Will the USA be supplanted by France as the primary protector of the Persian Gulf states?

Gulf states broaden contacts beyond US





By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer Sat Jan 19, 1:42 PM ET





CAIRO, Egypt - The promise of a new French base in the United Arab Emirates is the latest sign that Arab Gulf countries are expanding their commercial and military contacts to bolster security without appearing too dependent on the United States.


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President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that France next year will become the only Western country other than the U.S. to have a permanent defense facility in the Gulf.





The deal comes at a time when Gulf countries want to protect themselves against a resurgent Iran. At the same time, they don't want to rely just on the U.S., with American prestige in the Middle East running low and the fear that U.S.-Iranian rivalry could drag the region into war.





France also plans to open a branch of its St. Cyr military academy in Qatar and take part in military exercises in February and March with forces from the UAE and Qatar. And France and the UAE have signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement as a first step toward building a nuclear reactor to help diversify energy sources.





"The UAE gets the advantage of playing the field a bit, not because it wants to walk away from the U.S. relationship but because this gives them leverage over both the French and Americans to get what they want," Mideast analyst Jon Alterman said.





France's new base will house up to 500 soldiers, sailors and airmen. By comparison, the United States maintains about 40,000 U.S. troops on bases across the Gulf — including Kuwait, the key staging ground for Iraq, and Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet headquarters.





The United States has been the dominant outside power in the Gulf since Britain closed its permanent bases in 1971. The Arabs are keenly aware that no European country can supplant the Americans as the primary protector of the oil-rich Gulf states.





"Perhaps they (Emiratis) thought that a French base would be a visible means of protection but in a less ostentatious manner, a little more discreet" than an American installation, said Stephane Lacroix, an analyst with the Sciences Po school of political science in Paris.





The new base also underscores France's claim as a global power capable of playing a role in parts of the world beyond its former colonial sphere of influence. The nearest French base is in Djibouti, a former French colony in the Horn of Africa.





French Defense Minister Herve Morin said the base would help France to support warships it routinely sends to the Gulf and "participate in the stabilization of the region."





Gulf governments and investors have been shifting away from the United States, seeking partners in Asia and Europe. The reasons for the shift are both economic and political, including strains in relations with the U.S. since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.





Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have been looking to Europe for more consumer products as well as investments in areas such as high-speed railway systems, where the Europeans have unique experience.





For Gulf Arabs, Iran has made the need for leverage with the Americans all the more important. Although the small, wealthy oil sheikdoms fear Iranian influence, especially among their Shiite populations, they also worry that Washington's hardline stand against the Islamic Republic could drag them into conflict.





Gulf Arab leaders made clear to U.S. President George W. Bush during his visit to the region this month that they oppose trying to isolate Iran.





"We have relations with Iran and we talk to them and if we feel there is any danger (in the region) we will talk to them about it," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said last week.





The threat of a U.S. attack on Iran has receded since the fall, when a U.S. intelligence report concluded that the Iranians stopped trying to build a nuclear bomb four years ago.





Nevertheless, Bush emphasized during his Middle East tour that he still considers the Islamic Republic a major threat, branding it the world's top sponsor of terrorism. He also warned of "serious consequences" if the Iranians attack American ships in the Gulf.





"We don't want Bush to take advantage of Iranian misbehavior and go to war," said Mustafa Alani, an analyst with the Gulf Research Center in Dubai. "France is more politically acceptable in the region. We don't want Americans to appear as the only protectors."





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Associated Press reporter Natacha Rios contributed to this report from Paris.

Will the USA be supplanted by France as the primary protector of the Persian Gulf states?
Well lets look at the numbers, France has one base, the US has dozens and dozens; I'd go with no.
Reply:I'd laugh if it were true. A Rebirth of the French Empire?





Anyways, France is a much safer ally then the US. After all, they didnt go into Iraq, they must be ok right? Much less crazier than Bush wanting to tackle Iran head on and cause WWIII. Their will be a lot of petro-dollars flowing into France if this actually comes to fruition. I can't wait...





btw. The French didn't get knocked around in WWI. They got butchered and still the Germans didn't get into Paris. Just the word Verdun made Frenchmen scream in their sleep 20 years after the war and cry when the Wehrmacht waltzed into Paris
Reply:I don't trust the French, they are the reason we got sucked into Vietnam... who really cares what they say they're going to do, they'll eventually turn tail and run...
Reply:lol,the french.what a joke.
Reply:The French couldn't protect themselves from a Girl Scout troop. Every where they go they get their asses kicked. Just stay at home and make bread and wine.
Reply:Probably not, I tend to look at the French through their history, they were knocked out of the 1st world war, knocked out of the 2nd world war. So historically speaking, they are good at surrendering in the event of war.
Reply:It's not like France has been selling arms to Middle Eastern countries for decades. Oh wait, they have.