Officials are hyping the threat of a potential Chinese naval base facing the Atlantic to get yet more funding for military operations.
U.S. Cold War with China: First Stop, Equatorial Guinea
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military bases
Drawdown: Improving U.S. and Global Security Through Military Base Closures Abroad
The United States has withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan. Only 750 military bases to go.
Is the Long War Finally Ending?
Withdrawing several thousand U.S. troops from Afghanistan is just the tip of the iceberg.
Listen to the Governor of Okinawa
The new governor of Okinawa wants to persuade Washington to stop a controversial base construction project. Will Washington listen?
A Preview of The Coming War on China
Noted journalist John Pilger talks about China, Okinawa, and U.S. policy in Asia.
Endless War, Undeclared and Undebated
The Obama administration is waging war all over the world — without congressional authorization.
Three Good Reasons To Liquidate Our Empire (And Ten Steps to Take to Do It)
This commentary was originally published by TomDispatch in 2009. In light of the draconian Bradley Manning verdict, we are republishing it now. However ambitious President Barack Obama's domestic plans, one unacknowledged issue has the potential to destroy any reform...
Postcard from Tokyo
Against a drumbeat of resurgent Japanese militarism, more than 140 Okinawan civic representatives made a historic trip to Tokyo on January 27. This was the first time since Okinawa reverted to Japanese control in 1972 that leaders from every municipality have visited the nation’s capital. And despite the bitter cold, they were met with a warm reception by 4,000 Tokyoites at a rally in Hibiya Park—before coming under assault by angry nationalists .
The Cost of Occupying Planet Earth
How much does the United States spend each year occupying the planet with its bases and troops? Forced by Congress to account for its spending overseas, the Pentagon has put that figure at $22.1 billion a year. It turns out that even a conservative estimate of the true costs of garrisoning the globe comes to an annual total of about $170 billion–or maybe even more.
Environmentalists Miss Chance to Protest Base
On July 5, South Korea’s Supreme Court overturned lower court rulings against the Ministry of National Defense for proceeding with construction of a naval base on Jeju Island without an environmental impact assessment (EIA). It also ruled that the governor of Jeju had the authority to change the designation of absolute preservation areas. This ruling wasn’t just a major blow to residents of Gangjeong village where the navy base is being built but also to the many voiceless marine organisms. As you read this, massive caissons the size of four-story buildings are about to drop on soft coral reefs, forever destroying local marine ecosystems home to several endangered species.