Blueprint for Post-War Iraq: Baghdad offers long-term U.S. troop presence in return for preferred business deals
The news has already rocked the blogosphere. The White House has released Fact Sheet: U.S.-Iraq Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation. Please take the time to read it. In the mean time, per the AP:
Iraq’s government, seeking protection against foreign threats and internal coups, will offer the U.S. a long-term troop presence in Iraq in return for U.S. security guarantees as part of a strategic partnership, two Iraqi officials said Monday.
The proposal, described to The Associated Press by two senior Iraqi officials familiar with the issue, is one of the first indications that the United States and Iraq are beginning to explore what their relationship might look like once the U.S. significantly draws down its troop presence.In Washington, President Bush’s adviser on the Iraqi war, Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute, confirmed the proposal, calling it “a set of principles from which to begin formal negotiations.”
As part of the package, the Iraqis want an end to the current U.N.-mandated multinational forces mission, and also an end to all U.N.-ordered restrictions on Iraq’s sovereignty.
The favorable treatment of American investments will restart the meme that the Bush administration invaded Iraq to get oil contracts for American firms at the expense of the French and the Russians. That ignores the obvious point that we could have dropped sanctions and allowed free trade with Saddam Hussein at any time after 1991 if that was our only concern. The French and the Russians begged us to do that from 1999 to 2003. In fact, if oil was our only concern, we never would have kicked Saddam out of Kuwait. We would have shrugged it off as the evolution of Middle East consolidation.
A negotiated security partnership makes sense for both nations. Iraqis now understand that the Americans do not want an imperial outpost in southwest Asia, but a stable democracy able to fight against terrorism and radicalization. The Americans want to see Iraq succeed on its own for a number of sometimes conflicting reasons. Such a partnership would allow a significant drawdown of American combat troops while allowing a substantial core to continue counterterrorism operations and forcebuilding for Iraqi security organizations.
But the left will scream about something or another anyways. If every single soldier had been sent back to the US they would have said that there were secret deals going on to ensure we are pulling the strings, because we are the puppetmasters you see? Now when news comes that the Iraqi’s want us around as partners for security, the left are wailing such sillyness as “staying was the plan all along.”
Get it? We went in for oil you see…..that’s why we have such cheap gas now.
Sigh….
It will be interesting to see what the democrats will have to say about this latest development.
Surely, they will be disappointed. After all, it suggests that major fighting against terrorists is drawing down, that the insurgency is beat, that the Iraqis are ready to stand alone, that the US will have an important Middle Eastern base and that Bush wins.
It’s a Democratic nightmare.
As you may have heard, corporate greed drove America to invade Iraq, where now our troops spill their blood — and wantonly spill the blood of civilians — for oil, occupying and repressing a nation in defiance of the U.N. as part of America’s imperialist ambitions.
Right. And now this word from our sponsor, Reality
What’s this?
Aren’t we told daily by our objective watchdog media that the Iraqis can’t wait for us to leave?
Somebody has been pulling our leg(s).
The good: Hopefully this will silence the “US is imperialistic” crowd. The bad: The Iraqi government could use this to further stall the political process…..
Looks like they’re trying to get an agreement in place in case the Democrats capture the White House!
The Iraqis are eager to end the UN involvement in their country and reassert their sovereignty. We benefit by keeping bases in the region.
November 26, 2007 - 02:41 PM on November 26th, 2007
Gee, the Iraqis see what a corrupt organization the UN is and want them out of their country. Why don’t we wake up and kick the UN out of ours?
November 26, 2007 - 03:53 PM on November 26th, 2007
True. The Left has relentessly put down the Iraqis, yet the Iraqis seem to have more awareness and sense than much of America in wanting to get rid of the (corrupt) UN in their country.
I agree: U.N. out of U.S.
and U.S. contribution to U.N. not greater than $1M annually.
November 26, 2007 - 03:56 PM on November 26th, 2007
And yes, I thought the MSM and the rest of the Left has said that Iraqis want our troops out asap.
Once again, reality and Leftism don’t converge…Liberalism is a form of mental illness…
November 27, 2007 - 12:22 AM on November 27th, 2007
[...] somehow this proves how wrong we liberals have been. You see, the following liberal [...]
November 27, 2007 - 08:52 AM on November 27th, 2007
It is just one more instance, one more piece of evidence that, yes, Liberals are wrong.
