Retired US general Anthony Zinni has resigned as the envoy tasked with resolving the Qatar dispute. Getty
Retired US general Anthony Zinni has resigned as the envoy tasked with resolving the Qatar dispute. Getty
Retired US general Anthony Zinni has resigned as the envoy tasked with resolving the Qatar dispute. Getty
Retired US general Anthony Zinni has resigned as the envoy tasked with resolving the Qatar dispute. Getty

US envoys arrive in Kuwait for Qatar crisis shuttle diplomacy tour


Joyce Karam
  • English
  • Arabic

The United States' envoys in the Qatar crisis, retired general Anthony Zinni and deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Gulf affairs Timothy Lenderking, arrived in Kuwait on Monday evening to begin a shuttle diplomacy tour as part of efforts to break the stalemate in the dispute.

Kuwait has played a leading role in mediating the dispute between Doha and the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Bahrain.

"Retired general Anthony Zinni and deputy assistant secretary Timothy Lenderking are in the region this week engaging with parties and supporting the government of Kuwait's mediation efforts," a US state department official told The National on Monday.

From Kuwait, the US delegation will travel to Jeddah, Doha, Manama, Muscat, Abu Dhabi and Cairo, the official said.

Earlier on Monday, a Kuwaiti delegation delivered a letter from Kuwait's ruler to Saudi Arabia's King Salman, the state-run Kuwait News Agency said, adding that it was "related to the latest regional and international developments".

Meanwhile, Qatari media reported that Qatari and Turkish troops had staged joint military exercises near Doha.

US secretary of state Rex Tillerson announced on Thursday last week the addition of Mr Zinni, a widely respected and well-connected figure in the region, to the American diplomatic team tackling the two-month-old Qatar crisis.

“I’ve asked retired General Anthony Zinni to go with Tim [Lenderking] so that we can maintain a constant pressure on the ground, because I think that’s what it’s going to take,” said Mr Tillerson.

“There’s only so much you can do with telephone persuasion, but we are committed to see this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we think it’s important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region."

Marcelle Wahba, president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington and a former US ambassador to the UAE, told The National that few American figures were as "well respected and well liked by all Gulf Cooperation Council governments as Anthony Zinni".

She described the retired general as a “perfect envoy to the region” given “his knowledge of both the issues that are at stake and all the key players involved”.

Mr Zinni served as former commander of the US Central Command between 1997 and 2000, a position that saw him cement US military relations with all the GCC partners.

Following his retirement from the American military, Mr Zinni was appointed as US special envoy to Israel and the Palestinian Authority during the second Intifada, before going on to lead missions to Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Bringing the sides to the negotiating table is the ultimate goal of Mr Zinni and Mr Lenderking's trip, said Ms Wahba.

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What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.

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Try: Penalty

Bahrain

Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley

Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5

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His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell

His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard

Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece

Favourite movie - The Last Emperor

Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great

Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos

 

 

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Watford v Leicester City (3.30pm)

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Newcastle United v Sheffield United (5pm)

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Monday

Manchester City v Burnley (11pm)

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Men's wheelchair 800m T34: 1. Walid Ktila (TUN) 1.44.79; 2. Mohammed Al Hammadi (UAE) 1.45.88; 3. Isaac Towers (GBR) 1.46.46.

Company Fact Box

Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019

Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO

Based: Amman, Jordan

Sector: Education Technology

Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed

Stage: early-stage startup 

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COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

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Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy, Willy Caballero and Jesus Navas (all released)

INS
Ederson (Benfica) £34.7m, Bernardo Silva (Monaco) £43m 

ON THEIR WAY OUT?
Joe Hart, Eliaquim Mangala, Samir Nasri, Wilfried Bony, Fabian Delph, Nolito and Kelechi Iheanacho

ON THEIR WAY IN?
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Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

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Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury

Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')

Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)

Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)