Iraqi parliament unlikely to approve long-term presence.
By on Nov 27th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Iraqi parliament unlikely to approve long-term presence.
In a White House press briefing yesterday, Iraq war czar Gen. Doug Lute claimed that the Bush administration would not need congressional approval for it’s new long-term occupation plan that envisions an endless, unqualified, “enduring” presence in Iraq. Though it is unclear if Lute is correct in his assertion, it is clear, as Spencer Ackerman points out today, that the Iraqi constitution requires “that Iraq’s parliament has to ratify any such agreement.” Considering that 144 out of 275 parliamentarians signed a petition in May for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing, it is unlikely that two-thirds would now vote for them to stay.
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Afghanistan
Bachmann
Beck
Boehner
Bush
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
Corporate Ethics
Dobbs
Economy
Education
Election
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Gingrich
Global Warming
Health Care
Immigration
International Relations
Iraq
Justice
LGBT
Lieberman
Limbaugh
Maddow
McCain
Media
Military
Obama
Palin
Pelosi
Public Plan
Race
Radical Right
Religion
Sports
Steele
Steve King
Stimulus
Tea Parties
Technology
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
LETS INVADE AND OCCUPY THE US!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:32 pmSince when did the GOP need consent from the country they occupy?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:32 pmhahahahah! Nice Try, Chimpy! The Iraqi Parliament will bring Bush to his knees on this one.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:32 pmFSA THE FACISTS STATE OF AMERICA! USA=WAR CRIMES; USA=OCCUPATION ; USA=TORTURE.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:33 pmAs predicted, Maliki’s days are now numbered once the power structure of the IP gets wind of his ludicrous “side deal” of sucking up to Bush’s personal oil interests.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:33 pmlooks like you’re going to be in violation of the UN charter. i hope they don’t form a coalition to get you out of there.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:34 pmThe Chimp is really pulling out all the stops in his last days in office, isn’t he? This is definitely NOT going to fly with the Iraqi governing body who voted overwhelmingly in early August before recess that they wanted the US out of their country.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:34 pmTHE USA NEEDS TO BE OCCUPYED. PLEASE… PROMOTERS OF DEMOCRACY NEED TO TAKE OVER THE USA AND INSTALL A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN THAT TROUBLED COUNTRY.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:35 pmMaybe the UN will add this new wrinkle to the list of Bush’s 31 “war crimes”?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:35 pm…but…but…but I thought Iraq WANTED an endless, unqualified, enduring presence??? Ohhhhhh — MALIKI wants that?
Wow — just because a robotic puppet leader wants something doesn’t mean he speaks for the entire country, or even the entire legislative body of that country? How ’bout that?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:36 pmyou’re kidding, right?
Bush listen to the wishes of Iraq’s democratically elected government??
Hell, he won’t even listen to the democratically elected government of THIS country.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:36 pmISRAEL NEED NOT ONLY TO BE WIPED OUT OF THE MAP, BUT ALSO TO BE WIPED OUT OF HISTORY!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:36 pmWhat? The Iraqis have a choice here…?
Coulda fooled me.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:37 pmOh their parliment gets to ok weather we have permanent bases or not . But Bubble boy tells our own congress they need not even consider it.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:37 pmIts no concern of yours .
What country do I live in again ???
Anyway I asked Jim Webb to look into this .
His staff says he doesnt like this and will look into it anyway.
Thank-you Senator Webb!!!!!!!!!
Iraqi parliament unlikely to approve long-term presence.
So? What do they have to do with it?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:37 pmSaco: Fortunately for this democracy, there are still level-headed, honest, patriotic individuals willing to fight to protect this country so I don’t believe your scenario has even a remote chance of happening any time soon. That’s the beauty of a democracy: It’s all ours and we will fight to keep it intact. There’s really no consensus for your kind of commentary here at all and I believe that you’ve seriously misunderstood our right to express our opinions here. It has everything to do with american patriotism which the people of this country will fight tooth and nail to maintain.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:38 pmIRAQUI GOVERNMENT… WHAT IRAQUI GOVERNMENT???? A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT DOES NOT NEED TO HIDE INSIDE A FORTITYED GREEN ZONE! THAT IS A LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT NEED TO HIDE!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:39 pmSacopenapa is an “Anti-American Troll” with an anti-semitic axe to grind.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:40 pmA LEGITIMATE GOVERNMENT DOESN’T HAVE ANY NEED FOR SECREECY (REFFERING TO BHUSH’S ILEGITIMATE GOV.)
