The low-key ceremony took place under tight security in Baghdad’s Green Zone. At 10:26 a.m., Baghdad time, (2:26 am, EST) U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer III completed his last official act by handing a blue folder of legal documents to Judge Midhat al-Mahmoud as a handful of the interim government principals looked on. Bremer was aboard a C-130 plane out of the country shortly after the ceremony. By mid-afternoon, judge Mahmoud stood in front of a large red Qu’ran as Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, President Ghazi al-Yawer and the new cabinet were sworn in. Both Allawi and al-Yawer, decked out in a brown robe with gold trim, gave upbeat speeches promising to secure the country and fight the ongoing insurgency. “We will not forget who stood with us and against us in this crisis,” Allawi said.
After the brief proceedings, watched by most of Baghdad’s diplomatic corps, many of the ministers milled in front of the stage, shaking hands and giving each other congratulatory kisses on the cheek. “It’s the difference between a slave and a free man,” Adel Abdul Mehdi, the new finance minister, said with a smile. “Occupation is slavery.”
The secrecy surrounding the handover kept the news from trickling out to many ordinary Iraqis today. Those who did hear about the ceremony had mixed reactions. “The handover of power is only talk,” said Mohammed Abdullah, a 29-year old computer programmer. “Nothing is going to change.” Thair Qasim, a 30-year old dentist, was more optimistic. “I think it’s a positive step,” he said. “Having a president and prime minister is better than the Governing Council.”
Many Iraqis have expressed cautious optimism since the interim government was announced on June 1. But the challenges ahead are clear. In the past week alone, insurgents have killed more than 100 civilians in half a dozen cities across Iraq. And five hostages, one of them a U.S. marine, have been threatened with beheading in the past two days. Cabinet members claimed that Allawi pushed to bump up today’s ceremony to preempt anticipated attacks. Security in Baghdad was tight with policemen staffing dozens of new checkpoints. A ministerial compound in the central portion of the city, which is protected by tall concrete walls, was surrounded by American troops and soldiers of the new Iraqi National Guard.
Members of the new government have hinted that they will announce martial law or some sort of additional security measures in coming weeks. “We haven’t decided yet,” Vice President Ibrahim Jafari said in an interview shortly before the handover ceremonies. “But we will take every measure we see fit, including martial law.” Some observers have expressed skepticism about the ability of Iraqi security forces, poorly trained and ill-equipped, to carry out such sweeping measures. That would leave American troops to back the government’s tough talk.
Apache helicopters buzzed over the former headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority long after the ceremonies were over today. One of the buildings now has a prominent addition: a massive Iraqi flag.
