Trump issues extraordinary executive order declaring any attack on Qatar a threat to the United States

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an extraordinary presidential order stating that his country would consider “any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or infrastructure of Qatar” a threat to the peace and security of the United States.

Under the order, if Qatar is attacked, the United States will take “all lawful and military measures as necessary — to protect the interests of the United States and Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”

This security guarantee, which the United States has never before extended to an Arab state, includes “joint planning with Qatar to ensure a rapid and coordinated response to any external aggression against it.”