Two months into Saudi-led boycott, Qatar goes on the offensive

Cairo

THE tiny nation of Qatar is defiantly weathering a boycott by four of its neighbours in a deepening crisis that has roiled the region and threatened US interests.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties and imposed an economic blockade on Qatar in early June, accusing it of backing terrorism. Qatar has denied the allegations and has since gone on the offensive.

Two months into the isolation campaign, the energy-rich Persian Gulf nation has used its billions to strengthen its economy and security. It has announced reforms and bolstered ties with Turkey and Iran that could potentially reshape the region and its alliances for years.

Efforts by the United States to mediate between its close allies have not succeeded. Instead, the crisis is acrimoniously playing out in diplomatic and legal venues. "It's now personal, which in some ways makes it more difficult to find a way for both sides to step down," said Perry Cammack, a Middle East analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "This is likely to fester for some time." The bloc, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has long been at odds with Qatar over its ties to Iran and support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a moderate Islamist group that governments of the bloc view as a threat to their rule. The countries pulled out their ambassadors, ordered citizens to leave Qatar, closed their borders, and shut air and sea routes t…