Fact Check: Is Qatar Building a Military Base in Idaho

[WBHG News] – An announcement by U.S. Secretary of War (Defense) Pete Hegseth that a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force Facility in Idaho kicked off a bipartisan firestorm, social media misinformation, and a lot of confusion.

Speaking at the Pentagon on Friday with the Qatari Minister of Defense Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Hegseth told reporters, “I’m also proud that today we’re announcing…signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emiri Air Force Facility at the Mountain Home Air Base in Idaho.”

Reading from a prepared statement, Minister Al Thani echoed Hegseth, saying that he “welcomes today’s signing of a letter of acceptance, establishing a Qatari Emiri Air Force facility” in Idaho.

Political outrage followed, with Democrats accusing the Trump administration of hypocrisy, and Republicans split between defending the administration and accusing Qatar of plotting to establish a Muslim foothold in Idaho. Several hours later, Hegseth issued a clarification on Twitter (X), saying, “[T]o be clear, Qatar will not have their own base in the United States – nor anything like a base.”

At the time of publication, it remains unclear who is paying for base improvements at Mountain Home, which will include hangars, training facilities, maintenance, and base housing. The language of the original announcement on Friday indicated that Qatar would be building the facility within Mountain Home. The Qatar contingent to be stationed in Idaho will support the training of pilots for F-15QA Eagle multirole strike fighters. In 2017, Qatar committed to purchasing 36 aircraft, with an option for 36 more.

Joint training of foreign military forces in the U.S. is common

The U.S. military has hosted numerous nations for training and joint exercises for decades at military bases across the country, and at U.S. territories such as Guam and American Samoa. Singapore, Germany, and the United Kingdom have semi-permanent contingents in the U.S. for pilot training, intelligence, and joint command and control. In the last three years, members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have trained on operating and maintaining the Patriot air defense system in Oklahoma and flying the F-16 in Texas and Arizona.

Singapore trains its F-15 pilots at Mountain Home because the nation is smaller than Rhode Island and lacks available territory for conducting vital exercises over land.

Misinformation spreads about Singapore’s presence at Mountain Home in an attempt to defend Hegseth

Supporters of the Trump administration rushed to social media channels, declaring that what Hegseth announced is no different than the Singaporean 428th Fighter Squadron that has been stationed at Mountain Home AFB since 2009. Claims fell into two camps: Qatar was paying for its own facilities, as Singapore did, or Qatar would use existing infrastructure at the base. Neither claim is true.

Singapore and the U.S. have had military cooperation agreements in place since 1988, including the training of pilots on the Apache AH-64 attack helicopter in Idaho and Arizona and the F-16 multirole fighter at Luke Air Force Base. In 2005, the U.S. and Singapore agreed to station 12 F-15s of the Singapore Air Force at Mountain Home. To support that mission, the Department of Defense authorized a $60 million contract in 2007 to build hangars, training centers, base housing, and maintenance facilities for Singapore. The work was completed in late 2008, with the aircraft and their crews transferred to the U.S. in 2009.

Defenders of the Pentagon’s decision with Qatar falsely claimed that in 2007, Singapore paid for the facilities built at Mountain Home. Public records show that isn’t true.

The plan to have a Qatari training facility in the U.S. was announced in 2017

The plan to build a training facility for Qatar was announced in 2017 as part of a $12 billion arms deal, which included the F-15s. Construction was supposed to start in 2022, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to start building out the facilities in 2023 were blocked by Congress, which refused to add the required funds to the National Defense Authorization Act.

In an attempt to make room at Mountain Home for Qatar, the U.S. planned to transfer the 428th to Andresen Air Force Base in Guam, where a 20-acre expansion is currently underway. On August 12, there was a mutual decision to maintain Singapore’s presence at Mountain Home in Idaho. The expansion at Andresen is continuing, but the plan to build three ammunition bunkers was axed.

Singapore recently agreed to purchase F-35A stealth fighters and will be setting up a detachment, referred to in military speak as a beddown, at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas. The first of 20 aircraft is expected to be delivered by the end of 2026.

What makes the Qatari announcement different

The critical difference between Singapore and Qatar is the original statement that strongly implied Qatar will pay for the expansion at Mountain Home. Hegseth’s follow-up statement that Qatar is not building a military base in the U.S. is accurate. However, our research could not find any example of a foreign nation paying to have their own military facilities built anywhere in the U.S., beyond the leasing of office space for non-combat troops.

Objectively, another key difference is Hegseth’s poor choice of words on Friday morning, which caused the confusion in the first place.

The U.S. has a very complicated relationship with Qatar

Al Udied Air Base in Qatar is the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East. Approximately 8,000 U.S. servicemembers are stationed there, as well as the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command and the Combined Air Operations Center for the Middle East. The base is shared with the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force 83rd Expeditionary Air Group.

Qatar has also played a key role in various negotiations in the Middle East, as well as between the U.S. and Afghanistan and Russia and Ukraine.

Qatar has also provided a safe haven for Hamas, including accusations of financing the group, and has hosted its leadership for years. Qatar also hosts offices for the Taliban and has faced numerous allegations of funding the Muslim Brotherhood.

In July, Qatar donated a $400 million Boeing 747-200 “unconditionally,” with the White House claiming the aircraft will be upgraded to serve as Air Force One. After Trump completes his term, the plane reportedly will be donated to his Presidential Library.

Current U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was a registered lobbyist for Qatar, earning $115,000 a month in 2020, according to publicly disclosed FARA filings. Current FBI Director Kash Patel’s previous consulting firm listed the Qatari government as one of its clients.

In April, Trump’s family company signed a deal to build a $5.5 billion 18-hole luxury golf resort in Qatar, under his personal brand. That project is being jointly developed by Saudi Arabia’s Dar Global and Qatari Diar, which is a state-owned enterprise.

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