Bush-Maliki Agreement Defies US Laws, Iraqi Parliament

Submitted by dinamic on December 1, 2007 - 2:14pm.

Bush cuts a deal that will likely retain about 50,000 troops in Iraq over the long term.

Monday's "declaration of principles" between President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki indicates the US will maintain a "long-term" presence in Iraq and involve itself closely in the Iraqi oil trade, backsliding on rules made in this year's two largest defense laws. The 2008 Defense Appropriations Act, which Bush signed into law in mid-November, bars the United States from establishing permanent bases in Iraq and from exerting control over Iraqi oil. The 2008 Defense Authorization Act, which has passed the House and Senate and is expected to be sent to the president sometime in the next few weeks, contains similar language. Under both acts, the US is forbidden "to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq." Although when Bush approved the Appropriations Act, he released a signing statement exempting himself from several of the law's provisions, the proscription against permanent bases was not one of them. Considering the terms of Monday's agreement, the US will likely retain about 50,000 troops in Iraq over the long term, according to Iraqi government officials. Joseph Gerson, author of "The Sun Never Sets: Confronting the Network of Foreign Military Bases," said that the rule preventing permanent bases in Iraq can be easily dodged. It's a question of language manipulation, according to Gerson. "The question is, what is permanent?" he said. "Does it have to be for all eternity? Our bases in Korea have been there for 60 years. Are they 'permanent'? We're living in an Orwellian era." The phrasing of the Bush-Maliki agreement, which paints the US-Iraq relationship as a cooperative effort between "two fully sovereign and independent states with common interests," provides another defense against the ban on permanent US bases, according to Gerson. "The trick is to build a military base with a host nation," Gerson said. "Then the base is ostensibly given to the host nation while the US military stays there." http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/69351/

OUT OF IRAQ !

Submitted by whatever on December 6, 2007 - 10:14am.

America Cannot Afford Bush's "Success"

Remember when Bush declared "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq? Now he's calling Iraq a "success."

Bush whined, "It's unconscionable to deny funds to our troops in harm's way because some in Congress want to force a self-defeating policy, especially when we're seeing the benefits of success."

The "benefits of success"???

Bush's "success" unleashed chaos that murdered 1 million Iraqis and drove 4 million more out of their homes into desperate poverty. Bush's "success" created a sectarian Shia government that ethnically cleansed Baghdad of Sunnis and Christians and corruptly lined its pockets with our tax dollars. Bush's "success" killed nearly 4,000 brave young Americans and maimed tens of thousands more, both physically and mentally, leading to 120 veterans' suicides each week. Bush's "success" broke our military, corrupted our intelligence agencies, and embraced torture as official U.S. policy.

Bush's "success" empowered Osama Bin Laden and handed half of Afghanistan back to the Taliban. Bush's "success" empowered dangerous dictators in Russia, Pakistan, Burma, Iran and Venezuela. Bush's "success" increased global terror and hatred of the United States.

Bush's "success" wasted $500 billion on Iraq, with trillions more to come. Bush's "success" added $4 trillion to our national debt and trillions more in future debts. Bush's "success" drove the price of oil from $16/barrel to nearly $100/barrel, and tripled the price of gasoline from $1.06 to $3.11.

America - and the world - cannot afford any more of Bush's "success."

I could not agree with you more.

Submitted by dinamic on December 6, 2007 - 5:29pm.

I could not agree with you more.

In any sane world Bush/Chaney would be facing trial at the Hague for attacking a nation for no legal reason and for committing war crimes against innocent civilians.

"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." ~ Sinclair Lewis

"I'm just pissed off that not enough other people are pissed off."~Bill Maher

To Dinamic

Submitted by Kathyschroeder on December 7, 2007 - 9:36am.

You are exactly right! It is so frustrating to watch this administration defy the Constitution and no one is stopping Bush or Cheney.

In order to get our country back, restore credibility.....we must take Congress and the White House in November 2008.

In reality, Al Qaeda has won. They got exactly what they wanted from GW Bush. They killed our people, destroyed the financial world, ruined our credibility around the world. They knew how Bush would react and his own actions handed them the victory.

Bush is like a dog on a chain......Iran, Chavez, etc. continue to draw him out.....he reacts insanely on every issue......November cannot come soon enough. The damage Bush/Cheney have done will take years, beyond our lifetime to repair.