The US Military is Occupying 53 of 54 African Nations

a reply to: 727Sky

Yea I knew about the SF guys in Niger and Mali and some other places.. Sudan was on the list after Syria and Libya..

I did NOT realize it was 53 out if 54 nations in Africa though.

Still it does not surprise me..

As far as I'm aware there are 800 us bases split into 80 countries. And us troops in something around 163 countries. There are 195 countries world wide so that leaves about 20 countries with no KNOWN troops in.. That is just about US troops in 85% of the world..


Rome wasn't # compared to the USA...

Africa was pointed out as the next conflict area after the middle east. I forget where I heard that, maybe while in the army? But strategic reasons like resources and what not.. China and USA race to imperialism.

I think I've heard this track before.. set on repeat?

But anyway

AFRICOM




SOCAFRICA




So it's really no surprise..
It's just if you didn't know now you do.
What are you going to do about it?
Probably turn on football?
Pretty crazy one nation can be so overpowered.
But a sleeping citizenry doesn't hurt.
Are they kneeling or standing?

Of course those numbers don't include all the special forces or seals or CIA guys.. so realistically USA is running operations in every country on planet Earth.

a reply to: Reverbs
Do about what exactly? Socoms are training missions.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: Indigent

Right because other nations aren't "superpowers" (EMPIRES).

"We" are everything we rebelled against in 1776, everything we fought in WW2 and in the Cold War.

But rock on.

Only over half a million people gunned down and blown into bits so everyone can feel the power, so far this decade....

I wonder if The Principality of Sealand is taking any new citizens? You could always apply for asylum and sea.. errr...see? I mean, seeing as how you seem to really despise so much of America...

Last I heard they were trying to get into off shore data hosting, could be a lucrative opportunity!

originally posted by: dragonridr
a reply to: Reverbs
Do about what exactly? Socoms are training missions.

That's all you want to say??

Most of what SF do is train other nations armies..

It's not really the point I'm making.. You do realize the SF guys who were killed is what got people's attention recently..

AFRICOM over arches SOCAFRICA..

AFRICOM Mission Statement. United States Africa Command, in concert with interagency and international partners, builds defense capabilities, responds to crisis, and deters and defeats transnational threats in order to advance U.S. national interests and promote regional security, stability, and prosperity.

And they're doing that in every country in Africa.

Like I was saying earlier I was told Africa was the next theatre, pretty sure that was whole I was in the Army as I'm not finding a good article on it.

A full-spectrum combatant command, U.S. AFRICOM is responsible for all U.S. Department of Defense operations, exercises, and security cooperation on the African continent, its island nations, and surrounding waters. AFRICOM began initial operations on Oct. 1, 2007, and officially became fully operational capable on Oct. 1, 2008

U.S. Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) - SOCAFRICA, co-located with U.S. Africa Command at Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart, aims to build operational capacity, strengthen regional security and capacity initiatives, implement effective communication strategies in support of strategic objectives, and eradicate violent extremist organizations.

a reply to: Kettu



Then I'd be declared an "enemy combatant".

a reply to: Kettu

I explained here why try reading the replies.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Reverbs

The US African Unified Command (AFRICOM) operates at least eight drone bases in Africa located in Djibouti, the Seychelles, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Niger (Niamey) base and Burkina Faso. In February 2016 The Intercept reported about yet another African drone site established by the Pentagon in Garoua, Cameroon.

linky

Freedom Drones!

The Agadez base will seemingly become the Pentagon's second most important drone site in Africa after Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Since the US opened the Djibouti base, shortly after September 11, 2001, it has grown from 88 acres with 900 military personnel to around 500 acres with 5,000 military personnel. In May 2014, the US reached an agreement with the government of Djibouti that secures its presence through 2044 for the sum of $70 million per year. Camp Lemonnier is currently undergoing a $1.4 billion upgrade, expanding everything from aircraft maintenance hangars, ammunition shelters, and runway extensions to accommodation facilities. The runway being built will be capable of landing C-17 - the largest cargo planes in the US inventory.

