- Title: IRAQ: U.S. FORMALLY HANDS IRAQ SELF-RULE TWO DAYS EARLY.
- Date: 29th June 2004
- Summary: (W3) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. GV: U.S. SOLDIER COLLECTING RAZOR WIRE PLACED NEAR AL-FIRDAOS SQUARE IN BAGHDAD, SITE WHERE SADDAM HUSSEIN STATUE PULLED DOWN ON APRIL 9, 2003 0.07 2. MV/GV/PAN: U.S SOLDIERS REMOVING RAZOR WIRE BARRICADES; U.S. SOLDIERS COLLECTING BARBED-WIRE BARRICADE; SLV FORK-LIFT TRUCK CARRYING RAZOR WIRE DRIVING AWAY (3 SHOTS) 0.30 (U3) SADR CITY, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 3. GV/MV: STREET IN SADR CITY; MILITIAMEN OF MEHDI ARMY BRANDISHING WEAPONS; MILITIAMEN OF MEHDI ARMY HOLDING UP WEAPONS AND RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenade) LAUNCHERS AND PICTURES CROWD CHANTING FOR SADR (3 SHOTS) 0.57 (W6) FALLUJA, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004)(REUTERS) 4. GV/LV: IRAQI POLICEMEN IN FALLUJA STREET; FALLUJA CITY (2 SHOTS) 1.08 (U4) BASRA, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 5. GV/MV: IRAQI SOLDER SALUTING BRITISH OFFICER WHO HANDS SWORD OVER TO IRAQI SOLDIER; IRAQI SOLDIERS (4 SHOTS) 1.29 6. MV: SENIOR IRAQI OFFICIAL PINNING MEDAL ON IRAQI SOLDIER 1.32 (EU) BAQUBA, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 7. MV/PAN: IRAQI FLAG BEING BROUGHT INTO HANDOVER CEREMONY IN MILITARY BASE 1.46 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) COLONEL PITTARD, SAYING "Here, in the official capital of Diala, Baquba, in a building known as 'Blue Dome", we officially transfer the power to the governor." 2.49 9. MV: TROOPS CHEERING AND CLAPPING, FLAG BEING HANDED OVER TO IRAQI 3.08 10. MV/PAN: CEREMONY AND CHEERING 3.24 (W6) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 11. GV/MV: PEOPLE CELEBRATING IN STREET; PEOPLE DANCING AND SINGING; PEOPLE DISTRIBUTING SWEETS; PEOPLE WAVING IRAQI FLAG AS SUN GOES DOWN (8 SHOTS) 3.58 (W7) BAGHDAD, IRAQ (JUNE 28, 2004) (REUTERS) 12. LV/GV: VARIOUS OF BAGHDAD SUNSET (3 SHOTS) 4.28 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 14th July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BAGHDAD, FALLUJA, SADR CITY, BAQUBA AND BASRA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVABCLYU074NIFK7FIAZ73OP9FWX
- Story Text: U.S. formally hands Iraq self-rule two days early.
Iraqis have mixed feelings following a a brief
ceremony which took place on Monday (June 28, 2004) handing over
sovereignty to the new Iraqi interim government.
The first signs of the handover emerged as U.S.
soldiers removed barbed-wire barricades and concrete slabs
from a number of Baghdad streets, including Firdous Square
in central Baghdad, where the statue of Saddam Hussein was
pulled down on April 9, 2003.
They also collected razor wire placed near
heavily-fortified hotels in the Iraqi capital, where they
manned checkpoints.
Baghdad residents said that the new government's
priority should be to crackdown on insurgents who have
mounted a series of bloody attacks this month aimed at
disrupting the handover.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said in Istanbul the
handover was brought forward to try to avert future
attacks.
Although the interim government led by Prime Minister
Iyad Allawi will have "full sovereignty", according to a
U.N. Security Council resolution on the handover earlier
this month, there are important constraints on its powers.
The new government 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.
But some Iraqis expressed optimism in the transfer of
power despite its limitations.
The teeming Shi'ite slum of Sadr City in Baghdad is a
stronghold of young radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtafda
al-Sadr, a harsh critic of both the U.S.-led administration
and the Iraqi interim government, but he said recently that
he would cooperate with the interim government.
And residents have agreed to cooperate if this leads to
the end of the occupation by U.S. forces.
Residents of the western city of Falluja, scene of some
fierce insurgent clashes with American troops, said the new
Iraqi government should serve the interests of the Iraqi
people and should work for a speedy withdrawal of the
occupying forces.
Others said that the government would face resistance
from all the people if it failed to answer the people's
interests.
Life was normal in the streets of the city and Iraqi
policemen were in streets organising traffic.
British troops handed over the port at the naval base
in Basra on Monday. In a surprise ceremony that was over
before it was announced and before ordinary Iraqis were
aware of it, Iraq's outgoing U.S. governor, Paul Bremer,
gave a letter to Iraqi officials sealing the formal
transfer of powers. Within hours, Bremer flew out of the
country.
U.S. and British officials say the handover is a key
step on the path to democracy in Iraq, but one of the
government's first actions as a sovereign power is expected
to be the imposition of emergency laws, including curfews,
to crack down on guerrillas. Earlier in Basra, a British
soldier was killed in a roadside-bomb explosion.
A ceremony was held in a military base in the city of
Baquba, 60 km (40 miles) northwest of Baghdad to handover
the base to Iraqi forces in the area.
"Here, in the official capital of Diala, Baquba, in a
building known as 'Blue Dome', we officially transfer the
power to the governor" said General Pittard, in charge of
the Baquba area.
Iraqi soldiers clapped and cheered as others waved the
Iraqi flag.
Naming security as his number one priority, interim
Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has pledged to restructure
his forces to crush insurgents mounting attacks ranging
from suicide car bombings to coordinated raids on police
stations.
But many of the country's roughly 84,000 police
officers, 40,000 national guards and 3,000 soldiers in a
new army have only basic training and equipment.
U.S. and British officials say the handover is a key
step on the path to democracy in Iraq, but one of the
government's first actions as a sovereign power is expected
to be the imposition of emergency laws, including curfews,
to crack down on guerrillas.
U.S. officials attending the NATO summit admitted that
thwarting a surge in attacks believed to be planned for the
formal Wednesday (June 30) handover date was a factor in
the decision to advance it to Monday, which they said
Allawi had requested.
In Baghdad, a small crowd celebrated the formal end 14
months of occupation. People sang and cheered in the
streets, while others distributed sweets to celebrate the
transfer which came as a surprise to ordinary Iraqis for
taking place two days earlier than expected.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None