About 1. 4 m US troops on global active duty - Pentagon
US: Official figures released by the Pentagon show that about 1.4
million US soldiers are currently on active duty around the world.
According to the data, a fifth of the troops - about 200,000 - have
placed their boots on the soil of at least 150 countries in different
continents. The figures are based on statistics collected since
September 30, 2012.
The US has sent its soldiers to European, Asian, and Persian Gulf
states, among others.
Some 66,000 US soldiers, the highest number of American troops
stationed in a foreign country, are currently in Afghanistan.
Analysts say the so-called war on terror has been used as an excuse
to send US soldiers to countries such as Afghanistan.
Over 50,930 US soldiers are also in Japan. More than 47,760 are on
duty in Germany, 27,500 in South Korea, and at least 10,920 in Italy.
US troops are also stationed in Spain, the UK, Kyrgyzstan, Belgium,
Cuba, and Turkey.
The United States has even sent a noticeable number of troops to
Bahrain and Kuwait.
Washington says the soldiers are deployed overseas to pursue US
interests across the world. The US claims its military presence is
necessary in order to protect its allies.
However, a rise in civilian deaths and rape cases has caused public
anger in several host countries.
Meanwhile, the White House deployed Predator drones to Niger on
Friday, setting up a new drone base in Africa, a continent not mentioned
in the list provided by the Pentagon.
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