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It is also worth pointing out that the occupation of Germany ended in 1955. The US military has a policy of being forward deployed around the globe, so it nego
by rz2k 13y ago
It is also worth pointing out that the occupation of Germany ended in 1955.
The US military has a policy of being forward deployed around the globe, so it negotiates agreements with may countries around the world to station troops in strategic locations.
The military bases are there as a result of legal agreements and treaties, not because they would forcibly resist any attempts to expel them, and there is no sentiment in the US whatsoever to change that policy and begin fighting to establish bases in friendly countries.
For a parallel, look to Uzbekistan where the US operated an airbase after 9/11. In 2005, there was a massacre by Uzbek government forces, and the US said there ought to be an international investigation. Uzbekistan replied by rescinding the agreement for use of the airbase, and the US left. No shots were fired.
- arrrg 13y agoWell … to be honest I consider 1990 the year in which occupation ended and Germany got its full sovereignty back (with the 2+4 talks and reunification). Technically that doesn’t matter at all because all through the cold war West-German and US interests were very tightly aligned (and when interests diverged a bit the US did give West-Germany enough freedom, though they hardly ever diverged much). I mean, West-Berlin was most certainly occupied until 1990. It’s just that that was an occupation hardly anyone had a problem with.
- chalst 13y agoThe US has bases in countries all over the world as part of military agreements. From 1955, W. Germany has them as a NATO member vs. the Warsaw Pact countries. They're not occupations unless the armies establish control over the countries. The US still has some of its largest overseas bases in Germany; see http://militarybases.com/overseas/germany/ http://militarybases.com/overseas/germany/
- lostlogin 13y agoAhh, so it's forward deployment, not some modern version of colonialism. It should be noted that US bases aren't always loved or even well tolerated. See Japan, Iraq, Afghanistan et al.
- tsotha 13y agoThe US doesn't have any military bases in Iraq. The Japanese could certainly ask us to leave, and we would. But they don't, because except for a vocal minority they do want us there. And Afghanistan is a war zone. I wouldn't consider that anything but an occupation. Which, I might add, they brought on themselves, so I don't have much sympathy.
- EliRivers 13y agoYes indeed, legally declining to extradite someone totally justifies being invaded and occupied.
- hga 13y agoThe Taliban, assuming they weren't in league with al-Qaeda, violated Niven's Law 1b, "Never stand next to someone who is throwing shit at an armed man."
- tsotha 13y agoIn this case it was. Absolutely. One of the duties of a government is to control what goes on in its territory. Legally we had an iron-clad casus belli.
- EliRivers 13y agoLegally, the UN charter and thus US law makes it clear invading another country can be done in self-defense or by approval of the security council. Neither of those conditions were met. Legally, you're talking nonsense. The U.S. government knew this. They labelled Taliban troops terrorist-supporters rather than soldiers so that they could ignore the law. Invading a country and bombing big lumps of it into oblivion and then occupying it for a decade because you fear a handful of non-state actors who might or might not be inside it; both illegal and fucking ridiculous, and far more damaging to the US than a grown-up response would have been.
- 13y ago
- ekianjo 13y ago> It is also worth pointing out that the occupation of Germany ended in 1955. Interestingly, though, Germany never signed a peace treaty with the US. It only signed a "cease-fire" with the US to end the war. :)
- mayneack 13y agoLuckily, the US hasn't declared war since Vietnam anyway.
- Svip 13y agoThe US hasn't declared war since the Second World War. Neither Vietnam nor Korea was declared as it is described in the US Constitution (that Congress shall declare war).
- Cthulhu_ 13y agoWeren't both Vietnam and Korea wars the US was simply involved in, instead of them declaring war against someone / a nation / a government? Similarly, Iraq and Afghanistan, iirc the US merely cooperated with the UN to er. Do something with those countries.
- ekianjo 13y agoFor Iraq as far as I remember the UN was opposed to any intervention. They went on their own.
- lostlogin 13y agoNo military bases in Iraq.. I'd better get with the times, good point. Got the hell out of that mess - the same will be said of Afghanistan shortly.
- nraynaud 13y agoI've lived in Heidelberg for a while (with Germans) and I don't think the Americans there were really well seen. The MP cars in the streets (or the US imported cars in general), flying italian bottled water to US then back to Germany to avoid paying taxes, the fact that many American people born on German territory (children of military families) don't even bother to learn german, the gated communities etc. Plus the fact that the Iraq and Afganistan operation where headquartered there, the resentment seemed quite high. (I just googled it and I see it's deactivated on april 1st 2013 actually)