The significance of France's military base in the Gulf

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FRANCE'S announcement this week that it is to open a military base in the United Arab Emirates could mark a strategic shift in its defence policy. It will be France's first permanent base in the Gulf, in a country where it has no colonial ties. By drawing its 400 troops from an existing base in Djibouti, it hints at a withdrawal from France's traditional African backyard. Moreover, coming in the middle of France's first full defence review for 14 years, it suggests a radical rethinking of the country's defence and security policy.

The future of French overseas military bases is one element under review. France now has around 5,000 soldiers in three permanent bases in Africa: Senegal, Gabon and Djibouti. It also has 2,600 soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire, and 1,100 on the ground in Chad soon to be joined by another 2,000 as part of a French-led European Union force. Ties of history keep French soldiers in Africa. But President Nicolas Sarkozy has told the defence review team to “construct the security and defence of tomorrow according to needs, not habits”.

Mr Sarkozy has pre-empted his own review's conclusions, not due till March, by announcing the Emirates base, just across the Gulf from Iran. It shows that the French are ready to move outside their traditional sphere and to match their military presence to strategic interests rather than colonial links. Although the base will be small, it also suggests that Mr Sarkozy, who has taken a tougher line on Iran than his predecessor, may be ready to take a bigger part in stabilising the region.

There could be more surprises to come. Jean-Claude Mallet, head of the defence review, says it aims to define a “new doctrine” of security and defence. Mr Sarkozy has told him nothing should be taboo. A white paper is due in the spring and legislation is planned by the summer.

http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10534515

[Selatius]

1. France would be wise to avoid entanglements in a volatile Middle East

If Sarkozy wants to mix it up in the region, I suspect the French people will be made to pay a dear price for their meddling in future decades.

[bemildred]

2. Yep. It set off warning bells in my brain when I read about this.

Along the lines of "Geez, will these fuckers EVER learn?"

[KoKo]

3. Sarkozy must have drunk the Bush Kool-Aid at Camp David...where

all the world leaders drink and become Bush Bots. Remember Tony Blair...how he suddenly became Bush's poodle after visiting Camp David and sharing Bush's Colgate Toothpaste? Only Putin seemed to have had "his own tasters" to Camp David. He seems to have escaped the "spell," even when Bush "looked into his eyes and saw his soul."