Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, northern Jordan
The funding, included in the Pentagon budget passed by Congress last week, highlights the growing importance of Jordan as the U.S. military makes plans in a neighborhood of unpredictable partners.
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, positioned near Jordan's border with Syria and Iraq, has played a key role for the U.S. in its battle against the Islamic State group. But the base, according to the Air Force, has been overwhelmed by the pace of operations. Fighter-bombers from other nations involved in the conflict, such as Belgium and the Netherlands, also have operated from its twin runways.
Air Force budget documents say the facility has limited ramp space to launch combat sorties, has "zero dedicated space to support cargo and personnel recovery operations" and is operating at "four to five times what the space was originally intended to support."
Comment: It is unlikely that we'll see the US leave Qatar without a fight or a fuss, but it is increasingly likely that they will leave nonetheless.
The Americans have been there since 1996 when the $1 billion secret base was built. The Pentagon then 'unveiled' it following 9/11. Today there are some 11,000 US troops based at Al-Udeid.