https://sputnikglobe.com/20240817/us-lashes-out-abroad-represses-dissent-at-home-as-global-hegemony-slips-away-1119801122.html
US Lashes Out Abroad, Represses Dissent at Home as Global Hegemony Slips Away
US Lashes Out Abroad, Represses Dissent at Home as Global Hegemony Slips Away
Sputnik International
Black Alliance for Peace chair Ajamu Baraka and Pan-Africanist organizer Netfa Freeman joined Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program Friday to discuss US militarism in Libya, noting the United States’ repressive efforts at home and abroad as it attempts to salvage an empire in decline.
2024-08-17T04:15+0000
2024-08-17T04:15+0000
2024-08-17T04:20+0000
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ajamu baraka
netfa freeman
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us africa command (africom)
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US hegemony has taken a beating in recent years.The use of the dollar is on the decline, threatening to undermine the basis of the country’s economic power. Its proxy war in Ukraine is faltering, with the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency threatening to deliver the finishing blow. In Gaza, it is widely considered to be backing a genocide. Its global image has suffered, with favorability ratings cratering in the Middle East in particular.The United States has responded by attempting to shore up its influence where possible, most recently in Libya, which is still suffering the consequences of a coup backed by former President Barack Obama. There the US is attempting to cement the military role of AFRICOM, countering growing Russian influence as Sahel countries turn to Moscow for assistance in combating jihadist groups in the region.Black Alliance for Peace chair Ajamu Baraka and Pan-Africanist organizer Netfa Freeman joined Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program Friday to discuss the development, noting the United States’ repressive efforts at home and abroad as it attempts to salvage an empire in decline.“Now they pretend that they're concerned about destabilization in Africa coming from the Russians, and that they are concerned about creating conditions in Libya that would be beneficial to the Libyan people.”“Well, nobody is buying that,” he claimed. “The logic of AFRICOM is a logic that is being driven by a Western interest. And, Western interest at this point in history is only concerned with creating the conditions of chaos that provides the rationale for their continued presence on the African continent. This struggle to do that is interrupted or challenged by the presence of the Russians as a viable partner to some states and even the Chinese. So this is the context that we are operating in, one in which that context is informed by US imperialist interests.”Freeman questioned the United States’ genuine motivation to stem the influence of terrorist groups in North Africa, with their activity providing a continued justification for the US presence. Funding for jihadist groups in the region is frequently alleged to originate from backers in US-allied Gulf monarchies.Historically, the United States backed Mujahideen forces in Afghanistan to combat the Soviet Union, ultimately giving rise to Al-Qaeda*. The US has also backed Islamist groups in Syria during its long running effort to topple President Bashar al-Assad.“They used a proxy there through the TPLF in Ethiopia to destabilize that,” he continued. “This is what they do, and they always have… it's really about the United States, which is now the offspring of Western European colonialism. It’s serving that, and it's trying to maintain that kind of access to Africa.”Freeman speculated the United States would seek to foment a civil war in Libya to attempt to force Russia out of the country. Baraka recalled the creation of AFRICOM as a tool to expand US influence in Africa in 2008, after which it was expanded dramatically by President Obama.Host Wilmer Leon noted rising repression within the United States alongside its efforts to maintain global influence, with the recent FBI raid of the home of Sputnik's contributor Scott Ritter representing authorities’ latest attempt to intimidate domestic critics. A number of political prisoners such as Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, and Jamil Al-Amin remain incarcerated on trumped up charges.“People need to understand that these are moves being made by the state that will have a deleterious impact on all of us,” noted Baraka. “We've already seen the state pick up its repression.”“So this is the fascistic environment that we find ourselves in today,” Baraka concluded. “And the cutting edge of the main target of this is going to be, and always has been, the Black liberation movement, Black radicals. So we are getting ourselves ready for the intensified scrutiny and repression.”* A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.
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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240312/russian-iranian-diplomats-discuss-situation-in-gaza-yemen-syria-libya---reports-1117274639.html
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US Lashes Out Abroad, Represses Dissent at Home as Global Hegemony Slips Away
04:15 GMT 17.08.2024 (Updated: 04:20 GMT 17.08.2024) Host Wilmer Leon noted rising repression within the United States alongside its efforts to maintain global influence, with the recent FBI raid of the home of former US Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter representing authorities’ latest attempt to intimidate domestic critics.
