Friday, June 13, 2008

Bush Pledges on Iraq Bases Pact Were a Ruse

By Gareth Porter

"Two key pledges made by the George W. Bush administration on military bases in its negotiations with the government of Iraq have now been revealed as carefully-worded ruses aimed at concealing US negotiating aims from both US citizens and Iraqis who would object to them if they were made clear.

Recent statements by Iraqis familiar with US demands in negotiations on the US-Iraq "strategic framework" agreement have highlighted the fact that administration promises that it would not seek "permanent bases" or the use of bases to attack Iran or any other neighboring countries were deliberately misleading. The wording used by the Bush administration appears to have been chosen to obscure its intention to have both long-term access to Iraqi bases and complete freedom to use them to launch operations against Iran and Syria.....

"Senior Iraqi military sources" were quoted by GulfNews as saying the agreement gave the United States "the right...to strike, from within Iraqi territory, any country it considers a threat to its national security." That interpretation was based on the absence of specific language ruling out US military operations without the prior consent of the Iraqi government......."

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