Progressive Ponderings: Expanding Military Bases

By Joe Mayer

These Ponderings have on occasion mentioned the number of U.S. military bases on foreign soil. The Pentagon’s own numbers have listed 750 such bases. Recently that number was raised to 865, which may not include all of those in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some experts say 1,000 foreign bases may be a more accurate number.

From “Battle over Bases” by David Vine, Assistant Professor of Anthropology at American University in Washington, D.C. and a contributor to Foreign Policy In Focus, who organized the recent “Security Without Empire” conference:

Since the invasions of 2001 and 2003, the United States has created or expanded bases in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Kuwait. In Iraq and Afghanistan, there may be upwards of 100 and 80 installations, respectively, with plans to expand the basing infrastructure in Afghanistan as part of a troop surge.

In Eastern and Central Europe, installations have been created or are in development in Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic, and are contributing to rising tensions with Russia. In Africa, as part of the development of the new African Command, the Pentagon has created or investigated the creation of installations in Algeria, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, and Uganda. In the Western hemisphere, the United States maintains a sizable collection of bases throughout South America and the Caribbean, with the Pentagon exploring the creation of new bases in Columbia and Peru in response to its pending eviction from manta, Ecuador.

Recall Osama bin Laden’s statement that 9/11 was triggered by the expansion of U.S. military bases in his home country of Saudi Arabia. While we have ample reason not to listen to him we have experienced blowback from around the world to our dominance through power – perceived and real – even as we claim to be expanding democracy and freedom. Yet we persevere in spreading our military presence.

In our current economic crisis, can we continue to pay for this type of world dominance? Do we want to? Does it add to our security or add to our foe’s recruitment? Could this economic crisis be the opportunity we seek to explore new ways to provide for our security?

President Obama recently advocated delay or cancellation of some Pentagon requests for military hardware, bombers and ships. Decreasing our military empire by closing bases and limiting military contractors needs to be added to his agenda.

The president’s goal of rejoining global citizenship with increased diplomatic efforts is already changing foreign attitudes favorably toward the U.S. If perceptions of U.S. global dominance rear again, Democracy will have lost. A democratic government recognizes the sovereignty and self-determination of other governments, and respects their equal status in the family of nations.