ABU DHABI — The United States has returned a key military base to
Kuwait that has been in use since 'Desert Storm' in 1992.
In December 2005, the U.S. military handed over Camp Doha to Kuwait.
Camp Doha, located 20 kilometers west of Kuwait City, was the command and
control center for the military buildup in 2002 that preceded the war in
Iraq.
Since 1992, Camp Doha was a leading military base in Kuwait. The
facility has been used for logistics, Middle East Newsline reported.
But Camp Doha's role declined when the U.S. military opened Camp Arifjan
in the late 1990s. Officials said soldiers and equipment assigned to Camp
Doha would be transferred to Arifjan.
Officials said that so far two-thirds of Camp Doha has been vacated. The
entire facility would be evacuated in 2006.
"It is hard to give up 2 million square feet after you've been here for
15 years," Lt. Col. Scott Rubitsky, the camp's commander, said. "We are
happy to be able to reposition to support our troops forward. But we are
also a little bit sad that we have to leave our home."
Between 10,000 and 15,000 U.S. troops have been stationed in Kuwait.
Officials said the levels have changed in accordance with troop rotations in
Iraq.
