FLASHBACK: Bush Awards Iraqis Their Sovereignty — ‘Let Freedom Reign!’
FLASHBACK: Bush Awards Iraqis Their Sovereignty — ‘Let Freedom Reign!’
Three years ago today, the U.S. officially transfered sovereignty to Iraq in a “secretive ceremony” that was moved up two days “to thwart insurgents’ attempts at undermining the transfer.” The AP wrote at the time, “U.S. occupiers…wished them prosperity and handed them a staggering slate of problems — including a lethal insurgency the Americans admit they underestimated.”
Other notable moments from memory lane:
“The Iraqi people have their country back,” President Bush said at a NATO summit in Istanbul, Turkey. […]
Bush, whose Iraq policy has drawn criticism abroad and, more recently, at home, was passed a note from National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice that put it this way: “Mr. President, Iraq is sovereign.”
Bush wrote “Let freedom reign!” on the note and passed it back, according to White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
A few hours later, U.S. viceroy Paul Bremer, who had ruled the country for 14 months, “snuck out of the country” with a goodbye wave. Bremer had reporters photograph him entering the Air Force C-130 pictured above for the ceremony, “but after the Iraqis leave, because of security concerns, [he] gets out of that plane and moves to, I think it was a Gulfstream IV that then flies him out.”
858 U.S. soldiers had been killed in Iraq at that point. As of today, the number is 3,570.
UPDATE: A copy of Rice’s note:
You can see this photo and much more in our updated timeline of the Iraq war.
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51 Responses to “FLASHBACK: Bush Awards Iraqis Their Sovereignty — ‘Let Freedom Reign!’”
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Wow.
Lets hope he doesn’t have too many more “victories”.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:05 pmSee, Neoturds?
We won this ‘war’ three years ago.
Of course, it’s your nature to stay longer in a place that doesn’t want you.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:09 pmOh, the memories. Exley must have had tears in the eyes looking how good his country had been with those “ragheads” that couldnt get a hold of their country if they wanted.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:09 pmYup, that freedom sure seems to be reigning…
The freedom for Bush’s corporate backers to rape the resources. The freedom of the weapons makers to profit massively. The freedom of the CIA and its partners to torture and disappear people…
The freedom of Bush to use war as an excuse to restrict liberty here at home.
Plenty of freedom!
We need a new kind of freedom - one where criminals like Bush don’t have the power to act in this way.
Some reading:
“Leaders Don’t Kill People…”
June 28th, 2007 at 12:10 pmhttp://www.populistamerica.com/leaders_dont_kill_people
5 Conservative Supreme Court Justices: “Let racism reign!” ‘Cause everyone knows that racism and fighting racism are the same thing.
right?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:13 pm.
somewhere in the green zone, there is still a wall with a paul bremer–shaped hole in it.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:15 pmWell, they could have been right.
Assuming Freedom is the name of a radical muslim cleric leading an armed resistance, then yea, “Freedom” reigns.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:15 pmI heard Bush and the Republicans are coming out with an Iraq War Tax so all good Americans can show their patriotism and support the war effort. Can anyone give me any details on this?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:16 pmI’m just impressed that he used ‘reign’ properly and spelled it correctly.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:16 pmHere is something to consider……
“U.S. viceroy Paul Bremer”
Definitions of viceroy on the Web:
* governor of a country or province who rules as the representative of his or her king or sovereign
* showy American butterfly resembling the monarch but smaller
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
* A viceroy is somebody who governs a country or province as a substitute for the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning “in the place of” and French roi, meaning king. A vicereine is a woman in a viceregal position, or a viceroy’s wife.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroy
* the supreme representative of royal authority; an appointee resident within a viceroyalty and exercising royal power
http://www.gutenberg-e.org/hoj01/hoj11.html
* Â the term for the most senior figure in the Indian administration (formerly known as the Governor-General) when the British Government took over from the East India Company as the ruling power in India.
http://www.wmcarey.edu/ carey/ wmward/ Main%20html/ glossnz.html
This should REMOVE all doubt that we are OFFICIALLY a nation ran by someone who believes he is a KING…. He even has his employees refering to him as such by creating labels that ONLY apply to KINGS…..
