Iraq begins 'major task' of transformation
Prime minister: 'We will not forget who stood by and against us'
 |  Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, center, greets well-wishers after he was sworn in. |
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 Iraqis greeted the handover with cautious optimism.
 Prime Minister Ayad Allawi takes his oath of office.
 Doubts over the Iraqi government's ability to deal with insurgents.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq has entered its first full day under the leadership of a newly sovereign interim government, beginning a transformation that its prime minister calls "a major task" likely to take many years.
The interim government was sworn in Monday after the United States returned sovereignty to the nation two days ahead of schedule.
Some Iraqis dismissed the event as meaningless as long as U.S. troops occupy the nation, but others said the handover was a step in the right direction. (Full story)
The official handover of sovereignty occurred at 10:26 a.m. (2:26 a.m. ET) Monday, when former coalition civil administrator L. Paul Bremer gave interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi a leather-bound transfer document.
During a swearing-in ceremony shortly after the handover, Allawi and other members of the new government placed their hands on the Koran and promised to serve with sincerity and impartiality. Iraqi flags lined the wall behind them.
Allawi called national unity "a sacred duty" and called for the international community, including Arab nations, "to work together to handle problems in the area in a civilized manner."
"We will not forget who stood by and against us," Allawi said at the swearing-in ceremony, a clear warning to insurgents trying to topple the government.
But, he said, "the transformation from dictatorship to civil society" is "a major task" likely to take many years. (Full story)
Asked by reporters attending the handover ceremony why the event was stepped up by two days, an Iraqi official said Allawi requested it because "every day matters" and Iraqi leaders were ready to crack down on violence.
Chief among the tasks facing the interim government is the continuing violent insurgency. (Full story)
'Great hope for Iraqis'
At a NATO summit Monday in Turkey, President Bush said the handover represented a day of "great hope for Iraqis."
"After decades of brutal rule by a terror regime, the Iraqi people have their country back," Bush said. The handover "begins a new phase in Iraq's progress toward full democracy."
Bush also said the U.S. military "will stay as long as the stability of Iraq requires."
Although the Defense Department "is going to be very heavily involved" -- with close to 140,000 troops in the country -- U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, who arrived in Baghdad on Monday, will be the chief U.S. official in Iraq, State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair welcomed the early handover, saying it was an attempt to "seize the initiative" over insurgents, his spokesman said. "We obviously welcome it because it's their decision and it's them taking control. What's important now is that the Iraqi people can see Iraqi leaders taking charge in Baghdad." (Full story)
At the handover ceremony, Bremer read a letter contained in the transfer document:
"As recognized in U.N. Security Council resolution 1546, the Coalition Provisional Authority will cease to exist on June 28th, at which point the occupation will end and the Iraqi interim government will assume and exercise full sovereign authority on behalf of the Iraqi people. I welcome Iraq's steps to take its rightful place of equality and honor among the free nations of the world. Sincerely, L. Paul Bremer, ex-administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority."
Bremer -- dressed in a business suit but wearing tan combat boots -- said he was proud to have been able to return sovereignty. He said he was confident the new government was ready to meet the challenges ahead.
|  Before flying out of Iraq, former coalition civil administrator L. Paul Bremer bids farewell to Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. |
Less than an hour later, he boarded a helicopter, according to coalition military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmett, and within two hours, he was out of the country.
The power transfer came two days before the June 30 deadline previously announced by the U.S.-led coalition. Preparations for the possibility of an early transfer were started a week ago, a senior U.S. official said. (Full story)
U.S. lawmakers hailed the transfer of power as a positive step toward democracy, but they also pointed out the security situation in the country remains unstable and emphasized that U.S. work in that country is unfinished. (Full story)
Other developments
The handover appeared to advance the fate of captured Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. Iraqi authorities will take custody of Saddam and 11 senior members of his regime "over the next few days," according to a statement issued Monday by Salem Chalabi, executive director of the Iraqi Special Tribunal. Before Chalabi's announcement, a senior White House official told reporters in Istanbul, Turkey, that the transfer of Saddam and the others had been "the intent from the outset," but he could not "speak to specific days or hours of when that transfer will happen."Most respondents to a new poll released Monday predicted that Iraq will not create a government friendly toward the United States, and that peace and security will not be established there within five years. (Full story)Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari met Monday morning with coalition leaders gathered in Istanbul for the NATO summit. Zebari told reporters in Istanbul that the early transfer of sovereignty is "a sign we are ready for the job. We are ready to take up our responsibility even before June 30th," he said. (Full story)Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told The Associated Press on Monday that the State Department will assume the dominant role in shaping Bush administration policy on Iraq. (Full story)
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
