Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC)World ...

countries. 86
Before the 2000s, the traditional roles of military
bases included the defense of an ally or allies,
deterrence and counterbalancing functions, defense
of the home country, and intelligence gathering. With
the rise of terrorism in the 2000s, counterterrorism
and expeditionary missions have gained greater
importance in the rationale of foreign military bases. 87
The dynamics of foreign bases have experienced a
dramatic shift after the terrorist attacks of September
2001 on u.S. soil. the u.S. redirected its attention and
military assets from europe to Central and South-West
Asia. The anti-terrorist front that the U.S. built up
over the subsequent years have seen the deployment
of u.S. military forces in and close to certain parts of
Asia that was once considered Russia’s traditional
sphere of influence. The new countries where the
U.S. is involved are in close proximity to the borders
of Russia and China, creating potential for new
tensions. 88
Balancing the Positives and Negatives
One can analyze the utility of Foreign Military
Presence in terms of a matrix involving military/
security benefits to either or both the foreign power
and the host state, and the liabilities or disadvantages
to both parties. Military/security benefits to the
foreign power might include the possibility of
coercive diplomacy and the maintenance or extension
of colonial or quasi-colonial presence, influence,
or control. One such obvious benefit would be the
enhancement of global security and defense and
power projection capabilities. An analogous benefit
would be better response to or control of local and
regional security problems. 89 the foreign power
may use its presence to incorporate the local state
into larger or global security concerns or networks.
Similarly, a foreign power can freeze competitors
out of a country or region. Furthermore, a foreign
military presence facilitates coordination between
foreign and local forces. 90
The host nation also receives military and security
benefits in the form of a security umbrella for the
local state. Joint exercises between the local state
and foreign power demonstrate the commitment
of the foreign power to the local state and provided
training and experience for local troops. 91
There are also a multitude of potential liabilities
or disadvantages of foreign military power. For the
foreign power, its presence in the host country may
increase the vulnerability of its agents and citizens
to civil and violent attacks. Furthermore, basing
agreements with authoritarian regimes may yield
short-term benefits but do little for political and or
economic liberalization. As an extension, basing
agreements with such regimes may be volatile
and subject to host-nation demands or ousters.
Overwhelming military might does not always
translate well to regional conflicts where adversaries
enjoy the advantages of greater willingness to suffer,
more young males of fighting age, and deeper
knowledge of local terrain, weather, and other
factors. 92
For the local host, there are political liabilities
as well. Permitting a foreign power to establish
bases on local land creates an association with the
foreign power’s foreign policy, which may create or
increase domestic and regional opposition to the
local host. Furthermore, a foreign military presence
involves a loss of sovereignty. It may hamper the
formation of or participation in regional cooperation
accords, particularly when other local states that are
not friendly with the foreign power are involved.
the institution of foreign military installations and
privileges involves some degree of surrender of
territoriality. 93
Legal Immunity
international agreements such as the Visiting
Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Status of Forces
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