Handover Advanced but Problems Remain

The unexpected early handover of sovereignty in Iraq may be a public relations coup for the US and the UK, but realities on the ground indicate that the road ahead is not easy. Although members of the new Iraqi government are claiming they are "ready", says this BBC article, they are in fact ill-prepared to deal with the challenges of government and the security threats that continue to plague the country. Shortages of electricity, ineffective military units, and lingering questions about the legitimacy of a hand-picked, appointed government won't be easily fixed by the official handover. Nonetheless, the British and Americans who led the Coalition into the Iraq War are optimistic. "The new interim government is clearly not an American puppet," said Sir Jeremy Greenstock, formerly the senior British representative to the Coalition Authority. "I see the Iraqi people giving their new leaders the benefit of the doubt so long as they can offer competent administration. In the end, the outcome depends on the capability of Iraqis to drive through this ugly stage and survive it." – YaleGlobal