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U.S. eyes future bases in Iraq
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration wants ongoing access to military bases in Iraq but acknowledges that any access agreement would have to be negotiated with whatever government emerges, a senior military official told CNN. This development, first reported in The New York Times, is part of a larger expected administration and Pentagon review of future U.S. military presence in the region, the official said. But the official emphasized the matter is in the preliminary stages. For example, it is not clear whether the U.S. military would want a permanent basing arrangement or more flexible intermittent access. The official noted that as the postwar Iraqi military is reconstituted U.S. military forces might return to the country to help train and equip troops, if both sides agree. Such a move could lead to the need for some type of access agreement. All of this is likely to become part of a broader Defense Department and administration review of the U.S. military presence throughout the region. With the regime of Saddam Hussein gone and Iraq no longer a presumed threat to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. military presence in those two countries likely would diminish. For example, the patrols of "no-fly" zones in the north and south, which have tied up large numbers of troops and aircraft for 12 years, already have ended. Also under review would be the presence of U.S. ground troops in Kuwait. In addition, if U.N. sanctions are lifted, the naval maritime intercept program to monitor oil smuggling out of Iraq would not be needed. U.S. officials also may want access to Iraq to provide a hedge against Syria or Iran should either of those nations be deemed a threat, the official said. "The subject of a footprint for the United States post-Iraq is something that we're discussing and considering," U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last week.
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