Many said this would never be done, well here ya are...
May 24, 2005
A U.S. military spokesman in Iraq confirmed a Washington Post report that the U.S. plans to consolidate its forces in Iraq onto four big air bases as Washington looks ahead to giving up over 100 bases used by international forces.
"Several officers involved in drafting the consolidation plan said it entailed the construction of longer-lasting facilities at the sites, including barracks and office structures made of concrete block," the paper reported.
However the officers told the Post the consolidation plan was not meant to establish a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq and that no timetable exists for turning over all U.S. bases in the war-torn country.
The chief determining factor on reducing U.S. forces in Iraq will be "the strength of the insurgency and the ability of Iraq's security services to fight it," the paper said.
Lieutenant Commander Gil Mendez, a U.S. military spokesman, subsequently told Agence France-Presse in Iraq that "the information contained in The Washington Post article today accurately depicts the future plan for consolidation of bases in Iraq.
"However, as noted in the article, no timetable exists for turning over all the bases," he added. "Any decision to begin reducing U.S. forces will be based on the Iraqi political process continuing to move forward, and Iraqi security forces continuing to progress and develop.
"When this happens, there should be reductions in the number of troops in the coalition." Mendez said.
The Post said the consolidation plan calls for the four U.S. military bases to eventually be centered at Tallil in southern Iraq, Al Asad in the west, Balad in central Iraq and at Irbil or Qayyarah in the north.
U.S. forces in Iraq currently occupy 106 bases, according to the Post.
However, the article added that it remains unclear what will happen to U.S.-run detention centers in Iraq which currently hold over 11,000 inmates.
Now I have heard from many that are anti-US and anti-war that this would never happen. That the US would only increase its presence in Iraq and would build long term(perm) bases. Well thats not what this sounds like. If anything it sounds like the down sizing has begun, and the reason for it is the Iraq Army and Police are now taking on the role of the US Army in fighting the terorist. In case you missed it, the Iraqi Army now outnumbers the US Army in Iraq. Many said the Iraqi's would never be able to care for themselves. Well YOU WERE WRONG. Many reports show how the Iraqi's are starting to fight back, including the civilian population that is now turning in the Terrorist and their bombs. Gotta love good old pissed off civilians, they are the best way to stop these kinds of things.
Hats off to the U.S. Military and the Iraq Army and Police. Keep up the good work.<BR>