A quarter of the 400 US military bases in the world are in the Middle East and Africa. After the end of the Cold War, the North American country strengthened its military power in that region. US interests do not address international agreements or treaties or the situation of the world’s poorest and most needy.
Studies published by middleeasteye.net reveal that between 1776 and 2019, more than 400 military interventions by the Washington government took place in Africa and the Middle East.
Similarly, the investigation shows that after 9/11 and the demolition of the Twin Towers, which served as a pretext for Washington to declare the war on terror, the level of hostilities and military adventures became “too vulgar” and without tangible result for others. justify their presence.
“The cumulative effect of what the data collection revealed was very surprising,” said Cedita Koshi, assistant professor at Bridgewater Massachusetts State University and one of the authors.
He noted that “we did not expect the amount or ‘quality’ of US military interventions that we have found throughout history, according to our research.”
On the other hand, it turns out that the United States has more military forces in different countries than ambassadors. For Professor Monica Duffy of the Fletcher School at Tufts University, after the Cold War era, there were fewer major conflicts where vital interests of the United States had to be defended.
However, military interventions continued to rise. In times of relative peace, the American military style continued under the guise of protecting the peace and security of its nation.
Writer Rosa Mora explains in Al-Mayadeen that the number of troops in any military base varies according to the service personnel involved; But these estimates also show a picture of what the United States’ priorities are.
“For example, the number of troops in Germany has decreased so much that it has increased in Italy, a country close to the Middle East and North Africa, which indicates the growth of American interests in that region.”
Today, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates US military spending at about $800 billion annually, nearly 40 percent of what is spent on arms worldwide.
The trend is to further strengthen the Department of Defense, at the expense of the State Department.
In Africa, interests and actions are increasingly ambiguous. President Biden reversed orders from former president, Donald Trump, and returned to send troops to Somalia, where violence has once again escalated. The same is happening with the bases in Niger.
American soldiers at one of their bases in Niger. Photo: Taken from Hispantv
In 2019, AFRICOM (US Africa Command, launched October 1, 2008), compiled a list of some US military bases on the African continent.
To do this, distinguish between those with permanent (permanent) effects and non-permanent (semi-permanent) effects. Among the previous countries, their number was 13, among which Djibouti and Kenya stand out, with 2 each. Of the semi-permanent members, the number was 17, and Niger and Somalia have four each.
These forces also act as guarantors of Western corporate interests and the principles of capitalism. They are also supported by forces from France and NATO.
AFRICOM is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, although it has bases throughout the African continent.
AFRICOM states on its website that its “area of responsibility” extends to 53 countries: all African countries except Egypt, which is within the sphere of influence of the US Central Command, and the Sahrawi Arab Republic, which despite being a full member state of the African Union, is not recognized by the states The United States or NATO as such, as it considers it to be part of Morocco, in contravention of international law.
Research such as that reflected in mideasteye.net, the University of Massachusetts, or the professionals cited by it, concluded that the introduction of AFRICOM reduced safety.
United States military bases in these areas generate a climate of greater hostility than would have existed due to past local conflicts. They are guards of external power and one of the factors exacerbating internal problems. It is the point of the state’s hostility with the rest of the poor world.
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