MP warns of “underground” U.S. bases in Iraq after U.S. withdrawal

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The Legislature of the so-called ‘White al-Iraqiya Bloc,’ Aliya Nuseif, on Thursday demanded the U.S. forces to present a clear report on the number of their bases in Iraq, warning against the existence what it described as “underground” bases after the American withdrawal from Iraq. “The number of American bases in Iraq to this day remains unclear. U.S. forces are demanded to present a report about the bases they have established, at a time when Iraq had no government, before the finalization of any subject related to the Security Agreement signed between both countries,” Nuseif told IraqiNews.com news agency. , Nuseif warned of the “probabilities for the presence of ‘underground’ U.S. bases that we are unaware of.” “Iraq has enough issues to worry about, and there is no necessity to exploit our territories to attack any neighboring state, while we shoulder the U.S. Administration with responsibility for any military action taken by their bases existing on the Iraqi territories,” Nuseif said. She said that “there is an item in the Security Agreement, warning the U.S. forces against carrying out any military aggression on any of Iraq’s neighboring states; so, the American side should commit itself to this item.” Noteworthy is that the U.S. combat troops had left Iraq at the end of August last, according the Security Agreement, signed between Baghdad and Washington at the end of 2008, whilst the remaining U.S. non-combat troops, estimated at 50,000, should leave the country by the end of this current year. SKH (TR)/SR 1364