ISLAMABAD – US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Sunday that hehad signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Qatar regarding theexpansion and renovation of al-Udeid Air Base, which hosts thousands of USmilitary personnel and the forward headquarters of the US military’sCentral Command.
Qatar has offered the United States to cover capital expenses for theexpansion of the largest US military base in the Middle East – al-Udeid.
“The US and Qatar signed an MOU enabling deeper coordination on potentialexpansion at Al Udeid Air Base. Qatar’s offers to fund capital expendituresand sustainment affords the possibility of a more enduring US presence”,the joint statement issued following the second US-Qatar Strategic Dialogueread.
Washington has also welcomed “Qatar’s generous offer to expand criticalfacilities at bases used by US forces in the country and to align operatingprocedures at these bases with NATO standards, thereby increasing theoperational capability of US and coalition forces based in Qatar”.
Speaking at the press conference, Pompeo urged the Gulf State to end theongoing boycott of Qatar, saying that it “has dragged on too long”.
“We’re more powerful when we’re working together. Disputesbetween countries that have a shared objective are never helpful”.
In 2017, the so-called Arab Quartet – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,Bahrain, and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar, including imposingtravel and trade bans, over Doha’s alleged support for terrorism. The fourcountries also issued several demands, insisting that Qatar must shutdown the Al-Jazeera TV Channel, reduce ties with Iran and close a Turkishmilitary base in the country. – Sputnik