Well, the war in Iraq has not gone in the USA's favour, but that has not stopped them from building 4 Major Military Bases in Iraq. So it is safe to say, the USA is not going to leave Iraq for the foreseeable future. They did not pour Billions into Iraq to make it a Democratic Country. They poured Billions to have Bases in the Middle East because they were told to leave from Saudi Arabia after 10 years of being there after the first Gulf War ended. So now that the Americans know they cannot rely on Turkey anymore to help them when they are told to, they are now going to keep these Major Bases in Iraq indefinitely. This also leaves Turkey stranded with their idea of getting their hands on the oil fields in Kirkuk. So you could say, that the Turks have been stopped in their tracks with 100,ooo troops staged at the Iraqi border with Turkey, because the Americans are not going to go against their new friends in Iraq, which are now the Kurds and not so much the Turks anymore. Americans also have bases in former Soviet States and can fly over Israel and Jordan into Iraqi air space without having to rely on the Turks.
Are the Turks falling out in favour with the Americans as a result.?? It's hard to say, but I'm sure it is not as cosy as it use to be. Turkey would not dare push her luck to try and capture the Kirkuk oil fields without being hit by the Kurd supported by the Americans, if not being hit directly by the Americans, which will be the beginning of the end of Turkey as we know it today. With Turkey falling out of favour with the USA, there will be greater possibility for the Kurds to declare Statehood, even tackling part of Eastern Turkey. Then the Armenian Genocide question will once again pick up speed, which will cause another front for Turkey with the Armenian land issues. As all this unfolds, Turkey will then need to decide to keep hanging onto Cyprus to please the Nationalist in Turkey, as a way to show, that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the region, no matter how slight pride received from occupation of Cyprus might give to the Nationalist. With Turkey starting to crack up under pressure from different directions, plus wishing to join the EU membership, the occupation of Cyprus will come to an end and Unification between the TC's and the GC's will start to take form.
Here is an article from 2005 regarding the Major Air Bases in Iraq. They are almost completed by now..
US military to build four giant new bases in Iraq
Michael Howard in Baghdad
Monday May 23, 2005
The Guardian
US military commanders are planning to pull back their troops from Iraq's towns and cities and redeploy them in four giant bases in a strategy they say is a prelude to eventual withdrawal.
The plan, details of which emerged at the weekend, also foresees a transfer to Iraqi command of more than 100 bases that have been occupied by US-led multinational forces since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
However, the decision to in vest in the bases, which will require the construction of more permanent structures such as blast-proof barracks and offices, is seen by some as a sign that the US expects to keep a permanent presence in Iraq.
Politicians opposed to a long-term US presence on Iraqi soil questioned the plan.
"They appear to settling in a for the long run, and that will only give fuel for the terrorists," said a spokesman for the mainstream Sunni Iraqi Islamic party.
A senior US official in Baghdad said yesterday: "It has always been a main plank of our exit strategy to withdraw from the urban areas as and when Iraqi forces are trained up and able to take the strain. It is much better for all concerned that Iraqis police themselves."
Under the plan, for which the official said there was no "hard-and-fast" deadline, US troops would gradually concentrate inside four heavily fortified air bases, from where they would provide "logistical support and quick reaction capability where necessary to Iraqis". The bases would be situated in the north, south, west and centre of the country.
He said the pace of the "troop consolidation" would be dictated by the level of the insurgency and the progress of Iraq's fledgling security structures.
A report in yesterday's Washington Post said the new bases would be constructed around existing airfields to ensure supply lines and troop mobility. It named the four probable locations as: Tallil in the south; Al Asad in the west; Balad in the centre and either Irbil or Qayyarah in the north.
US officers told the paper that the bases would have a more permanent character to them, with more robust buildings and structures than can be seen at most existing bases in Iraq. The new buildings would be constructed to withstand direct mortar fire.
A source at the Iraqi defence ministry said: "We expect these facilities will ultimately be to the benefit of the domestic forces, to be handed over when the US leaves."
