Jonathan Spyer: Shifting Mideast Sands Reveal New Alliances

The following by Jonathan Spyer is reposted here with permission of Middle East Forum:

Shifting Mideast Sands Reveal New Alliances

by Jonathan Spyer
PJ Media
March 14, 2014

http://www.meforum.org/3795/shifting-mideast-sands-reveal-new-alliances

Jonathan Spyer

A number of events in recent weeks cast light on the current intersecting lines of conflict in the Middle East. They reflect a region in flux, in which new bonds are being formed, and old ones torn asunder.

But amid the confusion, a new topography is emerging.

This was the month in which a long-existent split in the Sunni Arab world turned into a gaping fissure. On March 5th, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates announced that they were withdrawing their ambassadors from the Emirate of Qatar.

This decision was clearly a response to Qatar's continued support and sponsorship of the Muslim Brotherhood movement. This movement is regarded as a subversive threat by the three Gulf states. They are worried by the Brotherhood's capacity for internal subversion.

Let's Hope Qatar Is Not The Poster Boy For The New Saudi Peace Plan (Update: US Blasts Qatar)

Seth Mandel writes about The Qatari Challenge to U.S. Foreign Policy, with such challenges including:

• Qatar funding of anti-Western propaganda through Al Jazeera
• Qatar stiffing Abbas and the PA on its pledges because it was concerned Abbas wouldn’t share the funds with Hamas, and in turn gave as much as $400 million directly to Hamas -- thus enabling Hamas terrorism, weakening Fatah and decreasing the chances for Israeli-Palestinian peace even further.
• Qatar organizing shipments of weapons that are largely going to hard-line Islamists.

As it so happens, the Qatar that is funding Hamas terrorists happens to be the very same one that apparently is backing the latest iteration of the Saudi Peace Plan -- now with land swaps.