Several of Idaho’s top officials mum on plans for Qatari training facility at Mountain Home base
Published at | Updated at
Laura Guido, Idaho Capital Sun
MOUNTAIN HOME (Idaho Capital Sun) — Several of Idaho’s top officials have stayed quiet on the announcement Friday of a training facility for Qatari troops at the Mountain Home Air Force Base.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the agreement with the Middle Eastern country on Friday for a facility to host Qatari troops at the base located just under 50 miles southeast of Boise. The plan had been in the works for years, including an agreement with Qatar to purchase F-15QA aircraft from the U.S. made in 2017, the Associated Press reported.
RELATED | Pentagon will build a training facility for Qatari pilots in Idaho
RELATED | Qatari air force facility coming to Idaho, Hegseth announces
Friday’s announcement received mixed responses from Idaho elected officials.
A group of ultra-conservative Republicans in the Idaho Legislature, who call themselves the Gang of Eight, wrote a letter to Idaho’s congressional delegation on Sunday with concerns about the announcement and several questions about its implementation.
The group, including state Sen. Christy Zito, a Republican who lives in and represents Mountain Home, expressed concern about “Islamic terrorism” and the “lack of consultation with Idaho’s state leadership.”
“In the interest of informing our constituents, promoting government transparency, and collaboration between federal and state legislators, we respectfully request answers to the following questions,” the letter said.
The questions included those about funding, screening and vetting of trainees, and similar agreements with other nations, such as the existing training program with Singapore at the Mountain Home base.
State Rep. Faye Thompson of McCall also represents the legislative district that houses the Mountain Home base and signed the letter. Joining Zito and Thompson were state Sens. Glenneda Zuiderveld of Twin Falls and Josh Kohl of Twin Falls, as well as state Reps. Lucas Cayler of Caldwell, Kent Marmon of Caldwell, Clint Hostetler of Twin Falls, and David Leavitt of Twin Falls.
Idaho governor, chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee haven’t publicly commented on agreement
Republican U.S. Senator for Idaho Jim Risch, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, had not publicly commented on the decision as of Tuesday afternoon. Idaho Gov. Brad Little also had not released a statement or response to the announcement.
Risch and Little’s office did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.
Idaho U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson wrote on the social media platform X that he supported the deal.
“Fantastic news for Mountain Home Air Force Base as (Hegseth) just announced the Pentagon has agreed to host Qatari F-15 fighter jets and pilots here in Idaho,” Simpson wrote Friday. “This development is beneficial for training, enhances our partnership with America’s allies, and strengthens national security.”
Idaho U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo said in an emailed statement to the Sun, “As I await further details about the agreement, I will continue working with Air Force and Mountain Home base leadership to ensure they have the support necessary to fulfill goals of global military readiness that keep Idahoans and Americans safe and protect our long-term national security interests.”
Idaho U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher also could not be reached for comment.
Idaho Democrats, Risch challenger push back on Mountain Home Air Force Base agreement
Democrats in Idaho criticized the announcement.
“Trump accepted a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar, then his regime quietly approved building a Qatari military installation right here in Idaho,” the Idaho Democratic Party posted Friday on X. “He sold out our security and used our state as part of the payoff.”
The plans for the training facility and sale of the fighter jets to Qatar predated Qatar’s gift of the jumbo jet to President Donald Trump. The Air Force announced the agreement for training in 2020.
Idaho Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terri Pickens called on Little to pause the deal in an emailed statement.
“This isn’t just a foreign-relations issue — it’s a direct threat to Idaho’s sovereignty, our security, and the rights of Idahoans,” Pickens wrote. “Letting outsiders use our military infrastructure poses serious security and intelligence risks. Governor Little must tell the president to put a pause on this deal before it goes any further.”
Todd Achilles, an independent candidate challenging Risch for his U.S. Senate seat, wrote in a statement to the press, “I have one question for Senator Risch … Were you in on this?”