Bush, Blair celebrate ‘great’ day for Iraqis

ISTANBUL — President Bush yesterday lauded the transfer of sovereignty to a new Iraqi government as a “proud moral achievement” for the United States and its allies and pledged America’s support in building a democracy and fighting terrorists bent on destroying the new government “no matter how tough it gets.”

“After decades of brutal rule by a terror regime, the Iraqi people have their country back,” said a beaming Mr. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair after emerging from the first day of the NATO summit talks. The two leaders were informed during the meeting and held back their elation until it was over.

“This is a day of great hope for Iraqis and a day that terrorist enemies hoped never to see,” Mr. Bush said. “The terrorists are doing all they can to stop the rise of a free Iraq. But their bombs and attacks have not prevented Iraqi sovereignty, and they will not prevent Iraqi democracy.”

The stunning announcement overshadowed the reason that 26 world leaders have gathered in Istanbul: the two-day NATO summit. The organization agreed yesterday to a vaguely worded statement acceding to new Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s request to train Iraq’s emerging security forces.

The lack of details in the document points to continued disputes over how deeply NATO should embroil itself in Iraq’s protection and reconstruction.

French President Jacques Chirac yesterday reiterated his view that it is not NATO’s role “to intervene in Iraq.” However, 16 other NATO members are contributing troops to secure Iraq, and a strong majority — minus France and Germany, which vehemently opposed the war at every turn — have indicated a willingness to enter the country as Mr. Allawi has asked.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he wouldn’t send any troops to Iraq, but would continue training Iraqi soldiers outside country.

“There will be no military engagement of our own, no German soldiers in Iraq,” Mr. Schroeder said.

The transfer of power, which surprised the world when it occurred two days earlier than planned, puts Iraq “a world away from the tormented, exhausted and isolated country we found last year” under the control of Saddam Hussein, Mr. Bush said.

The president pointed to this historic moment to counter critics, both in the United States and abroad, who have focused more on the abuse of a small number of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison rather than on the liberation of the Iraqi people.

“This day also marks a proud moral achievement for members of our coalition,” he said. “We pledged to end a dangerous regime, to free the oppressed and restore sovereignty. We have kept our word.”

The transfer of sovereignty comes 15 months after Saddam was toppled, a span of time that Mr. Bush viewed as remarkably short.

“Fifteen months ago, Iraq was ruled by a regime that brutalized and tortured its own people, murdered hundreds of thousands, and buried them in mass graves,” Mr. Bush said. “Today, Iraqis live under a government that strives for justice, upholds the rule of law and defends the dignity of every citizen.”

Mr. Allawi now has control of the government, but he hardly has control of the country. Terrorists, led by al Qaeda associate Abu Musab Zarqawi, have killed scores of Iraqi civilians and hundreds of U.S. troops.

The terror campaign has taken a gruesome turn in recent weeks with the kidnapping and beheading at least two foreign civilians at the direction of Zarqawi. His group has custody of three Turkish contractors; while two separate militant groups are holding a U.S. Marine and a Pakistani contractor.

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