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US, Saudi reach new agreements on use of bases:
Report -
WASHINGTON - The United States and Saudi Arabia have reached new agreements that will allow expanded US air operations from Saudi territory, including full use of Prince Sultan Air Base in the event of war against Iraq, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. Citing
unnamed senior officials and diplomatic sources, the paper said that in
addition to the use of the air command and control center at Prince
Sultan, the deals allow the United States to fly refueling aircraft,
AWACS surveillance planes and JSTARS battlefield radar aircraft from
Saudi airfields.
The
United States also will be permitted to use Saudi airfields to base
fighter jets undertaking interception missions against Iraqi aircraft
and enforcing the no-fly zone over southern Iraq, the report said. “We’ve
had talks over the past three weeks that have been very productive, and
both we and the Saudis are satisfied,” The Post quoted an
administration official as saying. There
is also a tacit agreement that will allow the United States to conduct
bombing missions from Saudi Arabia after an initial wave of US air
strikes as long as no public announcement is made, according to the
paper. A
defense official declined to comment on whether search-and-rescue
missions for downed US pilots could be launched from Saudi Arabia, but
specified that no US ground deployments were envisaged, The Post said. The
Saudis have also agreed to increase their daily oil production by 1.5
million barrels per day as soon as there is a shortfall on international
markets as a result of the war, according to the report. Iraqi
production of two million barrels a day is expected to stop if
hostilities begin.
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