Opinion

President Trump Says Isolating Qatar Could End Terrorism. He's Wrong

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Tuesday morning to predict that the isolation of tiny Qatar by its neighboring Gulf countries just might be "the beginning of the end" of terrorism. And naturally, he took credit for that isolation, painting it as a direct result of his recent trip to Saudi Arabia.

Is Trump right that putting Qatar in a corner will end terrorism? That's wishful thinking. Terrorism is not really about money. The better question is, why is this rich-but-wee Persian Gulf monarchy suddenly being pushed into the limelight by Trump? That's easier to answer.