US Wants 58 Bases In Iraq, Shiite Lawmakers Say

McClatchy reports the U.S. is demanding 58 military bases in Iraq as part of a "status of forces" agreement that would allow American troops to remain in Iraq indefinitely:

Iraqi lawmakers say the United States is demanding 58 bases as part of a proposed "status of forces" agreement that will allow U.S. troops to remain in the country indefinitely.

Leading members of the two ruling Shiite parties said in a series of interviews the Iraqi government rejected this proposal along with another U.S. demand that would have effectively handed over to the United States the power to determine if a hostile act from another country is aggression against Iraq. Lawmakers said they fear this power would drag Iraq into a war between the United States and Iran.

"The points that were put forth by the Americans were more abominable than the occupation," said Jalal al Din al Saghir, a leading lawmaker from the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. "We were occupied by order of the Security Council," he said, referring to the 2004 Resolution mandating a U.S. military occupation in Iraq at the head of an international coalition. "But now we are being asked to sign for our own occupation. That is why we have absolutely refused all that we have seen so far."

The proposed "status of forces" agreement could lead to an uprising in Iraq, according to a leading Iraqi cleric:

A leading Iraqi Shiite cleric said Monday the status of forces agreement between Washington and Baghdad could lead to an uprising in Iraq.

"It is not to the benefit of the U.S. as a major power to lessen the sovereignty of Iraq. This treaty is humiliating to the Iraqi people, and might cause an uprising against it and those who support it," Grand Ayatollah Mohammad al-Modarresi told the Iranian state-run English-language service, Press TV.

Modarresi said the strategic framework between Iraq and the United States needs a full understanding of the situation in Iraq before negotiations on the arrangement proceed. "It will surely fail if kept as it is," he said.

Comments

[lornejl]

Americans patience seems to have no end, patience is a virtue ?

[southafrica4obama]

That's not true. It's actually 58 bridges across America.

[brushfinch]

Oh..we have achieved such success in Iraq,we need to stay there for ever !!! Give us and the Iraqis a break.And how much are these bases going to cost us?.. we do not have money for health care, for schools, for bridges and roads, to take care of our veterans...and this administration wants to build more bases...( and some will inevitably beclose to the border with Iran), with fat contracts going to politically connected companies, no doubt...We should dismantle the bases we have already built , or at least leave them to the Iraqi Army, and bring our troops home,pure and simple...This administration is totally nuts.

[Paul]

So the US wants to put 58 bases in Iraq?

If I were the Iraqis, I'd get cash up front.

[peterg76]

And get it in euros.

[Clairvaux]

The last time I checked, treaties with foreign governments have to be ratified by congress.

This is Dubya's lame attempt to insure his legacy, a legacy of death and oil.

It will be breathtaking to see how quickly this illegal treaty will be flushed by the Obama Administration.

[dhinds]

An interesting article. Apparently, the Shiite majority's legislators are more aware than the American legislators that voted in favor of providing Bush with the power to invade Iraq.

The USA's demands will never be met. These kinds of demands will unite Iraqis against the foreign invader, requiring still more troops in a war with no end and no purpose.

Kuchinich has the right idea.

[coinier]

get out of iraq ,now!no permanent bases!impeach bush!no mccain!no more war!

[gorgol]

THIS Madness has to STOP!!! BUSH is a MADMAN...WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN...DEMAND IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS....DEMAND THESE MONSTERS BE STOPPED.

[druidlady42]

"WRITE YOUR CONGRESSMAN"----------Ha! Been there, done that, doesn't work! They don't, they WON'T listen! All you get back is a form letter thanking you for your interest, touting their "reasoned disagreement" with your position, and bragging on what all they are doing for us "little" people!

Pitchforks, hoes, ball bats, buckets of tar and feathers, maybe a guillotine anyone?

Nah! Nobody can afford enough gas now to even get to Washington!

[Meggie]

support Kucinich's efforts. He read every single word out loud last night and only CSPAN covered it live. MSM is only talking about elections and manufacturing stories there so they won't have to cover any real news.

[apwerner]

my sentiments exactly. You expressed it a lot better than I did.

[yexiaonan]

Wow! How come there is almost no public media reporting that the general public is not aware of
this madness. How much more damage GWB wants to impart on e people of America as his swan song? Absolutely crazy! Is it too late to impeach GWB should he carry out this "agreement"?

[brushfinch]

we now know....and we all have to take responsibility for fighting this move..writet o your reps and senators..

[JR49]

MSM has better themes than Iraq. Iraq war seems to be something forgotten to them...better discuss VP selection for hours and hours...

[artsandminds]

For the same reason the media was so helpful getting the first invasion I Iraq started, three very powerful interest groups want it: Oil, military industrial complex, and above all else Israel. Israel and the neocons thought an invasion would bring them an ally in the middle east an American/Israeli puppet state, but instead it is a powder cake and Israel is scared to death that they will have to live with Iran’s ever increasing power now that Iraq has become their ally. And the more it looks like an Obama presidency the more important it is to get this done before Bush leaves office.

[Meggie]

I've been an Obama supporter all along, but this was one point that Clinton kept going to. Now it's up to Obama to bring this up, and if Mccain agreed with this buildup it would confirm his contention that he wants to be there with a large force for 100 years. he's been trying to walk away from that position recently, but Obama can force his hand and also make this big news if he handles it right.

[BuyRubles]

this is an act of imperialism.

[adavis08]

How can we demand 2 military bases let alone 58? We brought democracy to them via a gun and now we are strong arming them into a new type of occupation. How is the country large enough for 58 bases? This is a ploy because the Bush administration knows that civil unrest will be something that the troops will have to deal with as long as they are there. With 58 bases, it seems that there will be one in each city. That is ridiculous. I don't blame the Iraqis, I wouldn't agree with it either especially since what they really want is for us to leave.

[olivia]

This is OUR TAX MONEY people.

Impeach the thieves.

Dennis Kucinich introduced articles of impeachment against Bush yesterday. It's on this website but buried pretty deep. Please contact members of the House if you support this.

House switchboard: 202-225-3121

[4mikeryan]

Our tax dollars are paying off just the interest in chinese loans that we are getting to fund this war.

[evekendall]

From the article:

"Leaders in the U.S. Congress have also demanded a say in the agreement, but the Bush administration says it is planning to make this an executive accord not subject to Senate ratification."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/40372.html

Under what authority does the Executive Branch have the power to make "executive accords" with another country without Senate approval as required by Article II, section 2 of the U. S. Constitution?

I want to hear from the U. S. Senate on this.

[Ammobob]

Why? Do you think Clinton let the Senate approve of the Bosnia/UN agreement? It's NOT a treaty, so it's not subject to Senate approval. Geez.

[Grannysue]

Well I say the McBush people can want in one hand and you know what in the other and see which one comes to fruition! No more money for Iraq, they have had enough of our blood and money now it's time for them to take over their country. Unless of course Bush/Cheney and McSame want to go over and live there and run the place that would be fine with me, but they don't get any U.S. money either, they can use all that money they made off their oil investments over the past eight years while screwing over the American People.

[speakingtruth2power]

Is combining the words fai*lure, ill*egal and imm*oral with Bus*hco verboten?

This is a very silly system we are being processed by and everyone knows it!!!