Last week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the US military will build a facility dedicated to training pilots from Qatar, according to Associated Press. The facility will be located inside the Mountain Home Air Force Base, an hour’s drive away from Boise. Secretary Hegseth announced this during a visit from Qatar’s defense minister. “[The base will] host a contingency of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, and interoperability,” said Hegseth. Many concerns have been raised over the Qatari facility because of tensions in the Middle East. Threats to national security have also loomed over the plan.
Secretary Hegseth, according to Fox News, says Qatar has played a “core part” in securing the peace deal in Gaza. Hegseth elaborated that the project at Mountain Home AFB would strengthen the defense partnership. He also thanked Qatar’s diplomatic efforts.
The plan to host Qatari pilots isn’t completely out of the ordinary. Mountain Home Air Force Base also hosts a Singaporean fighter squadron known as the Peace Carvin V detachment, according to Defense News and KTVB.
According to Associated Press, the spokesman for the Qatari embassy in Washington, D.C. said on X, “This will not be a Qatari air base. Rather, Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to construct and maintain a dedicated facility within an existing US air base, intended for advanced training and to enhance interoperability in defending and advancing our shared interests around the world.”
This news has come at the same time as President Trump signing an “executive order vowing to defend Qatar from Israeli attacks,” according to Associated Press. Recent attacks from Israel targeted supposed Hamas leaders in Qatar. What makes Qatar more important economically is how it depends on oil and petroleum for its economic strength. The executive order itself states, “In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures, including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military, to defend the interests of the United States and of the state of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.”
According to Idaho Press, Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID-01) praised the proposed training facility, stating, “development is beneficial for training, enhances our partnership with America’s allies, and strengthens national security.” Earlier in May of this year, the White House announced an economic exchange agreement with Qatar worth “at least $1.2 trillion for energy and defense between both countries.
Some influential conservatives have expressed dislike for the deal. According to Associated Press, Laura Loomer bluntly stated, “I don’t want to die for Qatar. Do you?” The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has also stated, “This is a decision that can be and should have been debated. Instead, it comes out of the blue, an executive order following no public debate.”
Military command ultimately rests in the hands of President Trump. Despite the US Senate’s role in foreign affairs, many US presidents have entered into international agreements without the Senate’s approval. According to the Constitution, the Senate votes to ratify treaties, and only Congress has the power to declare war.
President Trump is not the only commander-in-chief to have worked with Qatar. President Biden named Qatar a major non-NATO ally after Qatar helped the US evacuate Afghanistan in 2022. The Qatari alliance will likely continue American intervention and influence in the Middle East, with the US Air Force continuing to train Qatari military personnel.
