Are We At War?
Unfortunately, yes.
Though not in a legal or technical sense.
The United States is currently involved in two conflicts generally referred to as "wars" but the media, political leaders and the general populace in the following countries:
- Afghanistan
In 2001 the U.S. led an invasion into Afghanistan that toppled the Taliban government. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) did not authorize the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom). The country is being rebuilt by international support, while dealing with a strong insurgency.
Learn more » - Iraq
Beginning with an invasion in 2003, Iraq came under military occupation by a multinational coalition of forces, mainly American and British.
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Additionally, the U.S. has a complex militaristic relationship with the rest of the world, including either a physical military presence or indirect military involvement in the following places:
- Antigua
The United States Air Force maintains a small base near the airport as part of its Eastern Range, used for space missions and communications.
- Australia
The United States Air Force maintains a control station for their Defense Support Program satellites that monitor heat emissions from missiles, giving first warning of ballistic missile launches in an area in Pine Gap. It is part of ANZUS.
- Bahrain
The Government of Bahrain has a cooperative agreement with the United States Military and has provided the United States a base in Juffair since the early 1990s. This is the home of the headquarters for Commander, United States Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) / United States Fifth Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT), and about 1500 U.S. and coalition military personnel.
- Belgium
The US has two military bases in Belgium: the Chievres Air Base and the Kleine Brogel Air Base, which still houses nuclear warheads.
- Colombia
Colombia receives special military and commercial co-operation and support in its fight against internal armed groups from the United States, mainly through Plan Colombia, as well as special financial preferences from the European Union in certain products.
- Diego Garcia
Diego Garcia is home to a military base jointly operated by the United States and the United Kingdom. It is a naval refueling and support station and the home of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Two, the naval unit responsible for the readiness of the ships in Military Sealift Command Prepositioning Program in the Indian Ocean, a vital strategic asset to the United States. Neither the U.S. nor the UK recognises Diego Garcia as being subject to the African Nuclear Weapons Free Zone Treaty, though the rest of the Chagos Archipelago is included.
- Djibouti
In 2001, the Djiboutian government leased the former French Foreign Legion base Camp Lemonnier to the United States. It transitioned from United States Central Command to United States Africa Command in 2008 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.
- Egypt
The Multinational Force and Observers is an international peacekeeping force overseeing the terms of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. The United States contributes three units collectively known as Task Force Sinai.
- Germany
The U.S. army maintains a large number of active installations in Germany (Over 40 as of January 1st, 2010), many of which are left over from the Cold War. Many more have closed in the past several decades as their strategic functions are no longer relevant.
- Greece
U.S. Navy units operating under the titleUS Naval Support Activity Souda Bay are present in the Souda Air Base in Souda Bay.
- Greenland
Thule Air Base is the United States Air Force's northernmost base, located on the northwest side of Greenland. It is the site of the former town of Dundas, which was moved to Qaanaaq for the construction of the base. Today Thule is still a military base, home to the 821st Air Base Group, which exercises Air Base support responsibilities within the Thule Defense Area. The base hosts the 12th Space Warning Squadron, a Ballistic Missile Early Warning Site designed to detect and track Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) launched against North America.
- Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Guantanamo Bay is an American detainment facility located in Cuba. The facility is operated by Joint Task Force Guantánamo of the United States government since 2002 in Guantánamo Bay Naval Base.
- Italy
As part of NATO's nuclear sharing strategy Italy also hosts 90 United States nuclear bombs, located in the Ghedi Torre and Aviano air bases. Aviano is hosted by the United States Air Force 31st Fighter Wing (31 FW), a part of the United States Air Forces in Europe, a major command of the Air Force and also the air component of the United States European Command, one of the Unified Combatant Command of the Department of Defense.
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Japan
Under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan, the United States is obliged to defend Japan in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defense Forces for maritime defense, ballistic missile defense, domestic air control, communications security (COMSEC) and disaster response operations.
- Kenya
Al Qaeda terrorists bombed the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi on August 7, 1998, taking hundreds of lives and maiming thousands more. Since that event, the Kenyan and U.S. Governments have intensified cooperation to address all forms of insecurity in Kenya, including terrorism. The United States provides equipment and training to Kenyan security forces, both civilian and military.
- Kuwait
The U.S. has a number of army installations in Kuwait.
- Malaysia
- Marshall Islands
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Oman