Iraq's "National Sovereignty Day" is U.S.-Style Hallmark Hype

The puppet government in Iraq has named June 30 as "National Sovereignty Day," and--without mentioning the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis maimed, killed, tortured or made refugees by the U.S. invasion and occupation--thanked the occupiers for placing them in power. "President" Jalal Talabani termed today "a glorious day," saying,

While we celebrate this day, we express our thanks and gratitude to our friends in the coalition forces who faced risks and responsibilities and sustained casualties and damage while helping Iraq to get rid from the ugliest dictatorship and during the joint effort to impose security and stability.

Meanwhile the Iraqi "Prime Minister" Nouri al Maliki--clearly living in his Green Zone bubble--stated: "The national united government succeeded in putting down the sectarian war that was threatening the unity and the sovereignty of Iraq," adding, "Those who think that Iraqis are unable to defend their country are committing a fatal mistake." Perhaps Maliki has been hanging out too much by the swimming pools and cabanas in the Green Zone and missed these events:

There was a significant spike in violence before the June 30 withdrawal. More than 250 people were killed in a series of bombings, including one on June 20 that left 81 dead outside a mosque in northern Iraq and another in a Baghdad market on June 24 that killed 78.

As we listen to these proclamations from Iraqi "government" officials praising their fake holiday, let's remember this fact from veteran journalist Patrick Cockburn, who has covered Iraq more than almost any other Western journalist:

Iraq is the world's premier kleptomaniac state. According to Transparency International the only countries deemed more crooked than Iraq are Somalia and Myanmar, while Haiti and Afghanistan rank just behind. In contrast to Iraq, which enjoys significant oil revenues, none of these countries have much money to steal.

In a grotesquely symbolic move, the Iraqi government marked "National Sovereignty Day" by "open[ing] up some of its massive oil and gas fields to foreign firms," according to the Wall Street Journal:

In a televised ceremony, international oil companies were invited to submit bids for six oil and two gas fields, a process that marked their return to the country over 30 years after Mr. Hussein nationalized the oil sector and expelled the foreign firms. The fields on offer hold about 43 billion of Iraq's 115 billion barrels of crude reserves -- among the largest in the world.

Among the companies bidding were the Western oil giants ExxonMobil and BP (which reportedly won a contract on Tuesday). As the New York Times reported, "A total of 8 of the world's 10 top non-state oil companies are competing for licenses to help develop six oil fields and two natural gas fields."

While the U.S. has hyped up the "handover" to the Iraqis, it is largely a show. Underscoring that point, the top US military commander in the Iraqi capital, Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger, handed over the keys to the former Iraqi Defense Ministry to an Iraqi military commander and spoke of how now "Iraqis take the lead in Baghdad." To keep up appearances, the US military, according to the New York Times, has begun "ordering soldiers to remain in garrison for the next few days to give the Iraqis a chance to demonstrate that they are in control." Note the phrase "for the next few days." As for the official ceremonies marking Iraqi "Independence Day," the Times reports:

The military parade in the Green Zone on Tuesday -- at the official monument to the unknown soldier -- was attended primarily by Iraqi reporters and dignitaries. The public could not reach it because of extensive security restricting access to the area.

...Many of the celebrations on Tuesday seemed contrived. Police cars were festooned with plastic flowers, and signs celebrating "independence day"were tied to blast walls and fences around the city. On Monday, night a festive evening celebration in Zahra Park with singers and entertainers drew primarily young men, many of them off-duty police officers.

The Washington Post's Ernesto Londoño, whose report reads like Iraqi "government" propaganda (it begins: "This is no longer America's war."), reports:

Anchors on state-run television wore folded Iraqi flags over their shoulders, and the station kept a graphic of a small Iraqi flag waving under the date "6/30" on the top left corner of the screen.

Away from the show, U.S. forces will indeed remain in Iraqi cities to "to train and advise Iraqi forces," while huge numbers position themselves just outside the cities and could redeploy or strike in moments:

The U.S. hasn't said how many troops will be in the cities in advisory roles, but the vast majority of the more than 130,000 U.S. forces remaining in the country will be in large bases scattered outside cities.

While a lot of the media hype today focuses on the U.S. "withdrawal," that is hardly the reality. As previously reported, U.S. military commanders have said they are preparing for an Iraq presence for another 15-20 years, the U.S. embassy is the size of Vatican City, there is no official plan for the withdrawal of contractors and new corporate mercenary contracts are being awarded. The Status of Forces Agreement (SoFA) between the U.S. and Iraq gives the U.S. the right to extend the occupation indefinitely and to continue intervening militarily in Iraq ad infinitum. Article 27 of the SoFA allows the U.S. to undertake military action, "or any other measure," inside Iraq's borders "In the event of any external or internal threat or aggression against Iraq."

As the airwaves and Internet are flooded with reports of this new Iraqi sovereignty and U.S. withdrawal, it is important to remember a bit of history. Five years ago--almost to the day-- President Bush put on an almost identical show. His proconsul L. Paul Bremer "handed over sovereignty" to the Iraqi government just before he skulked out of Baghdad on a secret flight (right after he issued an order banning Iraq from prosecuting contractors). Despite the pronouncements and proclamations and media hype, the occupation continued and real sovereignty was non-existent.

It is very doubtful that--decades from now--Iraqis will tell their grandchildren about where they were on June 30, 2009, "National Sovereignty Day." At the end of the day, this is U.S.-style Hallmark hype and will remain so until every last occupation soldier leaves Iraqi soil.

