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America has succeeded in Iraq, says Mark Steyn, but the war on terror can still be lost at home New Hampshire ‘Let freedom reign!’ scribbled President Bush in the corner of the briefest of hand-written notes from his national security adviser: ‘Mr President, ‘Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from Bremer at 10.26 a.m. Iraq time — Condi.’ And that was it. No ostrich feathers, no Princess Alexandra, no tea on the lawn at Government House. After 15 months of running Iraq, the Americans are out. Sure, they’ve got a lot of troops there, but they’ve got a lot of...

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I understand that the media has to (loves to) report on glow stick sodomy in Abu Ghraib, but shouldn't the media also tell us stories like this: The hall was busy and everyone was chatting and laughing loud. They had Al-Jazeera on (something I never managed to convince them to stop doing). Then suddenly Mr. Bremer appeared on TV reading his last speech before he left Iraq. I approached the TV to listen carefully to the speech, as I expected it to be difficult in the midst of all that noise. To my surprise everyone stopped what they were doing...

WASHINGTON (AP) - The new government of Iraq faces daunting obstacles in restoring security and tranquility, but Prime Minister Iyad Illawi is "a tough guy" and can do the job, the former U.S. administrator said Wednesday. Standing on the North Lawn of the White House for appearances on several morning network news shows, L. Paul Bremer III voiced confidence that the new Iraqi government will surmount violence and stabilize conditions on the ground. "The most important priority of this new government is, of course, security," he said on CBS's "The Early Show." "They must get security down to the level...

<p>ISTANBUL -- President Bush yesterday lauded the transfer of sovereignty to a new Iraqi government as a "proud moral achievement" for the United States and its allies and pledged America's support in building a democracy and fighting terrorists bent on destroying the new government "no matter how tough it gets."</p>

<p>Iraqis took another step toward freedom yesterday, when Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and his colleagues each placed a hand on the Koran and promised to serve the people of Iraq. The ceremony came two days before the scheduled June 30 deadline and almost 15 months after the fall of longtime dictator Saddam Hussein. What happens over the course of the next six months will reveal whether U.S. efforts were successful. Ambassador John Negroponte will indeed have his hands full leading up to the proposed Iraqi elections in January.</p>

Let's Hear It for the Handover Finally, Bush does something right in Iraq. By Fred Kaplan Posted Monday, June 28, 2004, at 3:22 PM PT Meet the new boss It was a smart move to transfer sovereignty to Iraq today, two days ahead of schedule. If the Bush administration keeps doing things this smart over the next several months, the transition to self-rule might go more smoothly than anyone has had reason to suspect. The change of schedule didn't come as a complete surprise. Reporters in Baghdad were informed over the weekend that the handover would be moved up from...

Iraq's interim government has been sworn in after the surprise handover of power from the US-led coalition. The transfer, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, took place in a closed ceremony in Baghdad this morning. The interim government said the transfer had been brought forward to avert attacks by militants opposed to the US-led occupation and the new Iraqi leadership. Hours before the swearing in outgoing US administrator Paul Bremer handed a letter of empowerment to Iraqi officials including the President Ghazi Yawar, and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Although the new government will have "full sovereignty", according to a U.N....

KUWAIT today announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Iraq, which had been severed since Saddam Hussein's forces invaded in 1990. Following the transfer of sovereignty to an Iraqi government yesterday "the state of Kuwait announces the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with its Arab republic sister", a Kuwaiti foreign affairs spokesman said. Kuwait will send an ambassador to Baghdad at a later date, the spokesman added. The move showed Kuwait's desire "to cooperate and coordinate (with Iraq) in the interests of the two fraternal countries and their peoples and to consolidate the foundations of security and stability in the...

<p>The return of self-rule to Iraq sets in motion a number of benchmarks leading up to elections this January, but for the near term, the U.S. military will act autonomously until local forces are up to the counterterrorism job.</p> <p>Most officials agree that subduing the rampant violence by foreign terrorists and Ba'athist holdouts is new Prime Minster Iyad Allawi's chief goal. He has promised a crackdown on insurgents. But at the same time, he has inherited a security force of about 250,000 that is ill-trained, ill-equipped and poorly motivated.</p>

[snip]"Mr. President, Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from [U.S.-led Coalition chief L. Paul] Bremer at 10:26 a.m. Iraq time. — Condi," Rice's note read. Bush yanked out a black pen and wrote back, "Let freedom reign!" —and then cupped his hand around his mouth to share the good news with Blair, his closest ally and the leader who, like Bush, risked his political future on Iraq. Bush also made it clear he'll support Iraq's new leaders if they take tough measures to crack down on terrorists like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, blamed for a spate of bombs and gruesome beheadings....

