WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important U.S. ally in
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, welcomes Qatar Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud Al Thani to the Pentagon, Friday, Oct. 10, 2025 in Washington. WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important U.
S. ally in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar’s defense minister, said the facility to be built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base would “host a contingent of Qatari F-15s and pilots to enhance our combined training, increase the lethality, interoperability.” The arrangement is not unusual. Pentagon officials noted that similar facilities have been set up for other allies for decades, and the Idaho base already hosts a fighter squadron from Singapore. But the news drew a sharp rebuke from close Trump ally and right-wing influencer Laura Loomer, who called the plan “an abomination” and accused the Qataris of being associated with Islamic terror organizations. “No foreign country should have a military base on US soil. Especially Islamic countries,” Loomer wrote in one of several social media posts just hours after Hegseth’s announcement. Although Loomer holds no formal position within the Trump administration, her online complaints have a history of achieving results. Her criticisms have led to the firing of officials on the National Security Council, Dr. Vinay Prasad, the Food and Drug Administration’s vaccine chief, and Gen. Tim Haugh, the head of the National Security Agency. Qatar would pay for the construction of the new facility, a defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to provide information not publicly released. When asked for more details, Hegseth’s office said it had nothing to offer beyond the secretary’s remarks. The announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order vowing to use all measures, including U.S. military action, to defend Qatar, which hosts the biggest U.S. military base in the Middle East. Loomer also criticized that decision, writing “I don’t want to die for Qatar. Do you?” on social media. However, she was not alone. The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board also questioned the pledge, writing that “this is a decision that can be and should have been debated.The small, gas-rich country played a key role in negotiating the most recent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the war in Gaza, as well as in several other key negotiations. Doha, the capital of Qatar, came under surprise attack from Israel last month as members of Hamas were in the city last month to discuss a ceasefire.the U.S. Air Force announced An Air Force environmental study, completed two years later, revealed that Mountain Home Air Force Base was proposing building a facility that would house 12 Qatari F-15 jets and about 300 additional Qatari and U.S. Air Force personnel. While the U.S. military has a long history of training pilots for allied countries, the practice received scrutiny in 2019 following a deadly mass shooting at Pensacola Naval Air Station that killed three U.S. service members and wounded several others. The shooter, Mohammad Saeed Al-Shamrani, was a Saudi Air Force officer who was training at the Pensacola base. The FBI said he was linked to the al-Qaida extremist group and had been in contact with it before the shooting. In the wake of the shooting, the U.S. sent home 21 other Saudi military students after an investigation revealed each had expressed jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had “contact with child pornography,” including in internet chat rooms, according to officials at the time. However, the U.S. continued to train Saudi pilots. Loomer referenced the incident in her social media posts on Friday. “Why are we trying to train more Muslims how to fly planes on US soil? Didn’t we already learn our lesson?,” she wrote on social media.WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Hegseth, who made the announcement during a visit by Qatar’s defense minister, said the facility to be built A federal judge ruled Friday that the Trump administration cannot put conditions on grants that fund efforts to combat domestic violence, including barring groups from promoting diversity, equity and inclusion or providing abortion resources. U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose in Providence, Rhode Island, granted a motion by 17 statewide anti-domestic and sexual violence coalitions A blast that leveled an explosives plant Friday in rural Tennessee left 19 people missing and feared dead, authorities said.PHILADELPHIA — In the contest for best scrapple sculpture in Philadelphia on Friday it was the “Mush Push” fashioned from the regionally popular pork breakfast meat that got Patrick Moser’s entry over the goal line. The Norristown tattoo artist’s tribute to the Philadelphia Eagles’ trademark short yardage play, known as the “tush push,” took Michael Guidotti will have his driver’s license on him when he runs the Chicago Marathon, just as he did during every training run since summer. After the Trump administration escalated its immigration crackdown in the city, runners like Guidotti, 31, are worried they could become a target during Sunday’s race. “Just knowing that I do NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime political foe of President Donald Trump, was indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday on mortgage fraud charges. It’s a case she says is bogus, cooked up by the Justice Department to cater to Trump, who had pushed for the Democrat to be Tyson O’Neill, owner of Generator Supercenter of Puget Sound in Lynnwood, said homeowners must stop treating backup power like a luxury.As small and medium-sized businesses in the Seattle-Tacoma region prepare to capitalize on renewed economic momentum and easing interest rates, Bonneville Seattle stands as the premier media partner to amplify their growth.Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, giving beneficiaries a crucial opportunity to review and change their plans.If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your heating, air conditioning, or heat pump system, 2025 is the year to act.Prostate cancer is a very serious disease, but most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. Many treatment options are available, especially in Seattle.In 7 Steps to a Successful Retirement, CPA and advisor Brian Evans lays out a clear, principle-driven roadmap to help individuals transition from working years to a comfortable retirement.
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Pentagon will build a training facility for Qatari pilots in IdahoDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the U.S. military is moving forward with plans to build a dedicated facility in Idaho to train pilots from Qatar, an important U.S. ally in the Middle East.
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