US urges Qatar, Arab neighbours to 'sit together' to ease tension

A traditional dhow floats in the Corniche Bay of Doha, Qatar, with tall buildings of the financial district in the background. Acting as a mediator, Kuwait has presented Qatar a long-awaited list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, four Arab nations that cut ties with Qatar in early June, 2017. Saurabh Das/AP

A traditional dhow floats in the Corniche Bay of Doha, Qatar, with tall buildings of the financial district in the background. Acting as a mediator, Kuwait has presented Qatar a long-awaited list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, four Arab nations that cut ties with Qatar in early June, 2017. Saurabh Das/AP

Published Jun 25, 2017

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Washington – The United States says some demands on Qatar (Kuh'-tur) by its Mideast neighbours "will be very difficult to meet". But the US isn't rejecting the demands outright.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson saida list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates includes major areas that "provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to a resolution."

He's calling for Qatar and the other Arab countries to "sit together" to work through the list.

Tillerson is also calling for a "lowering of rhetoric" to "help ease the tension." He says the U.S. is supporting Kuwait's efforts to mediate.

The demands include shutting down Al-Jazeera and severing ties with the Muslim Brotherhood. Tillerson had previously insisted any demands be "reasonable and actionable."

Associated Press

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