June 1 (LPAC) Visiting the U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, on May 31, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates cited the South Korean model to announce that the United States is looking to a long-term military presence in Iraq under a mutually-agreed arrangment. He also said that he was looking beyond the month of September, when the present "surge" strategy of the United States will be evaluated. "What I'm thinking in terms of is a mutual agreement where some force of Americans -- mutually agreed with mutually agreed missions -- is present for a protracted period of time," he said.

US troops have been in South Korea since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, with US generals in charge of combined US-South Korean forces in time of war. "The idea is more a model of a mutually agreed arrangement whereby we have a long and enduring presence but under the consent of both parties and under certain conditions," Gates said. "The Korea model is one, the security relationship we have with Japan is another," he added.

Since the Congressional Democrats capitulated on demanding a pull out from Iraq, the discussion of a permanent presence in Iraq has become more openly discussed in the Administration.