Going by what everyone seems to be talking about you'd think that nothing else goes on in the world except the things that Donald Trump does ... there is nothing else, just Donald.
Away from his media manipulation you have other players in the world playing away.
Fact number one. There is only one US base in Africa. It's called Camp Lemonnier and is in Djibouti. It is the home of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn Of Africa. They deal in counter terrorism and humanitarian matters.
Did I say only one US base? .... well that's a lie. One permanent out in the open US base in Africa. Ones in South Sudan, Libya and the 44 other bases, outposts, and staging areas are nowhere the size of Camp Lemonnier at 600 acres so best not mention them. We only know about the CIA listening post at Benghazi cos Hillary made a fucken movie with yon guy from the Office in it.
Camp Lemonnier is the hub for six U.S. drone and surveillance bases for the Persian Gulf area. A seaway that is of strategic importance, 10% of the world's oil and 20% of exports go through there and also being not to far from Yemen, that shady little forgotten war/humanitarian crisis.
The US had to negotiate a 20 year extension on the lease in 2014 so I reckon the Djibouti government knew they had all the cards which is why the yearly rent doubled to $70 million.
Saudi Arabia have said they will be building a base in tiny Djibouti to counter the Iranian menace but it's another nation that is making the Americans a little anxious.
The Chinese started building a base in Djibouti this year. The only base they have beyond the South China Sea ... they say. They call it a
Djibouti went from an impoverished nation with a US base to having US, Saudi and Chinese bases and billions being poured into their infrastructure no wonder Djibouti can demand $70 mil a year in rent. If you don't like the rent I bet the Chinese would.
The Chinese base is at the small coastal town of Obock which is 20 miles closer to Yemen than Camp Lemonnier, it's not like they can move their 600 acres now. The hope will be that up to 10,000 Chinese troops will be stationed there. In case anyone needs a fast evacuation.
China is a soft power which buys its way into nations, it's outspending the US in Djibouti with its $14 billion to "help" the country build itself up. Now China is ready to expand on that soft power by setting up the military in bases across the world in a string of pearls network.
A good excuse for setting up bases is that during Arab Spring the Chinese had to evacuate 35,680 nationals from Libya and 629 from Yemen, they have thousands more people all over the African continent and now they'll have better back up from China.
I'd be worried if I was the US as a rival nation with designs on global expansion to the east and west is doing more than just buying property and businesses, this looks like the next stage of a plan to me.
The US is complacent thinking they are the military might in the world, they have always overplayed their capabilities. US power and sucess relies on a constant stream of resources thrown into the war machine.
The likes of Russia and China are hungry and know that by nibbling away and dividing allies they can make grounds in gaining the upper hand. It's also amazing what a couple of carefully aimed tankers can do to US warships too.
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