US President Donald Trump has clearly indicated what he feels about the terror menace when he said that the Riyadh summit is the beginning of the end of terrorism. He has thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz for his leadership in bringing together 50 Arab and Muslim leaders for a "unique meeting in the history of nations." President Trump is well aware that Arabs and Muslims are fundamental to any counterterrorism endeavor, mainly because they are the ones most affected by the terror threat. Moreover, terrorist groups have deviated from the teachings of Islam, which is well known for its advocacy of tolerance and peaceful coexistence. The US President has also castigated Qatar for financing terrorists. Of course, this rebuke has not gone down well with Doha. In fact, it has somewhat thrown water on its designs to foment trouble in the region and spread falsehood through its Al-Jazeerah channel, research centers and media platforms run by the region's enemies. Qatar's ruler has boasted of having an American military base on its soil, thinking it would protect him from any threats from neighboring countries. But one could expect the contrary, putting more pressure on Doha to mend its ways. At same time, the tight Gulf, Arab and Muslim blockade will only turn the screws on further. Doha cannot raise the "Death to America" slogan following the Khomeini model. Nor will it be able to speak of "Islamophobia," for including personalities and entities on the list of terrorists, including the Qatari Mufti, Yousef Al-Qaradawi. In course of time, the pressure will be too much to bear for Qatar. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad and his cronies will be forced to act and return to the Arab fold.
