Permanent Bases in Iraq
There have been persistent reports the past couple years, all from reliable sources, that we have been constructing 14 permanent military bases in Iraq. This has been disturbing news because it connotes a long term presence the President has never explained to the American people. He continues the fiction that we will leave Iraq when the mission (whatever that is today) is finished. It also belies the claims that Iraq has full soveriegnty. Sure, my definition of full sovereignty includes a foreign power maintaining and manning fourteen permanent military bases in my country and the fact those troops are beyond the force of law while in the country. If you believe that you also believe in Santa Claus.
The new congressional funding bill for the war tried to address this reality by prohibiting any permanent bases. Now we discover that this provision has been stripped from the bill in conference committee. So it seems this provision was just for window dressing. Like so much else done in Washington these days. Campaign finance reform, ethics reform, all nothing, really, but window dressing.
These bases are quite significant though. It goes to the real reasons we went to Iraq. If you still believe the fiction about wmd's, Saddam was a bad guy, or we went there to spread democracy, the fact this provision was deleted tells you everything you need to know. We're there for the oil. The bases are to defend the oil fields and pipelines. To stabilize the country so we can control it and it's petroleum reserves.
Of course Abu Musab al-Zarqwari and his bands of insurgents derailed that for several years. It remains to be seen what effect his death and the rolling up of much of his network will have. I remember Bush telling us we'd be safer after they got Saddam too. More Santa Claus bullshit. We won't be safer until we leave and we make reparations for the havoc and destruction we've caused. We won't be safe until we begin winning the hearts and minds of Arabs all over the world. Between Abu Ghraib and Haditha this may now be impossible.
It's the myriad of blunders of this Administration and the complete lack of accountability for them that endangers us. We're losing this war folks. Losing. There's no way now we can win. Building these bases sends the wrong message to the Iraqi people. It sends the right message to American voters though. Let's hope they're comprehending the meaning this time.
The new congressional funding bill for the war tried to address this reality by prohibiting any permanent bases. Now we discover that this provision has been stripped from the bill in conference committee. So it seems this provision was just for window dressing. Like so much else done in Washington these days. Campaign finance reform, ethics reform, all nothing, really, but window dressing.
These bases are quite significant though. It goes to the real reasons we went to Iraq. If you still believe the fiction about wmd's, Saddam was a bad guy, or we went there to spread democracy, the fact this provision was deleted tells you everything you need to know. We're there for the oil. The bases are to defend the oil fields and pipelines. To stabilize the country so we can control it and it's petroleum reserves.
Of course Abu Musab al-Zarqwari and his bands of insurgents derailed that for several years. It remains to be seen what effect his death and the rolling up of much of his network will have. I remember Bush telling us we'd be safer after they got Saddam too. More Santa Claus bullshit. We won't be safer until we leave and we make reparations for the havoc and destruction we've caused. We won't be safe until we begin winning the hearts and minds of Arabs all over the world. Between Abu Ghraib and Haditha this may now be impossible.
It's the myriad of blunders of this Administration and the complete lack of accountability for them that endangers us. We're losing this war folks. Losing. There's no way now we can win. Building these bases sends the wrong message to the Iraqi people. It sends the right message to American voters though. Let's hope they're comprehending the meaning this time.
posted by PA progressive @ Saturday, June 10, 2006
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