On June 28 sovereignty of Iraq was handed over from the Coalition authorities to an Iraqi interim government, two days before the scheduled handover. But not a lot is clear regarding the hand over of power, and many questions remain unanswered. This editorial aims to answer some key questions regarding the transfer of authority in Iraq and to take a closer look at key issues. What does the handover mean? The Coalition Provisional Authority led by Paul Bremer is no longer in charge of Iraq. All power has been handed to the new interim government. The head of this government is Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, a Shiite Muslim and a former political exile during the reign of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The government also has a President, Ghazi Yawer, though his role is primarily ceremonial Yawer is a Sunni Muslim and he is aided by two deputies, one a Shiite Muslim and the other of Kurdish ethnicity. During the years of Saddam’s rule, Shiite Muslims, who make up the majority of Iraqis, were oppressed by the dictator, just as the Kurdish people were. All American troops will remain in Iraq indefinitely for security reason. The troops will work alongside the interim government to fight the insurgencies that have plagued the country since Saddam’s regime was toppled. As for Iraq’s security forces, NATO has agreed to Allawi’s request to train the Iraqi security forces so that they will be able to assist American and British troops in stabilizing the tense situation in Iraq. While Allawi’s government is in charge of daily affairs in Iraq, many of the legal orders set by Bremer will remain in effect. Any effort to overturn Bremer’s laws will require a majority approval from Allawi’s government and the president of the interim government. The most important goals for Allawi’s government in the coming months will be to stabilize and rid the country of its turmoil and organize elections for a National Assembly by the end of January 2005. If that goes smoothly, a transitional government will be put in place of the interim government with the task of creating a new constitution by mid-2005. If the constitution is approved, that will lead the way for a general-election at the end of 2005. What is next for Iraq? The interim government will now have to prove it is capable of handling the job given to them. Their biggest concern is security. Waves of terrorist attacks and bombings have claimed hundreds of lives in the last month. In the last two months, foreign civilians have been kidnapped and held for ransom by terrorist; at this time, a Marine and a Pakistani driver have been kidnapped in two separate incidents. Both are being held for ransom and their terrorist captors have threatened to execute them unless their demands are met. Allawi’s political career will depend heavily on how he handles situations like this. He has already declared a tough stance on terrorism. But it is not his stance that matters so much as to the results he needs to produce. One reason the hand over was pushed forward may have been fear that the insurgents were planning attacks to disrupt any hopes of a smooth transition on the original date. The transfer of power between Bremer and Allawi itself took place in a secret location for safety reasons. If that isn’t enough to indicate the uphill task facing the interim government, Allawi himself will have to be extremely cautious for his personal safety. Wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who is believed to be responsible for recent terrorist attacks in Iraq, issued a death threat to Allawi last week through Qatar -based Arab news network Al-Jazeera. News organizations like CNN and the BBC have recently conducted surveys in Iraq and have found that most Iraqis are skeptical about the new interim government and its ability to bring peace to Iraq. There is concern that the handover will do little to stop the insurgent attacks. But the interim government must succeed if it hopes to conduct elections for a National Assembly by the end of January 2005. Security must also be established quickly to continue the rebuilding process of Iraq. Furthermore, the new interim government will have to bring all of Iraq’s various religious and ethnic groups together and, even more difficult, satisfy all of them. Only then will the interim government be seen as a legitimate governing body through the eyes of all Iraqi people. The real challenges for Iraq have only now begun as all eyes will be on Allawi and his government. The future of the Iraqi nation and stability in the Middle East will depend on what he can do in the next six months.
