US redirects Navy carrier strike group, deploys high altitude defense missile system and patriot battalions to the Middle East amid escalations by Iran in the Israel-Hamas war
Business InsiderNov 04, 2023
Report: US Reaches Deal to Extend Military Presence at Qatar Base
Image copyright: US Air Force [via Wikimedia Commons]
The Facts
CNN reported on Tuesday — citing three US defense officials and another source allegedly familiar with the matter — that Washington has reached an agreement with Doha to extend its military presence at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base for another 10 years.
Reuters also reportedly corroborated information about the extension through an anonymous source. The base located in the desert southwest of Doha reputedly hosts the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Over the past twenty years, American operations across the Middle East have shown the importance of the US military footprint in Qatar. Therefore, it's highly positive that the US will be able to continue operating out of Al Udeid for another decade, especially amid escalating conflicts with Iranian-backed militias and regional instability in general.
Establishment-critical narrative
Though America should have been adjusting its overseas basing to be able to address current needs, Washington apparently is unable to abandon a framework that worked in the past. It's certain that Al Udeid was an asset to fight the Taliban, but it's unlike that Doha will ever allow the US to use the base in any operation against Iran and its proxy militias.