* grants the U.S. long-term rights to maintain over 50 military bases in their California-sized country
* allows the U.S. to strike any other country from within Iraqi territory without the permission of the Iraqi government
* allows the U.S. to conduct military activities in Iraq without consulting with the local government
* allows U.S. forces to arrest any Iraqi without consulting with Iraqi authorities
* extends to U.S. troops and contracters immunity from Iraqi law
* gives U.S. forces control of Iraqi airspace below 29,000ft.
* places the Iraqi Defense, Interior and National Security ministries under American supervision for ten years
* gives the U.S. responsibility for Iraqi armament contracts for ten years

No doubt some key figures in the Bush administration have asked themselves that, and here's what they come up with. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York holds $ 50 billion of Iraq's foreign exchange reserves as a result of the UN sanct

Is this why Prime Minister Nour al-Maliki is talking to Iran? A better deal with the right competition.

Maliki is a man with two masters, and none of them are the Iraqi people. A bad position to put oneself in.

If Cheney gets away with this deal, what happens in an Obama Admin.(assuming he wins) ? Will he honor it or does he have a choice? Cheney is a freakin' madman!

I seriously doubt that the Iraqi leaders will let this deal go thru but their leadership could be "changed" momentarily if Cheney wants it to.