The US government formally accepted the Boeing 747 offered by Qatar to be used as a presidential aircraft Air Force One and that has been subject to controversy for the questions that this delivery raises in matters of intelligence and security.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, indicated in a statement to the press that Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has accepted said plane “in accordance with all federal norms and regulations.”
“The Department of Defense will work to ensure that appropriate security measures and the requirements of the functional mission for an aircraft used to transport the president of the United States are considered,” he added.
For any additional detail in this regard, he referred to the Air Force.
Controversy for the Air Force One de Catar
The news about the Catarí offer was leaked in the middle of the month and from the beginning it was seen with skepticism even among the Republican ranks, which question that the complex process necessary to adapt the aircraft to the safety requirements makes it worth it.
“It could be stupid and say: ‘No, we don’t want a free and very expensive plane’, but it seemed like a great gesture,” said the president, Donald Trump, on his network, Truth Social, where he denied that it is a personal gift and said that, at the end of his second mandate in 2029, he would stop using it and deposit him in his presidential library.
The Prime Minister of Catar, Mohamed Bin Abdulrahmán, said Tuesday that his offer is something “normal between allies” and not a “bribe.”
From the CNN chain, contradicting the official version, it was specified that same day that it was the Republican Administration who initially contacted the Catarí kingdom.
The gift has caused numerous criticisms of allies and detractors equally, that cite a provision in the Constitution that prohibits public officials from accepting gifts of foreign governments or representatives.
A group of Democratic senators, members of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Upper House, has denounced in a statement that the gift represents “a clear conflict of interest” and “invites foreign influence” in the United States.
Trump sought to renew the presidential plane
The implication of Qatar arises after Trump’s disappointment with the various delays that Boeing accumulates in manufacturing a new Air Force One to replace the current one.
During his first mandate (2017-2021), the Republican ordered the Pentagon to disburse 3.9 billion for a pair of Boeing 747-8 that would serve as the next generation of the Air Force One. The White House declared this February that the project “has been delayed for five years, postponed until 2029 or later, despite the fact that the contract was awarded in 2018”.
But converting the luxury plane presented by coding into an apt for the presidential function could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and require up to two years, while the security equipment, communications and necessary defensive capabilities are installed.
This has made it questioned even among Republicans. For Senator Ted Cruz, from Texas, accepting that plane “raises important problems of espionage and surveillance”, an opinion shared by Democratic legislators such as Jack Reed, who has warned of the risks of granting a foreign nation potential access to sensitive systems and communications.
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