Special to WorldTribune.com

LONDON — Britain intends to establish a permanent military presence
in the Gulf, the report said.

The Royal United Services Institute asserted that Britain seeks to
restore military bases in Gulf Cooperation Council states. The London-based
think tank said Britain was working to reach agreements for army, air force
and naval installations.

“The military intends to build up a strong shadow presence around the
Gulf; not an evident imperial-style footprint, but a smart presence,” the
report, titled “A Return to East of Suez? UK Military Deployment to the
Gulf,” said. “The UK could very quickly find itself with significant
military forces based in one of the world’s most contested regional security complexes.”

Authored by Gareth Stansfield and Saul Kelly, the report said London
was approaching a decision to reorient its defense and security policy in
the Gulf. The report said Britain would have thousands of troops as well as
combat platforms available when the military withdraws from Afghanistan in 2014.

“With the only remaining significant operation in which the U.S. and UK
work closely together coming to an unceremonious end in 2014, there is a
clear need to ‘do something’ if the strategy of being close to the
Americans — in terms of political norms, military interconnectivities and
global influence — is to be maintained,” the report said.

Britain maintained a significant military presence throughout the Gulf
until 1971. The report said the British withdrawal created a security vacuum
that drew the United States.

In 2014, the Royal Air Force was scheduled to use Al Minhad air base in
the United Arab Emirates. The Royal Navy was also preparing to expand
operations in Bahrain and Qatar.

“We seem to be witnessing the slow transformation in the UK military
posture towards a tentative return to the pre-1971 strategy of rooting
Britain’s presence in the southern Gulf through agreements with its
traditional allies in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with outlying anchors in Bahrain
and Oman, and with close political and economic ties with Saudi Arabia and
Kuwait that could be upgraded to the military level if necessary,” the
report said.

Institute director-general Michael Clarke said the British military does
not intend to deploy in the Gulf “in any significant way.” But Clarke said
the military hopes to establish facilities for rotation and logistics for
overseas operations.

“Even so, this might represent more stretch on an already overstretched
military establishment,” Clarke said.

  Al Minhad air base, Gulf Cooperation Council, Report: UK plans largest military presence in Gulf states since 1971, Royal Air Force, Royal United Services Institute