The Permanent Bases in Iraq

[SHRED]

They are there, and were built, in order to protect corporate oil interests in Iraq.
Our sons and daughters are being used as cannon fodder for the securing of Iraq's oil fields for private interests.
Our troops are being maimed, and are dying, for Exxon, BP, etc...

And as far as the "training of the Iraqis" goes...our troops are training their future killers.


my 2 cents

[snappyturtle]

1. I agree with your 2 cents SHRED but I want to know

more about the permanent bases. I have heard over the last several years these bases are being built but I don't know how many bases are being built or for how much or where,etc. Do you have any links explaining the details of this building?

[SHRED]

4. Check this out

http://indexresearch.blogspot.com/2006/06/usuk-bases-in-iraq-part-ii-south.html

[leftchick]

10. wow! airconditioning?

I wonder how Iraqis feel about this set up...

(ex Camp Muleskinner). 6 miles S. of Sadr City & SE of Rashid airport. Designated as an ‘enduring’ base. “The quality of life has improved greatly as all of the work areas and soldiers living areas now have air-conditioning.”

“Four two-stories barrack facilities, built at a cost of $2 million … small PX, laundry facility, a 24/7 internet café, a kick boxing/aerobic room and two KBR restaurants, one of which has become famous for its fresh fruit smoothies, while the other serves "cookouts", including baked fish or lamb kabob. Both restaurants serve local cuisine along with American favorites such as pizza, hot dogs, burgers, and fries. The 24/7 internet café fields 22 computers while allowing individual, personal laptop connectivity and is staffed by two civilians. Internet usage there is limited to 30 minutes. These are to be eventually equipped with a flat panel computer connected to the Internet4. A carpeted dayroom, located on the ground floor, is equipped with a big screen TV with satellite, a pool table, couches, as well as other comforts.” In early 2005, 3000 troops.

[achtung_circus]

8. globalsecurity

There has been a shift in the meaning of "enduring"

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/iraq-intro.htm

On 23 March 2004 it was reported that "U.S. engineers are focusing on constructing 14 "enduring bases," long-term encampments for the thousands of American troops expected to serve in Iraq for at least two years.... The number of U.S. military personnel in Iraq, between 105,000 and 110,000, is expected to remain unchanged through 2006.. the US plans to operate from former Iraqi bases in Baghdad, Mosul, Taji, Balad, Kirkuk and in areas near Nasiriyah, near Tikrit, near Fallujah and between Irbil and Kirkuk... enhance airfields in Baghdad and Mosul..."

By May 2005 the Washington Post reported that plans called for consolidating American troops in Iraq into four large air bases: Tallil in the south, Al Asad in the west, Balad in the center and either Irbil or Qayyarah in the north. Eventually, US units would be concentrated at these four fortified strategic hubs, from which they could provide logistical support and emergency combat assistance. Each base would support a brigade combat team, along with aviation and other support personnel.

Initially referred to as "enduring bases" in 2004, these four bases were redesignated as "Contingency Operating Bases" in February 2005. The consolidation plan entails construction of long-lasting facilities, such as barracks and offices built of concrete blocks, rather than the metal trailers and buildings that are found at the larger US bases. The buildings are designed to withstand direct mortar strikes. Initial funding was provided in the $82 billion supplemental appropriations bill approved by Congress in May 2005.


Contingency Operating Bases
Camp Adder Tallil AB
Camp al-Asad al-Asad AB
Camp Anaconda Balad AB
FOB Endurance Quyarrah AB


Enduring Bases
Green Zone Baghdad
Camp Anaconda Balad
Camp Taji Cooke Taji
Camp Falcon/
Al-Saqr
Camp Ferrin-Huggins Baghdad
Post Freedom Mosul
Camp Victory/
Al-Nasr Baghdad airfield
Camp Marez Mosul airfield
Camp Renegade Kirkuk
Camp Speicher Tikrit area
Fallujah area
Nasiriyah area
between Irbil and Kirkuk
#13 ??
#14 ??

[mmonk]

2. I agree with your assessment.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

3. Every now and then this will be mentioned in MSM but only in passing and never underscored

on how this administration intends to keep us in Iraq forever. Millions and millions of dollars are being spent on this. Why the Democrats aren't screaming bloody murder about this leaves me mystified. The good news is, that they can now reject this in the budget.

[dogday]

5. My Son was at Camp SPEICHER

It is in Tikrit... surprised that one was not mentioned....

[HereSince1628]

6. The idiots in charge are also old cold warriors.

In addition to taking a position to protect "American" strategic energy interests (rather than choose to develop strategic alternatives to oil dependency) it's also important to crazy cold warriors to have general control the board. Bases in Iraq form a hub from which power can be projected into Eastern Europe (i.e. Russia), central and southern Asia, Africa, as well as southern Asia. All in all, the global hegemonists see this as just too big an apple to pass up.

[ChicagoRonin]

7. How much does it cost?

I wonder, how much does building and then maintaining an overseas military base cost the US?
After all, they're not like overseas investment projects for a private corporation - they produce no return for our country.
Plus, particularly in third world countries, everything needed has to be transported there from here: personnel, building materials, fuel, armaments, etc.

Anyway know what the breakdown is for these places? Not just in Iraq, but our other long-standing installations - Germany, Japan, Great Britain, etc.

[Mortos]

9. There are two near Nasiryah

Tallil Air Base (also known as Ali Air Base) which is growning every year. I spent 5 months there. They are building hard structures that are designed to be there for decades. When I was there they had completed one dining facility (dfac) at the cost of a reported 20 million dollars. It was basically a glorified metal building with heat and air conditioning and was designed to serve up to 6000 troops. There was at least one more on the drawing board, possibly two. The other is Camp Cedar which is supposed to be incorporated into Tallil. Thousands of troops and civilian support live there and more are being brought in all the time.

The other base that is not mentioned is FOB Scania near Diwaniyah. It is basically a truck stop between Kuwait and Baghdad. Small base but it is also being built up and, according to KBR bigwigs, will be there as long as Anaconda and Tallil are there. In other words, decades.

This is no secret among the military or civilian contractors. These bases are being built as permanent facilities to house U.S. troops. One KBR big shot told me that these bases were planned and designed in 2000 and they were told then that this was to be a 30-40 year project.

So much for a gradual pulldown or bringing the boys home.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

11. You're right of course

And also --- it's too bad that most American's have no idea that the bases are there as permanent installations. It's called an OCCUPATION.

[pampango]

12. We have permanent bases in Germany, Japan (Okinawa),

South Korea and many (too many) other countries in which we have fought wars or want a base for some strategic reason. We had bases in the Philippines until the early 1990's, at which point they told us to leave and we did. I lived in the Philippines in the 1970's and was told by many nationalists there that the US would never leave those bases, even if told to do so by the Philippines' government. They were told to and they did. Is that different from Iraq? Sure. The Philippines has no oil, though they were a great place for maintaining our fleet and air force in east Asia which could not be effectively replaced. Everywhere is different from every place else.

I have read some military strategist that propose that when our troops are withdrawn from the active role they are playing now, some of them will be based in the region either in bases in Iraq or elsewhere in the region. They would serve as a sort of rapid reaction force instead of a daily policing/combat force. Of course, we could withdraw totally and that scenario wouldn't come into play.

If the US military is not planning to retain bases in Iraq, it would be a different strategy from that which they have pursued in other wars.