alt.politics.economics

Bush pledges no permanent bases in Iraq

President George W. Bush acknowledged the United States would seek a
military presence in Iraq for "years" but pledged in an interview aired
Sunday that he would not establish permanent bases.
Bush brushed aside concerns expressed by critics that a Status of Forces
Agreement Washington is discussing with the Baghdad goverment would commit
future US presidents to a long-term deployment in Iraq.

"We won't have permanent bases," Bush told Fox New television in the
interview conducted at his retreat at Camp David, Maryland.

But he added, "I do believe it is in our interests and the interests of the
Iraqi people that we do enter into an agreement on how we are going to
conduct ourselves over the next years."

While the Americans press plans to trim their forces in Iraq from the
current 160,000 troops, they are negotiating a pact with Baghdad to maintain
their presence beyond the end of 2008, when their UN mandate expires.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other US officials say they have no
interest in establishing permanent bases, but congressional critics are
insisting any accord be submitted to the legislature.

Bush, who also has 26,000 troops in Afghanistan and is planning to send
3,200 more, was non-committal on whether he would pass any Status of Forces
Agreement with Iraq past the Senate.

"Well, you know, we work with the Senate and the House (of Representatives)
on that," he told Fox. "We didn't bring a treaty to the Senate for
Afghanistan."



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"Impeachment is off the table" Nancy Pelosi