Analysis: Why the early handover?
 |  Coalition Administrator Paul Bremer with an unidentified Shiite cleric Sunday. |
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 The coalition has transferred power to the Iraqi interim government.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Analysts, observers and politicians say there are a number of reasons why the U.S.-led coalition has handed over power 48 hours early to the Iraqi interim government following a 14-month occupation.
Iraq's interim Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told CNN on Monday the early transfer of power was key to proving to the Iraqi people and to the world that "we are in charge."
"We are ready to take up our responsibility even before June 30," he said.
The early transfer had been under discussion between Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and U.S. officials for at least a week, a senior administration official told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity.
In practice, the transfer of authority has already happened, with the U.S. administration already handing over power to Iraqi ministries, CNN's Christiane Amoupour said from Baghdad.
Last Thursday, the U.S.-led coalition transferred the final 11 of the 26 government ministries to full Iraqi control, meaning Iraqis were already handling the day-to-day operations of the interim administration.
What's more, the handover should make it easier for ministers meeting at a NATO summit Monday to provide assistance to an Iraqi government, rather than a U.S.-led occupation, analysts say.
"They want to be able to present themselves at the NATO summit ... as an independent Iraq government making a claim on the NATO resources for training and other assistance for security," Prof. Robert Springborg, Director of the Middle East Institute School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, told CNN.
U.S. officials accompanying President George W. Bush at the summit have welcomed the early transfer, and said the turnover would strengthen the new government's hand in dealing with rampant violence and the threat of terrorism.
In their first summit since the alliance was wracked by bitter divisions over the Iraq war, the 26 leaders were set to agree on a request from Allawi for aid in rebuilding Iraq's armed forces.
The number of NATO instructors to be deployed and the timing of the operation were unclear, but the move will give NATO a military presence on the ground in Iraq for the first time.
Wrong-footing insurgents
But there can be no doubt that fear of insurgent attacks is a key factor behind the early handover, analysts say.
The surprise move could be aimed at wrong-footing insurgents who have been trying to create as much chaos as possible for the new interim government.
American officials have said the early handover would deprive insurgents of a set date to focus on.
Militants have increased their attacks in recent weeks, targeting police stations around the country, kidnapping foreign nationals and most recently attacking political offices of various Iraqi parties.
One senior U.S. official told AP that getting the power early strengthened Allawi's ability to deal with the terrorist threat.
"He believes this will help him strongly by taking away one of the aspirations, the hopes of the terrorists" to prevent an Iraqi government from taking power," the official said.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
