President Ghazo al-Yawar and prime minister Iyad Allawi have been sworn in to their positions in the new Iraqi government following today’s surprise decision to go ahead with the early transfer of power.
The handover, after 14 months of occupation from the US-led coalition, was supposed to happen on June 30.
Mr Allawi, speaking after taking the oath, warned insurgents they faced defeat. “I warn the forces of terror once again,” he said. “We will not forget who stood with us and against us in this crisis.”
Paul Bremer, head of the coalition provisional authority, presented the legal documents to Mr Allawi at a small ceremony earlier in Baghdad before leaving the country two hours later.
He 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”.
The fact that the transaction went smoothly and two days earlier than planned is really fantastic news not only for Iraq, but all of us.
Great job, Mr. President, PM Blair, the new leaders of Iraq and other’s who supported this cause from day one. Yes, there is still much to be done, but this is a huge step in the right direction.
And just in case anyone was wondering what those loud thuds are that we keep hearing – - that would be Kerry, Kennedy, Gore, Nader and others bumping into walls as they try to figure out how they can get a congressional hearing together to investigate why the transfer went two days before planned and now all their transfer propaganda is going to go to waste.
Gotta love the early handoff. There are probabally a lot of reasons adn the timing was great. I love this part the best….
“And just in case anyone was wondering what those loud thuds are that we keep hearing – - that would be Kerry, Kennedy, Gore, Nader and others bumping into walls as they try to figure out how they can get a congressional hearing together to investigate why the transfer went two days before planned and now all their transfer propaganda is going to go to waste.”
Thats just too rich.