RIYADH, Saudi Arabia ��Qatar will find it "very difficult" to comply with some demands made a Saudi Arabia-led group of Persian Gulf Arab nations to end the diplomatic crisis, though they can be a basis for talks, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Sunday.
"A productive next step would be for each of the countries to sit together and continue this conversation," Tillerson said in a statement. "We believe our allies and partners are stronger when they are working together towards one goal which we all agree is stopping terrorism and countering extremism. A lowering of rhetoric would also help ease the tension."
Tillerson had called on the bloc to spell out exactly what Qatar must do to end the diplomatic and economic isolation imposed nearly three weeks ago. The Saudis responded with 13 demands, including closing the Al-Jazeera TV network, cutting back diplomatic ties with Iran and ending Turkey's military presence in the country �� a list Qatar said was far from the "reasonable and actionable" proposals Tillerson said last week he was seeking.
"Qatar has begun its careful review and consideration of a series of requests presented by Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and (the United Arab Emirates)," Tillerson said. "While some of the elements will be very difficult for Qatar to meet, there are significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution."
The Saudi alliance has severed diplomatic and transport links with Qatar, accusing their fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran. The move split families, disrupted trade, and threatens to alter long-standing geopolitical alliances. Qatar, which views the action as an illegal siege, has denied the charges.
Anwar Gargash, the U.A.E.'s foreign minister, said Saturday that Qatar "cannot be a Trojan horse" with regard to regional security. The country's isolation is about "behavioral change" rather than regime change, he said at a press conference in Dubai.
If diplomacy doesn't work "and Qatar is not ready to acknowledge and address its support for extremism and terrorism, we will have to come and say 'you go your way,'" Gargash said.
Qatar, which had 10 days to respond, is still gauging how to answer. Sheikh Saif Al Thani, director of Qatar's government communications office, said the list of demands falls short of Tillerson's "reasonable and actionable" test and was instead an effort to limit the country's sovereignty.
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(Golnar Motevalli contributed to this report.)
