US Defence Secretary Robert Gates says the United States can’t and won’t leave Iraq.

We are looking to a permanent military presence there under an imposed arrangement.

Israel and our oil companies need this, he said.

Gates told reporters that plans call for an assessment of the US 'surge' strategy in September.

This surge will be seen to have failed miserably.

But we are looking beyond that, he said, to the real goal of the American invasion and of which type of military presence the United States oil companies and the AIPAC need in Iraq over the long term.