Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld confirms that U.S. forces are leaving Saudi Arabia
Published:
30 April 2003 y., Wednesday
In a joint news conference with Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz, Mr. Rumsfeld said the United States is grateful for the cooperation Saudi Arabia has provided.
The key command center for U.S. air operations in the Gulf region was transferred from Saudi Arabia to Qatar on Monday.
As many as 10,000 U.S. troops were stationed in Saudi Arabia during the war with Iraq. The kingdom was also a staging area for U.S. attacks against Iraq during the Gulf war in 1991 and for enforcing the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq.
However, Saudi Arabia refused to allow about 100 U.S. aircraft in the kingdom to be used for direct attacks against Iraq during the latest conflict, mostly because of public opposition to the war among Saudi citizens.
The spokesman for the 22-member Arab League, Hisham Yousef, told VOA the Arab world applauds the decision to remove U.S. forces from Saudi Arabia. Mr. Yousef said the issue of foreign troops on Arab soil is sensitive. U.S. officials have said future American military relations with Saudi Arabia would be in the form of training and military exercises.
Šaltinis:
voanews.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus received Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.
more »
Lithuanian Ambassador Mečys Laurinkus presented credentials to President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili.
more »
On 21 October, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas received Rabbi Andrew Baker, a representative of the American Jewish Committee, who is visiting Vilnius.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus received participants of the conference “Historic Significance of the Reciprocal Guarantee of Lithuania and Poland and the Present Day”.
more »
The President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus received the Ambassador of Portugal Antonio Manuel Moreira Tanger Correa, finishing the second term of office as the Ambassador.
more »
At the United Nations in New York, Lithuania raised the issue of dumped chemical weapons at seas. It is the first initiative of this kind on the UN agenda.
more »
President Valdas Adamkus wished President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, re-elected for the second term of presidency, to continue the important and responsible duties of his office.
more »
During the “Common World: Progress through Diversity” Forum in Astana, Lithuania‘s Foreign Minister and representatives from more than 60 states discussed the issues of strengthening tolerance and dialogue between the Western and Muslim worlds, as well as possibilities to promote security and stability.
more »
President of the United States George W.Bush received Lithuania‘s Ambassador to the USA at the White House in Washington and informed about the decision to remove the visa requirements for Lithuania’s citizens travelling to the United States as of November this year.
more »
On 16 October, Lithuanian ambassador Arūnas Vinčiūnas presented credentials to the President of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov.
more »