Political Quotes

“today marks a significant milestone for Iraq--and for coalition forces. According to Ambassador Khalilzad, Muthanna will become the first province in which civilian Iraqis take charge of Iraqi security forces in that province. For the first time, the day-to-day security of the Iraqi people living in Muthanna will be in the hands of a civilian Iraqi. For the half million people living in Muthanna, this means a tangible change in the security and governance of the province. Since 2003, American and coalition forces--the Australians, the British, and the Japanese--have worked together to ensure the security of Muthanna. But beginning today, the Governor of Muthanna will assume supervision of all provincial police. National police and Iraqi army troops within the province will remain under the national control of Prime Minister Jawad al-Maliki. The provincial Iraqi police service will assume the lead for domestic security in Muthanna. Multinational forces will move out of all urban areas in Muthanna and assume a supporting role. They will provide transition assistance teams and remain postured to assist but only at the approval of Prime Minister al-Maliki. But more importantly, the handover of Muthanna is a critical step in the chain of events leading to Iraq standing entirely on its own. It marks a new phase in the history of Iraq.…”