Saudi Arabia has told American military officials that the kingdom would make its airspace, air bases and an important operations center available to the United States in the event of war with Iraq, the New York Timesreported today.
Saudi Arabia was the main staging area for American forces in the 1991 Gulf war, but conflicting public statements by top Saudi officials over the past several months have cast doubt on Saudi Arabia's assistance against Iraq this time around - support that is seen as crucial to the success of the military effort.
Publicly, Saudi officials remain noncommittal about allowing their territory to be used as a staging area for war against Iraq.
But American commanders told the Timesthey have been given private assurances in recent weeks that they will be allowed to run an air war against Iraq from a sophisticated command center at Prince Sultan Air Base outside Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital - the same command post that ran the air campaign in Afghanistan.
"I firmly believe the Saudis will give us all the co-operation we need, and every indication I have is we're getting pretty much what we've asked for," Genl John Jumper, the Air Force chief of staff, said in an interview with the Times.
Because of uncertainty about Saudi cooperation, the Pentagon has undertaken efforts to build an alternate air command post in Qatar, where the overall American command for Iraqi operations will be headquartered.
US commanders now say allied refueling, reconnaissance, surveillance and cargo planes will be allowed to fly from Saudi bases, using Saudi airspace on the way to missions in or near Iraq.
AFP