Facility in UAE to safeguard shipping lines, fight piracy and compete with Britain and the US for influence in the Gulf
Nicolas Sarkozy today opened France's first permanent military base in the Gulf region, in a symbolic move to show his new tough line on Iran and to compete with Britain and the US for military and commercial influence in the area. The Abu Dhabi base in the United Arab Emirates is the first foreign military installation built by France for 50 years and its first ever base outside French or African soil. It is a landmark in the long-running repositioning of French foreign policy - recently accelerated by Sarkozy - to shift geopolitical concerns away from an emphasis on Africa and further east towards the Arab world.

By Angelique Chrisafis for The Guardian
It is the first time that France has installed a military operation in a country where it has never been colonial master. The base, dubbed Peace Camp, was built in record time - less than 18 months. Its 500 troops and major naval and air operations will safeguard shipping lanes and reinforce the fight against piracy off the Somalian coast, but primarily send a warning message to Iran, which Sarkozy has taken a new tough stance over in recent years, heightened by concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme.

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