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

[ibkozi]

Bush is trying to blackmail the Iraqis into this agreement. You can read about it here:

http://iraqupdate.wordpress.com/2008/06/07/us-occupation-is-maintained-by-threat-on-iraqs-foreign-reserves/

Bush just wants to use this, agreement/­blackmail, as a way to justify starting a war with Iran and Syria before he leaves office. Remember his plan, to rebuild the middle east as a democracy, you can rebuild anything until you tear it down. I believe his plan involves all out war in the middle east, this agreement/blackmail will allow him to start all military operations from within Iraq, justified by the wording of the agreement/­blackmail. It's so disgusting.

[speakingtruth2power]

We don't have the manpower to invade but we certainly can destroy their neighbors.

[evekendall]

So this is going to give Bush, in effect, the power to start WWIII before he leaves office?

And WHAT IS OUR CONGRESS DOING ABOUT THIS other than bending over?

It's not only disgusting, it's outrageous!

Our Constitution does not allow the President to go around the world making personal agreements with foreign nations that would give him a premise for starting a war without the consent of Congress. People can say that the President has the power to do this and that all they want to...that does not make it so. This is in clear violation of what our founding fathers intended with the division of powers in the U. S. Constitution!

[nerakami]

and this is the problem with McFlip Flop's approach. We still do not understand the psyche of the Arab world and we think we can go in and dictate and dominate what they should or should not do.

This is such a fallacy it's ridiculous. We must get over our "need to dominate" other races, cultures and nations. If we put as much effort into improving the lives of AMERICANS here at home as we try to do on foreign soil... we would all be doing very well right now.... to the tune of trillions of dollars.

[koromuso]

I have a few insights into the psyche of the Arab world, having lived in Kuwait for almost three years. Here's my take on it, for what it's worth:

the group in power will agree to these demands, because they're only in power because WE say they're in power. The minute there is a FREE election and the Iraqis choose their own representatives, those representatives will say "We didn't agree to this and you can't hold us to this. Get out and get our NOW." In other words, the Iraqis will act pretty much like free people everywhere.

This is why Bush (and McCain) want a slew of military bases and the world's largest Embassy and control over the Iraqi government. This is an occupation.

As with all occupations, even those where the subjugated parties ASKED for the occupiers to come as liberators, there comes a time when the occupation just drains so many resources from the locals, that they turn against it. We are long since past that time.

[blueshield]

We need permanent bases in order to withdraw our military forces.

We need immunity from Iraqi law to establish a sovereign free government.

We need to ignore opposition from the majority of the Iraqi Parliament in order to foster democracy.

[adavis08]

Wrong we need to leave !

[Knowbetter]

Uh, blueshield's pointing out the fallacies of Bushco's policies.

[finsfan13]

Wow. And of course not one news network so called "journalis­ts/reporte­rs" will do any reporting on this at all. Because you know, everything is fine over there since the surge. Everyone loves us over there, we are like Ghandi to those people, helping to liberate them from their prosecutor­s......oh yeah....an­d spread "our" version of democracy. I think the white house wants Iraq to be our new Puerto Rico.

[firewmn]

.
...A vote for MCThird-Term is a vote for 100 years of occupation in IRAQ..

[evekendall]

A vote for McThird-Term is most likely a vote for WWIII.

[evekendall]

Ok, Congress, speak up NOW!

[blueshield]

Or, just as soon as you can get to it after the gas tax holiday legislation.

[outnow]

The native American also noticed that "Manifest Destiny" meant grabbing their lands. They stated, "White man speak with forked tongue." Talk about genocide for oil. Well, there you have it. The real reason for the invasion and occupation. So far, about two million Iraqis have left their country, two million more have been displaced, and one million have died on top of the one-half million who died during the sanctions and no fly zones. For those of you who believe that we live in a Christian Nation I suggest you read your Bibles about thou shalt not kill and lie.

This message is not approved by Corporate America.

[Ihaveadream]

Excellent comment - thank you

[Huffyfan]

Outnow

Brilliant post . bravo

[adavis08]

Isn't this what Reverend Wright was talking about? The truth in this country can't be spoken.

