Military Access

During the Cold War the United States high command stationed sizable numbers of troops in foreign nations on military installations or bases controlled by Washington. Coinciding with the ending of the Cold War the Pentagon began to favor a new form for the expansion of military deployment abroad, the access agreement. This gives the leadership of the U.S. armed forces the right to use the military installations of a foreign government without being responsible for their operation and maintenance and without the permanent deployment of American military personnel. Access agreements therefore conform to post-Cold War conditions facing Washington: they are less of a strain on the U.S. budget and less a target for nationalist resentment in the host countries.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website

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