From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 5, 2017
US military says no changes amid Gulf spat
The US military’s Central Command says it has “no plans to change our posture in Qatar” amid a Gulf diplomatic crisis.
Maj. Adrian J.T. Rankine-Galloway tells The Associated Press in a statement that US military aircraft continue to fly missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria despite the rift.
The major says: “We encourage all our partners in the region to reduce tensions and work towards common solutions that enable regional security.”
Qatar is home to the vast Al-Udeid Air Base that holds the forward headquarters of Central Command and hosts some 10,000 American troops.
Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced early today they would sever diplomatic ties to Qatar, calling into question whether that would affect US military operations.
The Times of Israel Community.