Bush finally admits: permanent bases in Iraq

2007-06-01

Richard Moore

Original source URL:
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/053107J.shtml
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN3041621320070530?pageNumber=1

Bush envisions U.S. presence in Iraq like S.Korea
Wed May 30, 2007 2:54PM EDT
By Steve Holland

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush would like to see a lengthy U.S.
troop presence in Iraq like the one in South Korea to provide stability but not 
in a frontline combat role, the White House said on Wednesday.

The United States has had thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea to guard 
against a North Korean invasion for 50 years.

Democrats in control of the U.S. Congress have been pressing Bush to agree to a 
timetable for pulling troops from Iraq, an idea firmly opposed by the president.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush would like to see a U.S. role in Iraq 
ultimately similar to that in South Korea in which "you get to a point in the 
future where you want it to be a purely support model."

"The Korean model is one in which the United States provides a security 
presence, but you've had the development of a successful democracy in South 
Korea over a period of years, and, therefore, the United States is there as a 
force of stability," Snow told reporters.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said in a statement he believes it
is time for Bush to "recognize the reality on the ground in Iraq," that U.S. 
troops are mired in an Iraqi civil war and a change in course is urgently 
needed.

"Democrats know that Americans demand realistic plans, not more White House 
rhetoric, rosy predictions and best-case scenarios. Our troops and the American 
people deserve better," Reid said.

Iraq's neighbors have raised concerns about the possibility of the United States
maintaining permanent bases in Iraq, and some U.S. lawmakers have said they 
think the Iraqi insurgency may have been fueled by perceptions the United States
wants a permanent presence in the country.

Washington has consistently denied wanting permanent bases in Iraq.

Snow said U.S. bases in Iraq would not necessarily be permanent because they 
would be there at the invitation of the host government and "the person who has 
done the invitation has the right to withdraw the invitation."

"I think the point he's (Bush) trying to make is that the situation in Iraq, and
indeed, the larger war on terror, are things that are going to take a long time.
But it is not always going to require an up-front combat presence," Snow said.

"The president has always said that ultimately you want to be handing primary 
responsibility off to the Iraqis," he said.

"You provide the so-called over-the-horizon support that is necessary from time 
to time to come to the assistance of Iraqis but you do not want the United 
States forever in the front."

© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved
-- 

--------------------------------------------------------
Posting archives: http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/
Escaping the Matrix website: http://escapingthematrix.org/
cyberjournal website: http://cyberjournal.org

Community Democracy Framework: 
http://cyberjournal.org/DemocracyFramework.html

Subscribe cyberjournal list: •••@••.•••  (send blank
message)

cyberjournal blog (join in): http://cyberjournal-rkm.blogspot.com/

Moderator: •••@••.•••  (comments welcome)