|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
U.S. prepares for a permanent military presence in Iraq Al Jazeera Magazine | October 7 2005 The momentous vote on Iraq’s new constitution and recent escalation in violence in the war-torn country revive the issue of ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq. More than two years have passed since the war on Iraq began, and Washington maintains that the main reasons for the presence of the occupying forces in the country is the need to root out “terrorists” and prevent them from spreading among the Middle East nations, and the inability of the Iraqi forces to handle the country’s security situation. But analysts say that if these claims were the real reasons behind the continuous presence of the American forces in Iraq, Washington’s Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative wouldn't have been proposed and ratified at the G8 Summit last June. The initiative, described by analysts as aimed at keeping “militant” groups contained in their own lands, outlined the necessity of establishing "democracy" in the Middle East region as well as implementing economic reforms, but stressed that it’s impossible to carry out those reforms without the presence of U.S. military forces in the region. According to Washington, fighting “extremist groups” is impossible without the presence of U.S. military forces in the region, as well as its continuous pressure. This explains why militant leaders like Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi must stay alive at least in people's minds- They provide a pretext for a long-term U.S. military presence in the region. Bush’s admin is pushing for the approval of Iraq’s constitution, to “reform” Iraq’s government structures; criticizing the performance of other Middle East regimes and pressuring them to implement reforms. Few months ago, top U.S. commanders in Iraq revealed plans for pulling back troops from Iraq's towns and cities and redeploying them in four giant bases in the country. The plan aroused controversy among politicians opposed to the U.S. presence in Iraq. "They appear to settling in a for the long run," said a spokesman for the mainstream Sunni Iraqi Islamic party. The U.S. military claimed that American troops will be concentrated in four heavily fortified air bases, which will be situated in the north, south, west and centre of the country to provide "logistical support and quick reaction capability where necessary to Iraqis". At that time, U.S. officers said that the bases would have a more permanent character to them. The American President's claimed “war
on terror” and mission to fight “extremist” groups is
nothing but a pretext for permanent presence of the U.S. military in
Iraq. |
