Shock And More
‘IN the end, everybody can claim to have been proved right.
|
| ‘Let’s bomb France’ |
George Bush and Tony Blair can say they kept their promise and did restore something like independence to the Iraqis.
The cynics can argue that the advertised June 30th handover date was not reached and that anyway America still holds sway.
And the Guardian can look at yesterdays event in which the Iraqi peoples said howdy to their new Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, and wonder what exactly has happened.
The papers man on the spot observed the handover ceremony (held behind high concrete barriers stronger than most medieval fortifications), heard the talk of a brave new era, and then emerged into the blinding daylight to see two US apache helicopter gunships pirouetting low in the furnace sky.
And a sign hanging below a watchtower promising: Keep Away. Deadly Force Authorised. Tactical Military Vehicles ONLY. Do Not Enter Or You Will Be Shot.
The readers also get to see the papers leading photograph of a jump-jawed, proud Blair and a narrow-eyed Bush shaking hands at a job well done.
The trigger for this show of mutual appreciation was a note written by Condoleeza Rice, the US National Security Advisor, and passed to the American President.
It reads: Mr President, Iraq is sovereign. Letter was passed from Bremer at 10:26AM Iraq time – Condi. In black ink he then writes: Let Freedom Reign!
Many will attempt to decode the message, looking for hidden meaning – including Bush, who must still be wondering what sovereign means and why he was told to spell rain in that funny way.
He will at least know that Bremer is Paul Bremer, who was until yesterday the administrator for the Coalition Provisional Authority.
However, if Bush still doubts who or what Bremer is, he can get to meet him soon enough since, the Times says, Bremer wasted little time in clearing the field for Allawi by legging it onto a flight bound for the US with the ink on the new deal barely out of the pen.
And so long as those dancing helicopters keep a close eye on Bremers flight home and just about everything else that moves in Iraq, the Iraqi peoples might just be able to make a success of things…’
Posted: 29th, June 2004 | In: Broadsheets Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
