We are staying in Iraq. Word up from Iraqi vet. U.S. Army construction

[Botany]

team leader.

Just talked to a guy about 25 (I have known him about 10 years) and his dad for about
15 years. He is in military construction and home on 4 weeks R & R.

"We are pouring miles of cement with rebar right now in Iraq. They say it is to be turned
over to the Iraqi Air Force and Army but they have none. We are building to stay."

When I asked about long term bases he said that is what is being done. I told him to
keep his head down and thanked him for his service.

Send the fucking twins, Cheney's daughters, all college republicans, and any Fox news
watcher under 60 ..... Welcome to non stop war.

[w8liftinglady]

1. I got that impression listening to casey today-more cannon fodder.Bastards

[rodeodance]

2. why do we so very LITTLE about these permanet bases? why isn't

congress shouting?

[w8liftinglady]

5. because THEIR kids aren't affected.

[kenny blankenship]

10. Because they know w/o being told not to talk about them

the very fact of the bases and the basic features of them--their gigantic size, their immense fortifications, the colossal sums being sunk into their construction while Iraqis die from lack of clean water, medicines, and unrestored electricity--just a simple picture of all that gives away the shape of American long range intentions in Iraq. (And that would be why NO PICTURES ARE ALLOWED on rare occasions when journalists get onto one of these places) It's not exactly a secret, but you just don't speak of it, like for example a history of madness in the family, or that one cousin who's a registered sex offender. As long as the embarrassing detail is not talked about, people will tend to forget and overlook it, and the fact won't circulate to poison the fortunes of those concerned.

We are going to hold imperial power over Iraq, and through Iraqi bases over the rest of the world's oil supplies, for 2 or 3 generations. Anyway, whether it works out the way Cheney and Bush want it to, that's the obvious intention behind our actions there. Now think about Bush and Cheney; Bush can't plan two weeks ahead let alone two generations, and Cheney has one and a half feet in the grave. They may be the standard bearers of the plan, but it's not THEIR plan alone.
All of America's corporate overclass is pulling for the success of the Empire. They benefit from its endless limitless war spending. They benefit from the endless borrowing. Some are very concerned that America maintain preferential access to what is in all likelihood a dwindling world supply of oil. They promote it shamelessly and endlessly on their news networks. They made sure Bush got into office twice, through legal and illegal means.
A plan this big has thousands and thousands of important supporters on board. Congressional supporters know this is the future of America for better or worse since the die has now been cast. When Bush is long gone the Iraqi bases and the troops on them will still be there. The Empire will still be a gravy train for certain corporate players and the strata of investors and managers whose lives and fortunes are bound up in those companies' stocks. They see it simply as crucial to their future not to stand in the way of what is obviously desired and pursued and supported by everyone who matters in America. The nail that sticks up will surely be hammered flat. In the corporate pigpen that we call America, it's always a matter of survival.

[wtmusic]

3. Tell him he doesn't have to aid in the absconding of Iraq's wealth

(if his conscience is bothering him, anyway)

http://www.thankyoult.org/

[cliss]

4. Thanks for sharing.

Well, it's official. We're not leaving.

There's too much oil in that country.

This also explains why the Senate & Congress have given the green light to Bush....every step of the way. They are in on it, as well


But this November.........

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

6. but this november, what?

we will have our voting rights abbrogated again?

[mike_c]

7. "...and thanked him for his service. "

Why? What service is he doing that is worthy of thanks? The subjegation of Iraq? Thanks for that. Furtherance of military neocolonialism? Thanks 'bro! Helping to fight the war against poor brown people? Helping to steal their oil and rape their country? Doin' a great job, man!

All kidding aside, what service does your friend's work in Iraq do for America or anyone else in the world? I think if you're honest with yourself, you'll realize that the only folks being served by the U.S. military in Iraq are the fascists and the war profiteers. No thanks for that service!

on edit-- no snarkiness intended-- I really want to know what service he's doing that you think deserves thanks.

