Qatar to improve US airbase as defence chief visits DC

Visiting Washington DC, Qatar’s Defence Minister Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah mentioned his nation will improve the American airbase that on the second properties about 10,000 US military personnel.

The growth on the Al Udeid grisly – house of the US Central Present – will allow for 200 more housing objects for officers and their households, Attiyah mentioned.

« It will very soon change into household oriented region for our American company there. We desire more of the households to be real and feel more overjoyed of their quit, » Attiyah mentioned at an match held by the Heritage Foundation, a US-basically based specialise in-thank.

Al Udeid serves as one in every of the ideal in another country US military bases with operations throught the Middle East launched from Qatar.

Within the aftermath of the Gulf Warfare in 1991, the United States and Qatar signed a military cooperation agreement that deepened defence. 

The US military moved to Qatar in 2003 after evacuating the Prince Sultan air force grisly in Saudi Arabia.

Al Udeid also properties military personnel from the United Kingdom and a kind of allies.

« Qatar is strategically placed. Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria – these are all hotspots in location. I’m no longer exaggerating when I divulge 80 p.c of aerial refuelling within the location is from Udeid, » Attiyah mentioned.

« We are those that relieve your birds flying. »

Attiyah added the US presence has been important for Qatar’s military. « We’re studying plenty on the military aspect by flying aspect-by-aspect. We are studying from the Americans, it be a real operational environment. »

In June, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE decrease off diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade after accusing it of supporting terrorism and extremism.

Qatar has strongly denied the allegations. 

« What’s going down within the location within the past seven months is never any longer essentially correct for the true drift of energy. Retaining the GCC in coherent plight is needed for a obedient and calm drift of energy, » mentioned Attiyah.

Attiyah reiterated Qatar wants to complete the GCC disaster and the United States plays an most well-known role.

« For the time being, I specialise within the ideal one who can therapy the GCC disaster is President Trump. And I specialise in he can therapy it in a phone call, » he mentioned.

« No one is making the most of what is going down within the GCC besides for fright teams, » Attiyah added.

« We’re commence to dialogue. We are able to discuss one thing. The ideal element we don’t accept is imposing situations on us or tampering with our sovereignty. »

« We’re tricky of us. We don’t accept pre-situations. Nonetheless on the identical time, we’re very commence to discuss considerations that effort them. »