“As someone who helped establish U.S. air operations in Qatar in 2001, I can say two things with great confidence: the U.S. military can leave Qatar just as quickly and painlessly as it arrived; and Qatar needs America far more than America needs Qatar” said Charles Wald, Former US Air Force General.
“It’s time to end the Washington myth that the United States must tread carefully in confronting Qatar over its support for Iran, Hamas and radical Islamic groups in order to avoid losing access to a strategic US air base.”
“Within 18 months, as the U.S. ramped up for war in Iraq, the Pentagon poured in military construction dollars to relocate its Coalition Air Operations Center from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia to Al-Udeid and stand up a forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command,” he added.
Stressed: “Al-Udeid transformed nearly overnight to become the nerve center of two major wars. From a Defense Department perspective, it wasn’t hard to do and wasn’t particularly expensive – and if we could do it once, we can surely do it again.”
“Today, as policymakers in the Trump administration and Congress became increasingly alarmed by Qatar’s schizophrenic foreign policy, some have forgotten how we arrived at Al-Udeid. They fear that by pressuring Qatar, we could lose a supposedly indispensable national security asset. But history reminds us that nothing could be farther from the truth.”
“Al-Udeid is not critical to U.S. national security. The base is a matter of convenience in a region with many other options of equal convenience. The US could expand its footprint at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the UAE or could even return to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the Pentagon budget contains $143 million for upgrades to a strategic air base in Jordan.”
“The U.S. didn’t build Al-Udeid. We merely invested additional infrastructure in an existing Qatari base. That investment does not justify turning a blind eye to a host nation that aligns with Iran, Hamas, Sunni extremists in Syria and the Muslim Brotherhood – especially when alternative bases in the region are available.”
Pointed out: “Qatar has a long history of providing sanctuary to terrorist leaders, including Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Since 2012, Qatar has hosted senior leaders of Hamas including terrorist masterminds responsible for the murder of Americans.”
“We are arriving at an historic moment in the Middle East where alliances are shifting, historical conflicts are realigning and the future of the region is unknown. Alliances evolve throughout history and US national security interests should direct this evolution. After all, what good is an alliance with a nation that isn’t actually an ally?”
“Qatar has a choice to make. It can choose to be a US ally that confronts all terrorists and extremists and joins the US in actually aligning on national security issues against Iran and its proxies – or it can continue a two-faced foreign policy.”
“Whatever path Qatar chooses, American policymakers need to remember that the US has never been and never will be dependent on a military presence at Al-Udeid Air Base. We need to put Qatar’s rulers on notice that if they don’t shape up, we can easily ship out.” he concluded