June 28th, 2007 at 12:17 pm#5: Yes. And your problem with Gulfstream IV is?
#6: SCOTUS only affirmed the right of people to choose where their kids go to school. What’s y our problem with choice?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:18 pmLOL Iraq is an occupied nation with zero freedom and phony democracy.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:19 pmCondi Rice letter proves she is simple minded and a dummy. No wonder the State Department is dysfunctional now.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:20 pm#6: SCOTUS only affirmed the right of people to choose where their kids go to school. What’s y our problem with choice?
Read the opinion. It equates segregation with desegregation in order to liberate racism. Yes, I guess one can “choose” to be racist.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:21 pm.
#14 yeah, I agree, Rice comes across looking like an imbecile, more like a dumb Bush groupie than anything else.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:24 pmSo, you believe in government’s right to force someone’s kids to go to a particular school?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pm#13 LOL Iraq is an occupied nation with zero freedom and phony democracy.
Comment by Jay Randal
But they do have a running sewer now called the Tigris river, no power, no electricity, no schools or teachers, no functional army or police force, oil production, 600,000 dead citizens, etc. See what American-style “freedom” has done for them!!
June 28th, 2007 at 12:25 pmWho penned, “Let Freedom Reign!” ?
Condi or Bush?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:26 pmI remember Daily Show referring to this as the first ever “Sneak Retreat” by the US. Funny stuff.
Bush’s optimism with the “Let Freedom Reign” is laced with so much hopeful idiocy that makes you laugh so hard that you cry (tears of sadness).
Condi’s original statement was also quite ridiculous. It’s easy to say a country is soverign, but it’s vastly different from the country actually being soverign. Their government still can’t make the call about whether our troops should or should not be there. Furthermore, the obvious answer is that they should not be there, but they’ve got a puppet government (who isn’t even behaving as a proper puppet) who knows that they will be overrun and killed (by the people - who our Constitution gives ultimate power to) if US forces leave.
So whatever… It’s a good thing that we can exhaust ourselves with skirmishes while China rises. At least the Europeans are coming together in the EU. Hopefully they will be able to stand up to the future (and real) threats to peace, freedom and democracy around the world… like Russia, and China, and maybe us….
June 28th, 2007 at 12:27 pmFreedom marches on.
The Bush administration makes that sound like more of a threat than an optimistic declaration of liberty.
And if Iraq is “sovereign”, why do they forbid reporters access to sites where violence has occurred:
Iran, Iraq, America: Where Is The Press More Free?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:28 pm#13. LOL Iraq is an occupied nation with zero freedom and phony democracy.
Comment by Jay Randal
kinda like the U S of A, eh?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:29 pmSo, you believe in government’s right to force someone’s kids to go to a particular school?
Comment by Gaydar3000
Nice rhetoric, but it isn’t a belief it’s actual stare decisis, it’s not a “right,” the government is running the school anyway, and actual applications of desegregation often involve choice anyway.
Here’s the money quote from the majority opinion:
Before Brown, schoolchildren were told where they could and could not go to school based on the color of their skin. The school districts in these cases have not carried the heavy burden of demonstrating that we should allow this once again—even for very different reasons.
They’re equating racial exclusion with racial inclusion, racially uniform schools with racially diverse ones, and social racism with fighting social racism.
Now, I credit the conservatives on the court with intelligence if not honesty, but here they’re having to pretend to be too stupid to tell the difference between opposites. All for rolling back the last fifty years so that racism will be empowered.
After all, without racism the Republicans would dry up and blow away.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:30 pm.
Easy Rider > Condi most likely. Bush and Cheney would have said: “Damn we go the OIL now.”
June 28th, 2007 at 12:30 pmThis should REMOVE all doubt that we are OFFICIALLY a nation ran by someone who believes he is a KING…. He even has his employees refering to him as such by creating labels that ONLY apply to KINGS…..
Comment by RemoveBush
I was wondering about that “Vice-Roy” BS at the time too, RemoveBush. At least the Deciderer didn’t have the gall to knight Bremer.
“Sir Paul Bremer, 1st Vice-Roy of Iraq”… but it does have a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:33 pmWho penned, “Let Freedom Reign!†?
