* US Central Command is asking Congress for $21 million to expand its logistics footprint at the port of Duqm in Oman.
* Located outside the Persian Gulf, Duqm gives the US more capabilities in the region, including another port that aircraft carriers can use.
* Duqm could also give the US an advantage in a burgeoning competition with China, which is expanding its influence around the world.
A year after the US clinched a deal with Oman to access facilities and ports in Duqm, US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, is asking for money to expand its operations there.
When the deal was stuck, US officials said it provided better access the Persian Gulf and reduced the need to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, a maritime choke point that Iran has threatened to block. US 5th Fleet, which is responsible for the region, is based in the Gulf on the island of Bahrain.
"The port itself is very attractive, and the geostrategic location is very attractive, again being outside the Strait of Hormuz," a US official told Reuters at the time, adding that negotiations began under Obama.
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WNU Editor: This port's location is a strategic prize.
1 comment:
Fracking means the US Navy doesn't need to worry about keeping the straits open. It only needs to keep them closed. Duqm fits that strategy.
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