The Qatar Crisis in an Age of Alternative Facts

by Kristian Coates Ulrichsen The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) holds its annual Summit in Kuwait City this week, exactly six months since three of the six GCC states—Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—cut diplomatic relations and imposed economic… Continue Reading

How the GCC Blockade Reignited Qatar’s Nationalism

by Nicolai Due-Gundersen On July 21, 2017, Qatar’s emir gave his first address since the start of a two-month blockade launched by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. “The time has come for us to spare the… Continue Reading

Can the Quartet Eject Qatari Influence from Gaza?

by Giorgio Cafiero In early July, Mohammed Dahlan and a Hamas delegation led by Yahya Sinwar held an important meeting in Cairo. While in the Egyptian capital, Fatah’s former security chief in Gaza, who has been living in exile in… Continue Reading

Was Emir Tamim’s Speech a Turning Point in the Qatar Crisis?

by Giorgio Cafiero On July 21, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani delivered his first speech since the “quartet” – Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – severed ties with Doha last month. In… Continue Reading