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| Volume XIII, Fall 2006, Number 3 |
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ABSTRACT
Staying the Course: Permanent U.S. Bases in Iraq?
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| Walter Posch |
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Dr. Posch is a specialist in Middle East security at the Institute for Security Studies in Paris, France.
Over the last few years, some reports concerning the question of "permanent" U.S. bases in Iraq have appeared in the U.S. press, mostly in its left-of-center or alternative political spectrum but also in some mainstream papers. These reports, which on occasion have been officially refuted, did not trigger any major political debate in the American public, perhaps with the notable exception of former Senator Gary Hart, who regularly raises this issue. Yet up to 80 percent of the Iraqi public is convinced that the United States does plan permanent bases in the country. And there are other good reasons for believing that the United States intends to establish future bases in Iraq. One was provided by former senior political advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Larry C. Diamond. At a public conference he bluntly announced, "We are building permanent bases in Iraq." Another is the Congressional Research Service's (CRS) rather matter-of-fact statement, "It is now believed that continued deployment of substantial military ground forces [in Iraq] could be necessary for several years." Finally, President Bush himself suggests that the United States will certainly remain past the year 2008 and that the stay of U.S. troops in the country "will be decided by future presidents and future governments of Iraq."
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