independence day

Staying up most of the night coding has consequences.

Like sleeping through history in the making, for instance. From the Voice of America:

The transfer of sovereignty in Iraq became official during a small ceremony in Baghdad Monday. The interim prime minister of the country promised to fight terrorism and called on all Iraqis to help defend the country against foreign militants who are attacking foreigners and the country's infrastructure. The 14-month occupation of Iraq officially came to an end during a low-key, hastily-arranged ceremony in Baghdad Monday morning. […]

Interim Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi thanked the U.S.-led coalition for liberating Iraq from the rule of Saddam Hussein. He said help is still needed to establish security throughout the country, but he said that is now Iraq's own responsibility.

“They helped us in liberating out country, we are very thankful. We appreciate what the United States president and other members of the coalition have has done,” Mr. Allawi said. “The blood that has been spilled in Iraq has been spilled for a very good reason, for the defense of values, freedom and democracy and fighting terrorism and we intend to continue to do so. So, frankly, the security of our country now lies in our hands. Basically, we have the support of the multinational forces and we look forward to their continued support.” […]

Later, at a swearing-in ceremony for the new government, Prime Minister Allawi warned what he called the “forces of terror” that Iraq would remember who stood with the country and who stood against it. And, he called on all Iraqis to fight terrorism and help defend the country. He promised to “eradicate” the foreign terrorists in Iraq.

It appears that among those who stood against Iraq are some who are still willing to continue on principle present a case study in churlishness.

NATO leaders tried Monday to put bitter rows over Iraq behind them with a deal to train the new Baghdad government's security forces, but France said it still opposed a formal role for the alliance there.

In a further upset to a carefully fostered image of renewed transatlantic harmony, French President Jacques Chirac rapped President Bush for his support of Turkey's bid to join the European Union, saying it was none of his business. […]

“I do not believe it is (NATO's) mission to intervene in Iraq,” Chirac, a fierce opponent of last year's U.S.-led war, told a news conference.

He said a formal NATO presence in Iraq would “not be in keeping” with the decision taken by alliance leaders earlier.

At the opening session of their summit, the leaders issued a vaguely worded statement responding positively to a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to help train security forces.

There were no details in the training deal, reflecting continued disputes over how overt a role the alliance should play in Iraq. France says NATO's flag should not fly in Iraq.

Jacques Chirac, merde-tête.

UPDATE. NRO's Robert Alt is in Baghdad:

In the days and weeks leading up to the transition, many in the United States criticized the June 30 transition date as too soon — while some, such as Sen. John Kerry, were critical of the decision to set a firm deadline for the transfer of power at all. Even so, the transition began much earlier than anyone anticipated. On March 28, 2004, the Ministry of Health became the first of Iraq's 26 ministries to shift to Iraqi control, thus beginning the transition process that was completed last week, when the last of the ministries came under Iraqi authority. Today's ceremony was in many ways just that — ceremonial — representing a change in authority that had effectively already occurred.

Despite some claims to the contrary, the autonomy enjoyed by the agencies is substantive rather than merely symbolic. For example, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Electricity, and the Ministry of Communication will retain only a small handful of Coalition consultants, who will have no operational authority, but will simply provide technical assistance as requested by the respective Iraqi ministers. Other ministries, like the Ministry of Education — whose 300,000 employees make it the largest of the 26 — will have no Coalition consultants at all.