Four Arab nations sever diplomatic ties with Qatar, exposing rift in region

The Washington Post:  DUBAI — Four Arab nations led a diplomatic break with Qatar on Monday, moving swiftly to isolate the small but influential country in a feud that stunned the Middle East and divided a coalition of monarchies that the United States had hoped to rally to fight the Islamic State and counter Iran.  

The countries — Gulf Cooperation Council members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with Egypt — released coordinated statements accusing Qatar of supporting terrorist groups and saying that as a result they were cutting links to the country by land, sea and air. Other countries, including Yemen, later joined the four-nation bloc in severing ties with Qatar, which hosts a forward base for the U.S. military’s Central Command and is home to the widely watched Al Jazeera television network.

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