Conservative US think tank calls for US military to withdraw from base in Rota & relocate to Gib

A conservative United States think tank has called for the US military to withdraw from its base in Rota and relocate to Gibraltar.

Earlier this year, the Spanish Premier condemned the US and Israel’s attack on Iran, and refused to allow Rota to be used as part of the military action. 

In a post on its website, the Middle East Forum says President Donald Trump “should not forgive Spain”.

The thinktank’s Director of Policy Analysis, Michael Rubin, also said Spain had sold technology to Iran which was “dual-use”, meaning it could be used for military purposes.

In his article in the Middle East Forum Observer, Mr Rubin says tomorrow will see a meeting of the US House Committee on Armed Services: a standing committee of the US House of Representatives.

He says this will feature the assistant secretary of Defense and the commanders of the US Central Command and US Africa Command, and that they will “likely defend the current footprint of US bases” – and that other members of the committee have previously argued the base at Rota Is “essential and irreplaceable”.

However, Mr Rubin argues, while Rota is currently “essential” to US logistics in the Mediterranean, Gibraltar is an alternative.

He argues in favour of a “lease on Gibraltar’s British base”, claiming this would be “a much better match for “US military and diplomatic needs than Rota”.

The Middle East Forum article calls for President Trump to “set an example” for other European countries to discourage them from following Spain’s lead.

It calls for him to define Ceuta and Melilla as occupied Moroccan territory, and for the relocation of US assets from Rota to Gibraltar.