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06-28-2004, 07:29 AM
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#1 (permalink) |
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Banned
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Iraq Sovereignity - 2 Days Early
I love it. The coalition turned over sovereignity to Iraq today, two days prior to the deadline.
This puts a bit of a damper on the terrorists' inevitable plans to disrupt the ceremony. Surprise ceremony comes two days early Members of Iraq's interim government took an oath of office Monday just hours after the United States returned the nation's sovereignty, two days ahead of schedule. Led by Iraq's interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, each member of the new government placed a hand on the Koran and promised to serve with sincerity and impartiality. Iraqi flags lined the wall behind them. Allawi called national unity "a sacred duty" and called for the international community, including Arab nations, "to work together to handle problems in the area in a civilized manner." "We will not forget who stood by and against us," Allawi said at the swearing in ceremony, a clear warning to insurgents trying to topple the government. But, he said, "the transformation from dictatorship to civil society" is "a major task" likely to take many years. (Full story) At a NATO summit in Turkey on Monday, President Bush said it was a day of "great hope for Iraqis." "After decades of brutal rule by a terror regime, the Iraqi people have their country back," Bush said. The handover "begins a new phase in Iraq's progress toward full democracy." The official handover ceremony took place earlier in the day. At 10:26 a.m. (2:26 a.m. ET), Paul Bremer, calling himself the "ex-administrator" of the Coalition Provisional Authority, gave the leather-bound transfer document to Allawi. The power transfer came two days before the June 30 deadline previously announced by the U.S.-led coalition. Some Iraqis dismissed the event as meaningless as long as U.S. troops occupy the nation and some said the handover was a step in the right direction. (Full story) The preparations for the possibility of an early transfer were started a week ago, according to a senior U.S. official. (Full story) The low-key transfer 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. 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. British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the early handover, saying it was an attempt to "seize the initiative" over insurgents, his spokesman said. "We obviously welcome it because it's their decision and it's them taking control," the spokesman said. "What's important now is that the Iraqi people can see Iraqi leaders taking charge in Baghdad." In Baghdad prior to his departure, Bremer -- dressed in a business suit but wearing tan combat boots -- 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. Within two hours, he was out of the country. Meanwhile, the handover appeared to advance the fate of captured Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Iraqi authorities will take custody of Saddam and 11 senior members of his regime "over the next few days," according to a statement issued Monday by Salem Chalabi, executive director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal. Before Chalabi's announcement, a senior White House official told reporters in Istanbul, Turkey, that the transfer of Saddam and the others had been "the intent from the outset," but he could not "speak to specific days or hours of when that transfer will happen." 'Every day matters' Asked by reporters attending the handover ceremony about why the event 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 for the NATO summit. Zebari told reporters in Istanbul that 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 20, 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. |
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06-28-2004, 07:48 AM
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#2 (permalink) |
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WoW or Class...
Location: UWW
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__________________
One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!" |
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06-28-2004, 08:28 AM
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#5 (permalink) |
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Cracking the Whip
Location: Sexymama's arms...
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Dup, locked.
__________________
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." – C. S. Lewis The ONLY sponsors we have are YOU! Please Donate! |
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