Iraq Agrees To Long-Term U.S. Presence

This is what the neocons wanted all along, a permanent presence in Iraq. It will be interesting to learn what kind of nefarious deal was made for this deal to be concluded:

President Bush on Monday signed a deal setting the foundation for a potential long-term U.S. troop presence in Iraq, with details to be negotiated over matters that have defined the war debate at home - how many U.S. forces will stay in the country, and for how long.

The agreement between Mr. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki confirms that the United States and Iraq will hash out an "enduring" relationship in military, economic and political terms.

In other words, we get access to their oil:

CBS News' Pete Gow in Baghdad reports the proposals are to offer the U.S. a continued military presence in Iraq, as well as favorable business interests (such as investment opportunities for American companies), in return for guarantees to Iraq's future security.

If this were in the interest of Iraq, why is this such a secretive deal:

The "declaration of principles" was discussed in a secret meeting of Iraq's Parliament today, Gow reports, and was later signed by President Bush and al-Maliki during a secure video conference Monday morning.

Al-Maliki, in a televised address, said his government would ask the United Nations to renew the mandate for the multinational force for one final time with its authorization to end in 2008.

And conveniently we are taking for the UN, when the opposite should be happening. Our troops should leaving while the UN takes over:

Al-Maliki, in a televised address, said his government would ask the United Nations to renew the mandate for the multinational force for one final time with its authorization to end in 2008.

The U.S.-Iraq agreement will replace the present U.N. mandate regulating the presence of the U.S.-led forces in Iraq. Al-Maliki said the agreement provides for U.S. support for the "democratic regime in Iraq against domestic and external dangers."

It also would help the Iraqi government thwart any attempt to suspend or repeal a constitution drafted with U.S. help and adopted in a nationwide vote in 2005. That appeared to be a reference to any attempt to remove the government by violence or in a coup.

Al-Maliki said the renewal of the multinational forces' mandate was conditional on the repeal of what he called restrictions on Iraqi sovereignty introduced in 1990 by the U.N. Security Council to punish Iraq for invading neighboring Kuwait.

Bush is obviously feeling his oats lately. That is why he is pursuing this fraud of a peace conference. He, and neocons buddies, think they can pull another one on the world. But as long as Hamas, the democratically elected government of the Palestinians, is not part of the negotiations what you have here is a total fraud:

The Islamist movement, Hamas, has said Palestinians will not be bound by any decisions taken at this week's US-backed Middle East peace conference.

Ahead of Tuesday's conference, several Hamas leaders met at the Palestinian parliament in Gaza City to sign a document stating that Mr Abbas had no right to make concessions in any peace deal.

"The people believe that this conference is fruitless and that any recommendations or commitments made in the conference that harm our rights will not be binding for our people," Mr Haniya said as he entered the building.

"It will be binding only for those who sign it."

Although, it seems even the White House is not taking this seriously:

Earlier, US officials played down expectations of any breakthrough at the meeting the US naval academy in Annapolis, the first fully-fledged talks on Middle East peace since 2000.

President Bush's National Security Advisor, Stephen Hadley, said the conference was not a negotiation session but was designed to launch negotiations.

"If we get something, if they can agree on some things as an input to the negotiations, that would be fine," he told reporters on Sunday.

"But I think it is really no longer on the critical path to a successful conference."

This is not a serious peace process but an attempt to try and isolate Hamas.