{"id":1754,"date":"2025-09-11T22:40:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T22:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=1754"},"modified":"2025-09-11T22:40:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T22:40:30","slug":"trumps-credibility-challenged-in-qatar-and-poland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/?p=1754","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s credibility challenged in Qatar and Poland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Assuming President Donald Trump\u2019s claim that he couldn\u2019t stop\u00a0Israel\u2019s strike on Hamas officials\u00a0in a Qatar residential district is true, he\u2019s just suffered another devastating blow to his international credibility.<\/p>\n

Trump hurriedly made clear that Tuesday\u2019s raid, which killed five Hamas members but not the top team negotiating a new US ceasefire plan for Gaza, was\u00a0not his decision\u00a0and that he\u2019d rushed to inform Qatar when he learned of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not thrilled about the whole situation,\u201d Trump said as he\u00a0went for dinner\u00a0at a Washington, DC, steakhouse. \u201cIt\u2019s not a good situation \u2026 we are not thrilled about the way that went down.\u201d<\/p>\n

That seemed a rare Trumpian understatement.<\/p>\n

The strike \u2014 in which Israel ignored profound implications for vital American interests \u2014 is a new embarrassment for Trump at a time when he\u2019s also being taken for a ride\u00a0by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who grinned through their summit in Alaska, then escalated attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Poland said early Wednesday that it had shot down drones that violated its airspace during a Russian attack on neighboring Ukraine.<\/p>\n

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the violation of Poland\u2019s airspace was \u201cabsolutely reckless\u201d and not an \u201cisolated incident.\u201d NATO, Rutte said, will defend \u201cevery inch\u201d of its territory.<\/p>\n

Trump, meanwhile, seems sincere in his desire to be a global peacemaker. If he succeeds, he could save many lives and leave a valuable legacy. He returned to the White House in January insisting he\u2019d quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. But eight months later, both are even more bloody. And Putin, China\u2019s leader Xi Jinping and India\u2019s Prime Minister Narendra Modi\u00a0openly defy him.<\/p>\n

Events in the Middle East are unlikely to do much to hurt Trump\u2019s political fortunes at home, as his\u00a0crime crackdown\u00a0plays out amid worries about a\u00a0slowing economy. But Israel\u2019s attack in broad daylight in Doha \u2014 just like Putin\u2019s violations \u2014 could be ruinous to his self-image as a hard-power-wielding strongman who is feared abroad.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because the strike flagrantly trampled the sovereignty of a vital US ally that hosts the largest US base in the Middle East and was negotiating with Hamas at the behest of the White House on a plan Trump predicted would soon\u00a0yield a deal.<\/p>\n

Not only was this a personal affront to Trump, but it also puts Netanyahu\u2019s goals over the critical security priorities of the United States \u2014 even after the last two US administrations rushed to defend Israel from two sets of attacks by Iran. CNN reported that some White House officials were furious that it took place after one of Netanyahu\u2019s advisers, Ron Dermer, on Monday met Trump\u2019s envoy Steve Witkoff but made no mention of an operation sure to humiliate the US president.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe attacks take place at a very sensitive moment in the ceasefire negotiations where the Trump administration, the president, and his envoy Witkoff have made clear that the president is looking for a comprehensive ceasefire, the release of all hostages, prisoner exchange and moving forward and ending the war in Gaza,\u201d former US ambassador to Israel Edward Djerejian told Richard Quest on CNN International.<\/p>\n

\u201cIsrael is not obviously paying much attention to US national security interests,\u201d said Djerejian, who served in eight administrations, starting with that of President John F. Kennedy and ending with that of President Bill Clinton.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Smoke<\/div>
\n
Smoke rises from an explosion in Doha, Qatar, on September 9. – AP<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Huge ramifications for US foreign policy<\/h3>\n

The reverberations of the strike seem certain to end any hope of a negotiated peace to end Israel\u2019s war in Gaza \u2014 one reason why it may have recommended itself to Netanyahu. There may be horrific ramifications for the remaining Israeli hostages who are still alive after nearly two years of torment in tunnels under Gaza.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also the latest evidence that the Israeli prime minister places more importance on the total eradication of Hamas \u2014 a potentially impossible task \u2014 than the hostages\u2019 return. And the almost certain result is an intensification of Israel\u2019s offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has already killed tens of thousands of\u00a0Palestinian civilians\u00a0and alienated most of Israel\u2019s foreign allies.<\/p>\n

For the United States, there are also serious ramifications.<\/p>\n

\u25ba The fallout could sour the relationship between the US president and the Israeli prime minister and sow distrust between Israel and its vital ally the United States.<\/p>\n

\u25ba It will shatter any credibility that the Trump had in posing as a distant mediator between Israel and Hamas and may cause Qatar to pull out of peace talks. The emirate\u2019s prime minister\u00a0accused Israel\u00a0of conducting \u201cstate terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25ba Some US observers accuse Qatar of playing a double game by hosting Hamas leaders. But Doha will see the attack by America\u2019s closest Middle East ally as a betrayal after its years working to advance US diplomatic priorities, not just\u00a0in the Middle East, but in hostage release deals beyond the Middle East as far away as\u00a0Afghanistan\u00a0and\u00a0Venezuela.<\/p>\n

\u25ba There could also be adverse consequences for Trump\u2019s\u00a0personal\u00a0and political interests in the wider Arab world, which he energetically pursued during the first Gulf trip of his second term, including a lavish\u00a0welcome in Qatar.<\/p>\n