[libhill]

13. But but but

don't ya know, all Americans have been brainwashed from birth to believe that our nations motives are always moral and benign. Any war we embark upon is to "protect our freedom". News flash: This war has nothing to do with freedom, ours or any one else's. It's about obscene corporate profits, and profits for the arms industry, end of story. The troops are canon fodder, if the government gave a rats ass about the troops, they wouldn't be fucking them by steadily cutting back their benefits...

[azurnoir]

8. We're staying

but i'm betting it is more than just Iraq. Did your friend say how far along these bases are?

[kenny blankenship]

9. When he says miles of concrete he means square miles and he's not kidding

This is to be the center of the American military empire. Not America. Not Europe, but IRAQ. They don't care if the gov't in Baghdad is majority Shi'ite and democratically elected, or run by mullahs without any elections, or a Sunni minority policestate dictatorship, or Kurdish, or even if there's no government in Baghdad at all. Regardless of what puppet theater is playing in Baghdad and no matter what happens to the Iraqi people and what series of ever more fanciful lies must be told to the American people, those bases are going to stay and the US armies are going to stay in Iraq on these bases, until the last of the oil is pumped out of the Middle East. These bases are costing tens and tens of BILLIONS to build out, maybe 100s of BILLIONS before it's all done; you don't spend money like that on something you plan to leave or hand over soon. Iraq and its new government is not the essence of the plan. The plan is to occupy the Middle East, in perpetuity, for access to the oil.
That's right, they intend to be there 100 years ( A New American Century) if no replacement for oil is found. That's the plan. The American people will be the last to know.

[shadowknows69]

11. I don't know if you've caught any of my posts Botany<edit>

I drive cab on a base and post a lot of what soldiers tell me, and sometimes it's a lot and everything I hear from the grapevine definitely confirms what your friend is saying. I had one soldier mention that we had 6 bases in Iraq. He didn't elaborate about their size or anything but I get the sense we basically stay in a few big "Green zones". We're not doing much in the way of protecting the populace. Just ourselves and the oil convoys. Thanks for the post. Very informative.

[Just Me]

12. PNAC. PERMANENT U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE.

How many times does the truth HAVE TO BE STATED before it sinks in? Why are lies so much easier to digest?

PNAC seeks PERMANENT U.S. MILITARY PRESENCE IN THE M.E. AND PARTS OF EASTERN ASIA.

Hell-the-fuck-HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

gawd

The neocons WANT a world war over oil!!!!

[misternormal]

15. The lies are easy to digest...

by the blind and ignorant masses that actually believe that * is in the business of fighting terror instead of lining his, and his cronies pockets.

"There oil in them thar hills, and by GOD we're gonna get it"

[libhill]

16. It should be obvious by now -

to anyone who has anything between their ears besides a vacuum, that Shrub and Co. don't give a rats ass about any "War on Terror". If that were true, then I don't believe that Osama Bin Laden, the most dangerous terrorist on the planet, would still be running foot loose and fancy free after all this time. It's all a fucking money making scam. And it has been from Day 1.

[rhiannon55]

I'm afraid they're going to attack Iran just in time

for the elections in the fall. They have to make sure the voters are scared and confused enough to blindly vote republican, and what better way to do this than with a nice new war--and in a country they've planned to invade all along, anyway.

Chalmers Johnson, http://www.americanempireproject.com
says there are at least 14 permanent military bases being built in Iraq. And recently it came out that they're building the biggest American embassy in the world in the middle of Baghdad.

They're planning to occupy (and rape and pillage) that region for a long time.

[newyawker99]

19. Hi rhiannon55!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[rhiannon55]

18. dupe

[misternormal]

14. My take on the bases is...

... Since the U.S. is not a favorite of anyone in the region, save Israel, it is more than likely that these are staging areas from which to continue the *co campaign into Iran and beyond.

Anyone who thinks * and his cronies will stop in Iran is fooling themselves.

[libhill]

17. They won't stop...

but you can bet the world will stop them. Napoleon was stopped, Hitler was stopped, and I have no doubt that these juvenile ass clowns will be stopped, to the detriment of us all.