[druidlady42]

Rev. Wright, or anyone else in this country who dares to speak the truth (see Clarke, O'Neill, McClellan, Wilson, Dixie Chicks, etc., ad finitum) is instantly put on the Bush administration's "hit list" for character assassination and personal destruction!

Outnow says, "For those of you who believe that we live in a Christian Nation I suggest you read your Bibles about thou shalt not kill and lie."

"Neither," might I add, "shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor" or "covet ...anythin­g that is thy neighbor's"---- more commandments which our so-called "Christian" President has apparently never heard of!

Strange that the Bush administration and its diehard supporters believe "Thou shalt not kill" only applies to unborn fetuses, not to the tens of thousands of our own soldiers and Iraquis who have died or been maimed for our lies!

[marinemomof3]

Who is paying for these bases??

Oh yeah, the Iraqi's with their oil sales,....

sorry I forgot.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

The US tax payer is footing the bill right now. Eventually the cost will be driven by the oil sales.

[Amalek]

And there are trillions of dollars of real cash sitting in the social security trust fund.

[creasdp6]

So Exxon and BP will be paying for them, oh how nice of them.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

We won't agree to withdraw until there is a permanent US military bas on every corner. This all sounds as reasonable as the Rapture to a certain dwindling cohort of the US population

[Mercedes]

What part of "NO!!!" doesn't Bush understand?

He keeps on playing this game of his, while people's LIVES are being lost. Bush does NOT OWN Iraq!

If the people of Iraq do not want to have a democratic government system, then don't FORCE them at the end of a gun!

[natsal]

When they said invaiding Iraq would lead "to twenty dollar" oil. They meant "two twenty dollar oil"

[blueshield]

I think they meant twenty dollar gas.

[JamesInDenver]

I guess we now know for sure where Bush and McBush stand on the Iraq war. Iraq is not like post war Germany or Japan. In this war, we were the aggressors. The Iraqi's are understandably angry at our demands for indefinite occupation. I too would be angry if another country, such as Russia, invaded and occupied the United States. The Bush administration opened a real can of worms with this invasion. And McBush simply wants to continue the current policies.

[katzooks]

Status of forces? Nice euphemism for the Cheney-neocon ratchet-job in their strategy to control Iraqi oil reserves: In the long term, we have to occupy their country forever. In the short term, we have to keep trying to impose a bastardized version of Democracy, like gasoline to fire (on behalf of Israel, AIPAC and the Christian right), onto a country torn apart by a bloody civil war, AND to simultaneously begin *getting* said oil as soon as possible, without upsetting too much the Sunnis, Shi-ites and Kurds, who are, themselves, fighting over control of the oil reserves.

Of course this will be difficult. Iraq is a unique situation. As Bush has already explained, "The reason it's hard is because there are a handful of folks who fear freedom."

That's right. These people hate freedom so much, that they will do anything to keep us from giving it to them. This is why the Iraqi government has repeatedly refuse ouf kind offers to occupy their county. If only they'd listen to us! Maybe we could start an air campaign over Iraq, dropping billions of flag pins from the air. Then they could enjoy the same brand of democracy we enjoy here, in the U.S.

[williamg]

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is conceding for the first time that the United States may not finish a complex security agreement with Iraq before President Bush leaves office.

Faced with stiff Iraqi opposition, it is "very possible" the U.S. may have to extend an existing U.N. mandate, said a senior administration official close to the talks. That would mean major decisions about how U.S. forces operate in Iraq could be left to the next president, including how much authority the U.S. must give Iraqis over military operations and how quickly the handover takes place.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080610/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq_2;_ylt=AmA2LuGF2IA24liGRLajkAlX6GMA

[evekendall]

Thank you for the link. I read the story, but it appears that Ryan Crocker is still pushing for a Dec. 31 deadline. Levin and Warner need to get tougher and demand that the President stop the expansion of this illegitimate occupation. They also need to re-assert their war powers under the Constitution. This President is out of control, and he needs to be stopped from creating more damage in the Middle East. How hard can that be with a 29% approval rating?

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_bush_job_approval-904.html

[JennyJay]

Are we just plain NUTS???? What if Iran or Arabia or Yemen demanded to have 58 military bases here in America? If they all hate us now, can you even begin to imagine how much they will hate us if we have 58 bases in their laps?????