After Israeli strike, Trump declares US commitment to defend Qatar if it’s attacked again

The White House on Wednesday published an executive order from US President Donald Trump instructing the government to view any armed attack on Qatar as “a threat to the peace and security of the United States.” The order, a notable American commitment to ensure the security of an Arab state, came some three weeks after an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha prompted criticism from Trump and outrage from the Qataris.

Several lower-level members of the Palestinian terrorist group and a Qatari guard were killed in the attack, which failed to kill the key Hamas leaders it was targeting. Trump subsequently promised that such an attack would not recur, and on Monday persuaded Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to apologize to his Qatari counterpart for the strike and promise not to do so again.“I want to assure you that Israel was targeting Hamas, not Qataris,” 

Netanyahu’s office said he assured Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. At a joint press conference with Trump later that day, Netanyahu stressed: “I said to the prime minister of Qatar, Israel was targeting terrorists. It wasn’t targeting Qatar. And of course, we regretted the loss of the Qatari citizen. He wasn’t our target.” (Ed note: Did the USA apologize to Pakistan for coming into their country and taking out Osama bin Laden? No. Come on, Trump!) (Read More)