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
The Prime Ministers have discussed the latest developments in Georgia as well as the September European Council dedicated for the matter.
more »
On 19 August, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitiekūnas attended an extraordinary North Atlantic Council meeting, where he and other NATO Foreign Ministers discussed the situation in Georgia.
more »
Today, August 20, Wednesday, President Valdas Adamkus and President Valdis Zatlers of Latvia observe the Balts Will international coastal exercises of special operations forces.
more »
President Valdas Adamkus says that in the face of aggression against Georgia hasty calls are being made to change Lithuania’s defense strategy and return to its earlier conscription system.
more »
Aircraft of Lithuanian Air Force (LAF) C–27J Spartan took off from Tbilisi Airfield to evacuate 39 citizens of Lithuania from Georgia crisis region
more »
Today President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus participated in the meeting of presidents of the Lithuanian World Community and the World Lithuanian Youth Union.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus has condemned the acts of vandalism committed against Lithuania‘s and Vilnius‘s Jewish community headquarters, and calls on law-and-order and special services of the country to identify the organisers and the perpetrators of these acts immediately.
more »
With deep concern and anxiety, we are observing the events in Georgia which at this moment is under intensive attacks by the army of the Russian Federation.
more »
According to the President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus, the international community should be worried about the military tension that has sparkled in Georgia.
more »