Autonomy

Interesting not only for the historical moment, but also the choice of words...

http://www.theguardian.com/theguardi...tes-sheikhdoms

Ethos83

I can't open the link. My office firewall doesn't allow the Guardian.

Autonomy

Ah... somewhat ironic.... #snowden

Bahtatboy

The article's pretty lean, actually, and I echo what someone else commented: What does the author want us to take away from the article?

You'd have thought that, considering the article acknowledges that the Gulf states sit on half the world's proven oil reserves and that Iran invaded despite promising stability, they'd have extrapolated some scenarios. Instead, it ends with a very lame, "The vacuum left by the British withdrawal will be filled successfully by the local powers only if tensions are kept to a minimum." And if not...?

Garbatellamike

Interesting they have edited it too - what happened to Persia?

Millhouse

42 years on though the local powers did keep tensions to a minimum ... the problem is succession and no one would have considered that in 1971.

Ethos83

I was having a Millhouse moment.

In all honesty there's not much to be said about the article despite that they gave us a few genuine nuggets. Iran claimed RAK?

At the time 1/3 of the population were Indians/Pakistanis/other Arabs. It's probably 2/3 now.

Makes one wonder if the British hadn't left in 1971 but held political sway for another few decades, what role the expat population would have in the new nations? With South Asians being the largest bloc, indeed even the outright majority, how different would the politics of the UAE look?

The Dean

Indeed - and I spotted this further down the page:

http://www.theguardian.com/media/201...lan-rusbridger

shiva

It wouldn't be any different

The trucial states were a protectorate not a colony, we genuinely didn't interfere too much in local politics. Sheikh shakbut was deposed with our assistance but at the request of sheikh Zayed but apart from that we acted as a neutral moderator and not overlord with the agreement of all parties. The trucial states were abandoned in 1968 when the labour government decided we couldn't afford to keep troops and the navy in the area. Sheikh Zayed then offered to pay all of the UK costs but we still decided to shut it all down. The formation of the UAE was a direct result of British abandonment so any delay in our disbandment of the 1800's agreement would have made little difference to the now Uae and it's political makeup save perhaps the uk may have had a greater influence in today's politics.

scrubbedexpat141

Short but still interesting.

Meow

"the West was looking to Iran...to ensure regional stability"

How times change.

scot47

Should we mourn the departure of that great democrat the Shah ?

nonthaburi

it's all relative .

scot47

Bear in mind what happened to the South Arabian Federation, ie Aden and the former Protectorates. Looking at that set-up no one expected the UAE to last.

OleJanx

Bahrain and Qatar both declined to join, albeit rather late in the day, due to squabbling about who would be top dog, as it were.