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Chapter Nine

                 The Formation of the
                 Federation







                 1 British withdrawal


                 The Labour Government’s economic measures
                 The event which redirected the course of history in IheTrucial States
                 and led to the creation of the UAE was a result of totally unrelated
                 events taking place in British domestic politics. The rank and file of
                 the British Labour Party had for several years been very critical of the
                 annual increase in defence spending. The Labour Government under
                 Mr Harold Wilson therefore undertook to reduce this item of
                 expenditure, and in a White Paper published on 16 February 1967
                 further cuts were envisaged. One of the central features of this policy
                 was to liquidate almost all British military bases east of Suez,
                 withdrawing tens of thousands of men and their families. Part of this
                 plan was the withdrawal of all British troops from South Arabia by
                 1968, when Aden and the protectorates were to form an independent
                 federation. Yet this White Paper did provide for “generous financial
                 assistance” to strengthen the South Arabian federal forces; arrange­
                 ments had been made, and “practical preparations were under way
                 for the small increase in forces stationed in the Persian Gulf which
                 would be needed by Britain to fulfil her remaining obligations in the
                 area after leaving Aden."1 However, the parliamentary debate on
                 defence made it clear that even this drastic change of Britain’s role in
                 the world did not satisfy a large number of Labour MPs, who were
                 determined to speed up the withdrawal. Thus it was also taken for
                granted that the number of troops in the Persian Gulf would be
                decreased,2 and by May 1967 the Government was seriously
                considering withdrawal from the Gulf States as well as from Aden.
                This intention was strongly criticised by the late King Faisal of Saudi
                Arabia during a visit to London in mid-May.3

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