Tag: Djibouti
From the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the sands of the Sahel, foreign military bases dot the strategic landscape of the Middle East, North and East Africa. This infographic maps the global powers – from the United States and France to emerging players like China and Turkey – that have established permanent or expanding military footprints across the region.
America’s military presence in the Middle East remains significant even as its focus shifts to Asia-Pacific, specifically to containing China. Around 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in the Arab countries of the Middle East, including 900 troops illegally occupying the oil-rich areas of Syria. Major U.S. troop developments (estimated numbers).
From Djibouti, the US trains proxies and bombs strategically-important countries in the name of democracy and counterterrorism. To justify the country’s militarization, Washington hypes fears over China’s regional ambitions.
The policy marks a stark about-face from Trump's campaign declarations that the US can no longer afford to be the world's policeman. The military operations in Africa suggest otherwise.
