According to reports in the English-language press in the Gulf and elsewhere, French President Sarkozy has just signed an agreement with His Highness, President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan of the UAE and Ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. This will be the first time in fifty years that the French have had a base on foreign soil, assuming you ignore their bases in one-time French colonial possessions such as Djibouti on the Horn of Africa. This has been very low-key. I keep up pretty well on goings-on here in the region, and I've seen nothing anywhere in the press about it until today.
More after the jump
According to a report in the Financial Times,
France’s arrival breaks the US monopoly on western military powers having a permanent presence in the the Gulf, analysts say.
"From the Abu Dhabi side, they have the full commitment from another western power to the security of this region and also there’s no more monopoly from one side for security in the region, and definitely they will look for more contribution from the French in terms of transfer of technology and industrial and economic programmes together," said Riad Kahwaji, chief executive of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.
The Gulf News goes on to say:
"The decision to host the French base was taken by the UAE government to allow a country like France to take part in ensuring the security of oil supplies from the region in the case of a hostile action against oil carriers by terrorist groups, pirate gangs or even by a hostile government," he said.
He said the growing number of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden is testimony of the need for international cooperation over maritime security in the region.
These and other reports are saying that the French are poised to sell billions of dollars worth of military equipment, fighter jets, and all the associated maintenance, and training expertise. Last but by no means least, Paris and Abu Dhabi will very likely sign agreements for building state-of-the-art nuclear power generation plants.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it certainly looks like the French see the US as a waning power in the region and intend to help fill the vacuum. I'm sure many in Wingnutistan will see this as a threat; I'd sure rather it be Paris than Beijing that steps into the breech.