Our permanent base in the Middle East

Given that they're building two or three city-sized military bases in Iraq, it comes as no surprise that Bush is contemplating a permanent force of 50,000 troops stationed there:

Mr. Bush on Friday made clear that the American commitment to the country will be long-term. Officials say the administration has begun to look at the costs of maintaining a force of roughly 50,000 troops there for years to come, roughly the size of the American presence maintained in the Philippines and Korea for decades after those conflicts.

I guess the troops will get their R&R in the hanging gardens.