Patrick Cockburn's story confirmed: US asks 50 military bases in Iraq!

Press TV reports:

A top Iraqi member of parliament says the United State has asked the Iraqi government to establish 50 military bases throughout Iraq.

The draft submitted by the US has demanded building 50 military bases, controlling of airspace by American forces and launching military operations from the bases without prior permission from the Iraqi government, Hassan Al-Sunaid, an Iraqi lawmaker and a member of Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's Dawa Party told "al- Iraqiya" an Iraqi state TV channel on Wednesday.

He said the negotiations between the US and Iraq on the security pact have ceased due to some disagreements and reviewing of some articles by both countries.

Most Iraqi people and politicians have protested at the security pact, saying such a pact questions Iraq's sovereignty and contradicts Iraq's national interests.

MP Hassan Al-Sunaid said that both sides have accepted to revise the political framework of the pact to take proper decisions in order to move forward the halted talks (that sounds like the Maliki regime's opposition to the SOFA is less than sincere. Maybe they will agree to 49 bases or something? VS)

According to informed sources, the draft of the pact dose not include an article which remove Iraq from Section VII of the United Nations' Charter. The section considers Iraq as an outlawed country and constraints its political, military and economic power.

The draft grants immunity to the US forces, citizens and contractors in Iraq and gives the US authority to arrest anyone who poses a threat to its security according to the US 'Anti-Terrorism Act', they added.

The United State is seeking to persuade the Iraqi government to sign the long-term security accord but Iraqi religious and political leaders have so far strongly rejected it.