Bad Idea; Permanent Bases in Iraq

It would be disastrous for us to build permanent bases in Iraq if for nothing else than that a large number of Iraqis would never see themselves as a fully sovereign nation if faced with such a presence. Remember, there is a history of Iraqi occupation ranging from the British to the Ottomans so this is a sensitive issue. That's what so much of the fuss coming out of the Sadrist camp is about.

Leila Fadel reports that Shiite lawmakers in Iraq told her that the US has requested 58 bases from the Iraqi government as part of the security agreement now being negotiated. The US also is said to want the authority to decide when Iraq has been attacked, and when and how to respond. The lawmakers are afraid that Washington will use that provision to drag them into the middle of a war between the US and Iran.

On being informed by McClatchy of some of these details, the campaign of Senator Barack Obama demanded that any such stipulation of 58 bases be submitted to the US Congress for approval, and that the Iraqis be told that the US does not seek permanent bases in that country. The McCain campaign had no comment.