Via TPMmuckraker, we see the US is pursuing permanent bases in Iraq:
The U.S. and Iraqi “Declaration of Principles” is a shared statement of intent that establishes common principles to frame our future relationship. This moves us closer to normalized, bilateral relations between our two countries. With this declaration, leaders of Iraq and the United States commit to begin negotiating the formal arrangements that will govern such a relationship.
Iraq’s leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America, and we seek an enduring relationship with a democratic Iraq. We are ready to build that relationship in a sustainable way that protects our mutual interests, promotes regional stability, and requires fewer Coalition forces.
Permanent bases- whee! Apparently our grand adventure in Iraq has proven to be so successful, we would like future generations to have the opportunity to experience Baghdad in a flak jacket. If you think about it, that is only fair, since future generations are going to be paying the 2.4 trillion dolar costs anyway.
At any rate, all throughout this rhetorical dance party from the Bush administration, in which we had to take out Iraq because of WMD, then we switched to a new step and stated we were there for peace and Democracy, it has been suggested that the notion of permanent bases in Iraq was merely fantasy from the lunatic conspiracy theorists on the left. As I have learned over the past few years- you don’t diss the insight of the smelly dirty hippies. Once again, they were right.
At the very least, surely no one would be so shameless as to not only fail to admit the hippies were right, but to attempt to turn this into more agitprop for domestic political concerns. Whoops. I forgot about Captain Ed:
The Iraqi government has offered the US a long-term security partnership that envisions a lower profile for American troops, as well as economic advantages for US investors. The agreement would replace the current UN mandate, which Iraq wants extended only to the end of 2008. It might also revive conspiratorial criticisms that have dogged the Iraq effort.
***The open question will be whether the next US President will fulfill our side of the agreement. Hillary Clinton might or might not be strong enough not to cave to the isolationists, but Republicans almost to the man would strongly commit to a partnership with Iraq. Will such an agreement influence the 2008 elections?
Unless Ed can explain how predictions about the US wanting permanent bases (which, btw, turned out to be true) “dogged” the progress in Iraq, it might be time to move Ed from the “Blogs I read” category to the “Blogs We Monitor and Mock.” Personally, I missed the news reports that stated that “conspiracy theories kill 12 troops in Baghdad.” I guess that is just more evidence of liberal media bias. And I love the phrasing- the oil contracts we will get are just an accidental side-product of our determination to bring Democracy to the Middle East.
But let’s not mock Ed too much. He probably is just vying for Blog of the Year from Time.