Qatar's new "base" in Idaho— what is not being talked about

On October 10, 2025, the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, inked a deal with Qatar, allowing for the construction of training facilities at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho, to be used by the Qatari Emiri Air Force. This announcement was followed by widespread condemnation, even from President Trump's own base. There is no shortage of comments online accusing the president of being bought off by the Qatari monarchy. That being said, there is a lot of partisan noise that must be filtered out when discussing this agreement. I will provide a brief context for this deal and sift through the sludge.

Make no mistake, I am an extremely vocal critic of the current administration and its policies. The Trump administration has done more to undermine than to advance our security and economic interests. Likewise, anyone who has been following me for long enough knows that I certainly have no love for the al-Thani dynasty or the Qatari state in general. This post is not intended to be a partisan apologia for the current administration's actions, but simply to provide accurate information and proper context behind this deal. The deal that Secretary Hegseth signed with the Qataris is nothing new or special. Foreign militaries often host training facilities on American military bases, including US Air Force bases. It is very common for countries equipped with American weaponry to send training contingents or establish training centers in the United States. 

Countries like Germany, the United Kingdom, and Singapore have facilities on American military installations. Britain's Royal Air Force maintains training centers at Camp Roberts in California and Fort Hunter Liggett (also in California). The Republic of Singapore likewise has a training center at Mountain Home Air Force Base. The United States Air Force's 428th Fighter Squadron trains pilots from the Republic of Singapore Air Force there. Sheppard Air Force base in Texas hosts a program in charge of training fighter pilots from NATO member states. Luke Air Force Base in Arizona also hosts training contingents from the Netherlands and other NATO members for training on F-35 planes. It must also be mentioned that it was the Biden administration that designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally back in 2022. 

Allied militaries setting up training facilities on American installations is commonplace and has been going on for some time. This is simply one means of promoting combat readiness and cooperation between the United States and allied countries. As much as I oppose the blood-soaked Qatari state and the barbarism that it stands for, these arrangements are necessary to ensure regional security and satisfy the demands of countries importing American arms. This deal cannot be easily explained as simply a quid pro quo for a fancy jet. Even those of us who lean more to the left (like myself) must take a step back and take care to not become stuck in the conservative echo chambers' left-leaning counterpart. Tell me what you think about this new agreement. Should Qatar be allowed to build training centers on our bases? Which other countries do you think should be allowed to construct training facilities in the US? Sound off in the comments!