Ilene R. Prusher, "In Volatile Iraq, US Curbs Press," Christian Science Monitor, June 19, 2003
David Rohde, "Iraqis Were Set to Vote, But U.S. Wielded a Veto," New York Times, June 19, 2003
Tom Shanker and Eric Schmitt, "Pentagon
Expects Long-Term Access to Four Key Bases in Iraq," New York
Times, April 20, 2003
[US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has denied that the US is
planning long-term military involvement in Iraq, including bases.
--"US
denies Iraq bases plan," BBC, April 21, 2003]
Vernon Loeb, "New
Bases Reflect Shift in Military," Washington Post, June 9, 2003
[We expect the Bush administration to use the technique applied with
Egypt and Israel, both overloaded with new US weapons. The USA will
rebuild the Iraqi army on condition that new weapons purchased for
the armed forces will be made in the USA, which will supply much of
the credit for their purchase with the rest coming from oil
revenues.--"What Bush is doing in Iraq," Jane's, June 25,
2003]
[The Americans are secretly building two giant intelligence
facilities in Iraq at a cost of some half a billion dollars, . . .
The Mosul facility will guard northern Iraq's oilfields and the
pipelines carrying Iraqi gas and oil to Mediterranean terminals. Its
instruments will reach into every corner of Iran and Syria,
replacing America's electronic eyes and ears in southern Turkey.
This facility will be activated a section at a time according to
need. Upon completion at the end of 2005, it will employ an
operating staff of around 4,000 American intelligence personnel and
electronic engineers.
. . . the Baghdad station will stand guard over America's political
and military control of the capital and its satellite towns,
including the Sunni enclave cities of Falluja, Ramadi and Tikrit.
--"Two Huge US
Intelligence Centers Go up in Iraq," DEBKA-Net-Weekly, June 25,
2003]
[A leader of a prominent Shiite group accused the Bush
administration on Wednesday of reneging on pledges to hand over
power to local political groups in Iraq.--Salah Nasrawi, "Leading Iraqi
Shiite Group Feels Betrayed by Americans," Associated Press,
July 2, 2003]