US building permanent base in Iraq for 120 helicopters & more...

Mar 21, 11:48 AM (ET)

By CHARLES J. HANLEY

BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AP) - The concrete goes on forever, vanishing into the noonday glare, 2 million cubic feet of it, a mile-long slab that's now the home of up to 120 U.S. helicopters, a "heli-park" as good as any back in the States. At another giant base, al-Asad in Iraq's western desert, the 17,000 troops and workers come and go in a kind of bustling American town, with a Burger King, Pizza Hut and a car dealership, stop signs, traffic regulations and young bikers clogging the roads.

At a third hub down south, Tallil, they're planning a new mess hall, one that will seat 6,000 hungry airmen and soldiers for chow.

Are the Americans here to stay? Air Force mechanic Josh Remy is sure of it as he looks around Balad.

"I think we'll be here forever," the 19-year-old airman from Wilkes-Barre, Pa., told a visitor to his base.........

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20060321/D8GG2SQG2.html

Looks like we are there to stay...

I guess we're the only one's paying attention to this little corner of the shit heap. BTW, check your link, it didn't work for me. This one does.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11072377

I actually posted the story in the afternoon. Didn't get much response, so posted it again for the night crowd. Link probably didn't work since I cut & pasted. Was 1 kick away from making the greatest. Figured this would be big story for DU. I will have to check your post out.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2180067&mesg_id=2180067

I looked in latest for yours but didn't see it. Do you have URL?

I love the olympic pool they built.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=721019&mesg_id=721019