- Nothing reveals Washington's imperial agenda better than
its global empire of bases. Sixty-six years post-WW II, America maintains
dozens in Germany, Japan, Italy, and South Korea alone.
-
- In total, known Pentagon bases way exceed 1,000, as well
as perhaps hundreds of other shared and secret ones in about 150 countries
on every continent despite no enemies anywhere justifying them.
-
- In his 2006 book, "Nemesis: The Last Days of the
American Republic," Chalmers Johnson discussed the known numbers at
the time by size and branch of service. He also highlighted the fallout,
including oppressive noise, pollution, environmental destruction, expropriation
of valuable public and private land, and drunken, disorderly, abusive soldiers
committing rape, murder, and other crimes, often unpunished under provisions
of US-imposed Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs).
-
- Currently, Pentagon bases infest Middle East/North African/Central
Asian countries. In fact, at least 88 dot Iraq alone, including:
-
- -- permanent, city-sized Main Operating Bases (MOBs);
for example, Balad Air Base in northern Iraq covers 16 square miles plus
another 12-mile security perimeter; these are large and permanent, have
extensive infrastructure, command and control headquarters, accommodations
for families in combat-free areas, hospitals, schools, recreational facilities,
and nearly everything found in US cities; similar MOBs include Camp Adder
in southern Iraq, Al-Asad Air Base in the west, and Victory Base Complex,
compromising nine bases, including Camp Victory around Baghdad's International
Airport;
-
- -- Forward Operating Sites (FOSs), also major but smaller
than MOBs; and
-
- -- Cooperative Security Locations (CLSs) - smaller facilities
to preposition weapons, munitions, and modest troop numbers.
-
- These type bases span Afghanistan, besides ongoing expansion
and construction of major facilities for permanent occupation.
-
- Known major sites include Bagram, Kandahar, and Mazar-e-Sharif
air bases. Frontline airfields include Herat, Jalalabad, and a dozen or
more others, besides hundreds of large and smaller Pentagon facilities
according to Tomdispatch.com writer Nick Turse in his February 10, 2010
article titled, "Totally Occupied: 700 Military Bases Spread Across
Afghanistan."
-
- Citing "official sources," he said a "base-building
boom" began in 2009 for US and Afghan forces. It's ongoing for permanent
occupation, including a new Camp Leatherneck and Camp Bastion 11,500 foot
all-weather concrete/asphalt runway and air traffic control tower, as well
as a Shindand Air Field 9,000 foot runway completed last December. Moreover,
spare parts and other supplies have been stockpiled for permanency, not
departure, Obama's withdrawal duplicity notwithstanding. More about it
below.
-
- Washington, in fact, came to Iraq and Afghanistan to
stay. Doing so confirms a hostile presence occupied populations detest,
including angry South Koreans and Japanese against continued US occupation.
In less developed countries, social movements want America pushed back
or expelled altogether to regain their sovereign independence, free from
US imperial wars, injustice, fallout, and shame when their own nations
participate.
-
- Last February, puppet president Karzai confirmed Washington's
demand for permanent bases, claiming they're in Afghanistan's interest.
In fact, US and other NATO leaders agreed on a "transition strategy"
last year in Lisbon to hand over control to Afghan forces by 2014. At the
time, vice president Biden called it a "drop dead date." He lied.
So did Obama like he did earlier, saying withdrawing US forces would begin
in July 2011.
-
- In December 2009, Obama announced 30,000 more troops
for Afghanistan to enable withdrawals beginning in 18 months, insisting
at the time America has no permanent occupation plans. He lied again like
he's repeatedly done throughout his tenure, knowing America came to Iraq
and Afghanistan to stay.
-
- Moreover, when he took office in January 2009, 34,000
troops were in Afghanistan. By December, he tripled the number to 100,000.
Cutting back incrementally by a third if, in fact, done, will still leave
double the force in place from when his tenure began.
