Iraq Sovereignty Completed 2 Days Early

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The handover of sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government took place at 10:26 a.m. Baghdad time Monday, two days before the June 30 deadline previously announced by the U.S.-led coalition.

The low-key ceremony happened inside the Coalition Provisional Authority's "Green Zone" headquarters in Baghdad.

Coalition Administrator Paul Bremer -- now the former administrator -- read his letter contained in the transfer document:

"As recognized in U.N. Security Council resolution 1546, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist on June 28th, at which point the occupation will end and the Iraqi interim government will assume and exercise full sovereign authority on behalf of the Iraqi people. I welcome Iraq's steps to take its rightful place of equality and honor among the free nations of the world. Sincerely, L. Paul Bremer, ex-administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority."

Bremer handed the transfer document to the head of the Iraqi Supreme Court, who then gave it to President Sheikh Ghazi al-Yawar. Prime Minister Ayad Allawi and the deputy prime minister also attended.

"This is a historic and happy day for us in Iraq," al-Yawar said. "It is a day that all Iraqis have been looking forward to. This is the day that we take our country back into the international community.

"We want a free and democratic Iraq, and we want a country that is a source of peace and stability for the whole world."

The interim Iraqi leaders expressed thanks to the coalition officials and troops, saying their sacrifices would not be in vain.

Bremer said he was proud to have been able to return sovereignty. He said he was confident the new government was ready to meet the challenges ahead.

Bremer boarded a helicopter less than an hour later to begin his trip out of Iraq after 14 months as the administrator, according to coalition military spokesman Mark Kimmett.

Asked by reporters attending the ceremony about why the handover was stepped up by two days, an Iraqi official said Prime Minister Allawi requested it because "every day matters" and they were ready to crack down on violence.

The decision to speed up the ceremony came Monday morning as Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari met with coalition leaders gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, for the NATO summit.

Zebari told reporters in Istanbul Monday morning the early transfer of sovereignty is "a sign we are ready for the job."

"We are ready to take up our responsibility even before June 30th," he said.

The handover comes as insurgents continue their attacks, with car bombings still taking many lives and more hostages being seized.

The Arabic-language television network Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape Sunday of a man who it said an Iraqi resistance group identified as a captured U.S. Marine.

A coalition spokesman in Baghdad confirmed that a Marine has been missing in Iraq since June 21, but stopped short of saying he might be a hostage.

The Pentagon and the coalition spokesman identified the missing Marine as Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, but the Pentagon said it could not confirm that he was the man shown in the video.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/...ver/index.html

Damn took two days less than it was supposed to :eek:

Wonder whats going to happen out there now?

Regards,

Lee

im super suprised we haven't been flooded with that in the media here yet..

I guess they are still too busy rambling on about Bill Clintons memoirs :crybaby:

I'm just wondering if this really means anything, though.

It's like when they finally "caught" Sadam hussein.... some people went on and on about how it was gonna be the end of the war, but it's gotten worse since then.

there may be an interim Govt in there right now, but I dobut it will make much of a difference, and it may be worse.

What the hell are we doing?

wow.... it's scary. so much has been going on there lately. It will be interesting to see what the reaction is in Iraq. Hopefully, some of the bloodshed will stop.

Handing over sovereignity doesn't really mean anything, except that Paul Bremmer gets to come home. Our troops (The US), other countries troops, will still have to stay there and work towards peace, but the car bombings and violence will continue. And as it continues, it'll be our troops there fighting it. Just because we no longer control the country on paper, doesn't mean we don't still control the country's military or that our presence won't still be there. And the end result (since we won't ever pull out) is that more people will die, and fighting will continue, possibly years from now.

So while it is a step forward, handing over the government will not do anything for the situation the US is in, and likewise, will not really do anything for Iraq to gain independence, because they are dependent on the worlds military right now.

This was a whole big can of worms that GWB opened up for our country, and those that are our allies.

The people in Iraq will definately be in my thoughts over the next few days, as I only think it'll get worse.

Michael