Our country will not be leaving Iraq when, as expected, the surge is pronounced a huge success, nor when Mr. Bush leaves the White House, nor when a new president takes office or a new Congress is sworn in. Matter of fact, we won’t be leaving for a very long time.
Now that Halliburton has completed (no-bid) the fortress for us in Baghdad covering nearly 100 acres (and similar hardened sites elsewhere in Iraq), and taking into account our other secret commitments to Saudi Arabia, it’s starting to look as if we’re going to be there for a long time.
As Saudi Arabia’s surrogate, taking into account the Bush family friendship going back many years, we are not about to vacate the Middle East and leave the Saudis holding an empty bag. Their plan to once again become leaders of that region will work fine—if we just trust our leaders. Lately, it has begun to appear as though Iran better watch it.
— Allen Thomas
Asheville
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