Iraq Government Seeks To Limit US Role In Country

Mother Jones:

John McCain and George W. Bush argue that maintaining high levels of U.S. troops in Iraq is essential for the security of Iraq, the region, the world, and, of course, the Untied States. But that does not seem to be the position of Baghdad.

In recent days, there has been a spate of news reports on the troubled negotiations between the Bush administration and the Iraqi government concerning the under-construction agreement that will govern the presence of U.S. troops and military bases in Iraq. The Washington Post reports on the front page:

Read the whole story: Mother Jones

Comments

[MadJeffersonian]

Well, since the purple fingers, don't the Iraqis get to run their own government or does BushCo get to screw up their country, too? Aren't they a "sovereign" nation?

[imsosure]

The dimwitted sloth will do the self destructing all by himself like a real maverick. Ride em cowboy straight to hell.

[Tommygun264]

Heaven forbid the Iraqi government actually do what Bush and McSame have been claiming they want them to do - actually take responsibility for their own country and tell the war profiteers to find somewhere else to drain America's national treasury. I''d love to hear their excuse for refusing to withdraw at the request of the Iraqi government.

[Artesian]

Muqtada al-Sadr is going to make sure that the U.S. leave Iraq. He has a lot of support and some of his followers have infiltrated the Iraqi government, army and police force. During a Tv interview, one Iraqi said just a few days after the U.S. invasion: "Thanks for getting rid of Saddam for us but now get out!"

Mr. McCain: Iraq is not Germany or Japan.

[ProfessorDuh]

Of course, the Iraqis were supposed to PRETEND that they just loved the idea of the U.S. using their country as a staging area for military domination of the Mideast and letting the oil companies who bribe Bush and Cheney rake off all the profits from their natural resources. But it turns out that Bush is as incompetent at puppeteering as he is at everything else. What a surprise.

[rosal]

It seems to me the Iraqi people are trying to exercise their rights and make their own decisions for their country. Maybe is the Democracy Bush "wanted" for Iraq. So Mission Accomplished. Time to bring the troops home now.

[katzooks]

Interesting. And a funny irony (well, really not so funny) that, in Bush's noble mission to "spread freedom and democracy" to all those *freedom haters* in Iraq, he refuses to accept the Iraqi parliament's recent democratic decision (aka "Hell no!") to Bush's proposal to colonize/occupy Iraq.

Now for the real irony: Here in America, Congress (our version of a parliament) has no real say in the matter, as Bush refuses to involve Congress in his decision. This is, after all, Bush's war, and Congress could only muddy the waters by insisting on such outdated notions as democracy and Constitutional Law.

Yet, there's scarcely a ripple of citizen outcry over the Bush Administration's ongoing hijacking of democracy in our country. Could it be... that here in the U.S., we *hate freedom* even more than the Iraqis?

An oft ignored fact in the U.S. however: Every single aspect of this war must be viewed through oil-colored glasses, as we cannot factually discuss any topic on Iraq, especially Bush's proposal to permanently occupy Iraq, without viewing it in its correct context. In this context, then, it's interesting that Bush's cozy euphemism for his plan to permanently occupy Iraq is called SOFA. Sounds comfy enough, until you consider that this Status Of Forces Agreement is designed to give us license to steal their oil, by thwaring Iraq's right, as a sovereign nation, to democratically oust the U.S. invasion of their country.

[XME]

And we wonder why other countries dislike America when act like we know what's best for them better than they do. We tend to act like we own the planet...and that's one (more) view we can be sure John McCain will carry on for Bush if we allow him to get elected.

[fflores]

This story needs to be spread around... its one of the 2 main topics of this years election

[Pyrrhus]

Ah, guys? We'd like our country back now. Thanks.

[Faith101]

Well let's see the attacks pick up now. John McCain wants to win at any costs, including prolonging the war and help Bush create more static with Iran. Obama and team please be ready. This war is about money and oil, not freedom for Iraq.

[riverhouse]

Bush McCain have a strange idea about democracy. Are we sure they are real Americans?

[mspiglet]

... they are "Globalist­s"........

"... where obscene profiteering dwells, there is their country."

[tel8034]

The Iraqis are correct - Let them run their own country - right, wrong or indifferent.

While Bush/McCain wants to continue to borrow trillions from China to pay for an unnecessary war, Katrina victims still need help, roads and bridges still need to be fixed, education and health still needs an overhaul, the home foreclosure problem still needs to be solved, and alternative energy sources still needs to be found.

Everyday there are reports of extensive infrastructural damage and home losses RIGHT HERE IN THE UNITED STATES because of tornados, floods and fire. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE NEED HELP...... AND THEY NEED HELP NOW.

After 5 years of this unnecessary Iraq war (and Bin Laden still on the loose), don't you think it's about time that the billions of dollars that Bush/McCain still wants to spent in Iraq and PAY TO HALLIBURTON, should be used to upgrade infrastructure in this country, and to be invested in assisting the same Americans who are being taxed in order to fund the Bush/McCain/Cheney hobby of choice?

[TNFarmer]

"The Iraqis are correct - Let them run their own country - right, wrong or indifferent." Agreed - isn't that what Democracy is supposed to be about? On the other hand, we broke it (Iraq), so we (unfortunately) do have a responsibility to help fix it. I don't see how we can pull out all military support in one year - logistically and morally, that's a problem. However, we do need to respect Iraq's political leadership, regardless of whether their motives are for re-election or not (it isn't like the Iraq occupation isn't involved in our election cycle). The US is out-of-bounds in our conditions for our continuing occupation of their country - the immunity provision for troops and mercenaries alone is abominable. We are such an arrogant bunch of hypocrites.

[TrueIndy08]

how long did it take us to get out of Vietnam once we finally said that nonsense was over????

[desertdweller]

George W. Bush will get his 50 bases in Iraq because money talks. What's a few more million in bribes when you have already pissed away hundreds of billions??

[Mogamboguru]

What bribes? The Monopoly bucks don't even buy you a gallon of gas, any more...