Settling in for the long haul

In typically Orwellian fashion, the US now claims it's building four permanent bases in Iraq to facilitate its eventual withdrawal from the country.

The military is trying to divert attention from its long term presence in Iraq by emphasizing how many bases it's going to be handing over to Iraqis. But let's get serious here. For obvious reasons, you don't want to have an excess number of bases in a foreign country when your presence is extraordinarily unpopular. All you need are a few strategically located "lily pads" that will provide the proper launch points for future military action and to serve as a deterrent to any adversaries in the region.