The June 30th Handover — Or Lack Thereof

The handover of power in Iraq looms before us, yet for all intensive purposes the country still seems ill-prepared. Today’s headlines alone paint a stark picture of Iraq: police stations raided, death threats directed at the Iraqi Prime Minister. US prison practices are newly questioned each day and the violence continues along at an unabated pace. Yet Bush has all along stood by the June 30th handover of power, even in the face of intense opposition from many who say it is too early.

But there are many others who call this ‘transfer of power’ hollow – a meaningless, politicized event that will not result in much change.

On June 30th, power will officially be turned over to an interim Iraqi government. The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) headed by Paul Bremer, will cease to exist, and the occupation will formerly end. This interim government will have Iyad Allawi as Prime Minister, in addition to a president and two deputies.

To call this a handover of power, however, would be overdoing it. This interim government was handpicked by the CPA. And during it’s reign, the interim government will not have the authority to add or modify any basic law. Although they will technically be able to request that foreign American and British troops withdraw, there is no real possibility of this happening. There was no democratic vote, no mandate from the people of Iraq.

Thus, at the base of the matter, you have a new group of people, selected by foreigners and former exiles, who aren’t accountable to the Iraqi people, and who hold no real sovereignty. This is a handover in name only.The leaders are still selected and not elected.

Iraq is expected to have their own vote at the end of 2005. Until this time, this tool of a government will be in power, and foreign troops will continue to play a prominent role in Iraq. The death count of US troops in the first three weeks of April 2004 matched the count from the beginning of the war (Mar. ’03) to the end of “major combat” operations, as dictated by Bush six weeks after the initial invasion. The violence and bloodshed a year from now – a year and a half from now – is unimaginable at this point in time.

This handover of power will change nothing, because those who fight against western infidels will still fight; because those who fight against foreign invaders will still fight; because those who march and fight for freedom and democracy – will still fight.

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This article and more can be found at The Progressive Voice