Britain to boost military presence in Persian Gulf
Source: AP-Excite
By ADAM SCHRECK
MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Britain's top diplomat said Saturday his country has signed a deal with Bahrain that will bolster the United Kingdom's military presence in the island nation and give it a more permanent naval base in the oil-rich Persian Gulf region.
The agreement marks a strategic shift for Britain, which formally withdrew from its major Gulf military bases in 1971. It comes as the U.K., the United States and their allies seek to push back Islamic State group militants that have taken over large parts of Iran and Syria and as world powers work to forge a lasting nuclear deal with Iran, which sits just across the Gulf from Bahrain.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond emphasized his country's historic links to the Gulf in announcing the plans at a security conference in the Bahraini capital, Manama.
"In a globalized world, our domestic security and prosperity depends on developments beyond our shores," Hammond said. "Your security concerns are our security concerns."
FULL story at link.
United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan checks his phone during the 10th International Institute for the Strategic Studies in Manama, Bahrain, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. Britain's top diplomat says his nation has signed a deal with the Gulf Arab nation of Bahrain to bolster the United Kingdom's military presence in the region. Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond announced the deal Saturday at a security conference in the Bahraini capital, Manama, where he assured Gulf allies that "your security concerns are our security concerns." (AP Photo/Hasan Jamali)
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