US hegemony has taken a beating in recent years.
The use of the dollar is on the decline, threatening to undermine the basis of the country’s economic power. Its proxy war in Ukraine is faltering, with the prospect of a second Donald Trump presidency threatening to deliver the finishing blow. In Gaza, it is widely considered to be backing a genocide. Its global image has suffered, with
favorability ratings cratering in the Middle East in particular.
The United States has responded by
attempting to shore up its influence where possible, most recently in Libya, which is still suffering the consequences of a coup backed by former President Barack Obama. There the US is
attempting to cement the military role of AFRICOM, countering growing Russian influence as Sahel countries turn to Moscow for assistance in combating jihadist groups in the region.
Black Alliance for Peace chair Ajamu Baraka and Pan-Africanist organizer Netfa Freeman joined
Sputnik’s The Critical Hour program Friday to discuss the development, noting the United States’ repressive efforts at home and abroad as it attempts to salvage an empire in decline.
“They inject themselves into the life of the nation of Libya, assassinate the head of their revolutionary process, destroy the country, create the conditions for arms to be shipped from Libya across the Sahel that increase the military capacities of various jihadist groups that destabilize nations across northern and western Africa,” said Baraka, criticizing US influence in the North African country.
“Now they pretend that they're concerned about destabilization in Africa coming from the Russians, and that they are concerned about creating conditions in Libya that would be beneficial to the Libyan people.”
20 September 2023, 17:34 GMT
“Well, nobody is buying that,” he claimed. “The logic of AFRICOM is a logic that is being driven by a Western interest. And, Western interest at this point in history is only concerned with creating the conditions of chaos that provides the rationale for their continued presence on the African continent. This struggle to do that is interrupted or challenged by the presence of the Russians as a viable partner to some states and even the Chinese. So this is the context that we are operating in, one in which that context is informed by US imperialist interests.”
Freeman questioned the United States’ genuine motivation to stem the influence of terrorist groups in North Africa, with their activity providing a continued justification for the US presence. Funding for jihadist groups in the region is frequently alleged to originate from backers in US-allied Gulf monarchies.
Historically, the United States backed Mujahideen forces in Afghanistan to combat the Soviet Union, ultimately giving rise to Al-Qaeda*. The US has also backed Islamist groups in Syria during its long running effort to topple President Bashar al-Assad.
“This is a hot war where they're competing and then bringing their war against Russia to other places,” Freeman claimed. “Afghanistan and Syria, we saw it. We also saw them destabilize Somalia… going back all the way to the 1990s, where they overthrew that government there and then destabilized what emerged.”
“They used a proxy there through the TPLF in Ethiopia to destabilize that,” he continued. “This is what they do, and they always have… it's really about the United States, which is now the offspring of Western European colonialism. It’s serving that, and it's trying to maintain that kind of access to Africa.”
Freeman speculated the United States would seek to foment a civil war in Libya to attempt to force Russia out of the country. Baraka recalled the creation of AFRICOM as a tool to expand US influence in Africa in 2008, after which it was expanded dramatically by President Obama.
Host Wilmer Leon noted rising repression within the United States alongside its efforts to maintain global influence, with
the recent FBI raid of the home of Sputnik's contributor Scott Ritter representing
authorities’ latest attempt to intimidate domestic critics. A number of political prisoners such as Mumia Abu Jamal, Leonard Peltier, and Jamil Al-Amin remain incarcerated on trumped up charges.
“People need to understand that these are moves being made by the state that will have a deleterious impact on all of us,” noted Baraka.
“We've already seen the state pick up its repression.”“But the desperation of the state – it has lost the narrative on Gaza and the entire rationale for the imperialist project. Their objective is to silence voices to intimidate potential opposition. That's why they reacted in such a violent way to the anti-genocide protests that were taking place on college campuses.”
“So this is the fascistic environment that we find ourselves in today,” Baraka concluded. “And the cutting edge of the main target of this is going to be, and always has been, the Black liberation movement, Black radicals. So we are getting ourselves ready for the intensified scrutiny and repression.”
* A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.
