U.S. hands over sovereignty in Iraq early

[tlspiegel -Closed]

U.S. hands over sovereignty in Iraq early
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

U.S. hands over sovereignty in Iraq early
CTV.ca News Staff

The U.S. led coalition has formally transferred sovereignty to an interim government in Iraq two days ahead of schedule.

Coalition administrator Paul Bremer handed over legal documents outlining sovereignty to the head of the Iraqi Supreme Court at 10:26 Baghdad time.

The documents were then handed over to Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar in a small ceremony held in the heavily guarded Green Zone.

"This is a historical day," al-Yawar said. "We want a free and democratic Iraq, and we want a country that is a source of peace and stability for the whole world."

"You have said, and we agreed, that you are ready for sovereignty," Bremer said during the ceremony. "I will leave Iraq confident in its future."

"There is no way to turn back now," al-Yawer said after thanking the coalition.

"We have been laying down strategies for protecting our people," Allawi said after the ceremony, adding that he would spell out details at a news conference later.

"The blood that has been spilled in Iraq has been spilled for a very good reason," Allawi said, explaining that it was in the cause of democracy and freedom.

The surprise transfer of power was made public by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, who was speaking to reporters after meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair at a Nato summit in Istanbul.

"We are very pleased here, we are confident, and we are ready to take up our responsibility - even before 30 June," Zebari said.

"I believe today we will challenge those elements in Iraq - the terrorists, the criminals, the Saddamists, the anti-democratic forces - by bringing the date of the handover of sovereignty even before 30 June, as a sign that we are ready for the job."

The transfer of sovereignty two days ahead of schedule appears to be a bid to surprise insurgents, who may have tried to sabotage the step toward self-rule.

The handover comes as insurgents continue their attacks in Iraq. On Sunday, the Arabic-language television network Al-Jazeera broadcast video images of a man identified by an Iraqi resistance group as a captured U.S. Marine.

U.S. officials have admitted that a Marine has been missing but would not confirm that one was being held hostage.


More:
[Only registered and activated users can see links. Either login above or Register Now]

[mrbowler]

Very Good News Toby! I truly believe that Iraq will turn out to be a success-maybe not as democratic as the United States had hoped, but hopefully a situation in which the United States has better relations with-i.e. control...they key question is how to get the different ethnic groups to work together. Only Time will Tell