No More Security Guarantee

by Brian Beutler, The Media Consortium: Wed., Feb 6, 2008
Filed under: War Making and Oversight

Is the Bush administration backing down on it’s declaration that it will provide Iraq an indefinite security guarantee against foreign and domestic threat? CQ reports that “the administration has backed off its previous assertions that a long-term bilateral agreement with Iraq would include a security arrangement to defend the country from external threats.”

The administration has maintained that the agreement would not rise to the level of a treaty. The “security guarantee” statement appeared in the announcement because Iraqis wanted it on the table, the administration official said. But, he said, the United States does not believe it to be necessary. “We say, look, if you want a security guarantee, that will be a treaty, and a treaty will have to go to our Senate,” endangering the whole agreement, he said.

Of course, the proof will be in the ink, when the agreement is penned in the coming weeks. For now, this is an important win for Congress and, indeed, for the Constitution.