The big transfer!

The "big transfer" of power we've all been waiting for has finally arrived. President Bush announced today, "fifteen months after the liberation of Iraq and two days ahead of schedule, the world witnessed the arrival of a full sovereign and free Iraq." (Of course, worries about a big attack to disrupt the turnover had nothing to do with the "two days ahead of schedule.")

Wow! Now, all the violence will end. Wasn't that the deal? Terrorists were trying to prevent Iraqis from being free so they were attacking the Americans? It would get worse on the "run-up" to the turnover and then die down because the Iraqis would be free?

Well, sadly the president says the insurgents are,"going to change their focus now and probably focus on the elections " Oh darn it, so much for that. (He seems to know so much about the insugents and their plans, he ought to tell someone in the pentagon.)

The new Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is ready to start ruling though, you bet, according to the Financial Times: "The handover has prompted speculation that Mr Allawi will use his new powers to declare martial law, curfews, or other measures to deal with the country's security problems." (Let the hand chopping begin!)

Probably to be followed by a gassing of the Kurds and a visit by Donald Rumsfeld talking turkey about an oil pipeline for Bechtel.

Or even better, newly arrived ambassador John Negroponte, who is expected to present formal credentials to Allawi today, could show him how he did the death squad thing in Honduras and what it could do for Iraq.

Strangely, no news from Mr. Bush about the marine being threatened with a beheading by terrorists and no mention either, about the over 800 dead U.S. troops who made this happy day possible. They'll all be coming home now, right? Wrong again!

One happy camper in all this has to be Paul Bremer. I bet he won't be volunteering for anymore neo-con experiments anytime soon. Rummy is happy too; now Iraq is the State Department's problem.

It's time for the greatest defense secretary in history to get back to doing what he does best; testing stress positions on himself and planning new invasions. ("I know where Iran's nukes are, they're north, east, west and south of Tehran somewhat!)I can't wait and neither can they!