, Oct 11 The US military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important US ally in the Middle East, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar's defence minister, said the facility to be built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base would host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability. The arrangement is not unusual. Pentagon officials noted that similar facilities have been set up for other allies for decades, and the Idaho base already hosts a fighter squadron from Singapore. But the news drew a sharp rebuke from close Trump ally and right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who called the plan an abomination and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organisations. No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries, Loomer wrote in one
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a luxury Boeing 747 jet from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday, despite ongoing questions about the ethics and legality of taking the expensive gift from a foreign nation. The Defense Department will work to ensure proper security measures on the plane to make it safe for use by the president, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. He added that the plane was accepted in accordance with all federal rules and regulations. Trump has defended the gift, which came up during his recent Middle East trip, as a way to save tax dollars. Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of Dollars when they can get it for FREE, Trump posted on his social media site during the trip. Others, however, have said Trump's acceptance of an aircraft that has been called a palace in the sky is a violation of the Constitution's prohibition on foreign gifts. Democrats
In a striking departure from the past US presidents, Trump opted for silence on human rights concerns while being lavishly hosted by Gulf autocrats
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to start his Gulf tour on Tuesday with stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE - all countries where the Trump Organisation is expanding its business
Qatar Airways is the fourth airline on whom the restrictions have been eased by the US
The sale will increase security cooperation and interoperability between the United States and Qatar