Iraqi lawmakers continue to speak out over what they call unfair demands in talks with the Bush administration over a long-term compact with the United States. US officials have been silent on the negotiations. But Iraqis have leaked details of the US demands, which include immunity for American troops and contractors, a free hand to conduct military operations without Iraqi approval, control of Iraqi airspace, and maintaining fifty-eight permanent military bases in Iraq. On Tuesday, Democracy Now! spoke to visiting Iraqi lawmakers here in New York. Iraqi parliament member Khalaf Al-Ulayyan criticized the US proposals.

Iraqi parliament member Khalaf Al-Ulayyan: “I believe the parliament will not ratify the treaty in its current form, because it harms Iraqi sovereignty. Based on the details that have been leaked to the media, it seems that the deal will make Iraq not just an occupied country but an actual part of the US.”

Iraqi officials interviewed by the Washington Post say the US initially demanded control of more than 200 military bases. US officials also demanded the right to refuel the planes while in flight, stoking fears the US would use Iraq as a staging ground for an attack on Iran. The Independent of London reported last week the US is leveraging tens of billions of dollars in seized Iraqi assets to push through its demands. The Bush administration has angered Iraqi officials by refusing to lift support for Iraq’s UN designation as a threat to international security. The designation was imposed following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and has been used to impose sanctions and restrict Iraq’s economy.