Why the U.S. Bomber Withdrawal From a U.K. Air Base Is Significant

The U.S. over the weekend removed all of its B-1 Air Force bombers, thought to be around a dozen, from the RAF Fairford base in southern England, a week after several men were arrested nearby in relation to a suspected terror plot, which the U.K. government believes may be linked to Iran.“While operational security precluded us from confirming the movement of our assets and forces in real-time, we can acknowledge now that all U.S. bombers that were deployed to RAF Fairford have re-deployed to their home stations in the United States,” a U.S. Defense Department official told TIME, specifying that U.S. bombers “routinely operate around the world to support global force readiness and operational requirements.” The official added that America’s bomber force remains “ready to deliver precision global strike capabilities… anywhere, anytime.”A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the RAF Fairford base remains safe, but refused to offer any specific comment on the military operations of “foreign nations.” The British Ministry of Defense directed TIME to the U.S. Air Force when approached for comment.The Pentagon has not offered a specific reason behind the move, but it...