US President Donald Trump has spoken about the urgent need to firmly combat financiers of terrorists, citing Qatar as an example of such terror supporters. He even saw the punishment meted out to Qatar as a positive step. In earlier statements as well, Trump had criticized Qatar for being historically a financier of terrorist organizations. By severely admonishing Qatar, the US has shown that it is in the forefront of nations against Qatar's terror funding and is supportive of the diplomatic action against it. Qatar had never reciprocated the hand of friendship extended to it by the region. In fact, it continued its support for terrorist forces, providing them with safe sanctuaries. Little does Doha realize that its support for these terror elements only favors them, and not the Qataris. But it is not too late for Qatar to mend its ways. It needs to understand that good neighborliness is far more important than the errant path it has adopted. It must immediately put a halt to its policy of bankrolling terrorists and extremists, many of them wanted in their own countries of origin. It is in the interest of Qatar that it sheds its arrogance and return to the path of reason as adopted by other countries in the region. The support it is getting from its perceived allies will not last long. These allies belong to an altogether different sphere of influence, with a totally divergent culture and ethnicity. Admitting one's fault is not a disgrace, particularly so when it is for the good of the common people. The sooner Qatar realizes this, the better it is for its own people and the region at large.
