like at the end, it's not going to look like the same as it did before. >> that's right. >> glor: steven cook from the council of foreign relations also author of "false dawn: protest, democracy, and violence in the new middle east." steven, appreciate your time. >> thank you very much. >> rose: walt mossberg is here, the influential personal technology columnist retired this month. he first pitched his column to the "wall street journal" in 1991 predicting the rise of personal computing. mossberg was an early advocate for non-techies and criticized products that were overly complex. his tech reviews were often up sparing and at times prompted companies to modify their designs. he came to be widely revered by the tech community interviewing titans like steve jobs, gill bates and elon musk. "wired" magazine called him the kingmaker. pleased to have him back at the table. welcome. >> glad to be here. >> rose: retired. etired. >> rose: when you the hear that word, does it fit? >> well, depends who you're talking about. i feel very comfortable with it. i really think of it, and i explained this w

we are joined by steven a. cook.ou are out there all false d -- you are the author of "false don." let's pick up on the question of sovereignty. trying to stop terrorism is that what this is all about or is this a challenge to the sovereignty of qatar by the kingdom. -- kingdom? steven cook: there has long been a problem over qatar's more independent foreign policy. their obvious areas where these countries disagree. one of them, the saudi's claim is qatar support for extremism. ania resume does not have incredible trek -- of course, saudi arabia does not have a incredible track record. david: that is what i was about to ask for there is a history of saudi arabia, through various means, given funding to extremist groups? steven cook: that has certainly been the case and there has been all kinds of analyses done about saudi funding for extremist groups. years, the saudi arabian a group has done a better job of tightening of the financial controls. qatar needs to do the same. as you said, it is somewhat a case of the p

joining me now from washington is steven cook with the council on foreign relations.to see you. a lot of this comes down to what say is terrorism. that is hard to define, isn't it? >> it is hard to define. i think it is clear the qataris have coordinated and given safe haven to groups that having gauged in terrorist activity and violence around the region. it is one of the chief complaints. the saudi's do not have a good track record on this issue either. it seems there is more going on than just the question of the qataris' position with regard the muslim-- brotherhood. say it isdis terrorism. this has been simmering for quite some time. >> that is absolutely right. you have to look at this crisis in a broader historical context in which these three countries and the ruling families of these countries do not see eye to eye on things. they tried to engineer a coup that would overthrow the current emir's father and install their own government more freely to the saudis and miraties and -- e be in alignment with his organization that encompasses all these gulf states in