Bremer exits early from Iraq
A signature, a kiss and a tear
By Bill Schneider
CNN Political unit
 |  Before flying out of Iraq, former coalition civil administrator Paul Bremer bids farewell to Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. |
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 Iraqis greeted the handover with cautious optimism.
 Prime Minister Ayad Allawi takes his oath of office.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Remember last Thanksgiving, when President Bush faked out the press with his surprise visit to Baghdad?
Well, this week, the Bush administration did it again. But the political Play of the Week doesn't go to the guy who showed up. It goes to the guy who left: Paul Bremer, the former civil administrator in Iraq.
The early handover of power to Iraq was the great fake out.
"Earlier today, 15 months after the liberation of Iraq and two days ahead of schedule, the world witnessed the arrival of a free and sovereign Iraqi government," Bush announced Monday.
Who ever heard of a government project getting done ahead of schedule? Who was running that show?
It was Bremer.
"I leave Iraq gladdened by what has been accomplished and confident your future is full of hope," Bremer said upon his departure from the region.
Why did it happen two days ahead of schedule?
"There was a security consideration," said Adam Ereli, deputy spokesman for the State Department. "If they can take over and they can move to intercept and otherwise disrupt those who are bent on attacking the transfer of sovereignty, then that's one more blow against the terrorists."
But remember, occupied Iraq was a dictatorship -- not by deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, but by Bremer.
At least, that's what U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said: "Bremer is the dictator of Iraq. He had the money. He has the signature. Nothing happens without his agreement in this country."
Bremer moved up the transition date to make a point -- that Iraq was under control.
Some observers got exactly the opposite message.
A reporter posed the following question as Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke Monday of the handover.
"The impression you've created today that you couldn't hand over the burden of Iraq quickly enough and the way that it was done today is proof, a symbol if you like, of a shambles?"
Cut and run? Or stay and fight?
Blair replied," We're not walking out of this at all. We stay and support them."
The early transition ushered in a week of good news from Iraq, culminating in Saddam's first day in court, where he heard criminal charges lodged against him.
Bremer made his point: "Iraq is a better place, absolutely worth it."
A swift signature, a kiss, a tear and Bremer was out of there, taking with him the political Play of the Week.
Bremer left something in Iraq -- a long list of edicts and appointments aimed at sustaining U.S. influence over the new regime, such as a requirement that one out of three candidates on a party's election slate must be a woman.
But the new Iraqi government is supposed to be sovereign. We'll see how many of those orders are disregarded.
