sending additional troops to Turkey’s Tariq bin Ziyad military base in southern Doha.
Turkey set up a military camp in Qatar, its first such installation in the Middle East, as part of an agreement signed in 2014.