White House Says Iraq Sovereignty Could Be Limited

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, April 22 — The Bush administration's plans for a new caretaker government in Iraq would place severe limits on its sovereignty, including only partial command over its armed forces and no authority to enact new laws, administration officials said Thursday.

These restrictions to the plan negotiated with Lakhdar Brahimi, the special United Nations envoy, were presented in detail for the first time by top administration officials at Congressional hearings this week, culminating in long and intense questioning on Thursday at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's hearing on the goal of returning Iraq to self-rule on June 30.

Only 10 weeks from the scheduled transfer of sovereignty, the administration is still not sure exactly who will govern in Baghdad, or precisely how they will be selected. A week ago, President Bush agreed to a recommendation by Mr. Brahimi to dismantle the existing Iraqi Governing Council, which was handpicked by the United States, and to replace it with a caretaker government whose makeup is to be decided next month.

That government would stay in power until elections could be held, beginning next year.

The administration's plans seem likely to face objections on several fronts. Several European and United Nations diplomats have said in interviews that they do not think the United Nations will approve a Security Council resolution sought by Washington that handcuffs the new Iraq government in its authority over its own armed forces, let alone foreign forces on its soil.

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/04/23/politics/23DIPL.html?hp

[brokensymmetry]

1. Imagine my surprise!

Their's too, I'll bet!

The tragedy is, the current casualty numbers will continue for a long time. What a waste.

[saigon68]

38. IRAQ-NAM

And the beat goes on. The SHEEP who love their Christian leaders, Cheney, Asscrap et al, believe Democracy is achieved see CNN/USA Today polls

Disgusting.

[keithyboy]

44. The Iraqis know and understand this. That's why they keep fighting us.

Only our stupid populace doesn't understand what is going on. They have all had Limbaugh-otomies.

[alcuno]

2. Sistani said a couple of months ago that he expected the US forces to

leave after June 30. The story got no airtime but we may be hearing from him again.

[July]

34. And THIS is why Spain and others are leaving Iraq.

They're not willing to support this charade.

[dusty64]

35. Oh we will

absolutely be hearing from him again. This is going to make NO one happy.

[PeteC]

3. partial sovereignty?

what the hell is partial sovereignty?


sovereignty:
Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state.
Royal rank, authority, or power.
Complete independence and self-government.
A territory existing as an independent state.

What should it be called?

[Veggie Meathead]

9. It is like being slightly pregnant.

[Must_B_Free]

17. its a way for Bush to pretend he held his commitment

without actually doing so.

"Let's not and say we did"

[TahitiNut]

42. That's like China saying Tibet has "limited sovereignty".

Typical abuse of language by an occupying military force.

[Mokito]

46. What should it be called?

somevereignty ?

[KissMyAsscroft]

4. Wow..shocked I tell ya!

next thing you know, they will be teling us that they are planning to pump oil into Israel or something! LOL!

What was that? Oh...

[bluestateguy]

5. i.e. circa 1950's Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania

That's about how much sovereignty they will have.

[bluestateguy]

6. delete

delete

[loftycity]

7. Iraqafornia..new state!

[unblock]

8. sino -- sovereignty in name only

[Jacobin]

10. Ya think?????

Just because we'll have 150,000 troops stationed there and appoint their government ourselves?

Hard to imagine.

[Gloria]

11. See related article I just posted in the new WMW....

Bush's 'Transit of Power' Gambit----Asia Times Online...

[Veggie Meathead]

12. Get ready for the coronation of the bank robber,

Ahmad Chalabi, as the new Shah of Iraq. With his approval,it will be a veritable feast for the pigs at the oil trough in Iraq.

[saigon68]

39. Feast for Pig Halliburton at US public Tax Trough

Feast for all Mercenaries at the public trough for Bilgewater Industries.

[Catt03]

13. This is surreal

If I were not watching this daily, I would never believe it.

[kskiska]

14. Some good stuff in here

Mr. Grossman, however, referred in testimony on Wednesday to what he said would be "limited sovereignty," a phrase he did not repeat on Thursday, apparently because it raised eyebrows among those not expecting the administration to acknowledge that the sovereignty would be less than full-fledged.

(snip)

European and United Nations diplomats said that because the main task of the caretaker government would be to try to secure the support of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the Iraqi Shiite leader whose supporters are unhappy with some of the laws enacted by the Iraqi Governing Council, there may have to be a change in these laws.

Under the basic legal framework pressed by Mr. Bremer, Islam is only one of many foundations of the law. Ayatollah Sistani's supporters want Islam to govern such matters as family law, divorce and women's rights. Mr. Bremer had at one time threatened to veto any such changes, but even some administration officials acknowledge that the idea of telling the new Iraqi government it cannot enact new laws is unrealistic.