It's not like oh a few guys are training some other guys..

It's a bit more involved and permanent..

There are things I heard in the Army to where I don't believe in fairy tales anymore..

Africa is known as one of the richest parts of the world when it comes to natural resources. Not yet fully developed, it boasts many fast-growing economies. The continent is as a fertile land of opportunity. There are two great powers vying for clout in Africa: the US and China. The Chinese have voted for an economic route. It has very deep ties with African nations all over the continent. Beijing has created big public works projects that Africans can see and touch with their hands, while the US has chosen the strategy of building a vast military infrastructure to wage a drone war in peacetime and prepare for a large-scale ground war if it comes to that.

a reply to: Reverbs

The US Military’s Best-Kept Secret

For years, American military expansion in Africa has gone largely unnoticed, thanks to a deliberate effort to keep the public in the shadows.

the nation


It's a very long article but it details a lot that few are aware of.

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: Reverbs

The US Military’s Best-Kept Secret

For years, American military expansion in Africa has gone largely unnoticed, thanks to a deliberate effort to keep the public in the shadows.

the nation


It's a very long article but it details a lot that few are aware of.

Wow a secret huh? Seriously oh i dont know about the secret part since they even have a website.Heres an idea instead of speculating what they do try educating yourself on what they do.

www.usaraf.army.mil...

You are about 20 years too late. This started with Bill. Then moved through Bush , Obama and now Trump.

a reply to: dragonridr

I didn't say it was a secret.
How would I be aware of troops all over Africa and drone bases if it was a secret?

I think you are the one who doesn't know what's actually going on.





I'm aware of 11 drone bases.

HIDDEN HISTORY: AMERICA'S SECRET DRONE WAR IN AFRICA

There are something around 8,000 military personnel in Africa in almost all it's counyries..

China is doing a similar move but with money.
For now it's fighting terrorism but us has contracts for permanent bases in Africa.. something like 80 "outposts"

I'm not saying what I'm not saying so don't try to put words in my mouth.

This is just a topic I'm interested in ever since hearing things in the Army.

originally posted by: ignorant_ape
a reply to: 727Sky

oh FFS - get a grip - having troops in a country does NOT = " occupy "

Try living in a country « invaded » by the USA for « cough » peace reasons muppet.

It’s ok when it is not another country invading where you live!

Stop with the FFS and open your eyes... not only does your magnificent country exist on this planet.

define " occupy "

it's what the communists do....

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: dragonridr

I didn't say it was a secret.
How would I be aware of troops all over Africa and drone bases if it was a secret?

I think you are the one who doesn't know what's actually going on.

I'm aware of 11 drone bases.

HIDDEN HISTORY: AMERICA'S SECRET DRONE WAR IN AFRICA

There are something around 8,000 military personnel in Africa in almost all it's counyries..

China is doing a similar move but with money.
For now it's fighting terrorism but us has contracts for permanent bases in Africa.. something like 80 "outposts"

I'm not saying what I'm not saying so don't try to put words in my mouth.

This is just a topic I'm interested in ever since hearing things in the Army.

There can be far more then that at any given time. To set up a drone base just requires a hanger and a runway. So many of them are located in the countries air force basses. Though sometimes they build a runway like in Niger across the street from their airforce base. If i remeber shared with the french which is why mirage fighters were called in.

When you're at war with the boogyman, you can send troops anywhere you say the boogyman is.

There is about 1/2 the troops in 2 countries.

3-4k in Djibouti alone.

Spread out 4k troops among 51 other countries and it's pretty thin for an occupation force.

Are there any in Libya finally?

Using the word "occupying" in this context is only slightly less of a joke than Occupy Wall Street was.

originally posted by: Reverbs
a reply to: 727Sky

As far as I'm aware there are 800 us bases split into 80 countries.

