Qatar Airways CEO to Trump — 'How can I call him my friend?'

Qatar Airways CEO to Trump — 'How can I call him my friend?'

THE CEO of Qatar Airways has blasted the US administration and said he no longer considers Donald Trump a friend.

In a stinging interview with Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, Akbar al-Baker said he was disappointed in the leadership shown by the US in the wake of the decision by Saudi Arabia and other nations to cut ties with the Gulf state.

Last week, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Libya and the Maldives all joined Saudi Arabia in severing diplomatic ties with gas-rich Qatar, which has long been accused of supporting Islamist groups, including some backed by Iran.

Qatar has also been criticised for supporting Islamist rebels in Syria, and in 2013, the Afghan Taliban opened a Doha office.

The measures included banning Qatari planes from flying to their countries, and in some cases, over them.

As the Middle East crisis continues into its second week, al-Baker told Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons he wasn’t in the business of talking politics, but thought his country’s neighbours were jealous.

But when Simmons asked about Mr Trump the businessman threw some serious shade at his ‘friend’.

“You know when you live in a glass house, you should not be throwing stones,” he said.

“So I don’t want to get into that, but one thing I can say that I’m very disappointed in the leadership of the United States.”

Yesterday al-Baker told the Wall Street Journal he was disappointed in Mr Trump because he thought he would be more shrewd about the blockade and had expected the US to challenge it.

When Simmons pressed further and asked if Mr Trump was a friend, al-Baker didn’t hold back.

“How can I call him my friend, when he is standing on the other side against my country — unfairly,” he said.

“I cannot remain anybody’s friend, if somebody is standing on the other side of the fence, against my nation.”

In their bid to isolate Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have been emboldened by Mr Trump, who has echoed their accusations that the Gulf state funds terrorist groups and causes instability in the Middle East.

Al-Baker also said his loyalty was to his country not to any individual before taking another swipe.

“Individuals have climbed on a tree which is very tall,” he said.

“And now to get down from this tree, they will be injured. My country will persevere.”

The businessman’s rebuke appears to be a stunning about face for someone who defended Mr Trump’s call for a ban on Muslims entering the US during his election campaign.

In December 2015, al-Baker told the New York Timeshe considered Mr Trump a friend.

“Look, Donald is my friend, and we have been friends for a long time,” he said.

“I think it is an exercise only to gain political mileage. Nothing more. This is the opportune time to excite more extremist people so that they could give him their votes.”

Mr al-Baker’s comments expressing disappointment with the Trump administration come as the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador in Washington suggested the US should reconsider keeping a major air base in Qatar given its support of terrorism.

Ambassador Yousef al-Otaiba admitted both the US and the UAE have allowed “bad behaviour” by Qatar to continue for a long time, the Associated Press reported.

He said action against Qatar hadn’t been taken because of al-Udeid air base, a hub for US military operations in the Middle East.

The base houses the US military’s Central Command and 10,000 American troops.

debra.killalea@news.com.au