U.S. Jet Bases in Smaller Gulf States Reported

Several smaller Persian Gulf states are allowing the United States to base combat aircraft on their soil, shedding a traditional reluctance for close military ties with America, Pentagon sources said Monday.

“It’s very important to the United States that our aircraft be able to operate out of these nations in the Persian Gulf,” said one source.

This source said that Defense Secretary Dick Cheney was able to negotiate “a variety of agreements” with the nations on the Arabian Peninsula during his trip there last month.

After the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on Aug. 2, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar allowed U.S. warplanes to operate on their soil. Cheney was able to extend those relationships to include Bahrain and Oman, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The sources did not have specifics on aircraft deployment.

Bahrain has agreed to basing of Marine FA-18 attack planes, A-6 attack aircraft, AV-8 Harrier jets and EA-6 electronic jamming planes, the New York Times reported in today’s editions.

In addition, the United States has deployed a “sizable number” of F-16 fighters in the United Arab Emirates and F-15E ground attack planes in Oman, the newspaper reported.

The United States has acknowledged stationing a squadron of F-16C fighters in Qatar.

Cheney reached the agreement with Saudi Arabia to allow stationing of U.S. troops on Saudi soil in a meeting with King Fahd just days after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. He returned to the Persian Gulf two weeks after the invasion to help fortify Arab support against Iraq in discussions with the leaders of Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.