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BEIJING, June 6-- Saudi Arabia and its allies have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in an escalation of power struggle in the Middle East which endangers the region's political balance and hinders global efforts to end conflicts in the region. Observers said cracks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) that dominates regional affairs after 2011 may lead to more intense struggle between Shiite and Sunni powers and weaken counter-terrorism operations. SEVERED TIES Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen and the Maldives followed Saudi Arabia on Monday to broke off ties with Qatar. Riyadh accused it of supporting extremism and destabilizing the region, accusations denied by Qatar. Qatar has for years played as a mediator and power broker for regional disputes. The gas-rich country backed the Muslim Brotherhood, interacted with Iran, and held channels with Hamas and extremist groups like al-Qaida, a policy that sometimes angered its neighbor but was generally accepted by the Arab world and its western allies. Although Qatar stood firmly with Saudi Arabia on major regional issues, such as the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, the two countries differed on stance with Iran, and were competing for the leading role in the Arab world. In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain recalled ambassadors to Qatar, accusing it of endangering security and stability in the GCC countries. Relations between Qatar and other Gulf countries eased later after mediation efforts. | 
