ABU DHABI, 28 April 2003 — The United States has not decided whether to reduce, or perhaps increase, its military “footprint” in the Arabian Gulf, Gen. Tommy Franks said yesterday.

The top Iraq war commander, who joined Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for talks with United Arab Emirates leaders, made clear that the US military does want to continue to use its command center in neighboring Qatar.

Rumsfeld has said the US is considering lowering its forces stationed in the Gulf region now that the threat from Iraq is over.

Rumsfeld is in the Gulf region to meet with US troops involved in the war in Iraq and discuss America’s role after overthrowing Saddam. He also plans to visit American troops and government officials in Afghanistan this week.

Gen. Franks flew in from Qatar to take part in the talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalifa ibn Zayed Al-Nahayan, UAE Defence Minister Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum and the armed forces chief. “We talked about the way ahead in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Rumsfeld told reporters before leaving for Qatar, host to US military Central Command headquarters. “We assured the defence minister and crown prince that the United States intends to do what is necessary with our coalition partners to see that there is a new environment in Iraq, a permissive environment, that allows the Iraqi people to begin that important process of developing an Iraqi interim authority and ultimately a free Iraqi government,” he added.

Standing beside Franks, Rumsfeld praised the Gulf commander for doing “a superb job for our country, for the people of Iraq and the region”.

Washington is studying possible changes in its costly military presence in the Middle East, with the removal of Saddam Hussein being seen as potentially allowing a reduction in the US presence. Due to security considerations, Pentagon officials gave no advance indication of whether Rumsfeld would visit Iraq itself, where more than 130,000 US troops are now deployed, and would not name other stops on the trip.

Rumsfeld told reporters he planned “to discuss with our allies around Iraq the arrangements that we have with them and our partnership and cooperation as we look forward at some point to the end of major combat activity in Iraq.”

Military analysts say they expect the United States to sharply reduce its military presence in Saudi Arabia, a key ally for decades, and perhaps move some air power from there to Qatar, Oman or the UAE. Washington also has a major military presence in Iraq’s southern neighbour, Kuwait.

Rumsfeld later arrived in Qatar and was due to hold talks with US commanders.