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Saudi Arabia and fellow Arab powers Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have severed their diplomatic ties with Qatar and cut off access for trucks, ships and planes.
Qataris in those countries have been given just two weeks to leave.
What's going on?
The accusation is Qatar has been sponsoring terrorist organisations, but it strongly denies that.
It's all playing out against the backdrop of Saudi Arabia's rivalry with Qatar for influence, and the former's increasingly close relationship with the United States — and specifically, President Donald Trump.
Is there any evidence Qatar has been supporting extremism?
Yes.
According to James Piscatori, deputy director at ANU's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, "It is probable that the regime, as well as some wealthy Qataris, have been supporting various groups, such as the Nusra Front."
The terrorist group, which has since changed its name to Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, began as an offshoot of Al Qaeda. It's been fighting President Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian war and wants to establish an Islamic caliphate.
As well, Professor Piscatori says it's well established the Qatari regime has financially supported Hamas, which has been in power in the Palestinian territory of Gaza for a decade.
The group supports "armed struggle" against Israel which it maintains has no right to exist, and is considered a terrorist group by other Gulf nations as well as many countries in the West, including Australia.
"But whether one could call that an extremist group is debatable," Professor Piscatori said.
Finally, Qatar is sympathetic with the Muslim Brotherhood, having backed former Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi.
But again, it's debateable whether that's a terrorist organisation (it's not listed as one by Australia). Professor Piscatori says it's complicated because the Brotherhood has had multiple forms over the decades, but his personal belief is that it isn't a terrorist organisation. Instead, he says it's a mostly a mainstream Islamist group responding to regime authoritarianism.
Can't Saudi Arabia be accused of the same things?
Again, yes.
For one, Professor Piscatori says Saudi Arabia has also lent support to the Nusra Front.
But the hypocrisy goes beyond that. Most significantly, Professor Piscatori says the ideological lineage of Islamic State clearly goes back to Wahhabism, an extremely conservative form of Islam which has been promoted by Saudi Arabia.
"I would say the state is genuine in attacking extremism," said Dr Raihan Ismail, another expert in political Islam from ANU.
But she says the country has nevertheless created an environment in which extremism can flourish, and that it's partly to blame for the rise of jihadi groups as a result of its strong anti-Shia, anti-Assad and anti-Iranian narratives.
She points to the fact Saudi Arabia is the second largest source of foreign fighters for Islamic State. And it shouldn't be forgotten 15 of the 19 hijackers involved in 9/11 were also Saudi.
As well, while Dr Ismail says the religious establishment in Saudi Arabia is anti-violence and anti-extremism, she adds: "The Wahhabi school of thought in many ways is problematic because it does justify violence."
What is this really about?
Professor Piscatori says the other Gulf regimes are clearly irritated by Qatar's independent foreign policy since the Arab Spring and beyond.
"They would be happy to cut it down to size," he said.
He adds that the Saudis in particular want to be the ones who call the shots.
As for why they wouldn't be happy with Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, Dr Ismail says it's linked with opposition forces in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
What does Donald Trump have to do with this?
Everything, according to Professor Piscatori:
"Could this have happened without the intervening variable of Trump? I tend to think not."
He said the Saudis and the UAE have been emboldened by their new closeness to the US. He points to America's "anti-Iranian stance, likely tolerance of human rights abuses, and very lucrative arms and other economic deals".
The closeness of that relationship was symbolised by the US President's visit to Saudi Arabia last month, where the countries spruiked an arms deal worth almost $150 billion. And who could forgot that photo of the leaders touching a glowing orb as they opened the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology.
So now, Professor Piscatori says the other Gulf countries are throwing their weight around in order to get Qatar back in line.
And Mr Trump has already shown which side he's on:
Topics: unrest-conflict-and-war, world-politics, qatar, saudi-arabia