【By Observer Net, Wang Yi】On October 10 local time, U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin announced at the Pentagon that the United States will build an air force training facility funded by Qatar within the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.

On the same day, media outlets such as The Congressional Report and Reuters reported that the news immediately caused anger and criticism from the closest allies of the Trump camp. Right-wing internet celebrity Laura Loomer believed that the plan meant "Qatar is building a military base on American territory," and openly expressed feelings of "betrayal," saying this incident might make her not vote in 2026.

On October 10, Austin met with Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs of Qatar, at the Pentagon, and both signed documents to establish a facility for the Qatari Royal Air Force at the Mountain Home Air Force Base.

A U.S. official told Reuters that the construction discussion has been ongoing for years, aiming to accommodate 12 F-15 aircraft purchased by Qatar and support its pilot training. The facility will include hangars and squadron operations buildings, constructed by local contractors under U.S. military supervision, with funding provided by Qatar.

The official stated that this arrangement is consistent with agreements reached with other U.S. allies. Currently, Singaporean pilots are also being trained at the base.

Austin said that this agreement reflects the strength of the U.S.-Qatar partnership and pointed out that Doha has played an important role in diplomatic efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

However, many people in the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement were dissatisfied with this news. Loomer angrily posted on the social media platform X, stating, "I never thought I would see Republicans providing a military base on American soil for the terrorist Qatar Muslims who fund them, so they can kill Americans," and "I don't know who told President Trump this was a good idea, but it makes people not want to vote."

Loomer wrote, "No foreign country should have a military base in the United States, especially Islamic countries." She also posted a video of Trump in 2017 criticizing Qatar for funding terrorism at a very high level, and explicitly stated that this incident might make her unwilling to vote in 2026.

In another post denouncing Austin, Loomer also claimed, "He should know that allowing terrorist financiers who fund Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood to have an air force base in the United States is a terrible idea."

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The Congressional Report noted that Loomer is a staunch supporter of Trump and has long held an adversarial attitude toward Qatar and most Muslim countries. Earlier this year, she criticized Trump for accepting a luxury Boeing jet gifted by the Qatari government.

Reuters stated that Loomer is known for provocative and self-promoting behavior. In 2018, she chained herself to the headquarters of the social media platform Twitter in protest after being banned. She has about 1.8 million followers on X and hosts a weekly program, holding some influence among MAGA supporters.

Other than Loomer, former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon also expressed dissatisfaction. He told U.S. Newsweek, "Never should a foreign military base be built on the sacred land of the United States."

Conservative commentator Amy Marick also criticized Qatar on X, claiming that Qatar "spent $100 billion to buy influence in the United States," and accused Qatar of funding Hamas and other groups, calling the approval of the agreement shocking. She believes this is not a "common defense objective," but rather a "shared illusion."

Responding to these objections, Austin later that day posted on X, stating, "It needs to be clear that Qatar will not have its own base in the United States—nor any similar arrangements. We control the existing bases, just like we do with all our partners."

A spokesperson for the Qatari Embassy also stated that the facility is not a Qatari air force base. Qatar has made an initial 10-year commitment to build and maintain a dedicated facility within the existing U.S. military base, used for advanced training and enhancing operational capabilities. They emphasized that this arrangement is similar to the cooperation model with U.S. and other international allies.

Qatar is an important security partner of the United States, and the U.S. military base at Udaid in Qatar is the largest military facility of the United States in the Middle East. Qatar also acts as a mediator in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Recently, due to an Israeli attack on senior Hamas figures in Qatar, the U.S. has increased the protection level for the country.

This article is exclusive to Observer Net. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7559981540306944554/

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