President Trump in Doha, Qatar’s capital, yesterday.Credit…Doug Mills/The New York Times
Trump’s pledge to the Middle East
The U.S. is done with nation building, foreign intervention and “lectures on how to live,” President Trump told an audience in an opulent ballroom in Saudi Arabia this week, effectively denouncing decades of American policy in the Middle East. He urged the people of the region to chart their own “destinies” in their own way.
Reactions to his speech erupted swiftly across the region. Trump’s remarks came as he continued a four-day jaunt through Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates that’s focused on business deals, but also on his broader diplomatic ambitions.
Trump yesterday met with President Ahmed al-Shara, another milestone in Syria’s bid to break out of its isolation. It was the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the U.S. and Syria had met. Trump later described al-Shara as a “young, attractive guy,” adding: “Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
Deals: Trump announced that Qatar Airways had agreed to buy 210 Boeing jets, and the U.S. and Qatar signed a statement of defense cooperation. Here’s a look at the other agreements made on Trump’s Gulf tour so far.
Gaza: A hospital director said thatIsraeli strikes overnight had killed dozens of Palestinians in the north. The fate of the Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar is unknown. If Israel has killed him, it might not change much.