US concerned Arab dispute with Qatar may intensify, State Department says

by Dramelin 2:00 AM 0 comments

Why Qatar is pushing back against Arab states    Wednesday, 5 Jul 2017 | 8:43 PM ET | 02:16 "We remain very concerned about that ongoing situation between Qatar and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told a briefing.
"We`ve become increasingly concerned that that dispute is at an impasse at this point.
We believe that this could potentially drag on for weeks.
It could drag on for months.
It could possibly even intensify," she said.
Mattis discussed the state of relations among Gulf Arab states and "the importance of de-escalating tensions" in his call with Attiyah, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The two officials "affirmed the strategic security partnership" of their countries and Mattis emphasized the importance of Qatar`s contributions to the U.
-led coalition fighting Islamic State, it added.
Qatar hosts the largest U.
Air Force base in the region.
The rift opened days after U.
President Donald Trump met Arab leaders in Riyadh in May and called for unity against Iran and hardline Islamist militant groups.
Trump discussed the crisis in phone calls with leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as well as the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, on Sunday, reiterating the importance of "stopping terrorist financing and discrediting extremist ideology," according to the White House.