Disarmament Commission
By: Amr AlSmadi
Topic;
-Evaluating The Use of Foreign Military Bases.
oTopic Overview;
Since World War II countries have been using foreign soil to establish military bases or facilities by means of protecting the interest of each country or establish a form of power on host countries to maintain the stability of the region or allow the country to gain a more powerful stance in other countries’ conflicts.
Such countries involve the United States of America, United Kingdom, France, Russia and India. These countries have had a great deal of interference in other countries using their soil to protect their interest mainly or to provide protection to allies in the region.
oHost countries’ point of view on the matter;
Many countries which host these military bases have had a diverse look onto the matter itself, however, since the 1970s there has been more the 450 community-based campaigns against foreign military bases which are members of the international (No-Bases Network). These include:
- The island of Okinawa, Japan where 30% of the island has been used by the United States military since World War II. Citizens have protested since of many tragic acts that fell upon them by the acts of these military personnel such as; high levels of rapes, violent crimes, pollution, and impunity of foreign soldiers.
- In Vieques, Puerto Ricocitizens were removed from their homes to make way for a United States bomb testing range. The Viequeans protested for decades the US occupation of 60% of the island. In 2004, the navy withdrew. The Unites States left without making it possible to live on the island up till now.
- In Diego Garcia, which is part of what the United Kingdom calls the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) all citizens were gathered in 1973, put on ships and were left on the shores of Mauritius, allowing them by the United States to host an airbase there. For the past 30 years the Chagossians have won every court case in the United Kingdom for the right to return, only to be blocked by British executive orders. Which violates the rights given by any modern democratic state.
Nevertheless, some countries have benefited from the interference made by the countries who use their soil describing it as a way to increase the countries’ treasury by having the country wishing to establish a military facility there to pay them. Another mean is describing the interference of the United States or other powers as a way to strengthen the host countries’ defense systems by making deals of aid with those countries,as it provides the host country with a visible and effective demonstration of their military alliance with those military powerful countries.
As World War II has left some countries devastated in Europe, these countries were left in the need of help from the United States of America especially when the cold war was on the verge of igniting in the world which left these countries in fear of the soviets where they were obliged to welcome the United States to set their hands on some of their soil.
oCountries using foreign soil point of view on the matter;
These military bases are supposed to be the military backbone of the Unites States the (NATO) and the European Union. These countries and organizations have discreetly described these military bases as a way to apply pressure on the negotiations in conflicts however they are also used to overthrow governments by the interventions of these countries. These bases are used for many goals such as:
These bases are used as launching platforms for military maneuvers such as aerial airstrikes as the base in Diego Garcia is used to launch airstrikes to Pakistan by the United States considering the close nature of Diego Garcia to Pakistan.
These bases are also used as intelligence bases for hands-on intelligence services such as in Iraq and Syria which monitor emails, phone and other data communication.
- Bases are often used as storage facilities for all sorts of weaponry including nuclear arms.
- Some bases are testing sights for new weaponryincluding nuclear testing, others are training grounds for soldiers of the guest country, or joint training locations (which benefit the host countries’ army)
oCurrent Situation;
The thoughts on the matter have been diverse, however, the need for compromise is a must as these bases are not only in the way of host countries’ evolution they are also in a way in violation of rights granted by the modern diplomatic and democratic systems in the way they violate the sovereignty of the host country by having impunity in any acts carried out by these bases on the citizens of the host country or surrounding countries in the region and by entangling the country in unnecessary wars, other reasons of why they have a lot of resentment and resistance is that they in many cases support dictatorships in some countries that go with the will of the country that has their bases in these countries. Nevertheless, some countries need some kinds of support from more powerful nations, so they seek help from other countries but that comes with a cost of negative reflections on the citizens and the regime.
oMain countries using foreign soil for military bases;
United States of America
United Kingdom
Russia
France
India
Turkey
oMain countries hosting military bases;
Germany
Syria
Japan
Afghanistan