Friend or Foe?
Not sure what to make of this, but France’s new President seems to be on the right path - for now. But is this a signal of France’s dedication to stability in the region, or is it a counterbalance or even a challenge to the American presence in the Middle East?
You decide…
France Announces Base In Persian Gulf
Deal With U.A.E. Seen as Warning to Iran
By Molly Moore, Washington Post Foreign Service
PARIS, Jan. 15 — President Nicolas Sarkozy announced Tuesday that France would establish a military base in the United Arab Emirates, making it the only Western power other than the United States to have a permanent defense installation in the strategic Persian Gulf region.
Sarkozy signed the deal in Abu Dhabi with Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, president of the U.A.E., describing it as “a sign to all that France is participating in the stability of this region of the world.”
The base, announced at the end of a three-day visit by Sarkozy to Persian Gulf countries, is part of his effort to raise France’s international and diplomatic profile.
Though small in size — at least 400 navy, army and air force personnel — the installation would be an important symbol for both countries.
The announcement signals a shift in the political realities and sensitivities of the region from the days of the first U.S.-led war against Iraq in 1991, when most Persian Gulf countries demanded that the United States keep its bases in the region officially secret.
Sarkozy also used his visit, with stops in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to cement his alliance with the United States in demanding that Iran — seen by many of its Persian Gulf neighbors as a growing threat — halt its uranium enrichment program. President Bush is also in the region this week, issuing similar pointed criticism of Iran.
French officials said the U.A.E. military base, coupled with an agreement to help the Emirates build two nuclear reactors for energy production, is intended in part to warn Iran against taking aggressive steps toward any of its neighbors.
“France responds to its friends,” Sarkozy told reporters after signing the military agreement. “France and the Emirates signed a reciprocal defense accord in 1995. Our friends from the Emirates asked that this accord be prolonged and asked that a base with 400 personnel be opened.”
France is a major arms supplier to the U.A.E. and other Middle Eastern countries and stages regular joint military exercises with the Emirates.
In two of the largest weapons sales to the U.A.E. in recent years, France signed a $3.4 billion deal involving 63 Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft and a $3.4 billion agreement to supply 390 Leclerc tanks.
The French base will be set up in Abu Dhabi, the largest and wealthiest of the seven emirates, and will become operational in 2009, according to French officials. Officials declined to provide specifics of the base’s operations. Abu Dhabi is just across the Persian Gulf from Iran.
French Vice Adm. Jacques Mazars, who will head the project, said that in addition to the 400-plus people at the base, as many as 150 French navy personnel would be assigned to a U.A.E. naval base in Abu Dhabi, according to news service accounts from the region.
The United States has strategic military bases in many parts of the Middle East, including the Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain. The British military is part of the coalition naval task force based in Bahrain and operates aircraft from a U.S. air base in Qatar.
Sarkozy also used his trip to solidify other ties. He extended agreements in the U.A.E. for economic, education and cultural projects and signed new accords on transportation and intellectual property rights.
Both the French and U.S. presidents cautioned the petroleum-producing states about the high price of oil, currently around $90 per barrel, and urged them to raise production to help bring down prices.
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come on guis, I can’t wait, tell that we are foes
January 16th, 2008 at 8:07 am@franchie
Yunz “guis” are coming around nicely.
January 16th, 2008 at 8:29 amJe pense pas qu’il faille voir si loin.
La France a toujours collaboré avec ces pays, qui par ailleurs sont il faut bien le dire, des pays bien plus riches que nous.
Pour protéger leurs richesses, enfin surtout leur territoire. Il y a aussi tout le détroit à contrôler (pirates)
Voici leurs forces navales:
2 400 hommes et 1 200 gardes côtes
6 bases: Abu Dabi, Mina Rashid, Mina Jebel, Mina Saqr, Mina Sultan, Khor Fakkan.
