US moves jets to Qatar after UAE bans use of a base for attacks: WSJ

NEW YORK:  The United States is moving its fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military aircraft to Qatar after United Arab Emirates (UAE) officials warned they would not allow Washington to use their territory for attacks in West Asia, according to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

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Emirati officials informed the US in February that they would no longer allow US warplanes and drones based at Al Dhafra air base to carry out attacks in Yemen and Iraq without notifying them in advance, the newspaper said.

“Restrictions have been imposed on strike missions against targets in Iraq and Yemen,” a UAE official told WSJ. “These restrictions are based on self-protection.”

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Al Dhafra air base is located approximately 32 kilometres south of the capital Abu Dhabi. US officials said the move prompted US commanders to send the additional planes to Al Udeid as Qatar has not imposed similar restrictions. A decision of this kind highlights the existing tensions between the US and the Persian Gulf countries, the WSJ report noted. – INP