WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that his ties with Qatar were working “extremely well” as he welcomed Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the White House for bilateral talks.

Al-Thani told reporters the region could not tolerate “a war criminal” like Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and he said the region cannot accept people who support terrorism. The two leaders spoke as the U.S. prepares to respond to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria.