Washington: US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said the United States has no
desire to militarily control Iraq for a long time, and rubbished a press report that
said the US would like to have permanent access to as many as four key military
bases in Iraq.
"I have never heard the subject of a permanent base in Iraq discussed," Rumsfeld
said on April 21 at a press briefing, responding to a 'New York Times' report that
quoted unnamed senior US administration officials.
The likelihood of Iraq granting the US permanent rights to its bases, said
Rumsfeld, "seems to me to be so low it doesn't surprise me that it was not discussed
in my presence".
He said there were already many opportunities to locate US forces in the Middle
East, making any new basing arrangement unnecessary.
Rumsfeld said the bases currently being used by US forces in Baghdad and elsewhere
were facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and providing stability in a time
of transition.
Asked how long he expects the US military to be in Iraq, Rumsfeld said that "depends
on how rapidly an interim government evolves and how successful external influences
might be in destabilising the country".
He emphasised that the US has no desire to be there for long periods; "We simply
don't."
Rumsfeld said the existence of a friendly Iraq that did not threaten neighbours was
a reason to have fewer US forces in the region. He also said some military forces
associated with the US Central Command were transiting out of the Middle East.
PTI
