“We requested it to enhance and ensure the safety of America’s closest neighbor,” Christie told Reuters, citing terrorism as a major threat to the country.
The prime minister expressed his concerns while having breakfast with the U.S. president in New York.
Christie said the request was for a base in Great Inagua, the southern tip of the archipelago of islands southeast of Florida. The Bahamas is a former British colony with a population of about 300,000.
“When a plane takes off from Miami, it is over the Bahamian territory within 10 minutes,” he said. The country also needs a military base to prevent the influx of Haitian immigrants and illegal drug-trafficking, he said.
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
The Bahamas relies heavily on the United States for tourism, which brings in 70 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product. Eight-five percent of foreign visitors to the islands are from the United States.
Reuters
