Tuesday, January 15, 2008

France Gets Military Base, Nuke Deal, In UAE

By Cernig

Aha, that explains why Sarko has been so gung-ho to follow Bush into demonising the Iranian menace. Nothing closes a deal quite like fear.
France will set up a permanent military base of up to 500 troops in the United Arab Emirates, the French government announced Tuesday during a visit by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The military base deal will make France one of the first Western countries other than the United States to have a base in the Persian Gulf region. The presence would give Paris the ability to project its forces into a crucial oil-producing region where many countries are wary of Iran's rising influence.

France and the United Arab Emirates also signed a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement Tuesday would be a first step toward building a nuclear reactor in the oil-rich Emirates with an estimated price tag of up to $6 billion.
Always follow the money, indeed.

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