Posted on 06/28/2004 4:34:19 AM PDT by Happy2BMe
| IRAQI LEADERS SWORN IN |
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The handover, after 14 months of occupation 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 guerrillas would stage a major attack to derail the process.
Paul Bremer, head of the coalition provisional authority, presented the legal documents to Mr Allawi at a ceremony in Baghdad before leaving the country two hours later.
"This is a historical day," said Mr 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. I will leave Iraq confident in its future."
US President George Bush said the handover was "great news for the Iraqi people".
He and Tony Blair will make statements this afternoon.
Insurgents have mounted a series of bloody attacks this month aimed at disrupting the handover, and several foreign hostages have also been seized.
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Iraqi leaders hope the handover will stem attacks 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. |
The terrorists are going to be unleashing a wave of attacks in the pipeline soon.
Shiite troops, commanded by a sovereign Muslim government, can kill Wahabbist Sunni Muslims in Fallujah without any problems from the "Muslim Street"
(Iraq is enough hours ahead of use here in the United Stated to make it one day ahead of our time zones here also.)
I hope Saddam is peeing blood about now....
What a PERFECT way to slap the so-called American elite media!!!! They all sent their big guns over to Iraq (Bro-kaw, Blather & Peeaahtah J) with big staffs, spending lots of $$$... getting all ready to show all of the awful things in Iraq that will make the handover on Weds all but impossible...only to find out IT'S A DONE DEAL this morning!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.......!!!!
Let's hope you are right.
Your headline should read 2 days early. 1 day diminishes the accomplishment. (IMO)
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"The terrorists are going to be unleashing a wave of attacks in the pipeline soon."
They were going to anyway. This way, their timetable is screwed up, and there will be a number of mistakes made, in their haste to get the necessary detonation devices in place. With luck, the truck bombs they have rigged will blow up either in the garages where they are being prepared, or en route to their destination, because of fuses that were installed without due care, or they may fail to detonate altogether.
Iraq is less than ten hours ahead of EST - not a full day.
10:30(10:26?) June 28th in Iraq, is 2 days ahead of 10:30 June 30th. Doesn't matter what time it is or what day it is in US.
Smart move. Why be a slave to the calendar? If you're ready, then let's roll.
BUMP!
MSNBC's expert, Dr. Walid Phares, Terrorism Expert, says the terrorists (he calls them insurgents), will be very angry they were outsmarted, they will retaliate.
This ceremony pulled off without a hitch, this turn-over of power is huge news. My husband said he saw Bush shaking hands with Blair as it happened. A great coup for the good guys!
HAHAH in replay, I'm seeing Bush look at his watch, smile real big, shake hands with Blair, and then both Blair and Bush bursting into huge smiles, then smiling, smugly at the cameras. So cute!!! !!! You go boys!!!
CNN's Anderson Cooper said Christiane Amanpour thought she was going to conduct an interview, and instead was there to witness the "power transfer".
"This was an attempt to rob the insurgents of a chance to use their bombs against the new government, said MSNBC expert LTC Rick Francona. He said they were told it would happen early, but not this early. (do I believe him on that?)
Thanks for the correct time reading, appreciate it very much.
I still want to know what time it is in Indiana.
That's always tricky. But try Google.
I think it is a spectacular stroke of genius the Dan Rathers of the world were not in attendance to loathe in their negative bile.
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