France Opened Military Base in Middle East

Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France
French President Nicolas Sarkozy

While I was in Italy, the following was announced:

French President Sarkozy opens UAE base

BBC – May 26, 2009

President Nicolas Sarkozy has formally opened a French military base in the United Arab Emirates, France’s first permanent base in the Gulf.

The flags of France and the UAE were raised at a ceremony at the so-called “Peace Camp” in the Abu Dhabi emirate.

France is a leading military supplier to the Gulf state, and signed a nuclear co-operation agreement last year.

Its new base will host up to 500 French troops and include a navy base, air base, and training camp…

But our correspondent says the base will provide all-important reassurance to the Emirates, which, along with many of its Arab neighbours, is concerned about the nuclear threat posed by Iran.

“Be assured that France is on your side in the event your security is at risk,” Mr Sarkozy said in an interview with the UAE’s official news agency.

“Through this base – the first in the Middle East – France is ready to shoulder its responsibilities to ensure stability in this strategic region.”

An aide to Mr Sarkozy is quoted by AFP news agency linking the base to an alleged Iranian threat: “We are deliberately taking a deterrent stance. If Iran were to attack, we would effectively be attacked also.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8067600.stm

This is an important development for several reasons.

The first is that it shows that the UAE is looking beyond the USA for its defense.

The second is that it shows that France (and probably by extension, the EU) wants to have a military presence in the Middle East.

The third is that last year, some in the nation of Israel began calling for Israel to look to the Europeans and not just the USA for support of its defense. The fact that the French are now in the Middle East in a “moderate” Arab nation would seem to provide more reasons for Israel to be interested in increased cooperation with the Europeans.

The Bible indicates that the time will come when the nations of Israel will be part of a deal brokered by the future King of the North, while he is still not quite in charge of Europe (Daniel 9:26-27).

And the fourth reason that I wish to mention is that the Bible tells of a time when the future kings of the North and South make a deceptive deal with one another (Daniel 11:27). Having a European military presence in the Middle East would seem to be a reason that the two sides would cooperate.

Prophetic events continue to line up and move ahead.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?