This is actually a false figure being pushed around by the "US military is too big" crowd. I debunked it fairly well in another thread that I can't seem to locate right now (did I mention the search function sucks?). This explains it pretty well though. We only have 800 bases if you count every early warning radar site, utility junction box or anything else that's off-post, fenced in and owned by the US military as a "base", which is a completely asinine way to count them. Please don't spread this blatantly false figure anymore and explain it to others you see using it that it's bogus.


Edit: Here's the key part:

Still, caveats are in order here, too. Of the 662 overseas sites listed -- that is, those outside the active war zones -- all but 32 of them are either small sites (with a replacement value of less than $915 million) or sites essentially owned on paper only.

For instance, the sole site listed for Canada is 144 square feet of leased space -- equal to a 12-foot-by-12-foot room. That’s an extreme case, but other nations on the list -- such as Aruba, Iceland, Indonesia, Kenya, Norway and Peru -- have just a few U.S. military buildings, many of them leased. Some of the sites are unmanned radio relay towers or other minor facilities. "Most of them are a couple of acres with a cyclone fence and no troops," Pike said.

originally posted by: 727Sky
OK I am all for cutting the head off of ISIS and their many spawn yet my question is why is it that the USA and some allies are the only ones to step up to the chopping block ?

Because the U.S. is one of the few nations with the hubris to think that they (we) can stop an area from terroristic tendencies that has been cultivating this culture of violence ever since "Biblical" times.

Our allies are forced to go along with the stupidity via legally binding alliances and treaties.

If/when our government ever admits that the wars in the Middle East are lessons in futility will be a great day for the world. (Or when we decide to actually fight a war and end it, instead of a collection of perpetual skirmishes)

originally posted by: SlapMonkey

originally posted by: 727Sky
OK I am all for cutting the head off of ISIS and their many spawn yet my question is why is it that the USA and some allies are the only ones to step up to the chopping block ?

Because the U.S. is one of the few nations with the hubris to think that they (we) can stop an area from terroristic tendencies that has been cultivating this culture of violence ever since "Biblical" times.

Our allies are forced to go along with the stupidity via legally binding alliances and treaties.

This isn't entirely true. After 9/11 made us wake up, we tightened up security and surveillance at home and deployed troops to Afghanistan with the idea that we'll fight them over there instead of letting them come here. We were largely successful in preventing further terrorist attacks in the following years. Then we lost our resolve and started to resume our pre-9/11 attitude of complacency and as a result we've been getting more frequent attacks.

And no our allies aren't forced to participate by any treaties. Where did you get that idea?

originally posted by: face23785
This isn't entirely true. After 9/11 made us wake up, we tightened up security and surveillance at home and deployed troops to Afghanistan with the idea that we'll fight them over there instead of letting them come here. We were largely successful in preventing further terrorist attacks in the following years.

While the latter is unprovable, but possible, if you truly think that we first went to the Middle East with the intent to win wars, you're not paying attention. Yes, we went with the intention to fight terrorist cells, but the reality is that there are so many, and so many willing participants to start new ones if others fall, that it's a perpetual war/battle situation that is unwinnable under our current rules of engagement.

I don't need lectured about why we went over there and why we are there--my wife and many of my veteran friends served overseas and let me know what was going on. Most of my friends were in the JAG Corp (as was I) and Military Intelligence. I'm not ignorant to why we were there or what the problems were, but thank you for trying, I suppose.

Then we lost our resolve and started to resume our pre-9/11 attitude of complacency and as a result we've been getting more frequent attacks.

I disagree--I think that terrorist organizations have been able to better adapt to our tactics without us adapting appropriately to theirs. If you're talking about civilian complacency, I would agree, but government-wise, it's not complacency, it's an unwillingness to do better.

And no our allies aren't forced to participate by any treaties. Where did you get that idea?

I got the idea form reality--we have binding military-alliance treaties with many countries that are reciprocal, meaning that we must aid them militarily and them us, depending on the situation.

A better question would be, where did you get the idea that such things do not exist?