Iraqis Think U.S. in Their Nation to Stay

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060320/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_future_bases

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq - The concrete goes on forever, vanishing into the noonday glare, 2 million cubic feet of it, a mile-long slab that's now the home of up to 120 U.S. helicopters, a "heli-park" as good as any back in the States.

At another giant base, al-Asad in Iraq's western desert, the 17,000 troops and workers come and go in a kind of bustling American town, with a Burger King, Pizza Hut and a car dealership, stop signs, traffic regulations and young bikers clogging the roads.

At a third hub down south, Tallil, they're planning a new mess hall, one that will seat 6,000 hungry airmen and soldiers for chow.

Are the Americans here to stay? Air Force mechanic Josh Remy is sure of it as he looks around Balad.

"I think we'll be here forever," the 19-year-old airman from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., told a visitor to his base.

The Iraqi people suspect the same. Strong majorities tell pollsters they'd like to see a timetable for U.S. troops to leave, but believe Washington plans to keep military bases in their country.

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Can't fool those Iraqis, can you!

[TexasLawyer]

2. Americans who are paying attention

will say the same thing. We aren't building permanent bases all over Iraq for nothing.

[Emillereid]

3. Did the Iraqis reallly think we invaded their country to liberate them??

Our plan was always to gain a permanent footprint in the middle east and to control the oil.

[LynnTheDem]

8. No they don't. Less than 15% believed that.

I imagine even less believe it now.

[HuffleClaw]

4. they aren't going ANYWHERE

but are slooooowly RETREATING to these 'superbases'.

[RazzleDazzle]

5. Oh, man, rate this one UP!!! More Americans need to see this story.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

6. So true...

This has all been one great big childhood trauma for bush and his family's name, the whole iraq/saddam thing. He had to go and prove his daddy was the big shit etc etc. Probably try to destroy them politically by the end of his term if anyone is still alive like he's done to the US and its policies...

[MrSlayer]

7. Well, they're right.

That has been the plan from day 1.

[Jacobin]

9. Yep. No plans to leave. Permanent bases

the Cheney administration continues to publicly lie and congresscritters are 99 percent complicit

[saigon68]

10. The DINO's will let them do whatever.

Limpmann , Biden et al will go with anything the Chimp does over there.

They are afraid they will be voted out like Daschle