by LUKE ZUNGA
JOHANNESBURG – AS we leave the June month of war, the issue of American air and military bases were highlighted by the Iranian mock-attack of the Al Udeid Air base in Qatar, the biggest and the command centre for the Middle East region.
The Middle East and Africa have about 20 American military bases, hosting over 40,000 US soldiers.
The need for overseas bases started after the Second World War, with bases in Germany, Italy and Japan, to neutralize the fascist adversity of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Pearl harbour.
There was a trend to follow British colonialism in a different format of setting up military bases to control governments.
The strategy of setting up military bases continued over the years.
The motive for American military bases is diabolical. These bases are not protecting the United States of America (USA) as a country, but appear to be policing the world and propping up proxy states.
Germany is no longer politically astute, neutralized by the American bases, influencing political alliance and direction.
The bases are used for logistics, supply, reconnaissance, intelligence gathering, countering terrorism, tactical support and to create a replica of Allied nations, a concept of World War II.
The US promised these countries security from their own citizens. In return the United States would encourage investments into these countries. These nations agreed because they want American investments, in particular American companies exploiting natural resources such as oil.
While not criticizing the Middle East for their choice of governing themselves, these countries are not democratic in the constitutive sense.
The democratic model of the US, of one man one vote, does not exist in most Middle East countries, except Turkey, Cyprus, Lebanon, among others.
The core of the Middle East is ruled by Kings, Sheiks, Sultans and Emirs. Bahrain is ruled by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kuwait by Emir Mishal Al Sabah, Oman by Sultan Maitham bin Tariq Al Said, Qatar by Emir Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Arabia by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has 7 districts with different Sheiks such as Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Dubai’s Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum etc. So far, the monarchs seem to be doing economically well, calming down political resistance and potential uprising.
Those bases were created by the US on the guise that one Arab neighbour would invade the other. The largest US base in the Middle East, one of the two bases in Iraq, is at the Al Asad Air Base with 2500 troops some 150 kilometres from Baghdad.
Other bases and troops are in Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.
One wonders which country is enemy to the other as all have US military presence.
Lebanon was bombed by Israel while there is a US military presence there, at least on a situation ship basis.
Looking at the map, Iran does not have a US military presence. Iran is pointed as the enemy going back to the failed 1979 – 1981 hostage rescue, allegations of human rights abuses and nuclear weapons.
Iran is the only Middle East country standing up against the slaughter of Palestinians.
In Africa the largest US base is Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, the head of US Africa Command, controlled from Stuttgart, Germany.
Other African countries with US military presence are Botswana, Chad, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Somalia and Uganda.
These bases, some on a situationship basis, are supported by Djibouti Africa Command.
In West Africa most countries have French bases, on a similar model to the US. Ghana, Niger and Botswana requested the US to close the US bases in their countries.
The African Union (AU) must ask these African countries why they want US and French bases.
These bases smack of continued colonialism and exploitation. Africa does not need US and French bases.
Until the next spring revolution, these Arab and African nations are subdued by the American heavy hand for the lure of money.
– CAJ News