No, Qatar isn’t taking over an Idaho air force base
The U S Department of Defense approved a plan for Qatar to establish a military training facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho This facility will host Qatari F- fighter jets and personnel enabling joint training exercises with U S forces to enhance interoperability and combat readiness Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that while Qatar will fund and construct the facility it will operate under U S jurisdiction and control maintaining the base s status as a U S Air Force installation Despite these assurances the announcement has sparked substantial backlash Critics including far-right activist Laura Loomer falsely claimed that the Pentagon is granting Qatar a military base on American soil fueling social media outrage Never thought I d see Republicans give terror financing Muslims from Qatar a MILITARY BASE on US soil so they can murder Americans I don t think I ll be voting in I cannot in good conscience make any excuses for the harboring of jihadis This is where I draw the line pic twitter com OdLMw Y Laura Loomer LauraLoomer October In response popular journalist and podcaster posted under the name Under the Desk News produced an explainer clarifying that the facility is a training site not a full-fledged base and operates within the existing U S military infrastructure And even Pete Hegseth went on his own social media to discount this accusation Essential clarification The U S military has a long-standing partnership w Qatar including nowadays s declared cooperation w F- QA aircraft However to be clear Qatar will not have their own base in the United States nor anything like a base We control the existing base Pete Hegseth PeteHegseth October This arrangement mirrors similar agreements with other allied nations such as Singapore which has maintained a presence at Mountain Home since The Qatari facility is part of a broader effort to strengthen U S -Qatar defense ties especially following Qatar s patronage for U S interests in the Middle East The project is expected to create American jobs and sponsorship broader U S -Qatari military cooperation However the deal has ignited a firestorm among Trump s core supporters like Loomer selected accusing the administration of compromising American sovereignty As the facility s construction progresses it remains to be seen how domestic opposition will influence its evolution and the future of U S -Qatar military partnerships Read more about Qatar Iran launches retaliatory strike on US military base in Qatar There s a limit on blatant corruption Raskin demands Hegseth return Trump s Qatari jet Trump s new plane is a flying palace from Qatar royal family The post No Qatar isn t taking over an Idaho air force base appeared first on Salon com
