U.S. planners feared decolonization would force withdrawal of overseas bases
Evidence
“Within the next 5 to 10 years,” Barber wrote to the Navy brass, “virtually all of Africa, and certain Middle Eastern and Far Eastern territories presently under Western control will gain either complete independence or a high degree of autonomy,” making them likely to “drift from Western influence.” The inevitable result, Barber predicted, would be the withdrawal of U.S. and allied European military forces and “the denial or restriction” of Western bases in these areas. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 167
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- XREF: Connects to the broader theme of U.S. anxieties about losing influence as colonial empires dissolved, which drives the forward basing posture.