Word: bahrain
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...prospect obviously pleases the Nixon Administration. Since Britain, the region's longtime constable, withdrew from the Persian Gulf in 1971, the U.S. has made no attempt to fill the power vacuum; its Middle East naval force based in Bahrain remains at two destroyers. But, faced with a growing shortage of energy and increased Soviet influence in the gulf area, the U.S. is eager to ensure its Middle East sources of oil. This can be achieved, Washington feels, by arming friendly Iran, as well as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait...
Political Clout. The union was, and is, far from perfect. Qatar (pop. 85,000) refused to join because its proposed political clout would not be consonant with its huge economic wealth (roughly $240 million annually in oil royalties, or $2,824 per capita). The island sheikdom of Bahrain also declined; as the most populous (250,000) of the Trucial States it wanted more power than the other sheiks were willing to give. Both countries declared independence and have joined the United Nations, as has the Union. Qatar is now the U.N.'s smallest member...
...threat to the Strait of Malacca, through which Japan gets its oil from the Middle East, as well as to Indonesia and even Australia. The U.S. until now has had only a brace of destroyers and the Valcour, an ex-seaplane tender stationed at the former British base in Bahrain. From now on, though, task forces from the Seventh Fleet will be periodically patrolling the strategic sea lanes and showing neutral nations something other than the Russian flag...
...26th General Assembly of the United Nations opened last week in an atmosphere of urgency rarely shown by that body in the past. In its first formal order of business, the Assembly elected Foreign Minister Adam Malik of Indonesia its President, and admitted three ministates, Qatar, Bahrain and Bhutan,* raising the number of member nations to 130. Then the delegates got down to business: a procedural test of strength over two U.S. resolutions to admit China to both the Assembly and the Security Council but retain a seat in the General Assembly for the Nationalist regime on Taiwan...
...lower on the horizon. Apart from Hong Kong, which remains a Gurkha-garrisoned crown colony, Britain is rapidly withdrawing its historic military presence from the Far East. The huge naval yard and three airbases in Singapore are being turned over to the local government; the Persian Gulf bases of Bahrain and Sharjah will be closed down well before the end of next year; and Aden has become a port of call for the Russian navy and a barracks for wayward Arab guerrillas...