A U.S. senior military official said the bases in Iraq would be considered along with a broader review of the future U.S. military presence in the region. 

Bases of potential interest to the United States are: Baghdad's international airport; Tallil Air Base, near Nasiriya in the south; the H-1 airfield in western Iraq; and the Bashur airfield in northern Iraq. The bases would provide U.S. presence in all key regions and allow continued air access to the capital for humanitarian and relief supplies. 

But the official emphasized the matter is in the preliminary stages. For example, it is not clear whether the U.S. military would want a permanent basing arrangement, or more flexible intermittent access. The official noted that as the postwar Iraqi military is reconstituted, for example, U.S. military forces might return to the country to help train and equip them, if both sides agree. That could lead to the need for some type of access agreement. 

All of this is likely to become part of a broader Defense Department and administration review of the U.S. military presence throughout the region. With the regime of Saddam Hussein gone and Iraq no longer a presumed threat to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. military presence in those two countries would likely diminish. 

For example, the no-fly zones' patrols in the north and south, which have tied up large numbers of troops and aircraft for the past 12 years, already have ended. 

Also under review would be the 12-year presence of U.S. ground troops in Kuwait. In addition, if U.N. sanctions are lifted, the naval maritime intercept program to monitor oil smuggling out of Iraq would not be needed. 

U.S. officials may also want access to Iraq in order to provide a hedge against Syria or Iran should either of those nations be deemed to present a threat, the official said. 

"The subject of a footprint for the United States post-Iraq is something that we're discussing and considering," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters last week.