United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia had previously planned to launch a military attack against Qatar during the beginning of the diplomatic crisis that started in June last year, but were stopped by former US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in an attempt to play a key role in the dismissal.
Under the plan, according to the news website ‘The Intercept’, Saudi ground troops were to cross the land border into Qatar along with military support from the UAE, advancing about 100km inland and seizing the Qatari capital.
As per the information, it said that it has received the information from a current member of the US intelligence community and two former Department of State officials, The Intercept said that the coup, which was infact largely devised by Saudi Arabia and UAE’s crown princes “was likely some weeks away from being implemented”.
It further said that the attack against the Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, would have actually involved Saudi forces circumventing the Al Udeid Air Base, which is now home of the US Air force Central Command and other some 10,000 American troops and then seizing Doha.
Al Udeid is under the US control and serves as one of the most important overseas military bases and carries out operations in all of the Middle East.
But when Tillerson was apprised of the plan by Qatari intelligence officials, he is said to have urged Saudi Arabia’s Kind Salman not to carry out any such attack and also encouraged Defense Secretary James Mattis to explain him the dangers involved in such an invasion to his counterparts in the kingdom, it said.
The resulting pressure from Tillerson forced Mohammed bin Salman to back down as he was concerned that the invasion would damage Saudi Arabia’s long-term relationship with the US.
But due to Tillerson’s intervention is said to have enraged Mohammed bin Zayed resulting in the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto ruler of the UAE lobbying the White House for Tillerson’s removal.
There has been a long running rivalry between Qatar and UAE’s Mohammed bin Zayed and unsuccessfully supported a failed coup attempt against the Qatari government in 1996 when he served as chief of staff of the UAE armed forces.
According to the Intercept, none of the current or former officials interrogated by The Intercept had direct insight into the reason for what Trump decided to fire Tillerson, but once source said that the timing was very significant as he was fired just a week before the Saudi crown prince arrived in Washington for a much publicized visit.
Tillerson was earlier a former executive for the energy company Exxon and had repeatedly slammed the blockading countries for the crisis before he was dismissed from his job in October last year as he accused them of heightening tensions.
“There seems to be a real unwillingness on the part of some of the parties to want to engage,” Tillerson said at the time.
“It’s up to the leadership of the quartet when they want to engage with Qatar because Qatar has been very clear – they’re ready to engage.”
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