ISTANBUL, May 15 — The United States (US) has secured investments worth US$10 trillion (RM42.8 trillion) as a result of President Donald Trump’s Middle East tour this week.
Anadolu Ajansi reported him as saying that Qatar will make US$42 billion (RM179.9 billion) in military purchases and invest US$10 billion (RM42.8 billion) to improve Al Udeid Air Base, which houses personnel from the US, the United Kingdom, and Qatari air forces.
Stating that the US military will soon become “bigger, better, stronger and more powerful than ever before,” Trump announced that the US Air Force would “soon” acquire the world’s first and only sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47.
“As part of that effort, I signed an order to build the Golden Dome missile defence shield to protect our country from missile attack,” he said in a speech at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Thursday.
Referring to recent celebrations marking the anniversary of the WWII victory in France, Trump highlighted the US role in winning the war.
He announced that a “working holiday” would be introduced in future years in the US to commemorate the WWII victory.
Drawing attention to ongoing global conflicts, Trump said the US comes first but will “take care” of other countries.
“If I were president, Russia would never have gone into Ukraine. All of those things — it would have never happened
"Russia, Ukraine would have never started. October 7, Israel would have never happened," he said.
Describing the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as “horrible and so embarrassing,” Trump criticised the Biden administration for relinquishing control of Bagram Air Base.
“We should have kept the airbase,” he said.
Highlighting his role in brokering a ceasefire between Pakistan and India, Trump added: “We talked to them about trade instead of war.”
“Pakistan was very happy with that. And India was very happy with that,” he said.
Trump’s visit to Doha is part of a Gulf tour that began Tuesday in Saudi Arabia and is scheduled to conclude Friday in the United Arab Emirates. It marks the first visit by a US president to Qatar since George W. Bush in 2003.
— Bernama