Aéronavale:
4 C-295 Persuader
2 BN-2 Islander
7 Super Puma
7 Panther
4 Alouette III
2 frégates type Korteaner (Nee)
2 corvettes lance-missiles type FPB38(All)
6 patrouilleurs lance missiles type TNC45 (All)
6 patrouilleurs types Vosper (Uk)
12 vedettes
10 engins de débarquement d’infanterie et de chars
Garde-Côtière:
50 vedettes
6 nouveaux patrouilleurs lance missiles type Baynunah
D’après:
le livre “flotte de combat” du CV® Bernard Prezelin
Donc, notre présence serait un bon renfort.
Et justement, elle sera sûrement récompensée: par des contrats avec AREVA pour les 3 EPR comme on a vu, et sans doute plein d’autres choses. La présence française (Quatar, Arabie Saoudite, Oman) est déjà très forte dans la péninsule arabique, alors franchement autant qu’on y mette une base.
A l’heure où notre balance commerciale est franchement déficitaire, il faudrait être con pour laisser passer de telles occasions.
Et je ne crois pas, non, qu’on ait quoique ce soit à craindre des musulmans intégristes, ou du moins pas plus que maintenant(d’ailleurs ceux là ne sont en général pas aux EAU ou Arabie Saoudite, mais plutôt dans les pays pauvres.) Faudrait pas confondre avec les Philippines ou la Lybie. Forum french army
We “help” the emirates since 1995, this agreement is just officialising the fact.
As the Djibuti base that we kept (since our colony there)is mostly used by NATO and US army forces, the navy part of the french staff will move to the UAE
In two of the largest weapons sales to the U.A.E. in recent years, France signed a $3.4 billion deal involving 63 Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft and a $3.4 billion agreement to supply 390 Leclerc tanks
uh ? how much did Bush anounce yesterday for Saudi ? 20 billions dollars in defence arms
drillanwr
January 16th, 2008 at 8:43 am@drillanwr
Yunz?
Are you from Pittsburgh?
January 16th, 2008 at 9:32 am@Joe in MD
I was thinking the same thing man. Yunz or Yinz is definately southwest PA, if not Pittsburgh somewhere around there.
January 16th, 2008 at 9:50 amHuh.
Why is it that while the governments of Europe (Merkel, Brown, Sarkozy, Eastern Bloc) run towards and join with the US foreign policy of the past 7 years, while US Liberals (yes that includes Rue Paul) run away from and even against the US and its foreign policy.
Why is it that socialist/leftist European nations embrace American style conservatism and the fight against islamo-fascism while members of our own leadership including those trying to be President blame their own countrymen and soldiers of war crimes just because they wanted to protect us and follow orders that the same people gave them?
Thank you for joining us on the frontlines of this battle for civilization Mr. Sarkozy and the people of France.
I dearly hope that our nation will continue to stand with you, Britain, Poland, France, etc. But believe this, even if our government reapplies the isolationism that we exhibited prior to WW1 and WW2, we will also resurrect the WW1&2 practice of smuggling able bodies to those in need through Canada.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:22 am@Joe in MD
@drillanwr
Yunz?
Are you from Pittsburgh?
———————————————
Close. Y-town, Oh.
January 16th, 2008 at 10:39 am@drillanwr
Thought so.
I grew up near Scranton and up there, they say
January 16th, 2008 at 11:02 am“yous guys”
EriK Marsh, France didn’t desert the kind of places, just that your MSM never mention it, as it was the rule to bash us
January 16th, 2008 at 11:03 am@Joe in MD
January 16th, 2008 at 12:16 pmThat is so funny. When I read drillanwr
I was thinking southwest PA, because I am from southeast PA and we say Yous guys.
@Joe in MD (and wendy and ROF)
@drillanwr
Thought so.
I grew up near Scranton and up there, they say
“yous guys”
————————————————————
So, yunz might also be familiar with … n`at …
“Pick up yunz shoes, socks n`at …”
January 16th, 2008 at 12:51 pmYouz Guyz,
January 17th, 2008 at 1:47 pmWhile agree that it is a pleasant turnaround in French foreign policy, the reasons for the new base may be as simple as they have run out of places to throw up a white flag and retreat.