Permanent Bases
2005
Permanent Occupation (September 29, 2005)
US Representative Barbara Lee calls on fellow Congress members to support legislation that would prohibit any form of permanent US military presence in Iraq. Despite what Bush administration officials may say, activities on the ground suggest plans for the construction of permanent US bases. Of the $805 million allocated for military construction in Iraq, the majority - $597 million - has come in 2005. (In These Times)
Big Guns for Iraq? Not So Fast. (August 28, 2005)
The US faces a military dilemma in Iraq. It does not want to provide the Iraqi army with military hardware such as tanks, aircraft, and armored vehicles, for fear that insurgents will use them against US troops. However, the reluctance to supply Iraqis with these weapons means that the US will maintain a presence in the country well into the future, supposedly as a "bulwark against chaos." Also, the military is currently building four "semi-permanent" bases in Iraq, which adds to speculation that troops will remain in Iraq for many years. (New York Times)
Permanent US Bases in Iraq? Experts See a Political Minefield (August 15, 2005)
Larry Diamond, a former advisor to the US Coalition Provisional Authority, says the US government should publicly state that it does not plan to build permanent military bases on Iraqi soil. Opposition to a permanent US military presence in Iraq, he believes, is driving the insurgency. Another analyst says that Washington almost certainly plans to keep troops in the country long-term, since it has made no efforts to provide Iraq with the military hardware essential for self-defense. (Los Angeles Times)
Operation: Enduring Presence (July 28, 2005)
Despite denials from the Bush administration, the US continues to build permanent military bases in Iraq, according to foreign policy experts. In May 2005, the US Congress passed an appropriations bill that provides money to the army for construction of "permanent facilities" in the country, but few media outlets have examined the issue, and Democratic lawmakers are virtually silent on the matter in the House and Senate. (AlterNet)
Commanders Plan Eventual Consolidation of US Bases in Iraq (May 22, 2005)
US military officials intend to build bases in Iraq, using concrete and other materials that will lend the facilities a "permanent character." At the same time, they deny that the US intends to establish a permanent military presence there. Nevertheless, "the consolidation plan appears to reflect a judgment by US military commanders that American forces are likely to be in Iraq for some years," though commanders refuse to predict how long the deployment will last. (Washington Post)
2004
'Enduring Bases' in Iraq: US Presence for Decades (October 1, 2004)
Military experts in Washington assume that the new Iraqi government will need US support and therefore permanent bases in Iraq to avoid civil war between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds in Iraq. The plans for "enduring bases" reinforce suspicions that the US is only interested in oil in Iraq and wants to keep a puppet government in place in Baghdad. (Iraq News Net)
14 "Enduring Bases" Set in Iraq (March 23, 2004)
US military engineers in Iraq are constructing "an enhanced system" of military bases throughout Iraq designed to last for many years. Deputy Chief of Operation for the coalition Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt believes that the US government's future policy will require maintaining a significant military presence in the Middle East based in Iraq, and that military engineers are preparing "for an eventuality." (Chicago Tribune)
2003
US to Keep Bases in Iraq (April 21, 2003)
The Pentagon intends to retain four military bases in Iraq after the invasion force withdraws and the US will maintain a long-term military presence there, according to a report in the Guardian.
