Air Force One: Sources contradict Trump narrative about Qatar, which offers aircraft as a “gift”.

Cnn
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The Trump administration initially turned to Qatar to inquire about the acquisition of a Boeing 747 that President Donald Trump used as Air Force One. CNN announced four sources that were familiar with the discussions. This contradicts the president's narrative that Qatar offered him the jet as a “gift”.

After Trump took office in January, the Pentagon Boeing contacted and learned that the company could not deliver the new jets he had built up to replace the aging presidential aircraft for another two years, the sources said.

However, the Trump administration wanted much faster, and the Air Force examined various options for this. At the same time, Trump commissioned his envoy to find a list of viable aircraft to find his envoys from the Middle East, a high -ranking officer of the White House told CNN.

After the initial commitment of the Pentagon with the company, Boeing provided us with defense officers with a list of other Boeing customers around the world with aircraft that could work in the meantime, three of the sources said.

“And Qatar was one of the customers,” said the second source with the discussions and added that the Pentagon was “offered to buy the plane”, and Qatar stated that it was ready to sell it.

The Pentagon had started the discussions with Qatar after he had learned that the White House supported the idea, said the third confidante source, and Witkoff helped to make the first talks easier, said the White House official.

The third source reminded that the leasing of the aircraft affected the first discussions instead of buying it directly.

But Trump has repeatedly described the potential business as a “gesture” or “contribution” of the royal family of Katar. A “gift for free”, he wrote on his social media website. He said it was a temporary replacement for Air Force One and his presidential library after leaving the office after leaving, but denied that he would then fly on the plane.

The details of the administration's outreach throws new light on the origins of the potential transfer of the jet, which caused a political excitement that threatened a Trump's journey to the Middle East last week. Democrats and several influential Republicans, who are usually convinced supporters of the President, have announced that they are opposed to the potential deal for reasons of ethics. Qatar has also confronted a counter -reaction, with democratic legislators threatening to keep weapons sales into Golfland.

Boeing is “very late by plane,” said Trump in an interview last week with Fox News: “And Qatar heard about it, and he is a great leader. And we spoke and he said:” If I can help you, let me do it. “And they had an airplane.”

In February Trump toured the Qatar aircraft with some areas when it was near Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort at the airport in Palm Beach, Florida. Then Trump noticed how luxurious the plane is for the people around him, CNN reported. The communication director of Trump, Steven Cheung, said at the time that Trump was on the plane to “check the new hardware/technology”.

The Pentagon has postponed questions into the White House. CNN asked the White House, the Qatarian Embassy in Washington and a spokesman for Boeing for a comment.

Both Washington and Doha have emphasized that on Monday it will be legally carried out between the Ministry of Defense by Qatar and the Ministry of Defense of the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of the US Department of Defense and the Ministry of Defense of the US Ministry of Defense.

The four people familiar with the discussions say that the transaction is still eliminated by lawyers on the two sides.

“From this time [the initial US outreach to Qatar] To date, the matter is still with the legal teams, ”said the second source, which is familiar with the discussions,” and no decision was made at all. ”

Reports have determined the value of the aircraft around 400 million US dollars, but two of the sources stated that it has written down.

On Monday, the press spokesman for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, described the potential transmission as a “donation to our country” and said that the royal family in Qatar had “offered to donate this aircraft to the US air weapon, where this donation is accepted according to all legal and ethical obligations.”

While Trump's Middle East journey, he said he would never be one that rejects this offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person who says: “No, we don't want a free, very expensive plane.” But it was, I found it a great gesture. ”

The Qatarian Prime Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al-Thani confirmed Trump's claim that a Qatarian civil servant was addressed, not when he asked CNNS Becky Anderson last Wednesday.

“This is a very simple handling of the government if the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Defense still exchange the opportunity to broadcast one of our 747-8 as Air Force One, and it is still in the legal review,” said Al-Ghani in the interview.

“At the end of the day, if there is something that the United States needs and it is completely legal and we can, we can help and support the United States, then we don't shy away from,” Al-Thani continued, adding that the offer would be withdrawn if the transaction were considered illegal.

In addition to the ethical and legal questions, the retrofitting and installation of the required safety and communication devices in a used aircraft from another government, even a friendly, monumental task is.

It could take two years and diverse of what the aircraft itself is worth, current and former officials have communicated CNN. US spy and security authorities that were commissioned to overhaul would essentially be deducted to its frame and rebuilt with the necessary equipment.

“I don't see how you can take this with an acceptable risk in a reasonable time if you can do this,” a former top spy defense officer previously told CNN.

The two Boeing 747-800S, which are to deliver in the second half of Trump's final term in 2027, will be delivered in 2027.

“I would not necessarily guarantee this date, but they suggest that it in '27, if we can agree to the conditions,” said Darlene Costello, the deputy head of the Air Force, the head of the Air Force, at the beginning of this month.

That is five years later than the original delivery date, but two years earlier than Boeing recently predicted.

“I am not satisfied with the fact that it took so long,” said Trump reporters on board the Air Force One in February. “There is no excuse for it.”

“I could buy one that was used and convert,” he added, “so let's take a look at other alternatives.”