Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Chalabi said Friday that the U.S. wants to have secret military bases in Iraq.

Chalabi told, “Within framework of the security pact, the U.S. does not wish to merely have open military bases (in Iraq), rather secret military bases (there).”
He said the U.S. wants to have such open and secret bases in Iraq, while refusing to provide any guarantee for defense of the country.
He added, “We do not yet know for what and with which motivation it seeks establishing such bases in Iraq.”
He went on to say that Iraqi government is still in odds with Washington over the U.S. troops' immunity, arrest of Iraqi citizens and campaign against terrorism in the neighboring countries' territories using Iraqi soil.
“If security deal is not signed with the U.S. by December 31, regarding recent U.S.-Russia row over Georgia and Iraqi government's decision not to extend the U.S. forces' presence in Iraq for another year, the U.S. presence in Iraq will come across with difficulty in terms of the law.”
He said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki will not at all sign the security deal with the U.S. which wants to impose it on Iraq.
He added that all national and political groups, religious dignitaries and public opinion in Iraq support Maliki's stance on the issue.
(Source: mathaba.net/news)