Idaho Officials Say They Weren’t Briefed Ahead of the Deal
Top Idaho leaders, including Governor Brad Little and U.S. Senator Jim Risch, were not notified before the federal government publicly announced a new Qatari military training partnership at Mountain Home Air Force Base, according to official records and correspondence between their offices.
The announcement came Friday from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who confirmed that the arrangement would establish permanent training facilities for Qatar’s F-15QA aircraft at the Idaho base. Staff members for both Risch and Little said the decision caught them by surprise.
Text messages between their chiefs of staff showed both offices learned of the announcement through public channels, with one remarking, “this was news to us.”
Communication Gaps Between State and Federal Officials
Emails reviewed by reporters indicate that Mountain Home Air Force Base officials were also unaware of the timing of the public release. Both the governor’s office and Senator Risch’s team later sought clarification from Washington about the scope of the project.
Governor Little’s office stated that Idaho had received confirmation from Secretary Hegseth that Qatar would not be building or owning a base in Idaho. The agreement, officials said, represents a training partnership under U.S. control, similar to existing arrangements with Singaporean forces stationed at the same base.
White House and Defense Department Clarify Terms
Following the announcement, the U.S. Department of Defense distributed internal talking points to Air Force personnel in Idaho. The memo emphasized that the U.S. retains full control over all facilities and operations at Mountain Home.
“Qatar will not have their own base in the United States,” the document stated. “This is a cooperative training agreement conducted on a U.S.-controlled installation.”
The message added that costs and construction details were still being finalized with Qatari counterparts and that congressional review of the overall framework had already taken place earlier in the year.
Risch and Little Coordinate Messaging
Senator Risch’s office later shared additional background materials with the governor’s communications team, reaffirming that foreign training partnerships are common practice and that Idaho’s congressional delegation is in ongoing discussions with federal defense officials to ensure appropriate oversight.
Risch, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the new arrangement is consistent with other U.S. defense partnerships and helps maintain Idaho’s strategic role in national security training.
Local Context
Mountain Home Air Force Base has a long history of hosting international air training programs, providing both economic activity and global defense cooperation. While some residents expressed concern about the news breaking without state notice, officials emphasized that the agreement does not change local command authority or U.S. control of the base.
Governor Little said he remains in communication with the Trump administration to ensure Idaho’s interests and community concerns are fully addressed as final details of the project are confirmed.
Related Coverage
- Idaho News – https://idahonews.co/idaho-news-3/
- National News – https://idahonews.co/national-news/
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