Al-Ahram's Special Edition: Iraqi Reaction to ''Transfer of Sovereignty''

July 2, 2004 10:18 AM

On Monday, US Civil Administrator Paul Bremer handed over "sovereignty" to the Interim Government of Iraq in a furtive ceremony, two days ahead of schedule. Not the stuff that independence days are made of. How sovereign is Iraq; what kind of future does the ongoing process offer for that shattered nation; and most significantly, how can a genuinely free, democratic and prosperous Iraq be created? Al-Ahram Weekly, in these special pages, invited Iraqi journalists and intellectuals to provide some answers. via Informed Comment
posted by y2karl (10 comments total)

Phew. I was hoping someone would post something about Iraq!
posted by jonson at 10:58 AM on July 2, 2004

A selection of background on the Egyptian Government Weekly Al-Ahram. Not that this isn't an interesting post (seriously).
posted by loquax at 11:06 AM on July 2, 2004

Well, that's what I thought. It's interesting.
posted by y2karl at 11:11 AM on July 2, 2004

loquax, do you actually work for MEMRI or is it only a fetish you indulge in your spare time, like a hobby?

anyway, I'm going to go out on a limb here and surprise you guys: I'm less pessimistic than I was a few weeks ago re the Iraqi gov't chances of (physical and political) survival. it's a new thing, their commitment towards elections may not be as half-assed as us cynics think. it sure is a motley crew of car-bombers, hacks, which would usually be considered very lame.
and yes, I suppose the really smart guys are betting against them, but nonetheless I am willing to give them some credit. a little, at least. for now. who knows
posted by matteo at 11:34 AM on July 2, 2004

y2karl, I wasn't being sarcastic, it's great to see that kind of dialogue taking place in those pages and elsewhere. I thought this article was particularly interesting.

Matteo, it is a fetish of mine. I'm a MEMRIphile. I agree with your optimism too. It seems there are some very positive signs coming out of Iraq lately, what with greater UN and NATO involvement, the resolution being passed and the apparent sincere push for elections. Hopefully the trial helps with the transition too. Then there's Jordan and Yemen wanting to send peacekeepers, which I'm not too sure about, but could be seen positively, I suppose.
posted by loquax at 11:50 AM on July 2, 2004

In other Iraq news, I'm glad the Poles policed up that horrific nerve agent before the terrorists, who tried to buy it, could get it. 17 Grad rockets and two mortar shells filled with chemicals.
Cyclosarin, a very toxic gas, five times stronger than sarin and five times more durable.

http://tinyurl.com/2be3h
posted by kablam at 12:08 PM on July 2, 2004

Not exactly an invasion worthy amount of WMDs, that. Although the invasion did, no doubt, make it more likely that such weapons that exist in Iraq do fall into terrorist hands. /kablam derail
posted by y2karl at 12:18 PM on July 2, 2004

In other Iraq news, reality still makes liars out of Bush and his supporters....

Warheads found in Iraq not chemical weapons, military says

Fri Jul 2, 2:44 PM ET

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Multinational forces in Iraq (news - web sites) said that more than a dozen missile warheads said to contain mustard gas or sarin have tested negative for chemical agents.

Washington had announced the find by Polish troops on Thursday, which was later confirmed by Warsaw.

The head of Poland's military intelligence service also said on Friday that "terrorist" groups were seeking to acquire the weapons.

But the 122mm warheads, found in late June, have been found not to contain the deadly chemicals, a statement from multinational forces here said.

"Those 16 rounds were all empty and tested negative for any type of chemicals," it said.

Two other warheads found in mid-June were found to contain an insignificant amount of sarin gas. The armaments were left over from the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, the statement said.

"Due to the deteriorated state of the rounds and small quantity of remaining agent, these rounds were determined to have limited to no impact if used by insurgents against coalition forces."

Washington justified leading the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 by claiming the country was harbouring weapons of mass destruction. However, none has yet been found.
posted by fold_and_mutilate at 5:43 PM on July 2, 2004

I think I'm starting to like matteo.
posted by David Dark at 7:19 PM on July 2, 2004

Washington justified leading the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 by claiming the country was harbouring weapons of mass destruction. However, none has yet been found

Washington used WMD as one justification, there were others.

none were found?. What about that sarin shell? grant you, that is like finding two stems and a seed in a pot feild but it is something if the pot feild has been moved or destryoed.

Then there's Jordan and Yemen wanting to send peacekeepers, which I'm not too sure about, but could be seen positively, I suppose.

Jordan I could see but Yemen?

but there is more...

Iraq Declines Jordan's Offer to Send Troops

"But Zebari welcomed an offer by Yemen, which does not share a border with Iraq, to send peacekeeping troops provided they were under United Nations or Arab League command."
posted by clavdivs at 9:18 AM on July 3, 2004