Security Pact – American Style

The Bush administration is now withholding 50 billion dollars from the Iraqi government until they sign a ’security pact’. First off, this isn’t a treaty, but a ’security pact’ (A.K.A. BULL SHIT) so congress doesn’t have any say on it, and it nicely sidesteps the constitutional bounds on a president in that regard. How can they withhold the funds though? Well, easily, since the restrictions in place since Saddam by the UN are still in place. Convenient isn’t it? Well, it isn’t so bad, how bad could the security pact really be? Well, it is quite hard to find but a summation (A, B, C, D) from source B, which sums up the primary leak rather well:

* grants the U.S. long-term rights to maintain over 50 military bases in their California-sized country

* allows the U.S. to strike any other country from within Iraqi territory without the permission of the Iraqi government

* allows the U.S. to conduct military activities in Iraq without consulting with the local government

* allows U.S. forces to arrest any Iraqi without consulting with Iraqi authorities

* extends to U.S. troops and contractors immunity from Iraqi law

* gives U.S. forces control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000ft.

* places the Iraqi Defense, Interior and National Security ministries under American supervision for ten years

* gives the U.S. responsibility for Iraqi armament contracts for ten years

Chomsky said it best: It’s Imperialism, stupid.