Comment by EasyRider
Bush.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:33 pmIt was Bush who penned “Let Freedom Reign.”
I know, despite the proper spelling of reign, it was still Bush….
June 28th, 2007 at 12:33 pmIf Bush wrote those 3 words, then he believes his own lies.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:38 pmI know, despite the proper spelling of reign, it was still Bush….
Comment by Ben B
I’m surprised, and pleased, that he didn’t write “Let Freedom Ring!”
June 28th, 2007 at 12:39 pmI know, despite the proper spelling of reign, it was still Bush….
Comment by Ben B
Because the lyrics he’s trying to reference from America: My Country Tis of Thee are:
“Let Freedom Ring”
Dumbya, you’re such a dolt.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:40 pmIf the Democrats in Congress were smart, then they would use this letter to force Condi Rice to resign in disgrace. It does need to be determined who wrote the 3 bold words on top of the note to Bush.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:44 pmyou can jump in any time now, give us your enlightened views on our great democracy innoculation up the ass of Iraq, OK?
I dont see many threads here at TP (tp, heh) concering that other war, the one you libs luuuurve to support, why is that?
We toppled a soverign government, invaded their country, currently occupy it, have tens of thousands of soldiers patrolling the country and (by your standards) have caused Afghan civilians to be killed. I would also assume that their production capacity for certain services and functions have also been disrupted.
Sounds like a “great democracy innoculation up the ass of Afghanistan” to me, I would think you sensitive souls would be hysterically outraged over it. Puzzling.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:48 pmBush simply misspelled ring.
-GSD
June 28th, 2007 at 12:50 pm“Sounds like a “great democracy innoculation up the ass of Afghanistan†to me, I would think you sensitive souls would be hysterically outraged over it. Puzzling.
Comment by Man — June 28, 2007 @ 12:48 pm”
I see you came out of your comma…… However, it seems to be only during SELECTIVE times.
Most progressives are jumping up and down about this illegal war in Iraq. Some support Afganistan, though I do not, but still a lot of people are waving their hands and yelling, but YOU seem to ignor them…..
Nice way to pick and chose.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:52 pmIf Iraq is so damned sovereign, why are we still there?
June 28th, 2007 at 12:53 pmWords don’t have any meaning to this administration.
I guess these new beheaded guys knew surely found the kingdom of freedom.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:53 pmIn Afghanistan the production of opium has increased by 50% since last year.
Another narco-terrorist state under the noses of 40,000 American troops.
Heckuva job.
Also Pakistan is now home to Al Qaeda after Musharraff(Bush’s BFF dictator) signed a peace accord with Al Qaeda and Taliban elements.
So now Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Bush has tripled the areas where Al Qaeda rungs amok.
Heckuva job.
-GSD
June 28th, 2007 at 12:54 pmLet Bush Reign ! — IN HELL.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:55 pmI see you came out of your comma…… However, it seems to be only during SELECTIVE times.
Comma? You must have meant coma, as in what you seem to be coming out of yourself. Get a cold drink of water.
Sorry about the appearance of selectivity, I have a very limited time here during my lunch so I need to be..uh…selective about commenting. So many moonbats, so little time.
I dont see too many libs jumping up and down over Afghanistan even though the conditions of our invasion and occupation are so strikingly similar to Iraq. Illegal occupation is illegal occupation…or not, I guess.
June 28th, 2007 at 12:59 pmBefore adding his note, Bush consulted a dictionary because Condi used the word “sovereign” in her message to him.
Heh heh. Bush is a dumbass.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:03 pmI dont see too many libs jumping up and down over Afghanistan even though the conditions of our invasion and occupation are so strikingly similar to Iraq. Illegal occupation is illegal occupation…or not, I guess.
Comment by Man
I also disagree with that occupation now that OBL has left. And if Dubya had the balls to make that the target after 911 and stay focused, we would have OBL, would not have had the issues in Iraq and Iran would not be the threat it is now.
But the real question should be: Why aren’t the Righties all up in arms about Saudi Arabia, if they think this is a security issue, after all, that is where most of the 911 attackers came from and where much of the al Queda funding comes from now………….Oh right, too close to the BushCo family jewels I guess.