November 27th, 2007 at 3:40 pmSacopenapa: Speak English much? Just wondering.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:41 pmi’M A SOUTH AMERICAN THAT KNOWS WHAT KIND OF SCUM THE FSA (FORMERUSA) IS!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:41 pmIF YOU LIKE WE CAN SPEAK IN ANY LAGUAGE YOU WANT… THE PROBLEM IS ANGLO SAXON DO NOT KNOW THAT MANY!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:42 pmWhat I find amazing is that even in it’s semi-destroyed and broken state, Iraq views the opinion of their Parliament as significant and they will make the decision – something not occurring right now with this white house and congress.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:42 pmaha! We’ve smoked out another troll. Freeze Sacocrapola out.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:42 pmI AGREE VERITAS! WHAT A JOKE OF CONGRESS YOU HAVE AND WHAT A SHAME OF GOVERNMENT HAS INSTALLED ITSELF SINCE 2000!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pmOkay, sacopenapa — just make sure that whatever language you use, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO SHOUT, OKAY?????
November 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pmCatch you guys later. I don’t even want to be associated on these threads with a sicko like this troll.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:43 pmDoug Lute:”In everything we do, we don’t need Congressional approval…
November 27th, 2007 at 3:44 pmthat’s how OUR democracy works”..
THE USA NEED TO BE INVADED AND OCCUPYED BY SOME DEMOCRATIC FORCE!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:44 pmI’m finding Sacocrapola’s typing style (Sacopenapa is a Bold Blogger, eh?) very telling. It’s another of Mr. Hate-filled Pee’s monikers. Ditch the thread. It’s contaminated with feces.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:44 pmDEMOCRACY IN THE USA?????? SINCE WHEN?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:45 pmThe US has done nothing noble to the continet of south America! it is responsible for all the horrible dictatorships that practiced torture they learned in the school of the americas US. And you want me and the rest of the World to say good thing about your country?????!!!!!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:48 pmHow can someone say that the US promotes DEMOCRACY, when you check it history!??!!!!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:49 pmWAR CRIMINALS!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:49 pmOh, sacopenapa, PLEASE GO BACK TO YOUR SHOUTING!!!! IT MADE IT MUCH EASIER TO SKIP YOUR POSTS!!!!!
THANK YOU!!!!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:49 pmShia government can fix that in a minute. There is no Sunni opposition, The Kurds only care about their new nation, so whats the problem? Maliki recognizes Iraqs’ colonial status, in return he gets to be Shah for life.
November 27th, 2007 at 3:54 pmThey don’t respect the US Constitution, do we expect them to respect Iraq’s?
November 27th, 2007 at 3:56 pmRalph: I’m ROTHLMAO about comment #35! Kudos!
November 27th, 2007 at 3:57 pmFunny,
We don’t have checks and balances, but Iraq does.
OK, not funny.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:00 pmAs to the newest “troll” or whatever he is, I did report him. As I said when I did so, the right will use his comments (namely #12) to smear all the good people here on TP.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:00 pmBut we are not done bringing democracy to the Iraqi people yet, there are still a few that are alive.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
November 27th, 2007 at 4:01 pmHi RALPH!
November 27th, 2007 at 4:05 pmShia government can fix that in a minute. There is no Sunni opposition, The Kurds only care about their new nation, so whats the problem? Maliki recognizes Iraqs’ colonial status, in return he gets to be Shah for life.
Comment by moondancer — November 27, 2007 @ 3:54 pm
#
I posted this on another thread, but it applies here as well.
Although there have been recent drops in violence, 2007 is still the deadliest year of the war so far. Most agree that the drop is due to ethnic cleansing (there is no one left to kill) and the cease fire called by Muqtada Sadr.
“American commanders have said that they are aggressively negotiating with Sadr officials to help keep his militia, the Mahdi Army, in check. But if the cease-fire ends, if Mr. Sadr’s whims shift, that could push violence up again–no matter how many troops are here. Basically, the Americans find themselves playing the role of facilitators, hoping that both sides stick to their newfound strategies, and doing everything they can to keep it that way.â€
http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=116
Muqtada Sadr’s whims may just shift sooner than you would think.
“Violence is down in Iraq for the moment, but it will not stay down without political progress. And we’re still a long, long way off from anything close to that. Via the AP:
The debate over rehabilitating former members of Saddam’s ruling Baath Party has been a major obstacle to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s push to stem support for the insurgency by bringing minority Sunnis into the political process.
A parliamentary session on Sunday adjourned in turmoil after lawmakers loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr pounded their fists on their tables in protest.â€
November 27th, 2007 at 4:05 pmhttp://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=140
The USA’s form of government today is FACISM, not democracy! Corporation taking over government, militarization of its government and corporate Wars! USA=FACISM
November 27th, 2007 at 4:12 pmSeeing how Bush ignores the U.S. congress and the American people, just exactly why would he pay ANY attention to the Iraqi parliament or their people?
