US trains Gulf air forces for war with Iran

The US air force is working with military leaders from the Gulf to train and prepare Arab air forces for a possible war with Iran, the British newspaper the Sunday Telegraph reports. An air warfare conference in Washington last week was told how US air chiefs have helped to coordinate intelligence-sharing with Gulf Arab nations and organize combined exercises designed to make it easier to fight together. Gen. Michael Mosley, the US Air Force chief of staff, used the conference to seek closer links with allies whose support the US might need if President Bush chooses to bomb Iran. Pentagon air chiefs have helped set up an air warfare center in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where Gulf nations are training their fighter pilots and the US has big bases. It is modeled on the US Air Force warfare center at Nellis air force base in Nevada. Jordan and the UAE have both taken part in combined exercises designed to make sure their air forces can fly, and fight, together and with US jets. The conference was long-planned to discuss developments in air warfare technology, but the question of possible hostilities involving Iran was discussed. Bruce Lemkin, the US air force deputy under-secretary for international affairs, said: "We need friends and partners with the capabilities to take care of their own security and stability in their regions and, through the relationship, the inter-operability and the will to join us in coalitions when appropriate… "On its most basic level, it's about flying together, operating together and training together so, if we have to, we can fight together." While it is unlikely that the US's Gulf allies would join any US air strike against Iran, their cooperation might be required to allow passage of warplanes though their airspace. US defense officials are also keen that Iran's Arab neighbors prepare to deal with any Iranian attempt to target them in return. Lt. Gen. Prince Faisal bin Al Hussein, who is special assistant to the chief of staff of the Jordanian armed forces, said the new air warfare center had allowed them to "exchange information and exercise together."