For more of Jeremy Scahill's reporting, visit his site: RebelReports.com

Follow Jeremy Scahill on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeremyscahill

Comments

[ilbereth]

JEP57... maybe you've watched too much Fox "News". Bush turned away from pursuing Bin Laden & Al-Qaeda and chose to invade Iraq (for many reasons). Do not presume to think the Iraqis are somehow "better" for it, especially the hyped "surge" that came only after many years of failed attempts to commercialize and then "secure" the country for our purposes (military).
The worst shame (after the senseless deaths of so many) is the attempt to somehow whitewash the whole sham in a glorious media blitz of "good will".

[JEP57]

If mistakes were made by Bush, his intentions were good and the Iraqis are better off without Saddam. Fighting a war is always an inexact science with frequent misteps. Don't presume that everything done there was for our purposes. It doesn't look like we or George Bush reaped any benefits from it other than knowing we took a stand to enforce U.N. sanctions and get rid of a dictator.. Our military isn't sinister nor is Bush.

[JEP57]

Instead of refering to the U.S. and coalition forces as "occupiers", you should be calling them "liberators". The Iraqis are doing well now, now that they have been freed from a brutal dictator and the surge was largely successful. If they believe that their sovereignty is a "glorious" day, then let's be glad for them. And there is nothing wrong with having American trainers and advisors left there to continue helping with the transition.

[Billy Hell]

The Iraqi people 'believe that their sovereignty is a "glorious" day' BECAUSE US troops are getting the heck out of there!

[eagledavey]

I BLAME Bush for this unwanted victory! How dare he refuse to admit defeat. Btw, 9-11 really happened.

[Billy Hell]

Keep telling it like it is, thank you Jeremy Scahill!

[researcher]

too much oil to leave this is all hype by americans.

we will be forced to stay by our american iraqi puppet government.

the sad part americans will buy t he force part lock stock and barrel

too much money in black gold to leave iraq

find me two americans that care about the iraqis and what we have done to them

ok two at a wal mart or mall not on huff post

look how few commented on this article

that says it all about american imperialism

[kbdancer]

It's amazing to see in retrospect how celebrations of progress are unwarranted, such as the referenced Bush proclamation that "Major combat operations have ended in Iraq."...the biggest not-funny HA I'll ever emit. For the Iraqi people's sake, I hope that the Independence Day is warranted in some way, some progress having been made, but all signs point to the opposite, as Scahill has described.

[TruthmongerII]

That's a huge castle - excuse me AMERICAN EMBASSY COMPOUND - in Baghdad. Such a privilege to die for Exxon, Chevron, BP, Texaco...no? Who exactly is protecting that real estate?

American forces will be expelled from the Middle East in time; until then this is a losing game except for the oil barons who are fabulously rich beyond imagination. But had we the taxpayers had that wealth our schools, hospitals, infrastructure would be the envy of the world. Instead of a laughing stock.

This is the price we pay for suffering fools and their corrupt political figureheads.

[bluescat47]

A bit exagerated. The more autonomous the Iraqi Government becomes (by renegotiating the SOFA, getting U.S. forces out of urban areas, offering less than attractive terms to the 10 oil companies bidding for contracts), the more the criticism apparently intensifies. Obviously the security situation is still tenous , note the continuing suicide attacks; it would be foolish to simply pack it all in regardless of the facts on the ground. It took the U.S. a year to get out of Kuwait after the Gulf War - and that was under peaceful circumstances.
And the oil auction, drawn up by the Maliki Government is a step forward. Why the cynicism about that is beyond me. Even Libya and Venezuela have invited the oil multinationals back in, as only they have the technical expertise to develop new fields and ramp up production, which Iraq badly needs. There isnt a particularly competent national oil company in the world. By contrast Iran is pumping half the oil they did before the revolution when they kicked out private oil firms.

[TruthmongerII]

OMFG I can just imagine the FIREWORKS that will mark that occasion -- ROFLOL!!!!!

[coolfireone]

“National Sovereignty Day” is a disgraceful use of the word “sovereignty” as well as an insult to the intelligence of any honest person in either the US or Iraq. Iraq remains an occupied nation, by definition, and will remain so until all of our troops leave, not simply repositioned to suburbs with name designation changes. It is simply dishonest to imply that Iraq has sovereignty.

[noneIn2008]

Good to see you noted we still have 130,000 "advisers" in the "police action". But, Obama held his pledge, the "troops" are out. Change is in the words not the actions. How about the media highlighting the daily US body count from the "police action"? Is it now ok to lose our sons and daughters just because Obama is President?

[CAPTAINSKIPPY]

National Sovereignty Day - it does sound nicer but is no less ambiguous compared to "Mission Accomplished". When are our troops coming home?

[noneIn2008]

25 years, if you count the 130,000 remaining "advisers".

[marignymitch]

How are Irag's city dwellers and gay Americans alike?

US government tosses crumbs and both go wild with glee.

[martinchill]

hussein nationalized the oil in 1972 and kicked the foreign oil companies out of the country.

wondering if any of those oil executives from the 70s lived long enough to see our invasion and takeover of a foreign country. i feel fairly certain sure they began planning this in 1973.

[terramartom]

So when is the Bush/ Cheney criminal trial starting anyway?

[marignymitch]

Ask their protector, Obama. He says never.

[noneIn2008]

Red Herring that they use to keep the people arguing while our kids continue to be killed. Get our kids home. Don't let them distract you. Focus on the core point, get our kids home.

[sviolette]

Bring them home now!!!!!!!!!!!!