Has Anyone Wondered...

[The Icon Painter]

if the sudden need to invade Iraq had anything to do with the equally sudden and quiet withdrawal from all the bases we were occupying in Saudi Arabia? At this time, I believe we are without permanent Middle East bases save those we are setting up in Iraq. If this is so, leaving that country will leave us tactically far worse off than we were at the beginning of this stupid adventure. I am simply curious to know if we were in effect evicted by the Saudis and the Pinhead and crew are trying to conceal the truth of the matter.

[blm]

1. It was noted at the time here.

And it was something Bin Laden wanted.

[Brucey]

2. As I recall, the Bush admin admitted that they wanted to remove

military from Saudi Arabia and even bragged that this was one of the reasons for invading Iraq and one of the benefits. The Bush family has a long history of collusion with Saudis and bin Ladens.

[TheBlob]

3. Are we completely out of Saudi Arabia?

I had heard we were kicked out but are we totally out as of today?

[htuttle]

4. I believe so

That brand new, big CENTCOM base they just finished is currently sitting empty...

...At least until the Russians are ready to set up there (refers to a different set of threads, from a few months ago ago).

And I think I remember the Bush admin stating (off the record) that they had to leave Saudi Arabia because the Princes wanted us to (worried about unrest in the lead up to invading Iraq).

[tritsofme]

5. I think the "logic"

to this is that, we were only in SA to deter Saddam, and now that Saddam is "gone" we dont need to be in SA anymore.

But we will be in Iraq forever. Hell, were still in Germany and Japan!

[Wellong]

6. I think

we have a base in Qatar.

[haele]

7. Well, it always is easier having bases in a state or protectorate...

Than a foreign country.

None of that messy diplomacy and extra costs associated with having to deal "compassionatly" with the local culture and keeping your military happy on the base so they don't start creating international incidents.

Heck, I'm thinking we could even make Bagdad as comfortable for our military and contractors as 1970's Subic City was within a year or two. Just have to get rid of the more fundimentalists Muslims, and we could have alternating bars, whorehouses, and cheap electronics shops on every major street...

Just have to watch out for the riccocet from trigger-happy police shooting the occasional 7 year old pickpocket trying to eek out survival, now that their hereditary farms and complexes are being plowed under as possible sites for terrorist activity.

Oh, BTW -(/sarcasm)

Haele