World BEYOND War has launched a new online tool that allows the user to view a globe pock-marked with 867 U.S. military bases in countries other than the United States, and to zoom in for a satellite view of and detailed information on each base. The tool also allows filtering the map or list of bases by country, government type, opening date, number of personnel, or acres of land occupied.
This visual database was researched and developed by World BEYOND War to help journalists, activists, researchers, and individual readers understand the immense problem of excessive preparation for war, which inevitably leads to international bullying, meddling, threats, escalation, and mass atrocity. By illustrating the extent of the US empire of military outposts, World BEYOND War hopes to call attention to the wider problem of war preparations. Thanks to davidvine.net for a variety of information included in this tool.
The United States of America, unlike any other nation, maintains this massive network of foreign military installations around the world. How was this created and how is it continued? Some of these physical installations are on land occupied as spoils of war. Most are maintained through collaborations with governments, many of them brutal and oppressive governments benefiting from the bases’ presence. In many cases, human beings were displaced to make room for these military installations, often depriving people of farmland, adding huge amounts of pollution to local water systems and the air, and existing as an unwelcome presence.
US bases in foreign lands often raise geopolitical tensions, support undemocratic regimes, and serve as a recruiting tool for militant groups opposed to the US presence and the governments its presence bolsters. In other cases, foreign bases have made it easier for the United States to launch and execute disastrous wars, including those in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya. Across the political spectrum and even within the US military there is growing recognition that many overseas bases should have been closed decades ago, but bureaucratic inertia and misguided political interests have kept them open. Estimates of the yearly cost to the US of its foreign military bases range from $100 – 250 billion.
View a video about the new bases tool.
David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson’s books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk Nation Radio. This originally appeared at WorldBeyondWar.org.
Unfccckingbelievable the reach of the empire.
Just one critique, looked up the one in my province, and the pin to the base was off by several miles. It’s not Namao base anymore as well, and hasn’t been for decades. It’s CFB Edmonton. It’s a Canadian base where US personal are quartered.
I’ve spent some time there in 14 SDB:)
Oh, and GTFO of my country.
ROMANES EUNT DOMUS!!!!
LOL….
*EDIT* ok, there’s at least 8 other “bases” I know there ain’t FA there. Some literally in the bush, no roads, airport, absolutely no reason for anything to be there. Yet no other personal based in Canada’s largest bases? None? I understand CFB Edmonton for various reasons, but none in Shilo, Gagetown???
I think somebody just liked sticking pins in a map.
Thanks for this tool, and I am not surprised Swanson came up with this. He has been fighting the good fight for a very longtime.
NOVEMBER 8, 2022 The US military is operating in more countries than we think
A new report finds that DOD uses ‘security cooperation’ programs for ‘secret wars,’ recommends that Congress rein them in.
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2022/11/08/the-us-military-is-operating-in-more-countries-than-we-think/
https://media.tenor.com/2UVsQeHR1vAAAAAC/peace-peace-sign.gif
The US has more bases in foreign countries than it does in its own country. Since WWII ended, the bases it has in foreign countries keeps growing. France helped the 13 Colonies win independence and it’s good it never had bases here. The US should never have established bases abroad to begin with.
The US is always pandering to Israel and AIPAC. I’m surprised Israel has no bases here.
The US has secret as well as open bases around the world and causes terrorist attacks that most people don’t know about.
Make peace not war. The Amish & Mennonites show the way.