THE UNITED STATES HAS ACHIEVED ITS GOAL: PERMANENT PRESENCE IN THE GULF. WILL IT BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN IT?

The United States has now entrenched itself in bases in the Gulf region, under the guise of war against Iraq.  It has signed a twenty-year agreement to use the $1.4 billion Al-Adeed base in Qatar.  In addition, SPC is confident the U.S. will always have free use of the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.  (See previous issue.)  The U.S. also has bases or military presence in the other Gulf states.  The bases are in the following locations:


1) Turkey:  the most important base is Incirlik, which stands at less than a 600 miles from Baghdad.

2) Kuwait: The Doha Base; the Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base;  The Ali Salem Air Base;  the $200-million 'Arifjan Military Camp.

3) Saudi Arabia: The Prince Sultan Air Base.  In addition, according to Saudi opposition sources, Crown Prince Abdallah has granted the United States the use of a military base belonging to the National Guard, in the Fuaylaq Valley, near Riyadh.

4) Bahrain:  The small country is now the naval base for the U.S. Fifth Fleet.  In addition, the United States has the use of  the Shaikh Issa Air Base.

5) Qatar: Al-Adeed (has the longest runway of all bases--4500 meters and is therefore able to host large transport planes.  It also features fortified hangars that can protect as many as 100 fighter jets.)

6) The United Arab Emirates: The Zafra Air Base.

7) Oman: All bases are available to the United States, including the International al-Sayb Airport, and the bases of Tamrit and al-Massirah.

8) Djibouti: The U.S. in Djibouti monitors Yemen and Somalia.  The U.S. has troops at the Camp Le Monier, a former French barracks, and U.S. ships can and do use the Djibouti harbor.

9) Diego Garcia: It is reported that the United States is expanding the facilities in that island, which is owned by Britain, in the Indian Ocean.