The United States seeks to exploit the loopholes of a bilateral
security pact it struck with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in 2008 in
order to extend its military presence in the war-torn country.
“There
is a giant loophole in the treaty that Bush and Maliki put together for any
troop that is not employed through the Department of Defense”, David Swanson,
co-founder of War is a Crime.org, told Press TV's U.S. Desk on Sunday.
“So
for example a gang of thousands of mercenaries employed through the U.S. State
Department under the guise of protecting their so-called embassy in Baghdad
would be in perfect compliance with the treaty”, he added.
According to American news reports, Iraq will ask for future defense
contracts to include provisions for training, bypassing the Iraqi MPs who have
been put in charge of deciding whether U.S. soldiers should remain in their
country past the withdrawal deadline of December 31.
Swanson, the author of "War Is A Lie" said that selling U.S. weaponry
to Iraq indicates once again that “what drives
U.S. policy here is, in large part, profits for U.S. military and weapons
companies”.
HJ/KA/DB