\u25ba And the administration\u2019s\u00a0hoped-for expansion\u00a0of the first-term Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and some Arab states \u2014 and which is key to Trump\u2019s push for a Nobel Peace Prize \u2014 is now more distant than ever.<\/p>\n

\u25ba Leaders of other states in the Gulf, a thriving business and leisure hub, will wonder \u2014 if Israel can strike with impunity at Qatar, under the noses of the US garrison \u2014 whether they will be next.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a pretty big bill for the Israelis to have conducted this strike,\u201d retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, told CNN\u2019s Kasie Hunt. He added that Netanyahu has \u201cbeen in power forever by US standards. And over time, he\u2019s gotten very comfortable in doing exactly what he wants to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\"Israel&#39;s<\/div>
\n
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the scene of a shooting in Jerusalem on September 8. – Ronen Zvulun\/AFP\/POOL\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Israel insists it acted alone<\/h3>\n

Many US analysts will interpret Israel\u2019s attempt to kill negotiators considering a US peace plan a day after they met with Qatari government officials as new proof that Netanyahu wants to prolong the war. The prime minister has succeeded in postponing inevitable investigations into the security lapses after the October 7 attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas in 2023. And his personal legal woes can be kept off the boil as long as he stays in power atop his far-right coalition.<\/p>\n

Israel\u2019s justification for the strikes was that it will pursue terrorist leaders wherever they are. Netanyahu has waged war on multiple fronts throughout the region, and conducted devastating strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon; Houthis in Yemen; and Iran. He\u00a0said Tuesday\u00a0that the \u201cdays when the heads of terror enjoyed immunity anywhere are over.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many Israelis viewed the Hamas attacks nearly two years ago not just as a strike against Israel but also as the most heinous attempt to wipe out Jews since the Nazi Holocaust. Yet many also now oppose the total warfare on Gaza waged by Netanyahu and are desperate to see the return of the hostages after a negotiated settlement.<\/p>\n

Netanyahu was quick to make clear that the attack on Doha was a \u201cwholly independent Israeli operation,\u201d seeking to offer Trump some diplomatic cover. But the Middle East loves conspiracy theories. And the US faces a hard sell over its claim that it knew nothing as Israel got 10 fighter jets and their munitions \u2014 possibly American-made\u00a0F-35 planes\u00a0\u2014 within range of the target.<\/p>\n

Some will suspect that Trump gave a green light, or at least tacitly condoned the attacks. The White House, however, said that the US military in Qatar alerted Trump, and he ordered Witkoff to tip off the Qataris. But the government in Doha said it only got a heads-up when the attack, which caused panic in the capital, was already over.<\/p>\n

The White House damage-control effort does seem to bolster Trump\u2019s claim that he couldn\u2019t do anything to halt the strike.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnilaterally bombing inside Qatar, a sovereign nation and close ally of the United States that is working very hard in bravely taking risks with us to broker peace, does not advance Israel or America\u2019s goals,\u201d said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.<\/p>\n

It was exceedingly rare criticism of Israel from the Trump administration. The president later said on Truth Social that \u201cthis was a decision made by Prime Minister Netanyahu, it was not a decision made by me.\u201d Trump also said he\u2019d ordered Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation pact with Qatar.<\/p>\n

\n
\"A<\/div>
\n
A Qatari Boeing 747 sits on the tarmac of Palm Beach International airport after President Donald Trump toured the aircraft on February 15. – Roberto Schmidt\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How Trump\u2019s new Air Force One complicates his response<\/h3>\n

There are geopolitical reasons to take the president\u2019s comments at face value. But there is a complication. Trump earlier this year accepted\u00a0a Boeing 747 from Qatar to serve as a new Air Force One in violation of any previous understanding of presidential ethics. How can Americans therefore be convinced that he\u2019s acting on his perception of their vital security interests on this matter \u2014 and not his own desire to pay back Qatar for the personal gift of a jet worth hundreds of millions of dollars?<\/p>\n

That aside, Trump\u2019s credibility with Qatar will need serious repair work.<\/p>\n

What of the US security umbrella supposed to be provided by its vast Al Udeid Air Base in the desert outside Doha? It didn\u2019t prevent a deeply humiliating violation of Qatari sovereignty by an enemy the US would like them to engage. By extension, how can other Gulf states and other US allies worldwide be sure that Trump\u2019s security guarantees will be any more airtight than they were for Qatar?<\/p>\n

The attack on Qatar will also cement an already widespread belief throughout the Middle East that Trump lacks any influence over Netanyahu despite the leverage of US defense sales to Israel and its vital role in the Jewish state\u2019s defense. There was no public talk from the White House on Tuesday about consequences for the Israeli leader.<\/p>\n

The loss of Trump\u2019s credibility is especially critical since the new US peace plan envisages the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas in Gaza in return for a ceasefire. Trump would then guarantee to Hamas that Israel would stick to the deal while negotiations continue. Tuesday\u2019s attacks in broad daylight in Doha suggest that\u2019s an empty promise.<\/p>\n

So yet again, Trump\u2019s self-proclaimed role as the president of peace is thrown into question. And his foreign policy team\u2019s understanding of ruthless global strongmen was left badly exposed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Assuming President Donald Trump\u2019s claim that he couldn\u2019t stop\u00a0Israel\u2019s strike on Hamas officials\u00a0in a Qatar residential district is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,68,67,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-poland","category-qatar","category-us"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1754"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1756,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions\/1756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.cedritech.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}