Ruminatrix
...more recent posts
Tuesday, Apr 29, 2003
Al Udeid
The announcement that the US military's Central Command will move its air operations center out of Saudi Arabia to Qatar means probable reductions in US personnel in Saudi Arabia, one of the key demands made on the US by Osama bin Laden.
American military commanders, especially Air Force officials, have long favored moving the air command post to Al Udeid from Saudi Arabia. United States commanders have chafed at restrictions the Saudis have placed on the American-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Senior Bush administration officials sought to emphasize that shifting the location of the command center should not be interpreted as an indication that the United States was ending its military relationship with Saudi Arabia, which has involved efforts to train Saudi forces, as well as the use of Saudi air bases.
"We are not leaving Saudi Arabia," a senior administration official said today.
I say we are, quietly, after a decent interval.