Bush-the self-appointed neo-Nazi dictator.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:14 pmYo, Dreamy – you bustin’ to add another star to Old Glory, buddy?
November 27th, 2007 at 4:35 pmOo! The DC troll found a new term to misuse.
November 27th, 2007 at 4:35 pmBush is begging Maliki to stay in Iraq or Bush is finished
Bushes life depend on maliki
November 27th, 2007 at 5:04 pmAlso Iraq wants full sovereignty ,,,,,,,, which is great
November 27th, 2007 at 5:04 pmI never thought I’d live to see a day when a Middle Eastern government would refuse to sell out their country while an American government was doing everything it could to sell out ours.
Bush has been a colossally incompetent, dishonest and unconscionably destructive civil servant who has served the interests of our enemies much, much more than he has served the interests of the American people. Never has an American president been more complicit in damaging Americans and America.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:05 pmWashington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called on President Bush today to clarify the recently signed Declaration of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship Between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America to confirm that the United States does not plan to place any permanent bases within Iraq and instead plans to begin the phased redeployment of U.S. troops. In a letter to the President, Senator Clinton expressed great concern that the Declaration of Principles did not explicitly indicate that the United States will not seek and will not maintain permanent military bases in Iraq, despite the clear will of Congress and the American people.
“The President must make it crystal clear that the United States will not maintain permanent bases in Iraq,” Senator Clinton said. “They would damage U.S. interests in Iraq and the broader region, and I will continue to strongly oppose them.”
Hillary is right in wanting some clarification about our bases in Iraq… are they permanent? How long is Not Permanent? And why are they pouring all that concrete??
November 27th, 2007 at 5:11 pmThanks again, Think Progress, for that daily dose of nuance.
Comment by DreamCrusher
You’re welcome troll, I didn’t think that you did nuance.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:19 pmBush may think that he has done an end-run around Congress. But, in order for him to continue to build his permanent bases, he needs funding and there is nothing that Bush can do, short of Marshall Law, that can make the Congress give him the money for the bases. Hopefully the Democrats take the ball and run with this one. Not one red cent more for any permanent installation in Iraq. And, not one red cent more for funding private armies. Take away the funding for both of these and Bush will have to bring our troops home. He can’t maintain the US presence in Iraq without the private army.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:21 pmGEORGE W. BUSH WILL NOT TAKE MY COUNTRY AWAY FROM ME OR MY FELLOW COUNTRYMEN.
November 27th, 2007 at 5:36 pmYes, because voting against the presence of 170,000 American troops is the same as opposing indefinite bases with a much lower number troops.
Majority of Iraq Lawmakers Seek Timetable for U.S. Exit
BAGHDAD, May 11 — A majority of Iraq’s Parliament members have signed a petition for a timetable governing a withdrawal of American troops, several legislators said Friday.
The withdrawal would depend on the growth and maturity of the Iraqi security forces, to ensure that the departure would not create a security vacuum and accelerate the sectarian conflict, the petition’s sponsors said.
“The troop withdrawal would move in parallel with the buildup of Iraqi troops, but their stay should not be for a long time,†said Saleh al-Igili, a member of the parliamentary bloc allied with the anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, which sponsored the petition.
I can’t find any reference to the petition just wanting the US forces in Iraq to be reduced to pre-surge levels. It seems to me that the Iraqi MPs are wanting ALL US troops to be out of the country once Iraq’s security forces can take on missions by themselves.
Unless I’m reading it differently. Facts have a known liberal bias, you know.
November 27th, 2007 at 9:31 pm“Where does it say that the Iraqi MPs want all US troops out? It just calls for a timetable to withdraw US troops. No details on how many of them.”
-Dreamcrusher
I said “pre-surge levels” because you made a comment about 170,000 troops, the current surge level. If that wasn’t your intentions, then I apologize for taking you out of context.
That being said, no where in the petition as its reported does it say that those MPs ant to simply REDUCE US troop levels, but it does say they want to WITHDRAW US troops.
One question: If the Iraqi MPs wish to keep a smaller contingent of US forces in Iraq, why didn’t they say so in their petition?
I hate to be critical, but you seem to be taking considerable liberty with your interpretation of what exactly is the intent of those who signed the petition.
TP is simply presenting an argument that since a majority in the Iraqi parliament signed a petition that called for a timeline for the withdrawl of US forces from Iraq, with no mention of allowing a smaller force remain indefinitely, then it is save to believe that this same parliament would not support permanent bases in Iraq.
I guess you can call it just a hunch, but it seems to be more plausible than your argument, I hate to say.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:50 am