08.04.06

Senate Passes Cantwell Legislation to Prohibit Permanent U.S. Bases in Iraq

WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday night, the Senate passed an amendment introduced by U.S. Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) prohibiting the establishment of permanent U.S. military installations in Iraq. The amendment, included in a pending Defense Department funding bill, would also prohibit the U.S. government from exercising control over Iraq’s oil resources.

“I do not support having a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq,” said Cantwell. “I want our troops home as soon as possible. We need to encourage the Iraqis to take complete control of their own security as soon as possible so U.S. troops can come home. Building permanent bases in Iraq would not get us closer to this goal and it would send the wrong message to the Iraqi people, our allies, and the world about U.S. goals to have Iraqis control their own defense.”

Cantwell has indicated that the U.S. must press Iraqis to find a political solution to their differences and has stressed the need for Iraqi security forces to step up so the United States can begin bringing our troops home this year. Last month, Cantwell supported an amendment that recognized the increasing number of Iraqi troops being trained but called on those troops to take the lead so U.S. forces can be redeployed beginning this year.

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