U.S. Forces Scale Back in Saudi Arabia

AP | 8/28/03 | PAULINE JELINEK

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON, Aug 28, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- The Pentagon has withdrawn most of its forces from the strategic Mideast nation of Saudi Arabia, ending a decade-long buildup started after the first war against Iraq's Saddam Hussein.

With Saddam ousted from office in neighboring Iraq nearly five months ago, U.S. military officials transferred back to the Saudis control of portions of Prince Sultan Air Base and deactivated the 363rd Air Expeditionary Wing that has operated there, the Air Force said in a statement Wednesday.

"The end of (major combat operation in Iraq) and Saddam Hussein's government means the American military mission here is over," Maj. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr., a commander there, was quoted as saying at Tuesday's withdrawal ceremony.

Saudi government officials asked U.S. service members to deploy to Saudi Arabia during the 1991 Gulf War. But U.S. presence was opposed by some in the kingdom - the site of Islam's holiest sites - and was among reasons cited by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden for his al-Qaida attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001.

Until the second war began in March, American forces used Prince Sultan to enforce a "no-fly zone" over southern Iraq that was designed to deny Saddam's forces flight rights in the region.

Then, at the height of the second Iraq war, US military personnel at Prince Sultan Air Base numbered more than 5000, with about 200 warplanes flying missions from the facility, according to the Air Force.

A skeletal crew of a few hundred is to remain and U.S. military personnel will continue training with Saudi forces and holding joint exercises, officials said.

The base became the center of the U.S. presence in the country in 1997 after the Khobar Towers bombing that killed 19 airmen and injured 400 others.

The Defense Department has invested large sums in a state-of-the-art air command center south of the Saudi capital. It was completed just before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and was used to coordinate the air campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan.

The U.S.-Saudi agreement on U.S. withdrawal was made April 29 - a day before President Bush declared major combat over in Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at that time that the work done at Prince Sultan air base was being shifted to al-Udeid air base in Qatar.

Even before the Iraq war, the Air Force was closing out operations at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey, which U.S. and British planes used to launch no-fly zone patrols over northern Iraq.

Rumsfeld has been looking at other basing changes throughout the world. Officials also are looking at reducing the number of air and ground forces kept on large permanent bases hosted by allies such as Germany and South Korea.

U.S. and South Korean officials last month agreed to go ahead with plans to transfer more defense responsibilities to South Korea and to move U.S. forces away from the demilitarized zone separating the country from North Korea. There are 37,000 U.S. troops stationed in the south.

By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press Writer

[pdjplano]

good move, now get out troops out of Germany and a host of other countries they don't need to be in, and put them where they do need to go, like bolstering our numbers in Afghanistan and Pakistan (who we should let know that we are encroaching into their lands to hunt Al Qaeda and the Taliban)..

[Rummyfan]

Masalaama Prince Sultan Air Base! Had the pleasure of work ing there for a year. The place resembled a moonscape and I never felt the locals were too happy about us being there. The Herfy in Al Kharj was my favorite restaurant!

[proud2serve]

About time! I was stationed in PSAB and it was exasperating when the Saudi gov't would jump on whatever side of the fence helped them the most frequently. Alot of our problems in the mid-90's to today have stemmed from Saudi. If they had stood by coalition forces years ago, who knows if we would have had to oust the Ba'ath Party in Iraqi with a war, it probably would have ended with either Strike or Fox! I have to say that while I did not enjoy my time in Saudi, I did like Kuwait. That's one country who's role in our efforts was downplayed. Kuwait has stood firm and didn't budge when their neighbors shied away from conflict with Saddam.

[Tacis]

Alas, this means trouble for the future. The Saudis may be untrustworthy savages but they have lots of cash and centuries of playing off one faction against another. Once these bases and facilities are vacant and, in the face of even more proof that the Saudis are and have been funding terrorists all over the world, the Saudis will invite the military of our most potent adversary to occupy some of these bases.

Now, of course, that is China. The Saudis will invite Chinese military into several of the facilities that we vacated as a symbolic indicator that there are other fish in the sea and as a warning that we better not learn to much about their treachery.

[proud2serve]

I agree to a point. But, I would have to be on the side of caution with sending alot of troops into other Muslim countries, it could quite possibly up the anti on terrorism. If it is percieved, which it more than likely would be, that the US is starting to "invade" other Muslim states, there could be a backlash that we might not be able to withstand. It's time for the UN to step up to the plate and start helping out on this one.
I do think that we need to take a harder look at Asia, where these groups are starting to pop-up, if we ignore them, like we did with Bin Laden in the 80's, then it could get out of control again.