Bloody legacy or red-letter day? US hands power back to Iraq

THE United States transferred sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government two days early yesterday in a surprise move that apparently caught insurgents off guard, averting a feared campaign of attacks to sabotage the move toward self-rule.

Legal documents transferring sovereignty were handed over by US governor Paul Bremer to chief justice Midhat al-Mahmood in a small ceremony in the heavily guarded Green Zone. Mr Bremer took charge in Iraq about a year ago.

"This is a historical day ... a day that all Iraqis have been looking forward to," said Iraqi President Ghazi Al-Yawer. "This is a day we are going to take our country back into the international forum."

Militants had conducted a campaign of car bombings, kidnappings and other violence that killed hundreds of Iraqis in recent weeks and was designed to disrupt the transfer, announced by the Bush administration late last year. Initially, the Americans were thought to have planned for about one more year of occupation.

The response in Baghdad was mixed.

"Iraqis are happy inside, but their happiness is marred by fear and melancholy," said artist Qassim al-Sabti. "Of course I feel I'm still occupied. You can't find anywhere in the world people who would accept occupation. America these days, is like death. Nobody can escape from it."

Two hours after the ceremony, Mr Bremer left Iraq on a US Air Force C-130, said Robert Tappan, an official of the former coalition occupation authority. Mr Bremer's destination was not given, but an aide said he was "going home".

US President George W Bush marked the transfer with a whispered comment and a handshake with British Prime Minister Tony Blair, gathered with world leaders around a table at a NATO summit in Istanbul, Turkey.

NATO quickly said it would begin training the Iraqi military, which faces a daunting task in subduing the growing insurgency threatening the country.

Stealing a glance at his watch to make sure the transfer had occurred, Mr Bush put his hand over his mouth to guard his remarks, leaned toward Mr Blair and then reached out to shake hands.

Mr Bush was informed of the handover in a handwritten note passed to him by national security adviser Condoleezza Rice. He scribbled back a note saying "Let freedom reign", according to copies distributed by the White House.

The low-key handover ceremony was over before it was announced and came as a surprise to ordinary Iraqis. Its hurried and secret nature appeared to reflect fears guerrillas could stage a spectacular attack on the scheduled date of June 30.

At a second ceremony in the afternoon this time broadcast live on Iraqi television the interim government was sworn in and Prime Minister Iyad Allawi urged all Iraqis to unite against foreign Islamic militants wreaking havoc in the country.

"I call on our people to stand united to expel the foreign terrorists who are killing our children and destroying our country," Mr Allawi said in comments broadcast around the world.

At the earlier ceremony, which formally transferred sovereignty at 10.26am (6.26am Irish time), President Ghazi Yawar hailed "a historic day, a happy day, a day that all Iraqis have been looking forward to".

Meanwhile, in Istanbul yesterday, police used tear gas to stop hundreds of protesters from approaching the conference centre where NATO leaders met.

The protesters threw firebombs and dozens of police and civilians were injured.

Another 2,000 members of a small communist party later gathered near Istanbul's central Taksim square, about a mile from the summit zone, shouting, "Down with NATO Get out!"