Schiff Comments on Power Handover in Iraq

Schiff Comments on Power Handover in Iraq
June 28, 2004

WASHINGTON, DC - (June 28, 2004) Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) today issued the following statement in regard to the transfer of governmental authority in Iraq from the Coalition Provisional Authority to an interim Iraqi government:

"The decision to transfer sovereignty two days early was tactically sound. It deprived insurgents of the chance to disrupt the handover, and it has given the new Iraqi government an expanded window of opportunity to stabilize and unify the country for all its citizens.

"Many serious challenges remain, and the early transfer of sovereignty does not change the strategic situation in Iraq. The new government still faces an insurgency that senior American officials - including Secretary of State Colin Powell and Multinational Forces Commander General George Casey - now concede is far more organized and capable than we had expected. We must remember that even after today's events, we still have 138,000 American service personnel in Iraq, and that they remain engaged in an extremely dangerous and difficult mission."

Congressman Schiff is the co-founder of the Democratic Study Group on National Security and a member of both the House Judiciary and International Relations committees. He represents California's 29th Congressional District, which includes the communities of Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, East Pasadena, East San Gabriel, Glendale, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City.