Knight Ridder April 15, 2003
U.S. expected to withdraw nearly all of its forces from Saudi Arabia after Iraq war
By Dave Montgomery
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia _ The United States, which has had a military presence in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade, is expected to follow through on plans to withdraw nearly all of its forces after the Iraq war to help maintain U.S.-Saudi relations, American officials and Middle East experts said.
A senior diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Knight Ridder that several thousand personnel at Prince Sultan Air Base are likely to be pulled out within months after the United States officially declares victory in Iraq.
The base, about 80 miles south of Riyadh, the Saudi capital, is being used to run the air war in the U.S.-led military campaign.
But widespread Arab opposition to the war is putting intense pressure on the pro-American monarchy that governs Saudi Arabia. Saudi officials publicly deny that they have allowed the U.S. military to use the air base for anything more than enforcing no-fly zones.
"They undoubtedly will not be sad to see our military leave that base when the time comes," said the diplomat. The U.S. departure from the Saudi-owned base will presumably be "a matter of months and not years," he said.
The decision is not surprising because having combat troops in Saudi Arabia has a downside for the United States, too. Osama bin Laden has used the presence of non-Muslim troops in an important land of Islam to rationalize attacks on U.S. targets around the world. Before the war, Secretary of State Colin Powell said the defeat of Saddam would let the United States "change the presence levels of American troops throughout that region."
U.S. combat aircraft flew hundreds of missions from Prince Sultan during the 1991 Gulf War and remained on the base to enforce a United Nations-imposed no-fly zone in southern Iraq. It also served as the command post for the air campaign in Afghanistan.
While the use of Saudi territory has been crucial during the current conflict, defense analysts said, the military's withdrawal after the war would have no substantial impact on U.S. security interests in the region _ especially since Iraq has been removed as a threat.
The United States will continue to maintain Army forces in Kuwait, a Navy base in Bahrain and air operations in Qatar and possibly the United Arab Emirates.
Victory over Saddam also has given the United States at least temporary control of air bases in Iraq, which could be used for strikes against two neighboring countries, Iran and Syria, that the Bush administration regards as potential trouble-makers.
In the build-up to 1991 war, Saudi officials allowed more than 500,000 U.S. military personnel into the oil-rich Arab kingdom after Saddam's forces invaded Kuwait, raising fears that the Iraqis also would invade Saudi Arabia.
The United States wants to help the Saudi royal family calm the anti-American mood among Saudi citizens. Saudi Arabia is an important Middle Eastern ally that controls a fourth of the world's oil supply and is in position to influence some of its more radical Arab neighbors.
"Given their relationship with us, it would seem to make sense for the United States to withdraw its forces," said Patrick Garrett, an analyst with Globalsecurity.org, an online military research organization. "The Saudis are obviously not pleased about the U.S. presence."
Gregory Gause, director of the Middle East Studies program at the University of Vermont, said Saudi leaders were "forced to make a stark choice" between yielding to rising anti-American sentiments or complying with the U.S. request to provide a base for air operations.
In the end, he said, the Saudis chose to quietly help a powerful ally by granting the request while, at the same time, publicly opposing the war. Saudi officials floated an unsuccessful peace initiative days after the war started.
This week, Saudi leaders will seek to influence Iraq's future by hosting two meetings of Arab leaders in Riyadh. The six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council _ Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman _ will meet Tuesday. Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal also has invited ministers from other countries bordering Iraq _ Iran, Syria and Turkey _ to a conference Friday.
Copyright © 2003, Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
