Qatar should have boots on the ground in Syria: Jubeir

CAIRO – 25 April 2018: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on a statement Tuesday that Qatar should deploy troops in Syria and pay the expenses of the American forces in the troubled state.

Al Jubeir urged the emirate to take the step before being stripped of the American protection represented in the US enormous military base “Al Udeid”, located in city of Doha.

Al Jubeir added that the emirate’s reluctance to participate in the military campaign waged against terrorists in Syria may have the US President, Donald Trump, withdrawing US forces deployed in Qatar.

Al Jubeir claimed that the Qatari regime will not survive an unavoidable overthrow in case Trump decided to end the American existence in Al Udeid military base.

American President Trump has said earlier on Tuesday during a press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that he will bring the American troops in Syria back to US.

“As far as Syria is concerned, I would love to get out. I would love to bring our incredible warriors back home. They have done a great job, we have absolutely obliterated ISIS in Iraq and Syria,” Trump said during the press conference.

The American President has previously urged the Saudi Kingdom to pay the military expenses of his country’s security existence in the region.

Saudi Arabia stroke an $110bn arms deal with the US on May 20th, 2017, after US president and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have signed a series of letters of interest.

Al Udeid Air base was built in 1996 at the cost of $1bn paid by Qatar. The Air base houses 10000 military personnel from America, Britain and other countries.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain have cut their economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar since June 2017 after accusing the rich gas emirate of funding terrorism in the region.