On Friday morning, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a deal that will allow the Qatari Emiri Air Force to build a facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base. According to Fox News, the facility “will host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots, enabling joint training operations with U.S. forces.”
Several Idaho elected officials and political figures had weighed in as of this writing.
Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID2):
Fantastic news for Mountain Home Air Force Base as @SecWar just announced the Pentagon has agreed to host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots here in Idaho. This development is beneficial for training, enhances our partnership with America’s allies, and strengthens national security.
Rep. Jaron Crane (R-Nampa):
Idaho, again making national headlines! Proud of the great work by our Pentagon and Idaho Military Division, state and national leaders.
Rep. Heather Scott (R-Blanchard):
Bad enough that we’re the world police while our country needs the most help. Now we’re allowing foreign islamic countries to have bases in IDAHO? Was this Little’s idea?
We need state sovereignty more than ever and a leader willing to defend us!
Sen. Brian Lenney (R-Nampa):
This isn’t America first.
This is America last.
Why are we allowing a micro-state with fewer citizens than Wichita, Kansas to set up a military installation in our heartland, staffed by who knows who from who knows where?
We already have Mountain Home Air Force Base.
We don’t need Qatar’s imported workforce operating military facilities on American soil.
Rep. Chris Bruce (R-Kuna):
Explain why any other country needs a military base in the US?
Sen. Tammy Nichols (R-Middleton):
I am getting a lot of questions on this, and am looking into the logistics. I’ll put more info out as soon as I have more information.
Rep. Ted Hill (R-Eagle) via personal message:
The messaging in this Qatar story is deceiving here. Upfront, it sounds like Qatar is building a base here. Not quite. They will build or refurbish a hangar and the facilities to support their future activities at Mountain Home. The base will own it. It is not a Qatar sovereign space.
This type of thing is not unusual to do. We have done this with many other countries where they established a detachment at one of our bases. I have seen detachments from Germany, UK, Netherlands, Singapore, Italy and many more. Saudi Arabia had been training with our Air Force since the 90s. We have AF facilities now at Doha, Qatar.
This is a good strategic move as the Qatar Air Force can train with the best, our Air Force and Navy, and we get the opportunity to train our folks at the high end and we don’t pay for it. I currently fly as an Adversary pilot to fly against our Navy and Air Force with F-5s. The F-5 is a compromise. Our forces can now leverage the Qatar Air Force F-15s as Adversaries to train with. This is a fantastic deal for our forces.
The key strategic piece is Qatar will be a coalition partner against Iran. We will train a capable Air Force in the gulf, ready to face them. Let Qatar, the UAE and the Saudi’s defend their land, not us.
Regarding the fear of an Islamic incursion? I see no problem. There were Saudis on the base I was on and their footprint was literally invisible. The Qatar AF will be similar. At most, they may maintain a very small contingent year round and ramp up for what might be 4-6 week training detachment maybe twice a year. It will be episodic out of necessity. Their Air Force does them no good over here. They will strive to keep their deployments minimal and short.
Rep. Hill added:
[I’m] currently flying as a contract fighter pilot providing Adversary support to our Navy and Air Force. I understand the challenges.
Ryan Spoon, Ada County GOP 1st Vice Chair and US Army veteran:
Qatar has been serving as the intermediary in our negotiations with both Iran and Hamas, hosting the negotiations in Qatar on multiple occasions, we’ve used our bases in Qatar to support the bombing attacks on Iran, and Iran retaliated after the nuke site bombing by attacking an air base in Qatar. Seems like they’ve earned a small favor in return. 🤷
I had exchange officers from Saudi Arabia and other “allied” countries (often of dubious loyalty) in my classes at both West Point and Army helicopter flight school. Mountain Home AFB already hosts student pilots from several allied countries. It’s part of the military diplomacy game.
BOTTOM LINE: This latest outrage is much ado about nothing, and it’s being pushed by people that know nothing about this topic.
Idaho Freedom Foundation issued a statement on social media:
The Idaho Freedom Foundation unequivocally condemns this action taken by the DoW. To unilaterally decide that Idaho will host a foreign nation’s Air Force facility, which would house and train foreign nationals whose loyalties don’t align with our own national and state interests, is a completely unacceptable overreach. This decision appears to have been made without consultation or consideration for the residents of Idaho or through our elected state representatives.
Idaho should have the authority to determine who and what is allowed within its borders. The establishment of a long-term foreign military presence imposed by the federal government has the potential to cause catastrophic, long-term consequences for the safety, security, and integrity of our state. The DoW’s action is a flagrant disregard for the autonomy of our state and the security of its citizens.
We call on our state legislature, Governor Brad Little, and the citizens of Idaho who care about our state sovereignty to stand with us in this condemnation and demand the DoW immediately and permanently rescind this poorly conceived deal.
Later this afternoon, Secretary Hegseth posted an additional statement:
Important clarification:
The U.S. military has a long-standing partnership w/ Qatar, including today’s announced cooperation w/ F-15QA aircraft. However, to be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United States—nor anything like a base. We control the existing base, like we do with all partners.
A 2022 article by Sally Krutzig of the Idaho Statesman, reprinted by Stars and Stripes, reported that a $12 billion deal with Qatar initially signed in 2017 could bring up to 170 Qatari trainees to Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Feature image courtesy of Mountain Home Air Force Base
About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
