Bremer's Shifty In The Heat

After listening to the Bush administration, including Paul Bremer, consistently espouse the June 30th deadline for turning over sovereignty to the Iraqis, it was strange to read this on the MSNBC website:

"'It is clear that Iraqi forces will not be able, on their own, to deal with these threats by June 30 when an Iraqi government assumes sovereignty,' Bremer said in a statement issued by the U.S. coalition."

Does this mean the beginning of a shift in the administration's previously unshakeable June 30th turnover date? I realize that Bush acknowledged in his press conference that US troops will remain until Iraq is secure, but this is the first that the administration has acknowledged publicly that the Iraqi forces will not be prepared by June 30th. How is it that the Iraqi's will be able to accept a new Iraqi government's authority when they see American soldiers on their street corners? How can you convince a citizen of Iraq that their government is not merely a U.S. puppet if that government has no control over our military? The date seems more and more arbitrary, and lacks any real change in the situation for the Iraqi people. There is no way that we are going to take the face off the occupation simply by ceremonially turning over authority. The only way that we take the face off the occupation is to stop occupying the country.
Of course, it is not a surprise that the Iraqi forces will not be ready to maintain security in Iraq. The surprise is that it has taken this long for someone from the administration to acknowledge it. Now, the question is how long will it take them to admit that the occupation does not end on June 30th? I wouldn't hold your breath for an answer.
Their case for the June 30th deadline is not helped by the fact that no one knows who will be in charge on July 1. Last week on Meet the Press, Tim Russert asked Bremer who exactly would the coalition be turning power over to on June 30th. Bremer's answer was, "Good Question." Even Bush, when asked the same question during his press conference, said that he was waiting for the UN for an answer. What? Now, Bush is going to the UN? Shouldn't that have happened a year ago? It sounds like Bush and his administration have finally started listening to the democrats. Too bad it is over a year late, at the expense of 700 dead Americans and countless dead Iraqi citizens. And the beat goes on.....

Posted by Paul Hina at April 19, 2004 11:27 AM