Humanitarian disasters the cost of US security

It is not a secret that Washington has been waging proxy wars around the world in order to consolidate its status as the world's sole hegemonic power. But a new document obtained through the Freedom of Information Act offers the first official confirmation of that.

The document reveals that between 2017 and 2020, the US military conducted at least 23 separate "127e" programs across the world.

Through the use of the "127 Echo" programs, as they are known, the US uses recondite funding authority to enable US forces to conduct operations "by, with and through" foreign and irregular partner forces around the world. Unlike traditional foreign military assistance programs, which are primarily intended to build local capacity, the 127 Echo operations provide the US with viable surrogate forces designed to achieve US' objectives at a relatively low cost in terms of resources and with a relatively low risk to US personnel.