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Possible resolution of the Gulf crisis would indicate further space between the preferences of the UAE and Saudi Arabia https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/1/jared-kushner-takes-on-qatar-blockade-in-middle-east-swan-song
The UAE knows they have cemented strong ties with the incoming Biden admin as a result of normalization with Israel
The current push from Congress to block arms sales notwithstanding, the UAE & MBZ have successfully distanced themselves from Saudi Arabia https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/01/congress-rebukes-trump-foreign-policy-441953
The current push from Congress to block arms sales notwithstanding, the UAE & MBZ have successfully distanced themselves from Saudi Arabia https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/01/congress-rebukes-trump-foreign-policy-441953
The possibility that Saudi Arabia & MBS might reduce tensions with Qatar or even end the blockade demonstrates the Saudis' awareness that they have to offer something, esp. as MBS is less willing to end his war on Yemen & can't yet normalize with Israel https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/11/25/why-mbs-is-keeping-visit-by-netanyahu-and-the-mossad-on-the-down-low/
MBS knows that Biden said he will make Saudi Arabia a "pariah" ostensibly to impose consequences for Khashoggi, the detention of dissidents like #LoujainAlHathloul, the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Yemenis
Ending the blockade of Qatar is something Saudi Arabia has been...
Ending the blockade of Qatar is something Saudi Arabia has been...
...more willing to do, as MBS sees Qatar as less important than Yemen or suppressing domestic dissent.
The UAE disagrees: it pulled its troops from Yemen last year.
MBZ has managed to repress his own population w/o much negative attention https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/11/03/how-the-uae-has-used-the-war-on-terror-to-crack-down-on-its-people-for-nine-years/
The UAE disagrees: it pulled its troops from Yemen last year.
MBZ has managed to repress his own population w/o much negative attention https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2020/11/03/how-the-uae-has-used-the-war-on-terror-to-crack-down-on-its-people-for-nine-years/
MBZ still views Qatar as a threat.
For the UAE, Turkey & Qatar are both too willing to accommodate Islamists, who are enemy #1 for MBZ
Whereas MBS is willing to concede the Qatar blockade if it will earn him goodwill in DC & allow him to maintain his other (awful) policies
For the UAE, Turkey & Qatar are both too willing to accommodate Islamists, who are enemy #1 for MBZ
Whereas MBS is willing to concede the Qatar blockade if it will earn him goodwill in DC & allow him to maintain his other (awful) policies
