1-for-3

"If Washington is acting with the best of motives and intends a peaceful, democratic and genuinely independent Iraq to develop, there will be three early indicators. The US will withdraw virtually all its occupation forces and hand over to some kind of transitional, multinational stabilisation force; the UN and other intergovernmental organisations will be heavily involved in the development of democratic governance; and, most significant of all, the US will make no attempt to set up permanent military bases on Iraqi soil."
-- Paul Rogers, April 17, 2003

"The United States is planning a long-term military relationship with the emerging government of Iraq, one that would grant the Pentagon access to military bases and project American influence into the heart of the unsettled region, senior Bush administration officials say."
-- NY Times, April 20, 2003