[skooooo]

15. no shit???!

:wow:

[leesa]

16. Democracy in action....you may only be a democracy as long as you

give all your resources to US corporations and allow us to kill you whenever we get the urge.

[Tellurian]

18. Iraq is in Foreclosure

Bush couldn't make the payments because he never had a plan.

He is in no position to tell the new landlords what to do.

[Norquist Nemesis]

19. I think we should give them all ballots

and let those millions vote Bush out of office.

[fizzana]

20. Bremer has already passed laws paving the way for foreign

companies to move in and grab most of Iraq's assets. This way Iraq will be powerless to stop this from happening.

Do they really think the Iraqis will fall for this. "Operation Enduring Stupidity" rides on into the sunset.

[Tellurian]

21. Ummmm...

"Do they really think the Iraqis will fall for this."

No, I don't. Bush is puffing up his end because he is dealing from weakness. He should have waited until an offer was on the table.

Now, he is forced to make concessions.

[Karenina]

37. And "*Jerry"

will assuredly bug out of Iraq while the ink is still wet on that little "Status of Forces Agreement" whoever they install will sign. :eyes:

[ljm2002]

22. Surprise, surprise...

...NOT!

"Only 10 weeks from the scheduled transfer of sovereignty, the administration is still not sure exactly who will govern in Baghdad, or precisely how they will be selected."

This is the point that struck me most when Bush spoke about it recently -- "we, er, don't know exactly, er, what entity we will be handing power to, but, er, we'll be handing over power on June 30, yup, we shure will!" (paraphrasing). And it strikes me even more now. 10 weeks from handover, and we don't know who in the h*** we're handing "sovereignty" to?!?!?

Gimme a break! Tell me I'm not dreaming! This is insane!

Of course, if it's all a charade anyway -- which, of course, it is -- then, no need to get worked up about what "entity" we're "handing power to". Doesn't matter, we know who's really running the show.

At least that seems to be the theory. Unfortunately, the Iraqis are not going along with the script right now.

[uhhuh]

29. Sure we do

"10 weeks from handover, and we don't know who in the h*** we're handing "sovereignty" to?!?!?"

We are handing over Iraq to Negroponte.

See? It's different because he wasn't in charge before. So we handed over power.(insert smirk here)

[MSgt213]

23. There is no such thing as limited sovereignty. You either are a sovereign

country or your not.

[wtmusic]

24. Just build a wall and call it 'Gaza Grande'

I saw this coming a mile away

[Jacobin]

36. LOL

Sad but true.

[drscm]

25. Hey, they're goin' to giv'em the keys to the outhouse

in the servant's quarters. You really did not expect them to give them their freedom, didja?

[Trajan]

26. Iraq will be a Satrap ....

An Oil Satrap for harsh, jaded men in Texas .....

[Sadie5]

27. Did anyone really think

for one minute that Bush, Cheney, etc will let go of Iraq? The people will have to pry Iraq from their col, oil stained grubby little fingers. All this talk about allowing the UN in, is just that, election talk.

[JCMach1]

28. Iraqis are not stupid this is as transparent...

as anything...

[unbrand]

30. "Guided sovereignty"

Shrub or Condi will say "Well, you know, Iraq isn't really in a position to have FULL sovereignty, so it must be guided by the U.S. Of course, once elections are held, they will then have FULL sovereignty."

Watch for it....

(edited for clarity)

[fizzana]

31. More of this over the next few months and you'll find that Sistani

and the Ayatollahs will start agreeing that Sadr has a point.

[Disturbed]

32. Limited as W's IQ

I don't think the Iraqis will be dancing in the streets when they
recieve this gift.

[radfringe]

33. another puppet government

not surprised...

considering that there is no plan, no "course", no road map -- this is the best they can come up with in order to give the appearance of making the june 30 deadline

If you don't know where you are going, you won't know where you are when you get there.... -- me 6/2002

[NJmaverick]

41. EXACTLY

bush and cheney are not about to surrender their ill gotten oil to ANYONE!

[Bonhomme Richard]

40. It's all about being able to sign legal contracts.

They can't legally rape the country without the facade of a government.

[sniffa]

43. partiaL democracy for the brownskins

i can't beLieve their ingratitude. :eyes:

[Jim__]

45. It's election year "sovereignty"

There is no such thing as limited sovereignty. Think our ever vigilant media will pick up on this? Where's George Orwell when we need him?

[54anickel]

47. Could we make it anymore difficult for the UN to accomplish anything?

[samsingh]

48. and there it is

shrub believes in democrasy for iraq the way he has protected it at home.

[samsingh]

49. shrub kind of, sort of, believes in democracy

maybe, sometimes

not really.