Rice, Gates: Iraq accord won't bind next president

[sabra]

Source: reuters

WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Nothing in a planned agreement on future relations between the United States and Iraq will bind the next U.S. president to the Bush administration's policies, the U.S. secretaries of state and defense said in an article published on Wednesday.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the long-term "status of forces" agreement being negotiated with Baghdad will not require the Pentagon to continue combat missions in Iraq.

It also will not set U.S. troop levels, commit the United States to defend Iraq against another country or authorize permanent U.S. bases in Iraq, they wrote in an opinion piece in the Washington Post newspaper.

"In short, nothing to be negotiated in the coming months will tie the hands of the next commander in chief, whomever he or she may be," Rice and Gates said.

"Quite the contrary, it will give the president the legal authority to protect our national interest -- and the latitude to chart the next administration's course."

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13334917.htm

[SpiralHawk]

1. "And the next Commander will not be an AWOL failure, WMD-lying republicon occultist." - Condi

"P.S. - Valentine's smooches to my, um, secret huggy bunny co-man-der. Smirk>" - Condi

[salin]

2. er... so it is only for the next 10 months? Then why bother?

Looks like they are lying again.

[Nickster]

5. Because it'll make a heck of a political smear when they say how the next CiC failed to live up to

the agreement. It's all politics, otherwise they wouldn't bother with this agreement.

[Orsino]

3. It sure as hell won't bind our present spoiled man-child, either.

He's always claimed the legal authority to "protect our national interest."

[pingzing58]

4. Yea, we've seen bait and switch before. Same machinations as usual.