EDITORIAL: Returning Sovereignty to Iraqis

EDITORIAL: Returning Sovereignty to Iraqis - 2004-05-30. What you are reading is the official opinion of the U.S. government. In Iraq, control of two more ministries, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Environment, has been handed over to Iraqis. This process began several months ago and will culminate on June 30, when full sovereignty will be transferred to a temporary Iraqi government. At that time, the existence of the Coalition Provisional Authority will come to an end and it will be dissolved. President George W. Bush states, 'This is the goal of the coalition. We want a complete and real transfer of sovereignty there so that Iraqi citizens recognize that the fate of their country is now their responsibility. We will be present to help. The coalition will assist in various ways. We will ensure that the money set aside for reconstruction is spent properly. We will continue our efforts to garner support from other countries for a free Iraq and assist in achieving that. We will do what is necessary for the success of the interim government in reaching the stage of holding free elections. After June 30, the next important step for Iraqis will be to write and adopt a new constitution.' President Bush says the U.S. never intended for Iraq to be like that. Our focus is on a free and stable Iraq that lives peacefully with its neighbors. A free Iraq will help change the history of the greater Middle East. A free Iraq will show the rest of the world that when people are given the opportunity to raise their families in peace and security, a stable and hopeful civil society will emerge. The coalition forces and the people of Iraq have common enemies: terrorists, illegal militias, and supporters of Saddam Hussein. But these enemies will fail as democracy takes root in Iraq.