ABU DHABI Ñ Qatar and the United States have signed an accord to
formally expand their military cooperation and maintain a U.S. military
presence in the emirate for up to 20 years.
The accord was signed during the current visit by U.S. Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld, Middle East Newsline reported. Rumsfeld and Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassem Bin
Jaber represented their countries in the signing of an agreement that is
meant to expand defense and military cooperation.
"It will provide the official cover for the deployment of U.S. troops in
their bases," Qatari Foreign Ministry official Khaled Mansouri, responsible
for the emirate's relations with Europe and the United States, said.
Details of the cooperation accord, which took about a year to draft,
were not disclosed. But officials said it focused on long-term U.S.
deployment in Qatar, the use of the emirate's military bases and the
prospect of U.S. arms sales. The United States has about 5,000 soldiers in
Qatar.
Officials also said the accord includes the improvement of readiness
capabilities and U.S.
upgrades to Qatari military facilities. Some of the projects will include
construction of housing and other facilities to improve the quality of life
of U.S. soldiers based in the emirate.
"The relationship between both countries is growing and is being built
on a good base of understanding by both sides," Hamas, Qatar's foreign
minister, said.
The London-based Al Hayat daily reported on Thursday that the accord
would ensure the deployment of U.S. troops and assets in Qatar for the next
20 years. U.S. officials refused to confirm this but said that two years ago
both countries signed an accord for U.S. deployment at Al Udeid, a $1
billion facility largely financed by the United States.
The accord, the first between the two countries since 1990, is meant to
enable the United States to use the new Al Udeid air force base outside
Doha, officials said. Al Udeid, a $1 billion facility, is said to have been
completed and will contain U.S. warplanes and prepositioned ground forces
equipment for a mechanized brigade.
Rumsfeld arrived in Doha on late Wednesday for a two-day visit to Qatar.
He will tour the A-Sayliyah base on Thursday, the site of the Internal Look
exercise being conducted by Britain and the United States. Internal Look is
meant to demonstrate the capability of a forward portable command and
control base in the Persian Gulf.
"The truth is that the support we're receiving is very broad and very
deep and ample to do the job," Rumsfeld told Arab media outlets in an
interview broadcast on Wednesday.
