US pulls military equipment from Saudi Arabia to Qatar

American military spokesmen on Wednesday announced that the US will transport equipment from "Prince Sultan" military base, the greatest military base in Saudi Arabia to Qatar but will stay available in the Kingdom, noting that this is not linked to the tension with Iraq.

News reports quoted Colonel Rick Thomas, the spokesman for the American central leadership in Tampa, southern East Florida that equipment will be transported from one place to another as we usually do from time to time. But this is not considered a partial transport of prince Sultan air base in southern al-Riyadh.

For his part Lt. Col. David Le Pan, the spokesman for the Pentagon said that it is clear that the matter is not linked to Iraq and we are not leaving Saudi Arabia.

Replying to reducing the military presence in the base, Judith Kiebber, the specialist in the Middle East affairs at the external relations research institute said that the Americans only want to verify their papers and reduce their appearance especially in Saudi Arabia.

The British daily The Guardian said on Wednesday that the American air force prepares to transport the headquarters of its leadership from the Gulf in Saudi Arabia to Qatar because of the Saudi rejection of a military act against Iraq.

The paper explained that bids were launched by Saudi companies to transport electronic equipment very advanced to a base in Qatar.