T. Belman. This is huge news. It signals that Trump has given up on Turkey and Qatar as allies. He is cementing his relationship with Saudi Arabia. He will also abandon the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan as it is the headquarters for the Muslim Brotherhood. Turkey and Qatar also support the MB. Tilerson was a big supporter of Turkey and Qatar. With Tillerson gone and Boltan in charge of the NSA, Trump is now free to take action in Syria and in Iran.
Plans to speed up the transfer of the big US CENTCOM base in Qatar to Saudi Arabia were approved by President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Muhamed bin Salman when they met at the White House on Tuesday, March 20. This is an earthshaking event for the Middle East, which far transcends US-Saudi relations, say DEBKAfile’s military sources.
They also disclose that, despite repeated denials, the Trump administration is in the process of another momentous move, packing up its air force and quitting Incirlik in southern Turkey, the biggest air base in the region.
The two moves are interconnected. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has become an avid supporter of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is locked in a feud with the Saudi rulers. Turkey recently established a large military base in the oil emirate. The Saudi Crown Prince and his ally, the UAE ruler Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, are close friends and President Trump’s leading allies in the Gulf region. The two Gulf rulers view the Turkish president and Qatari emir as arch-foes.
The relocation of the two US bases stems additionally from the sharp reduction in fighting against ISIS in both Iraq and Syria. There is therefore less need for US air force operations in those parts. The US facilities and aircraft based in Incirlik are already being shifted to bases in East Europe, our military sources report. The Pentagon is also looking at Andravida in southern Greece as a replacement for Incirlik.
US installations are being shipped out of Al-Udaid in Qatar to the Prince Sultan Air base in central Saudi Arabia near Al Kharj, which lies 77km south of Riyadh. Fifteen years ago, this base was the main US air force hub for the oil-rich Gulf region, home at times to more than 60,000 US service personnel. When the US invaded Iraq in 2003 and captured Baghdad, the Saudi rulers insisted on the evacuation of US troops. Now they are returning.
The relocation of the two big US air bases in the Middle East is bound to shake up the region’s strategic dynamic. American soldiers are now in place to defend the Saudi kingdom. This will no doubt convey a clear message to Iran that the Trump administration has the back of the royal regime in Riyadh.
@ adamdalgliesh:
Debka (not Debra) appears accurate at least this time based on other sources.
Debra has frequently run stories that turned out to be fake news-such as its claim that Saddam Hussein had invaded Jordan in 2003, repeated claims to know the whereabouts of Saddam’s chemical and biological weapons, etc. Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch.
@ Ted Belman:
So what is the USA plan for Judea/Samaria and Gaza? The Bolton idea of Gaza to Egypt & the Arab parts of Judea/Samaria to Jordan?
@ Ted Belman:
PA (implode or explode ~6 months to 2 years), UNWRA (disolve ~ 1 to 2 years), King going maybe, Mudar replacing him ????????
Yes the US increased the amount of money it is giving JOrdan and in other ways is expanding the relationship. But this isn’t being done for the king, it is being done for Jordan. So if Mudar comes to power, he can benefit from it.
Secondly, call it a head fake, to distract from a possible coup. Just like the Trump peace plan is a head fake to avoid leaving a vacuum or to distract from what the US really has in mind.
Like I said, the PA, UNRWA and the King are on the way out.
With a new Sec of State Pompeo & Bolton as NSA Trump hopefully will develop a cohesive strategy for all the middle east for one. Currently Lebanon has been getting weapons that can be transferred the Hezis. The USA fights as allies with the Kurds in Syria but allows the Kurds to be defeated in Afrin. It fights together with the Kurds in Iraq but allows them to be overrun by the Iraqis in the North. This is also ridiculous and counter productive to put it mildly.
In Judea/Samaria Israel must be relieved of pressure not to build and not to annex. Perhaps Bolton will help on this as he is against the farce of a two state solution. Time to annex Area C and just build massively minimally the existence towns and near Mallah Adumium.
@ Edgar G.:
The loosening of ties with Jordan would give the midget kinglet only one close potential aider which is Israel, who would benefit largely particularly in the many industrial and economic enterprises that both countries are joined in. In the event of a changed leadership, these .matters are not likely to be disturbed , as their loss or interruption, would be catastrophic for Jrdan.
That’s quite a coincidence. The saying about :great minds think alike”, must have something to it….
Only a week or two ago I suggested on these pages that the US. should have no difficulty in moving from Incirlik, that it couldn’t be so vital that they had to put up with a definite US enemy like Erdogan. That they could move to adjacent countries …like GREECE…that a hundred or two miles difference couldn’t be all that much of a problem. (much paraphrased)…..
All this, if confirmed (Debka occasionally “jumping the gun” in the wrong place) is strong proof that Trump’s plans re the middle East are Israel and Saudi centred.
The only point in doubt is their apparent deepening of commitment to Jordan, which country needs to be set back as soon as is practical. Perhaps when the new bases are installed and working, the Jordan component can be transferred to one of them, maybe Saudia, being more central and receptive…
@ Bear Klein:
Yes, that’s been bothering me too.
Ted, Evidence is still to the contrary about Jordan and USA relationship at this point in time. USA military is still there. Also USA and Jordan are conducting and building a counter terrorism center there. So they are expanding the relationship. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-funded-counterterrorism-training-center-opens-in-jordan/