New White House plan: Keep US troops in Iraq permanently.

[ProSense]

Opinion

New White House plan: Keep US troops in Iraq permanently.

Fri Jun 8, 4:00 AM ET

Washington - President Bush used to be fond of saying that American troops would stay in Iraq as long as needed and not a day longer. He isn't saying that anymore.

The new word from the White House is that American troops would be stationed in Iraq permanently on the "Korean model." The analogy is a little strained. The United States has helped to mend the rift between North and South Korea since 1953. But South Korea has had no internal insurgency to worry about.

The plan for permanent bases in Iraq must have been long in the making. The president ignored a recommendation of the Baker-Hamilton Commission that he state that America seeks no permanent bases in Iraq. At one point last year, the Senate and House passed an amendment to the military-spending bill banning the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq. The bill went to conference and then the ban on bases, adopted by both chambers, mysteriously disappeared.

The building of four bases along with a gigantic new American embassy in the Green Zone on the Tigris River has been moving along rapidly. The bases will have runways two miles long to accommodate the largest American planes. The Balad base north of Baghdad covers 14 square miles. Another base is planned for the area that was ancient Babylon.

The new embassy, which will be the largest American mission in the world, will be complete with swimming pool and commissary. Retired General Anthony Zinni has said that permanent bases are "a stupid idea." He said that they will damage America's image in the whole region.

These huge installations must be intended for more than Iraqi stabilization. Former President Jimmy Carter said in a speech in February of last year that "the reason we went into Iraq was to establish a permanent military base in the Gulf region." And few are missing the point that bases in Iraq will keep American might on Iran's doorstep.

link

Bush's "as long as needed" always meant permanently.

[IDemo]

1. But when they ask us to leave, we'll leave, right?

Right? Hello?

[tabasco]

2. Iraq is the goose thay lays golden eggs for the war profiteers.

The war profiteers will not give up the goose until we pry it from their greedy, murderous claws.

No one should be surprised by this latest spin. They want this war to go on forever.

We bleed. They profit.

[xultar]

3. NEW..?!?!?!?!?! Buhwawawa!

[OneBlueSky]

8. precisely! . . . there's nothing new about this . . . it's been their intention . . .

since well before the invasion . . . in fact, it's been their intention since well before Bush was ever selected . . . it's all documented (either explicitly or implicitly) in the PNAC materials . . .

hell, the U.S. mega-embassy is a pretty strong indication in and of itself that we have no intention of leaving Iraq . . . not now, not next year, not ever . . . it's our foothold in the region, our operational headquarters, and NOBODY is going to take it away from us . . . especially not those pesky Iraqis (who, btw, own the land it's built on) . . .

[Theduckno2]

4. New Plan? What new plan? This has been their plan all along.

I believe that Bushco has always expected to have permanent military basing in Iraq; it is only now that John Q Red Stater is finally being let in on it. Of course they let on like it is all about "stabilization" but we at the DU know better.

[formercia]

5. Iraq is a springboard to take over the Caspian Basin.

and to remain a forward base to prevent anyone from taking it back.

[kineneb]

6. only in the NeoCon's delusions

it sounds like something hatched in the fading days of Imperial Rome...

...day' don't know da' Middle East well, do day'!

[formercia]

11. Those pesky natives

Just don't know when they have been defeated. :sarcasm:

[Hissyspit]

7. No surprise to anyone here.

Or even anyone who has visited the website for just a little while anytime over the past five years.

[Stephanie]

9. Nothing new about it.

This was the plan all along. This is why we went in. DU knew this.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. And this is news? The only thing newsy about it is that they're now

admitting it! All any newsworthy organization worth their salt had to do was keep track of the collossal U.S. Embassy under construction. Did they think it was being built for the Iraqi elite or something?

[LibertyorDeath]

12. If the oil ran dry today

they'd be gone tomorrow....