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IRAQ A SOVEREIGN STATE
Control of Iraq has been handed to a sovereign interim government after a
surprise announcement that the transfer was being brought forward to
today.
The transer of power from the US-led coalition was supposed to happen on
June 30.
But Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said the deteriorating
security situation in the country was one of the reasons why the date had
been brought forward.
It was feared guerillas would stage a major attack to derail the process.
Paul Bremer, head of the coalition provisional authority, presented the
legal documents to prime minister Iyad Allawi at a ceremony in Baghdad
before leaving the country two hours later.
"This is a historical day," said Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at the
ceremony.
"We feel we are capable of controlling the security situation."
Mr Bremer said: "You have said, and we agreed, that you are ready for
sovereignty," Bremer said in the ceremony. I will leave Iraq confident in
its future."
Insurgents have mounted a series of bloody attacks this month aimed at
disrupting the handover, and several foreign hostages have also been
seized over the past week.
The biggest challenge to the government will be to restore security
to the country and halt the attacks.
"We will challenge these elements in Iraq, the anti-democratic
elements, by even bringing the handover of sovereignty before June 30 as a
sign we are ready for it," Mr Zebari said.
"There are many Iraqis who are standing up to the challenge. We are
here to seek more help and assistance, training and equipment."
Mr Allawi said elections were likely to be held in January.
The interim government will have "full sovereignty", according to a
UN Security Council resolution on the handover earlier this month.
But there are important constraints on its powers.
It is barred from making long-term policy decisions and will not
have control over more than 160,000 foreign troops who will remain in
Iraq.
The government has the right to ask them to leave - but has made
clear it has no intention of doing so.
The US will also retain a large diplomatic presence with 1,000
diplomatic staff working at its embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad.
.
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| User: "Marvin The Paranoid Android" |
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| Title: Re: Surprise! Iraq a Sovereign State |
28 Jun 2004 09:09:16 AM |
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Dr. Blunt wrote:
IRAQ A SOVEREIGN STATE
Control of Iraq has been handed to a sovereign interim government after a
surprise announcement that the transfer was being brought forward to
today.
The transer of power from the US-led coalition was supposed to happen on
June 30.
But Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said the deteriorating
security situation in the country was one of the reasons why the date had
been brought forward.
It was feared guerillas would stage a major attack to derail the process.
Paul Bremer, head of the coalition provisional authority, presented the
legal documents to prime minister Iyad Allawi at a ceremony in Baghdad
before leaving the country two hours later.
"This is a historical day," said Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at the
ceremony.
"We feel we are capable of controlling the security situation."
Mr Bremer said: "You have said, and we agreed, that you are ready for
sovereignty," Bremer said in the ceremony. I will leave Iraq confident in
its future."
Insurgents have mounted a series of bloody attacks this month aimed at
disrupting the handover, and several foreign hostages have also been
seized over the past week.
The biggest challenge to the government will be to restore security
to the country and halt the attacks.
"We will challenge these elements in Iraq, the anti-democratic
elements, by even bringing the handover of sovereignty before June 30 as a
sign we are ready for it," Mr Zebari said.
"There are many Iraqis who are standing up to the challenge. We are
here to seek more help and assistance, training and equipment."
Mr Allawi said elections were likely to be held in January.
The interim government will have "full sovereignty", according to a
UN Security Council resolution on the handover earlier this month.
But there are important constraints on its powers.
It is barred from making long-term policy decisions and will not
have control over more than 160,000 foreign troops who will remain in
Iraq.
The government has the right to ask them to leave - but has made
clear it has no intention of doing so.
The US will also retain a large diplomatic presence with 1,000
diplomatic staff working at its embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad.
.
I just heard the news.
So ... I guess that's it, then ...
.
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| User: "Dr. Blunt" |
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| Title: Re: Surprise! Iraq a Sovereign State |
30 Jun 2004 06:19:23 AM |
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|
"Marvin The Paranoid Android" <marv@galaxy.com> wrote in message
news:cbou8t02n3k@news3.newsguy.com...
Dr. Blunt wrote:
IRAQ A SOVEREIGN STATE
Control of Iraq has been handed to a sovereign interim government
after a
surprise announcement that the transfer was being brought forward to
today.
The transer of power from the US-led coalition was supposed to happen
on
June 30.
But Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said the deteriorating
security situation in the country was one of the reasons why the date
had
been brought forward.
It was feared guerillas would stage a major attack to derail the
process.
Paul Bremer, head of the coalition provisional authority, presented
the
legal documents to prime minister Iyad Allawi at a ceremony in Baghdad
before leaving the country two hours later.
"This is a historical day," said Prime Minister Iyad Allawi at the
ceremony.
"We feel we are capable of controlling the security situation."
Mr Bremer said: "You have said, and we agreed, that you are ready for
sovereignty," Bremer said in the ceremony. I will leave Iraq confident
in
its future."
Insurgents have mounted a series of bloody attacks this month aimed at
disrupting the handover, and several foreign hostages have also been
seized over the past week.
The biggest challenge to the government will be to restore
security
to the country and halt the attacks.
"We will challenge these elements in Iraq, the anti-democratic
elements, by even bringing the handover of sovereignty before June 30
as a
sign we are ready for it," Mr Zebari said.
"There are many Iraqis who are standing up to the challenge. We
are
here to seek more help and assistance, training and equipment."
Mr Allawi said elections were likely to be held in January.
The interim government will have "full sovereignty", according
to a
UN Security Council resolution on the handover earlier this month.
But there are important constraints on its powers.
It is barred from making long-term policy decisions and will not
have control over more than 160,000 foreign troops who will remain in
Iraq.
The government has the right to ask them to leave - but has made
clear it has no intention of doing so.
The US will also retain a large diplomatic presence with 1,000
diplomatic staff working at its embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad.
.
I just heard the news.
So ... I guess that's it, then ...
It's a curious state of autonomy with 160,000 foreign troops on their
soil, 134,000 of them American.
It makes about as much sense if Americans had declared sovereignty for
their 13 colonies back in the late 1700's while thousands of King George's
troops were still present, and the Revolutionary War had not yet expelled
them.
Iraq has a long, hard and uncertain future ahead. The threat of all-out
civil war will remain high for years, as well as disruptions in oil
production, political assassinations, factional violence, et al, and no
one knows when US troops will leave, or whether UN internationalization of
the military presence there will be effective.
This is an interim government until elections can be held next year. I'd
expect that the various tribal factions will have great difficulity
agreeing on the election results without further national unrest in the
streets. And, if the USA is still there at that time, it will be, again,
the focal point of warring factions.
If you read the history of the French occupation of Algeria, you might get
some idea of the trouble ahead for Iraq's people (and any Western military
presence). Or, study the USSR's occupation of Afghanistan for hints.
Dr. Blunt ----------Serving the Usenet's mentally ill since 1998.
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