-
- Nonetheless, on June 22, he addressed the nation, saying:
-
- "(S)tarting next month, we will be able to remove
10,000 of our troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, and we will
bring home a total of 33,000 by next summer (to let) Afghan security forces
(take) the lead. Our mission will change from combat to support. By 2014,
this process of transition will be complete...."
-
- False! A large US presence will remain permanently. Drone
and other air attacks will continue, killing civilians called militants.
Obama's duplicity is politically motivated with November 2012 in mind to
assure enough support for reelection despite falling approval ratings.
-
- War-weary Americans, in fact, are increasingly burdened
during economic hard times. As a result, polls show growing opposition
to conflicts. Congressman Dennis Kucinich said "Things are falling
apart at home while we (keep) searching the world looking for dragons to
slay."
-
- Pollster Peter Brown added:
-
- "I do not think there is any doubt (that) Afghanistan,
the involvement in Iraq, and now (in) Libya has for many Americans raised
questions about the wisdom of these policies."
-
- The Brookings Institution's Stephen Hess explained that
"(a) trio of wars is not exactly what Americans are interested in
at this time when they have a very full platter of problems at home,"
harming them gravely.
-
- In fact, when unpopular wars take precedence over pocket
book issues, people react angrily, perhaps enough to deny Obama a second
term if conditions deteriorate more between now and November 2012.
-
- Obama also bogusly claimed significant Afghanistan gains,
saying "we've inflicted serious losses on the Taliban and taken a
number of its strongholds....(T)he tide of war is receding (and) the light
of a secure peace can be seen in the distance" when it's nowhere in
sight in an endless cauldron of death and destruction, affecting US forces
like Afghans.
-
- In fact, according to a US Army colonel wishing to remain
anonymous, telling Time magazine:
-
- "The mendacity is getting so egregious that I am
fast losing the ability to remain quiet. These yarns of 'significant progress'
are being covered up by the blood and limbs of hundreds - HUNDREDS - of
American uniformed service members each and every month, and you know that
the rest of this summer is going to see the peak of that bloodshed."
-
- He added that America's ability to achieve a secure handover
to Afghan forces is "sheer madness, and so far as I can tell, in the
mainstream media and reputable publications, it is going almost entirely
without challenge." Moreover, the same holds for Pakistan where drone
kills enrage people to resist, perpetuating endless conflict.
-
- After a decade of war and occupation, in fact, America
won't admit it lost and leave. Instead, massive bloodshed continues to
create the illusion of progress Obama hopes will help reelect him, mindless
that what matters most are pocket book issues, especially when during hard
times they go begging.
-
- June 7 - 9 Zogby International polling numbers reflect
growing voter disapproval, showing 43% approve Obama's performance. Only
38% say he deserves reelection. Besides domestic issues, it reflects growing
disenchantment with endless wars, including against Libya that most Americans
oppose.
-
- Once closer to November 2012, force-fed austerity to
finance them may cost sitting politicians their jobs, even Obama if voters
think he spurned them when they most need help. For beleaguered Iraqis
and Afghans, however, it hardly matters if America came to stay.
-
- A Final Comment
-
- Controlling Eurasia's vast oil and gas reserves explains
why America plans permanent Iraq and Afghanistan occupations, terror bombs
Libya, and heads toward possible general war by threatening Syria, Iran,
and perhaps other states to fuel its insatiable military-industrial appetite.
-
- Washington's strategy also includes encroaching close
to Russian and Chinese borders to diminish their military and economic
challenge, as well as potential greater dominance by establishing closer
ties, thereby weakening America.
-
- The policy is fraught with dangers, the same ones Barbara
Tuchman explained in her 1962 book, "The Guns of August," on
how WW I began and its early weeks. Once started, things spun out of control
with cataclysmic consequences, including over 20 million dead, many millions
wounded, and a generation of young men lost before it ended.
-
- As a result, igniting another global conflict should
give everyone pause, including militarists and war profiteers sacrificing
sanity, security, and prosperity for inconsequential ephemeral gains by
comparison.
-
- Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
-
- Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive
Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy
listening.
-
- http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.
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