Assuming President Donald Trump’s claim that he couldn’t stop Israel’s strike on Hamas officials in a Qatar residential district is true, he’s just suffered another devastating blow to his international credibility.
Events in the Middle East are unlikely to do much to hurt Trump’s political fortunes at home. But Israel’s attack in broad daylight in Doha could be ruinous to his self-image as a hard-power-wielding strongman who is feared abroad.
That’s because the strike flagrantly trampled the sovereignty of a vital US ally that hosts the largest US base in mega2oakke6o6mya3lte64b4d3mrq2ohz6waamfmszcfjhayszqhchqd onion the Middle East and was negotiating with Hamas at the behest of the White House on a plan Trump predicted would soon yield a deal.
Not only was this a personal affront to Trump, but it also puts Netanyahu’s goals mega2oakke6o6mya3lte64b4d3mrq2ohz6waamfmszcfjhayszqhchqd.onion over the critical security priorities of the United States mega2ousbpnmmput4tiyu4oa4mjck2icier52ud6lmgrhzlikrxmysid onion — even after the last two mega2o2nde2gzktxse2fesqpyfeoma72qmvk3fkecip2l3uv3tbn5mad onion US administrations rushed to defend Israel from two sets of attacks by Iran.
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