WITHDRAWAL STRATEGY: US military to build four giant new bases in Iraq

[steve2470]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1490063,00.html


Michael Howard in Baghdad
Monday May 23, 2005
The Guardian

US military commanders are planning to pull back their troops from Iraq's towns and cities and redeploy them in four giant bases in a strategy they say is a prelude to eventual withdrawal.
The plan, details of which emerged at the weekend, also foresees a transfer to Iraqi command of more than 100 bases that have been occupied by US-led multinational forces since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

However, the decision to in vest in the bases, which will require the construction of more permanent structures such as blast-proof barracks and offices, is seen by some as a sign that the US expects to keep a permanent presence in Iraq.

Politicians opposed to a long-term US presence on Iraqi soil questioned the plan.

"They appear to settling in a for the long run, and that will only give fuel for the terrorists," said a spokesman for the mainstream
Sunni Iraq Islamic party.

<snip>

[xray s]

1. Sounds more like a penetration strategy to me

[EVDebs]

6. Reminds me of Khe Sahn....But anything's better than current 'strategy'

One, two, three, what'er we fightin' for ? Don't ask me I don't give a damn...

[Wickerman]

2. Let me guess, close to oil strategic positions?

Say, a pipeline?

[Teaser]

3. Good artcle but

the mods may classify it as "not late breaking."

[BlueEyedSon]

4. So we "downsized" from 14?

:shrug:

[KG]

5. the bushco junta has no intention of leaving iraq.

unfortunately, it's a position that is fully supported by the dem party leadership.

[jaxx]

7. Yeah why is it that the dems want to keep the war alive?

I like Hillary, but not her stance on the war. Kerry was also for staying in Iraq. Only Kucinich came out and said bring em home.

[Last Lemming]

8. Thery're creating garrisons

common in colonial debacles. it means we will last a little longer but the day of the last helicopter out of Hanoi draws nigh

[Skink]

9. I'm thinking we are about to disolve our strategic partnership with Saudi

Arabia. We can now turn our guns in any direction and reek havoc.

[davekriss]

10. That was the intention going in...

After making a public example of the Hussein regime (for pricing their oil in Euros in November 2000), the intention was to build 4 super-garrisons that will allow the USG to radiate imperial (military) power throughout the region for decades to come.

It was politically impossible to remain in Saudi Arabia; our presence was eroding the hold the House of Saud had on that nation. So our "convenient" solution was to manufacture consent for an illegal invasion of Iraq to secure for ourselves new bases. Thus the "fixing of intelligence" around the decision for war. We now ring the Caspian Basin and Persian Gulf with more than a dozen permanent military bases (with the inconvenient exception of Iran).

It's Brzenzksi's Great Game in motion, folks. Hold on to your hats as I think much more "fun" is to come!


(I recommend Chalmers Johnson's The Sorrows of Empire as annotation.)