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Smooth Move: The early handover of authority (two days) by the Coalition to the new Iraqi government was clearly an intelligent maneuver. It also steals much of the thunder for attacks in the next couple of days. As Tim Dunlop put it: Anything that puts a dint in the plans of car bombers and armed insurgents has to be a good thing. It probably won't stop a single attack, but it does give a slight psychological edge to the provisional government that shouldn't be discounted.

To Dream a Salam Pax Dream of Democratic Iraq: No more occupation
Iraqis retook control of their country in a furtive Baghdad ceremony yesterday intended to wrong-foot any insurgency plans to disrupt a formal handover that was to take place tomorrow
· A handshake, and Iraqis are in charge
· · Paul McGeough: Now for the wrath of the oppressed
· · · Ambassador Bremer handed over sovereignty to the Iraqi people: Surprise handover decision welcomed
· · · · Bush hails transfer of power
· · · · · See Also The war was over but where was the defeated enemy? History repeats itself, though no two historians agree quite how