Enjoy your lunch
June 28th, 2007 at 1:12 pmThe Taliban had a quaint way of dealing with opium farmers, they brought them to an old soccer stadium and blew their heads off.
Another example of why I love you guys, you drone on about the good ol’ days under Saddam or the Taliban as if their respective populations had nothing more to worry about than getting a sunburn.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:15 pm#43 Another example of why I love you guys, you drone on about the good ol’ days under Saddam or the Taliban as if their respective populations had nothing more to worry about than getting a sunburn.
Comment by Man
Typical Rove talking point response! We never went into Iraq to topple Saddam because of his human rights behavior. There are many that are as bad or worse in the world anyway. It was all about WMD. Your leaders had to find another reason to justify it so it became to free the people of Saddam’s rule. But we fu@ced that up so bad, they are now in no better place than they were before.
But that is never brought up or any “Oops, my Bad” from the NeoCons who wanted Iraq for a base to protect the 51st state, Isreal and for the Bush/CHeney buddies to get the AWL.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:31 pmMore vice, than roi, at this point.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:35 pmMore vice, than roi, at this point.
Comment by steerpike
Nice!
June 28th, 2007 at 1:44 pmThe freedom to steal Iraq’s oil, that’s the “freedom” that Bush was babbling about three years ago. Now he’s babbling about “doing something” about illegal immigration in the USA. All Bush would have to do would be to vigorously enforce the present federal laws against corporations hiring illegal aliens.
It is mind-boggling that the Bush regime, which can read all of our Emails, which can track our internet searches and which can monitor our credit card purchase, cannot figure out which workers are American citizens or legitimate green card holders and which are illegal aliens…
If the Federal government vigorously enforces the present laws against the hiring of illegal aliens, this whole problem will solve itself. We won’t have to deport a single alien. They will just buy bus tickets back home if they can’t find any legal employment in the U. S.
Bush is just whoring for corporate greed, as usual.
June 28th, 2007 at 1:49 pmThe Taliban had a quaint way of dealing with opium farmers, they brought them to an old soccer stadium and blew their heads off.
Comment by Man
I’m so sorry. Why don’t you instead buy your heroin from Mexico?
June 28th, 2007 at 1:56 pm>>Couldn’t be that you have to create a strawman because you can’t face up to the obvious realities of failed policies and bankrupt ideas, could it? Nope, couldn’t be that.
Comment by Paris Hilton — June 28, 2007 @ 2:39 pm
Hmmm…I am trying to decide if the imminent war with Iran is also such a strawman or the next logical move in the general Mid-East War we lauched after September 11. I am reading reports that the Iranian Republican Guard has taken up positions in southern Iraq - almost like they are daring us to attack. Meanwhile, their government is rationing gas…wonder why they feel the need to build up gas reserves….
June 28th, 2007 at 3:05 pmIt is impossible, in my view, to give sovereignty to another country. It is assumed in this bizzare statement that we held Iraq’s sovereignty in a vault somewhere and were now going to give it back to them.
June 28th, 2007 at 6:31 pmEven assuming that we did have their sovereignty in our vault, one has to ask how it got there in the first place. Eh?
just when must of us come to understand that ANY ideas and issues regarding the Middle East require juuuuust a touch of rationale and hopefully, a hands-off approach, we get ANOTHER reminder of how delusional the “commanders” really are.
June 28th, 2007 at 9:45 pm#50 Comment by anonymous — June 28, 2007 @ 9:45 pm
…we get ANOTHER reminder of how delusional the “commanders†really are.
Yeah. The bright side is that we have so much shit all over us a little more won’t worsen the smell. And frankly, the more that comes out, will help dirty those who are “above the frey,” so to speak.
Until the public gets the smear and smell on them, they can happily go about in a state of Bushco denial. (Its just partisan politics anyway…)
So, lets have more of that shit! Its there, and we who pay attention, are covered with it anyway. Come and join us, the rest of you (clean) ostriches.
June 28th, 2007 at 10:09 pmIf by freedom you mean anarchy, right-on!
June 29th, 2007 at 8:40 am