Saudi Arabia planned to invade Qatar last summer, Rex may have stopped it costing his job.

Now, just a disclaimer before we get into this, it comes from The Intercept, which used to be one of my highest regarded outlets until they started using buzz words and injecting opinion into articles. That said it is an interesting piece, and one I think is worth looking into.

But in the months that followed his departure, press reports strongly suggested that the countries lobbying hardest for Tillerson’s removal were Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both of which were frustrated by Tillerson’s attempts to mediate and end their blockade of Qatar. One report in the New York Times even suggested that the UAE ambassador to Washington knew that Tillerson would be forced out three months before he was fired in March.

The Intercept has learned of a previously unreported episode that stoked the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s anger at Tillerson and that may have played a key role in his removal. In the summer of 2017, several months before the Gulf allies started pushing for his ouster, Tillerson intervened to stop a secret Saudi-led, UAE-backed plan to invade and essentially conquer Qatar, according to one current member of the U.S. intelligence community and two former State Department officials, all of whom declined to be named, citing the sensitivity of the matter.

In the days and weeks after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and closed down their land, sea, and air borders with the country, Tillerson made a series of phone calls urging Saudi officials not to take military action against the country. The flurry of calls in June 2017 has been reported, but State Department and press accounts at the time described them as part of a broad-strokes effort to resolve tensions in the Gulf, not as an attempt by Tillerson to avert a Saudi-led military operation.

Pressure from Tillerson caused Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the country, to back down, concerned that the invasion would damage Saudi Arabia’s long-term relationship with the U.S. But Tillerson’s intervention enraged Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and effective ruler of that country, according to the U.S. intelligence official and a source close to the Emirati royal family, who declined to be identified, citing concerns about his safety.

The Intercept

This is a rather lengthy article, so I just wanted to add a few tidbits to get a general story line in the thread. The article does have a lot of interesting information, so definitely give it a read.

While I think it's hard to say why Rex was fired, but I do think it is alarming that this could be a humored reason why.

Most people don't flinch when we talk about pressure/influence from Saudi Arabia. And I'm not saying that they had it in this case, but they certainly get their way from time to time. Take for example Yemen, we've had conflict that has raised international concern with many botched bombings and the sorts. Yet we don't hear too much through the media that we are backing and selling arms for that effort.

In a time where people are concerned about sketchy influences from unsavory countries, I think we can all admit here that Saudi Arabia is on the top of the list of sleezy allies, and I hope that this isn't why Rex was ushered out.

If he did successfully intervene to prevent another war, hats off to him. I didn't like the idea of him becoming SOS at first, but he grew on me. Unfortunately his legacy may end up being buried in history under all the mud that has been slung during this administration, by all parties in this country.

I had a ton of respect for rex.

Trump had appointed a lot dross and cronys but rex was not one of them .

His version of a strong but peaceful foreign policy resonated very well with me.


Guess the neocons got there way......

As a gov employee, and someone knowledgeable of politics, increasingly I no longer believe one can truly be honest and make principled stands and still get ahead and either rise to the top or stay there. I’ve seen this even in my job in which the bosses and even some mid managers are highly connected. Retaliation can be severe for those who stand up to the status quo, even when it’s warranted. Those that get ahead are either already highly connected or are yes men/sycophants
a reply to: CriticalStinker