Qatar became central target

On May 21, US President Donald Trump headlined a widely celebrated summit in Saudi Arabia bringing together the heads of state of the Gulf Cooperation Council and many of their regional allies to affirm their commitment to the never-ending battle against "terrorism".

Just two weeks later, one wonders whether the GCC will go down as yet another in a long line of failed enterprises that got the patented Trump touch. During the festivities in Riyadh, all participants agreed with the general tenor of Trump's "terrorism is bad" speech.They applauded enthusiastically, touched a glowing orb, and returned home committed to fighting their common scourge.But Air Force One had barely departed Riyadh when the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates launched a well-coordinated diplomatic and media assault on neighbouring Qatar, attributing false statements to its ruler, banning its news outlets, and accusing Qatar's government of supporting "terrorism".