ABU DHABI Ñ For the first time, Qatar has provided details of the
U.S. military presence in the emirate.
Qatar said 4,000 U.S. soldiers have been deployed in the emirate. The
emirate also said the headquarters of U.S. Central Command would be moved to
Doha.
The disclosures came during an interview of Qatari Foreign Minister
Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabr Al Thani on late Wednesday.
During the interview, the foreign minister denied that Qatar would be a
launching pad for a U.S.-led attack on Iraq.
"The United States did not ask us for permission to carry out a military
action from Qatar," Hamad said.
But the foreign minister maintained that Doha told the Gulf Cooperation
Council as early as 1999 that U.S. Central Command would be moved to Qatar.
He said the United States started developing relations with Qatar after the
1991 Gulf war.
Qatar hopes to complete the Al Udeid air force base by the end of the
year. The base contains 120 U.S. aircraft, including air refueling
platforms, as well as equipment for an armored brigade.
Hamad said 4,000 U.S. soldiers serve in Al Udeid along with Qatari
troops. The foreign minister said most of the U.S. soldiers work in support
roles. He did not elaborate.
The foreign minister said Qatar did not intend to replace Saudi Arabia
as the key military ally of the United States. He acknowledged tension
between the two countries but said Doha intends to continue cooperation with
the kingdom.
On Saturday, Qatar hosts a conference that will focus on relations with
the United States. The three-day conference on U.S.-Islamic relations is
being organized by the Washington-based Brookings Institute and will include
strategists from the United States and GCC and Arab countries.