November 27, 2007 - 02:44 PM on November 27th, 2007
So the libs have been saying that Bush wants a permanent presence in Iraq… which is now debunked by some Iraqis offering us a deal to have a, uh, permanent presence in Iraq.
Also those crazy lefties have argued that corporate greed is a major motivating factor in this catastrophic war… which is now debunked by an offer of preferential treatment for American business.
And to top it all off those crypto-commie loons have had the temerity to suggest that after 6 years of American presence in Iraq that the Iraqis are incapable of defending or governing themselves… a crazy idea shattered by this offer to have us continue holding their wittle hands for eternity.
Boy, you sure are showing them.
Idiots.
November 27, 2007 - 05:24 PM on November 27th, 2007
6- I have always been in favor of a base in Iraq and I don’t think anyone ever ruled it out..
The contracts could have gone to anyone that had helped out, but since France and Russia chose to go behind our back and work against what was in the best interest of the Iraqis, they aren’t first in line are they?
Are we holding Germany’s hand? How about Japan’s? Or are we in a strategically good place?
Idiot
November 27, 2007 - 06:37 PM on November 27th, 2007
Actually it’s quite a good idea. We are still in South Korea remember? Have been for somewhere around 50 years now I believe. It makes perfect sense given that the Iraqis need security, are afraid of Iran, Al Queda could come back and a litany of other reasons. They all sound good to me.
But let me guess Sarcastro, you would have preferred Saddam still be alive murdering about 100,000 people a year and stealing billions of dollars from the UN?
Idiot
November 27, 2007 - 07:52 PM on November 27th, 2007
Lets just recap how WRONG the Lefties have been about Iraq:
1. Liberal assertion: Saddam had no WMD!
Fact: They were catalogued by the U.N. after the first Gulf War. They disappeared, with no evidence of their destruction.
2. Liberal assertion: The invasion of Iraq wouldn’t be like the Gulf War; we’d be in for a real fight. Maybe tens of thousands of body bags coming back.
Fact: The only things that slowed our tanks on the way to Baghdad was the weather and the fuel supply line.
3. Liberal assertion: The War is being waged so George Bush and his cronies can steal Iraq’s oil!
Fact: 4 years and counting since the invasion and has anyone, least of all George Bush and the U.S., “stolen” anything from Iraq?
4. Liberal assertion: The war is lost! We can never win! The troop “surge” is a failure and Gen. Petraeus is a liar!
Fact: There are actually several Leftist assertions there but they are all related. Evidence from all sources, including Al Qaeda itself, shows that we are winning, and in fact the new strategy has been very successful, and that those who call Gen. Petraeus a liar, including HilLiary Rotten Klinton, are pieces of shit.
That’s all I have time for right now, but you get the idea now, Sardonicus? Seems to me the “idiots” are on the Left side of the aisle.
November 28, 2007 - 04:25 AM on November 28th, 2007
9-
On 1.:
You found Saddam Hussein in a rat hole and you didn’t find WMDs that you claimed to “know about” before the invasion when you were not in the country… HELLO!?
On 2.:
Right. It’s not tenthousands of body bags- It’s only been nearly fourthousand…
On 3.:
Right. He did not steal from Iraq- he stole from the American taxpayers… and those tenthousands of civilian victims in Iraq don’t count anyway- they don’t have any financial value.
November 28, 2007 - 06:40 AM on November 28th, 2007
Mattias,
You are wrong on all counts as usual.
November 28, 2007 - 08:21 AM on November 28th, 2007
11- Did I mention that I will turn your insides to the outside, when you dare to mention my wife, with that asshole that the Lord (in an act of overdosed but useless humor) falsely put at the position, where other people usually have a mouth?
November 28, 2007 - 08:29 AM on November 28th, 2007
13, Empty, useless threat. Obviously, I hit a nerve on how you two hate religions other than Islam.
November 28, 2007 - 09:16 AM on November 28th, 2007
13- As I DO care about people not getting killed (by useless wars or death row), I am much more of a christian (and proud of it) than you jerk will ever be!!!
November 28, 2007 - 09:22 AM on November 28th, 2007
14, Mattias, you know nothing about everything, especially Christianity. You prove it daily, if not hourly.
November 28, 2007 - 09:44 AM on November 28th, 2007
back to the topic…
November 28, 2007 - 09:58 AM on November 28th, 2007
Matthias #10 you might want to reconsider your assertions.