US, Qatar quietly agree to 10-year extension of US troops in airbase

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
3 Jan 2024 18:04
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In light of US and Israeli concerns about Qatar hosting Resistance movement Hamas leaders, the agreement has not been publicized.

In this photo released by Qatar News Agency, QNA, the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, center front, poses for a photo with members of the Emiri Air Force at al-Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, Sept. 11, 2017 (QNA via AP, File)

According to four US officials cited by CNN on Tuesday, an agreement has been reached between the US and Qatar to prolong the presence of US troops at Al-Udeid Air Base for an additional 10 years.

The agreement has not been publicized, especially given the increased scrutiny on Qatar due to concerns about hosting Hamas leaders.

Al-Udeid Air Base, serving as the largest US military presence in the Middle East, remains a crucial hub for the air operations of the US Central Command.

Last month, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited the base, but no mention of an extension was made. The Pentagon has chosen not to provide comments on the matter.

This comes against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions, especially since Operation Al-Aqsa Flood commenced which sparked a wave of operations targeting Israeli-linked elements, including US military bases in Syria and Iraq, as well as commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea.

Earlier in the day, a US military official told Al Mayadeen that US troops in Syria and Iraq had been subjected to at least 118 attacks since October 17.

Since that date, 10 days after the launch of Operation Al Aqsa Flood, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has been targeting US occupation bases in the two countries and has confirmed in its statements, that the strikes are an effort to end the US illegal presence in the region and come in support of the steadfast Resistance in Palestine.

According to statements, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has so far targeted several US bases including Ain al-Assad, Kharab al-Jir, al-Shaddadi, Harir, al-Tanf, Rmelan, al-Malikiyah, and near the Conoco and al-Omar fields, in addition to US occupation forces near the Erbil airport and in the Green Village.

The operations were conducted using various drones and rockets which targeted specific locations and hit their targets.