WASHINGTON – News that an Air Force base in Idaho will host a training facility for Qatari troops drew criticism from both the left and right over the weekend, with the state’s Congressional delegation largely in support of the plan Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Friday.

In remarks alongside his Qatari counterpart, Defense Minister Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the Pentagon chief touted the partnership between the United States and the nation located on the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East and has played a key role in negotiating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect on Friday.

After thanking Sheikh Saoud, a member of Qatar’s royal family, for that diplomatic assistance, Hegseth said he was “proud t

See Full Page