ISTANBUL: Iraq's new government wants to bring back more former members of Saddam Hussein's security forces to help stabilise the country, US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice says. Rice signalled on Sunday the United States would allow the interim government's plans to proceed to try to rectify what Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has called Washington's big mistake in disbanding Saddam's army. "The Iraqis believe that there are some people who have security training from the army and who can be brought back. Some have already been brought back," Rice said. "They are as concerned as everybody that people with...

PRESIDENT BUSH: Good afternoon. Earlier today, 15 months after the liberation of Iraq, and two days ahead of schedule, the world witnessed the arrival of a free and sovereign Iraqi government. Iraqi officials informed us that they are ready to assume power, and Prime Minister Allawi believes that making this transition now is best for his country. After decades of brutal rule by a terror regime, the Iraqi people have their country back. This is a day of great hope for Iraqis, and a day that terrorist enemies hoped never to see. The terrorists are doing all they can to...

Fifteen months after the invasion Iraqi sovereignty has been restored Working partners: President Bush with Tony Blair before a Nato summit session in Istanbul yesterday. Photo: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images TONY BLAIR and George Bush declared yesterday that the early handover of Iraqi sovereignty is proof they have kept their word to liberate Iraq, returning it to its people. They told a joint press conference at the Nato summit in Turkey that the transfer of sovereignty was a “moral” achievement that transcended American and British values, representing a triumph for humanity. Last night Washington released private written exchanges between President Bush...

Iraqi Air Force Gets First Aircraft Aviation Week & Space Technology 06/28/2004, page 11 Edited by Patricia J. Parmalee Iraqi Air Force The U.S. Army has scrapped a planned acquisition of eight fixed-wing surveillance airplanes for Iraq because none of the bidders could meet requirements. However, the U.S. Central Command instead has moved forward and purchased two Australian-built SB7L-360 Seeker reconnaissance aircraft for the Iraqi air force with the goal of buying 14 more. The first are set for delivery in mid-July to the Basra airport. The Iraqi air force currently numbers about 150 people and should reach 500 by...

GO IRAQ GO.... IRAQ THE MODEL Monday, June 28, 2004 It’s a great day for all the freedom lovers. No doubt is left now that we’re winning while the forces of darkness and evil are losing a key round in this war. With great delight we received th news. this is the right and important step to build the free Iraq and It’s a painful strike for terrorism and its allies. They really missed this surprising and brilliant timing. And I guess they’re deeply shocked right now. their luck couldn’t help them to scar this glorious day with a crime...

THAT WHICH HAS BENEFIT FOR PEOPLE The MESOPOTAMIAN Monday, June 28, 2004 ÝÇãÇ ÇáÒÈÏ ÝíÐåÈ ÌÝÇÁ æÇãÇ ãÇíäÝÚ ÇáäÇÓ ÝíãßË Ýí ÇáÇÑÖ This is a famous Arabic verse of divine Wisdom; the eloquence and resonance of the sentence cannot be translated but the meaning is as follows: “As for the scum, it will go (disappear) in vain (uselessly); and as for that which has benefit for people, it will stay in the earth.” One man of the people is asked by an MBC (An Arab network) reporter what he thinks about the new government. He answers very simply in that...

BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 28 — In a surprise, secret ceremony that was hastily convened to decrease the chances of more violence, United States officials today handed over sovereignty to Iraqi leaders, formally ending the American occupation two days earlier than scheduled. In a tightly guarded room behind high walls, L. Paul Bremer III, the top United States administrator, presented a formal letter recognizing Iraq's sovereignty to Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Just 30 or so people were present for what Dr. Allawi described as the "historic" handover. A few hours later, Mr. Bremer flew off on a military plane, leaving...

Jacques Chirac, the French president, on Monday held out against Nato playing any role in Iraq (news - web sites), in a move that could tear apart a modest, if vague, agreement forged by the 26-member alliance to train the Iraqi security forces. In a statement that made no reference to the early handover of sovereignty to the interim government, Nato leaders said they had decided to offer assistance "to the government of Iraq with the training of its security forces. We encourage nations to contribute to the training". The statement did not say whether the training could take place...