Bahrain Denies Construction Of New British Naval Base

The Bahraini government denied on Thursday reports about plans to build a new British naval base on its territories, saying it is only an infrastructure development project, state news agency reported.



A Bahraini Foreign Ministry source said that the project is an "infrastructure development project in a civilian area".



The denial came hours after the Defense Ministry also denied the report by the Gulf Daily newspaper, saying that the project aims at providing "military assistance for Bahrain's civilian ports," which the ministry said is a normal procedure in bilateral cooperation.



Last month, the same newspaper reported a statement by the United Kingdom's Joint Forces Command announcing expansion plans worth of $9.7 million in the British Command complex located in Manama's Juffair district.



The British Command Forces said the project, due to complete early next year, aims at building a new, larger headquarters for the British naval base in Bahrain, which has vastly expanded since its establishment in 2001 - going from an 8-member team to a regional operation management body boasting 14 naval ships and aircraft gear.



By Ahmed al-Masri



englishnews@aa.com.tr - Manama