Iraqis now in control, says Blair
The Prime Minister has said that Iraq is now in control of its own future.
His comments follow the surprise early handover of power to the Iraqi Interim Government.
The handover of power was due to take place on June 30th, but in an apparent effort to foil plots of insurgents to disrupt the process it was brought forward to this morning.
US administrator Paul Bremer flew back to the US after exchanging documents in a low key ceremony.
Mr Blair told reporters at the NATO summit in Turkey that: “After this moment, in respect of security Iraqis will be in charge.
“We can support and help with things like training, but it’s important that they are the sovereign power.”
“The will of the whole international community now is that Iraq should be run by Iraqis. We are there to help and support from now on but it is worth pointing out already in Iraq many of the basic services like health and education are being run by Iraqis now.”
Speaking later, Mr Blair said: “Today is obviously an important staging post”.
He said that the handover marks the day when “democracy replaces dictatorship, freedom replaces repression”, in Iraq.
However, Mr Blair acknowledged that the situation would “continue to be dangerous”. He stated the objective of those committing acts of terrorism in the country is not just to destabilise the country, but it is to “try and prevent Iraq from becoming a symbol of hope”.
Mr Blair described Iraq as the “frontline” of the battle against terrorism and stressed that the security threat is “the threat of our times”.
Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy said that a phased withdrawal of UK troops must now begin.
Mr Kennedy said: “It must be hoped that the final transfer of authority to the interim administration will mark a new chapter for Iraq. However, the very fact that the timing of the handover itself has largely been dictated by the dreadful violence of recent days is testimony to the fact that this occupation has not achieved the establishment of internal security which it was supposed to.
“We need to move forward to the establishment of full democracy as soon as possible and a phased withdrawal of British troops”.
Coalition troops are however likely to remain in Iraq for the foreseeable future until the country is genuinely secure.
