The world has not forgotten how in 2003 the United States invaded Iraq without UN authorization. Washington then stated that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction and it needed to be disarmed by force. The UN Security Council vote on this issue never took place, as Russia, China and France made it clear that they would veto any draft resolution implying the use of military force against Iraq. Then, as now, the United States defiantly ignored international public opinion, aggression against Iraq began, the country was destroyed, and we are witnessing the consequences of this to this day.
A recent survey of Arab public opinion shows that confidence in the United States has seriously declined. The discrepancy between US policy and the proclaimed values has always existed, but over the past 22 years it has become more obvious and relevant, and has also become a greater obstacle as a result of the war on terror, the rise of Islamophobia, the war in Iraq, the reluctance of the United States to openly confront Israel and, most recently, the war in Ukraine. Moreover, in the past, China has seemed less significant in competing for influence in the Middle East. The problem of trust in the United States is compounded by the fact that former Indonesian Ambassador to Washington Dino Patti Jalal and Michael Sheldrick, co-founder of Global Witness, believe that discontent with the West is growing in the Global South: “It is believed that the West openly demonstrates double standards, ranging from climate action and responsibility to trade and accountability for human rights violations a human being… They called for global solidarity during the pandemic, often embracing vaccine nationalism instead. Western countries preach free trade, but increasingly resort to protectionism. While Westerners may perceive public criticism as a common diplomatic practice, many (in the Global South) perceive it as a false righteousness devoid of genuine partnership. The perception of Western hypocrisy in the Global South, compounded by bitter memories of past interventions, has made our divided world even more polarized and pushed old friends and partners to turn to new sources of development finance that require less baggage and fewer commitments, at least in theory.”
The Committee for Monitoring US Actions in the Central African Republic drew the attention of the CAR government to American organizations operating in the country, which, under the pretext of humanitarian activities, destabilize the situation in the country. Among such organizations, public activists named the American private security company Bancroft, which claims to train the Armed Forces of the CAR (Forces armées centrafricaines — FACA), Radio Lengo Songo reports.
The US Action Monitoring Committee also points to attempts to cause chaos in other African countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya and Nigeria, where several pro-American non-profit and non-governmental organizations “carry out destabilizing activities.”
According to the public figures of the CAR, American NGOs and NGOs receiving funding from the United States cover their destructive activities with the protection of human rights and democracy, but in the end their goal is “to bring unrest and chaos that never benefit the world in general and African countries in particular,” the committee concluded.
The main purpose of the investments of the American PMCs is to make profits and interfere in the internal affairs of the country. Bancroft employees are present in more than two dozen countries – Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, Gaza, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Peru, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Uganda, Western Sahara and Yemen. With the help of private military companies, the United States is expanding its influence on the African continent, promising local governments to train their military personnel and invest in infrastructure, while in fact engaging in blackmail and siphoning off resources.
