What do you make of this story? According to the Independent, a secret deal is being negotiated in Baghdad that would extend the US military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the presidential election.
It's being reported that President Bush is asking for 50 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000 feet, legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors, the right to pursue the "war on terror" in Iraq, and the authority to arrest anybody it wants and to launch military campaigns without consultation. That's quite a list.
Iraqi officials fear the agreement will destabilize Iraq's position in the Middle East and ensure an unending conflict in their country. Though Iraqi ministers have said they will reject any agreement limiting Iraqi sovereignty, political observers in Baghdad think they will relent and sign in the end, only protesting now to establish their credentials as defenders of Iraqi independence by a showing defiance.
Not only impact in Iraq, the secret accord threatens to provoke political tumult in the US. President Bush aims to push it through by the end of next month so he can declare a military victory and claim his 2003 invasion has been vindicated. Any long-term solution in Iraq would undercut pledges by Barack Obama, to withdraw US troops if he is elected president in November, and give a boost to McCain who's pointed to a coming victory in Iraq.
With this news of a possible long-standing presence, I'm actually curious — we've heard lots of reasons for the conflict — why do you think the US is there?
Armani Jeans
Vanessa Bruno
PRPS
That's quite a SENSATIONAL list.
1I'd like to know where the independant got this story. If it truly is a secret deal, how are they getting wind of it. Sounds to me like more hate Bush rhetoric
2"President Bush is asking for 50 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000 feet, legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors, the right to pursue the "war on terror" in Iraq, and the authority to arrest anybody it wants and to launch military campaigns without consultation."
This is a little much. Hopefully he purposely included everything he could think of knowing some of it would be cut out. I don't have a problem with permanant military bases in Iraq. I don't feel it's any different than the ones we have in Japan and I think it would be a good idea to have a permanant presence in the Middle East. But legal immunity?? Authority to arrest anyone it wants to?? That's just taking it too far.
3After 9/11 we needed to have a presence where the terrorists lived. A strong, undeniable presence to strike at our enemies. Iraq was perfect; weak military, lot's of oil and a dictator no one would miss. If you ask me, it's a strategy that will keep us ahead of the game for a long time and anyone who says we need to pull out is missing the bigger picture!
4That's why I don't know how much of it I believe.
5I am not sure if you could say our presence in Iraq is strong. And I thought the terrorists were from Afganistan? Americans were lied to before the Iraqi invasion and we are still being lied to. It is very dangerous for America to think that they need to have a "strong presence" in other countries.
6I'd have an easier time believing it if it were from a more credible source, say the New York Times or the Huffington Post.
7I don't see a big deal about having a base there, and I don't think that if it happens it will hurt Obama.
I am with UD, some of this seems a bit far fetched and if it is a "secret" then how the heck did they find out. The government is pretty good at keeping a secret.
8carriefrances: 100% agree!
9
3M! So very true.
10I don't think there is any such thing as a "military victory" when it comes to fighting terrorists. This is a global battle that is going to continue long after we leave Iraq. IF we leave Iraq.
11I get all my information from the Huffington Post. Since that is the site most linked to on Citizen I figure it has to be the most reliable, right?
12um....how is this legal? i feel so bad for the innocent Iraqis that are subjected to our imperialist practices - and I feel bad for our service men and women who have to act out our government's will.
13I know Piper. It must be true if it is off of Huffpo.
14You made me giggle Piper.
15It's such a comment that Americans now have to go to other countries news gathering agencies to find out what's happening with their own government. Our media, by it's own admission said they lied to the American public leading up to the war, so why should we expect them to report on anything having to do with corruption in Iraq?
16Ariana Huffington although she is smart is a liberal. I am a liberal so I agree with her most of them time. Just make sure you keep that in mind when you are reading the Post. I like to keep an open mind when I am reading about politics and gathering information. So if you are getting all of your information from there you may not be getting all sides of the story piper.
17I'm picturing Reagan giggling and I can't quite get there in my head.
18Amen raciccarone!!!
19carrie she was SO being facetious.
20Oh sorry I am a little new here!!
21Yeah I figured. We just complain a lot that the Huff Po is the NUMBER ONE source on citizen...
22Sorry, Carrie. I don't get my own humor most of the time.
23Thanks for filling me in syako!!
24It is sometimes hard to understand tone in the writing. You will get to know peoples personalities.
25Don't fret, Carrie, I hear they're working on a "sarcasm" emoticon so people can indicate when they're being insincere. Once you know who the liberals and the conservatives are here, you'll get a better feel when we're being snarky. But for now, stay by my furry paw and I shall guide you through the more difficult passages of Citizen Sugar ... for I am amish.
26That doesn't make sense. I fear I might be insane.
STAY AWAY FROM RAC!
27
28yeah, he bites!
29I am no longer rabid.
30I agree with Stiletta. We do need a presence in the Middle East.
31Well I am a very sarcastic person so we all will get along just fine!!
32The Amish emoticon looks like a jazz trumpeter with a soul patch. That, or I'm blind since I got 2 hours of sleep last night and can't function today.
33Good morning.
34Carrie, I'd also be careful of Goldwater. He always looks like he's about ready to take a bite out of someone.
35what happened to bush being a lame duck, or a sitting bull, or a wild turkey, or whatever the heck it is? this is a little outlandish -- but honestly, i wouldn't put it past them.
36Hi everyone
37Harmony, I don't care for the sarcasm in your post.
38Oh, yeah, about the article. I know you're all dying to know how I feel about this! In some ways I do agree with Stiletta, but I think Bush and co. did such a bad job handling this war from giving our troops proper armor to end game strategies that any strategy they may have had in the beginning quickly became a complete failure. And this isn't just blind Bush bashing, I don't think you can find anyone who will say this war was run with even a modicum of intelligent planning.
As for a base in the Middle East, well, that's a bit cold, but after 9/11, we did have to change our tactics, however we didn't have to go from a "kinder, gentler America" to an "angrier, irrationally abusive America".
39Morning Kiki and HF!
3M, it is a come hither smile. He is not ready to bite! He is saying "grrrrr" but a sexy "Grrrrrrr".
40like a cheetah!
41or a male cougar
42Exactly!
43"He is not ready to bite! He is saying "grrrrr" but a sexy "Grrrrrrr"."
Kind of like a "rowwwwwwwr", right?
It's the "AuH20" that really does it for me
though. What can I say, the Periodic Table always gets a science geek like me hot and bothered. 
44cheetah--- grrrrr -----
45
- Em!
46He pounces too!
47Raccoon person, for once I sort of agree with you. Bush did handle this strangely, but it was an uphill battle to begin with. Iraq was (is) a patchwork of different religions and decapitating (literally and figuratively) it's leadership was going to result in this mess we're in. No planning in the world would have stopped Shiite and Sunni from gunning for each other and no matter what we did, we were going to get caught in the crossfire. The big picture is Pakistan, Iran, Syria and Egypt all have to keep one eye over their shoulders because we are now five hundred miles away instead of 6 thousand. That's no irrational, to me that's the best strategy we could have put together in the time allotted after the terrorist attacks.
48
49I hate when I write a long dissertation and you're all being silly while I'm pounding furiously on my keyboard. It makes me feel like such a nerd.
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