Lee Reintroduces Bill to Ban Permanent Bases in Iraq Lack of Clear Policy Fuels Iraq Violence, Endangers Troops, She Says
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) reintroduced legislation aimed at making it official policy that the U.S. will not maintain permanent military bases in Iraq.
“We need to make a clear statement of policy we do not intend to maintain a permanent military occupation of Iraq,” said Lee. “The President's continued refusal to clearly rule out a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq only feeds the mistrust of the Iraqi public, strengthens the insurgency and fuels the violence against our troops.”
A poll taken in September, 2006 found that not only the overwhelming majority of Iraqis want the U.S. to leave, but that the overwhelming majority believes that the U.S. plans to keep permanent bases in Iraq, and that belief is highly correlated with support for attacks on U.S. forces.
The poll, released by the Program on International Policy Attitudes, found that almost 80 percent of Iraqis believe the US military is “provoking more conflict than it is preventing” and 71 percent want US forces to leave in the next year.
Nearly 80 percent of Iraqis believe that the US intends to maintain permanent military bases in Iraq, and six in 10 approve of attacks on U.S. forces, an increase from January, when less than half approved of such attacks. According to the poll, “If the US were to commit to withdraw, more than half of those who approve of attacks on US troops say that their support for attacks would diminish.”
Lee originally introduced legislation to prevent the establishment of permanent bases in June, 2005. She offered no-permanent-bases amendments three times and succeeded in having it unanimously accepted into the FY06 supplemental appropriations bill. However, this provision was stripped in conference committee. Her amendment was the basis of provisions included in the FY07 Department of Defense spending bill and the FY07 State-Science-Justice-State spending bill.
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FACT SHEET:
H.Con.Res. 46, No Permanent U.S. Military Bases in Iraq
H.Con.Res. 46
H.Con.Res. 46 declares that it is the policy of the United States not to establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of United States Armed Forces in Iraq and not to exercise United States control of the oil resources of Iraq.
The Bush Administration Refuses to Rule Out Permanent Bases in Iraq
While members of the Bush administration have, at various times made statements against the idea of permanent bases, the White House has refused to issue a clear statement of policy disavowing permanent bases and the President refused to rule out the possibility of such bases when asked directly if he would do so at a press conference on October 25th, 2006.
The Perception of Permanent Bases Fuels Violence Against U.S. Troops
According to a poll released by the Program on International Policy Attitudes in September, 2006, not only does the overwhelming majority of Iraqis want the U.S. to leave, but that the overwhelming majority believes that the U.S. plans to keep permanent bases in Iraq, and that belief is highly correlated with support for attacks on U.S. forces.
The poll found that almost 80 percent of Iraqis believe the US military is “provoking more conflict than it is preventing” and 71 percent want US forces to leave in the next year.
Nearly 80 percent of Iraqis believe that the US intends to maintain permanent military bases in Iraq, and six in 10 approve of attacks on U.S. forces, an increase from January, when less than half approved of such attacks. According to the poll, “If the US were to commit to withdraw, more than half of those who approve of attacks on US troops say that their support for attacks would diminish.”
How Many Bases Are There?
According to a memo written by then-Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld in November, 2006, U.S. forces have reduced from 110 bases in Iraq to 55, and the plan is to reduce to 10-15 by April, 2007, and five by July, 2007.
The Iraq Study Group (ISG):
Iraq Study Group (ISG) RECOMMENDATION 22: The President should state that the United States does not seek permanent military bases in Iraq. If the Iraqi government were to request a temporary base or bases, then the U.S. government could consider that request as it would in the case of any other government.
Congressional Action on Permanent Bases
Congress passed and the President signed into law two pieces of legislation containing prohibition on the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq using funds available for fiscal year 2007: H.R. 5631, the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill; Public Law 109–289, signed on September 29, 2006, and H.R. 5122, the Defense Authorization Bill; Public Law 109–364, signed on October 17, 2006.
Congress included prohibitions on use of FY07 funds for permanent military bases in the Science, State Justice, Commerce Appropriations Bill, H.R. 5672, passed by the House on June 29th, 2006, by a vote of 393-23.
The House also had one recorded vote on permanent bases, an amendment offered by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) to remove permanent bases language from the FY07 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill. The amendment was defeated 376-50 (H.Amdt. 1059 to H.R. 5631, June, 20th, 2006, roll call no. 296 )
“If we strike this prohibition from this bill that was well thought out, what we are saying to the Iraqi people and what I am satisfied the propaganda machine of al Qaeda in Iraq are going to do is use this and say: see there, we told you so. The Americans plan to occupy us for the rest of our lives.” Then-Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, Representative Bill Young (R-FL), speaking in opposition to the King amendment.
For the Record:
“As a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation and neither does America.” President Bush, April 13, 2004
“Intense opposition to U.S. plans to establish long-term military bases in Iraq is one of the most passionate motivations behind the insurgency. …Neutralizing this anti-imperial passion — by clearly stating that we do not intend to remain in Iraq indefinitely — is essential to winding down the insurgency.” Larry Diamond, Senior Adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad from January to April 2004, August 15, 2005
“Nothing could be worse than trying to maintain bases in a country with Iraq’s past and where the people do not want them.” Anthony H. Cordesman, Center for Strategic and International Studies, July 18, 2005
“Iraqis and their neighbors would be reassured to hear from the United States that its ultimate goal is complete withdrawal, and to hear that the United States has no intention of using Iraq as a launch point for other interventions or a base from which to destabilize other regimes.” James Dobbins, Rand Corporation's International Security and Defense Policy Center, June 27, 2005
“Some of our top leaders never intend to withdraw military forces from Iraq and they are looking for [staying] ten, 20, 50 years." "I have never heard our leaders say that …ten years from now there will be no military bases of the United States in Iraq.” President Jimmy Carter, April 19, 2006
The U.S. has “no goal of establishing permanent bases in Iraq.” Zalmay Khalilzad, Ambassador to Iraq, March 24, 2006
“We're building permanent bases in Iraq for Iraqis.” Army Lt. Col. Barry Venable, Pentagon spokesman, March 24, 2006
“We must continue to show that we will not become a permanent force of occupation... because we need to operate in that region in an environment of consent,” Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, Ma