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| Europe |
| Why does France need a military base in the Persian Gulf? |
| 2008-01-21 |
| Abandoning FranceÂ’s traditional policy of solely selling arms to Persian Gulf states, President Nicolas Sarkozy signed a deal with Abu Dhabi for a permanent military base of up to 500 French troops in the UAE; a move that reflects the new French stance towards Iran as well as its closer ties with Washington. ... The military accord makes France one of the first Western states other than the U.S. to have a permanent base in the Gulf region, thatÂ’s why many analysts say that the new deal indicates that Paris is aligning itself more openly with Washington, which has also been selling arms to Gulf states. Tehran Times never got the memo about Camp Mirage. There does not seem to be a Persian Gulf or Iran category so I almost filed this one under Great White North... |
| Posted by:Excalibur |
| #18 "Old Patriot has it right." Because it is a shorter tow for the Charles de Gaulle? So does Whiskey Mike! |
| Posted by: Raj 2008-01-21 20:55 |
| #17 Old Patriot has it right. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2008-01-21 19:32 |
| #16 Gotta have some boys with guns to protect the technical workers building the new nuke plants. |
| Posted by: Woozle Elmeter 2907 2008-01-21 17:51 |
| #15 Yes, including ICMBs and SLMBs... you did know that didn't you? |
| Posted by: Shipman 2008-01-21 16:47 |
| #14 France still has a military? |
| Posted by: sinse 2008-01-21 16:29 |
| #13 Yep, off setting the Ami, thank Gawd the Swedes, Itals, Germans and Spanish haven't followed suit and tried to horn in on our area of operations. Insert obligatory ______ frog smear here. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2008-01-21 15:07 |
| #12 Mr. Besoeker: Sir: when I read/confirm member states of the EU actively reversing the muslim immigration trends of the last 40 years, THEN I'll reconsider my contempt for Europe and her individual states. Until then, Sarkozy (read the French people) are all talk and no walk. Mr. B: Has France opened her doors to welcome the 60,00 plus Christian and secular emigrants leaving (annually) the Netherlands to escape the muzzie cultural on-slaught? Or are those Dutch emigrants heading to OZ and Canada, bypassing France? Word on the street is that they are bypassing France. Can you confirm? Sir: |
| Posted by: Jenna Jamison 2008-01-21 15:01 |
| #11 Might maybe work with the EU, but NATO's response to 9/11 doesn't bode well for action in the Gulf - especially not if they think their oil supply from Iran might be at stake. No, I think they'd temporize all the more furiously. But maybe they'd surprise me.... |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-01-21 14:32 |
| #10 I don't know if it's a smart move or not, but it's a thumb in Iran's eye. It establishes both an EU and a NATO "tripwire" in the Persian Gulf. If Abu Dhabi is attacked by Iran, France can legitimately say its forces have been attacked. That, by EU treaty, would supposedly force all of the EU to respond. The same can be said of NATO - 'an attack upon one is considered an attack upon all'. At the same time, it will provide a point for France to collect vital intelligence about Iran without having it filtered through any other nation's intelligence agencies. It makes sense, in a French sort of way... |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2008-01-21 14:23 |
| #9 For obvious reasons, there was both a heavy police and uniformed army presence at the rail stations last week end in Paris. I wouldn't write Sarkozy or the French off. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-01-21 14:10 |
| #8 For the same reason Tiger Woods has that beautiful blond wife... Because they can. Seriously I think is as much "weapons showroom" as military base. I also think looking forward, it is a good thing from Americas perspective. It puts another "cop" on the beat, and even though he ain't "our cop", I am OK with more "adult supervision" in the region. |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2008-01-21 14:09 |
| #7 They wouldn't be there to help us, Mark. Not at all. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-01-21 13:43 |
| #6 "...Sarkozy signed a deal with Abu Dhabi for a permanent military base of up to 500 French troops in the UAE... "...of up to 500 F-troops"? I'm not an RB military guy, but I'm thinking the USA has got more than 500 COOKS in harm's way in the ME. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. Spit. |
| Posted by: Mark Z 2008-01-21 13:38 |
| #5 For the same reason France needs a Facebook page and a MySpace account -- 'cause all the cool kids have one! |
| Posted by: Mike 2008-01-21 12:44 |
| #4 Because it is a shorter tow for the Charles de Gaulle?. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2008-01-21 12:12 |
| #3 Why does France need a military base in the Persian Gulf? To counterbalance Les Ameris. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-01-21 12:10 |
| #2 There does not seem to be a Persian Gulf or Iran category so I almost filed this one under Great White North... Excalibur, 'A$$TOLLAH LAND' is the proper category.. / <:) |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-21 11:56 |
| #1 Why does France need a military base in the Persian Gulf? To Protect The Vital Goat Cheese Supply Lines. |
| Posted by: RD 2008-01-21 11:49 |