The U.S. Central Command will start moving its headquarters from Florida to Qatar on Friday, the Fox News Network reported late on Tuesday.
This step is believed to be part of a long-planned operation by the Pentagon to move its Afghan war command closer to Asia, although the timing of the move is likely to raise speculation about a U.S. military buildup for a possible strike against Iraq.
Neither the Pentagon nor CENTCOM would comment on the report of an impending move, Reuters reported. "We don't comment on operations or future moves," said a spokesman for CENTCOM in Tampa, Florida.
Commander of U.S. Central Command, Gen. Tommy Franks, who is commanding the war in Afghanistan, said late last year that he was considering moving his headquarters closer to Afghanistan, citing Qatar.
CENTCOM oversees the U.S. military presence in 25 countries in the Middle East, Central and Southwest Asia, and Northeast Africa, including the Gulf.
the news network said that the Qatari air base, Al-Udied, which has the longest runway in the Gulf, has recently undergone renovations. The network added that the base has been in the use of the U.S. military throughout Operation Enduring Freedom - the name given to the campaign in Afghanistan - hosting a large amount of fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft and several thousand American troops.
The army started installing intelligence equipment, computers and communications devices at Al-Udied towards the beginning of the fall of 2001, Fox said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
