The Hindu : International : U.S. to stay in Iraq

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 31, 2005

International

International

U.S. to stay in Iraq

By Julian Borger

WASHINGTON, JAN. 30. On the eve of the Iraqi elections, a debate has begun in Washington over what America's ``plan B'' should be if the vote does not bring the stability the Bush administration is hoping for.

In the past few days, leading Democrats have called for an accelerated withdrawal, breaking a bipartisan consensus that the U.S. should stay until the militancy is defeated.

But the Bush administration shows no signs of preparing for a pullout. The army has said it will need 120,000 troops for the next two years at least, and the Pentagon is building a string of permanent bases at a cost of billions of dollars.

The new bases, critics of the administration argue, add weight to accusations that the U.S. plans a permanent presence.

A Pentagon spokesman has said that ``half a dozen'' ``enduring bases'' were being constructed, but added they were intended for use by the new Iraqi army. But an independent research group, GlobalSecurity.org, which tracks Pentagon contracts and military movements, claims there are about 12 of the bases under construction. ``They are suggestive that the American presence is going to dominate for years not months,'' said John Pike, the head of the organisation. He added that the bases were not the only evidence that U.S. troops planned a long stay. The U.S. President, George W. Bush, told the New York Times recently that the U.S. would withdraw its forces if a newly-elected government requested it, but said he expected that the country's new leaders understood the ``need for coalition troops at least until Iraqis are able to fight''.

Analysts said they did not think the President's statement represented a change in direction, as the administration believes that any new Iraq Government will realise that the U.S.-led coalition is necessary for the foreseeable future to hold the country together. —

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

Rice sees tough time ahead

"Columnists paid to back Bush plans"

U.S. to stay in Iraq

Dhaka denies rise of Islamist militancy

Violence mars Hamas victory rally

Oil prices will remain high, says OPEC

U.S. pressure behind Al-Jazeera sale plan?

Bush may block plan for Africa

Inspired by Mandela, British MP speaks out about his HIV

Homework takes teacher to court

U.K. plane crashes in Iraq

Three killed in Kuwait shootout

Jakarta, rebels cut short talks

``Economic cooperation agreement will bring India, Singapore closer''