On June 17, Cambodian Internet Newspaper “Reaksmei Kampuchea” carried an article refuting an accusation of the U.S. against its country. It said the U.S., a country with the greatest number of military bases abroad in the world, has picked on the military cooperation between Cambodia and China without any reason.

The article said the U.S. has more than 800 military bases in many parts of the world, but it is finding fault with regular and transparent military cooperation between Cambodia and China while stretching the truth that the Chinese naval base is being built in Cambodia. It said it is the case of a guilty party filing the suit first.

It is widely known to the world that the U.S. is operating the largest number of military bases abroad, and using them as outposts for realizing its strategy for world hegemony.

The U.S. military bases were deployed with an excuse for “defending its allies” and having “military cooperation” with them. In the last several decades, those bases were actively engaged in disturbing peace and stability as well as aggression in the target regions.

In August 2021, the U.S. forces stationed in Afghanistan killed 10 innocent civilians including 7 children by a drone attack. Likewise, as many as 71, 000-odd civilians were killed in this country by 20-year-long military activities conducted by the U.S. forces under the pretext of “counter-terrorism”.

In particular, the U.S. military bases deployed in Japan and south Korea are serving as a major factor in placing the region of northeast Asia under constant military tension. This has turned the Korean peninsula into the hottest spot of the world.

Besides, the U.S. military bases abroad bring danger of war to the region. They also destabilize the life of the people in their stationing regions by all kinds of crimes including murder, theft and sexual violence.

What is a sight to see is that the U.S. thinks nothing of its difficult economic situation and the livelihood of its people when it is squandering astronomical amount of funds on the upkeep of its military bases abroad.

The U.S. economy is now being crippled by the inflation and price increase which are running highest in 40 years.

According to the U.S. book “Base Nation; How US Military Bases Abroad Harm America and the World”, it was revealed that the U.S. deployed more than 800 military bases in 70-odd countries and stationed 170,000 U.S. troops there, and has spent US$ 10 billion collected by the blood tax of the people on the upkeep of them in one year alone.

Current U.S. administration should first think of abolishing its overseas military bases disturbing peace and stability of the world, rather than making a foolish attempt to avoid public criticism by making groundless assertion that its depression is due to Russia which ignited war in Ukraine.

Ri Myong Hak

Researcher, Institute for Disarmament and Peace,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea