iraq Reconstruction: Rebuilding the government
On 9 April 9 2003, Baghdad fell. This signified the end of President Hussein's 24 year rule. U.S. forces seized the deserted Ba'ath Party ministries and tore down the huge iron statue of Hussein. |
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Shortly after, the multinational coalition created the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), based in the Green Zone, as a transitional government of Iraq until the establishment of a democratic government. The CPA then granted itself executive, legislative, and judicial authority over the Iraqi government from the time of its creation on April 21, 2003 until its end on 28 June 2004.
In the summer of 2003, the multinational forces focused on capturing the leaders of the former government. On July 22, a raid by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and soldiers from Task Force 20 killed Hussein's sons (Uday and Qusay) along with one of his grandsons. In all, more than 300 leaders of the former government were killed or captured, as well as many lesser functionaries and military personnel. Saddam Hussein was captured on 13 December 2003. The operation was carried out by the United States Army's 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force 121.
The provisional government soon began training the new Iraqi security forces intended to police the country, and the United States promised over $20 billion in reconstruction money. They’d supply this in the form of credit against Iraq's future oil revenues. Shortly after the capture of Hussein, some politicians who weren’t members of CPA began to call for elections and the formation of an Iraqi Interim Government. However, the Coalition Provisional Authority opposed allowing democratic elections at this time. Ultimately, CPA director L. Paul Bremer ended up signing over sovereignty to the appointed Iraqi Interim Government on 28 June 2004.
On 30 January 2005, Iraqis elected the Iraqi Transitional National Assembly in order to draft a permanent constitution. On 4 February, Paul Wolfowitz announced that 15,000 U.S. troops who were to provide election security would be instead pulled out of Iraq by the next month. A referendum was then held on 15 October in which the new Iraqi constitution was ratified. Under the permanent constitution, legislative authority was split into two bodies: the Council of Representatives and the Council of Union.
The Council of Representatives were elected on 15 December 2005 and consisted of 325 members elected for four years, with two sessions in each annual term. The Council of Reps jobs consisted of passing federal laws, overseeing the executive, ratifying treaties, and approving nominations of certain officials. It also was in charge of electing the president of the republic, who would then selects a prime minister from the majority coalition in the Council of Reps. The Council of Union consists of representatives from Iraq's regions. Its specifics are determined by the Council of Representatives.
The current government of Iraq took office on 20 May 2006, following its approval by the members of the Iraqi National Assembly. This government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government which had continued until the formation of the permanent government. On 1 January 2009, the United States handed control of the Green Zone and Saddam Hussein's presidential palace to the Iraqi government. This monumental action was described by the country's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, as a restoration of Iraq's sovereignty. He proposed January 1st be declared national "Sovereignty Day":
In the summer of 2003, the multinational forces focused on capturing the leaders of the former government. On July 22, a raid by the U.S. 101st Airborne Division and soldiers from Task Force 20 killed Hussein's sons (Uday and Qusay) along with one of his grandsons. In all, more than 300 leaders of the former government were killed or captured, as well as many lesser functionaries and military personnel. Saddam Hussein was captured on 13 December 2003. The operation was carried out by the United States Army's 4th Infantry Division and members of Task Force 121.
The provisional government soon began training the new Iraqi security forces intended to police the country, and the United States promised over $20 billion in reconstruction money. They’d supply this in the form of credit against Iraq's future oil revenues. Shortly after the capture of Hussein, some politicians who weren’t members of CPA began to call for elections and the formation of an Iraqi Interim Government. However, the Coalition Provisional Authority opposed allowing democratic elections at this time. Ultimately, CPA director L. Paul Bremer ended up signing over sovereignty to the appointed Iraqi Interim Government on 28 June 2004.
On 30 January 2005, Iraqis elected the Iraqi Transitional National Assembly in order to draft a permanent constitution. On 4 February, Paul Wolfowitz announced that 15,000 U.S. troops who were to provide election security would be instead pulled out of Iraq by the next month. A referendum was then held on 15 October in which the new Iraqi constitution was ratified. Under the permanent constitution, legislative authority was split into two bodies: the Council of Representatives and the Council of Union.
The Council of Representatives were elected on 15 December 2005 and consisted of 325 members elected for four years, with two sessions in each annual term. The Council of Reps jobs consisted of passing federal laws, overseeing the executive, ratifying treaties, and approving nominations of certain officials. It also was in charge of electing the president of the republic, who would then selects a prime minister from the majority coalition in the Council of Reps. The Council of Union consists of representatives from Iraq's regions. Its specifics are determined by the Council of Representatives.
The current government of Iraq took office on 20 May 2006, following its approval by the members of the Iraqi National Assembly. This government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government which had continued until the formation of the permanent government. On 1 January 2009, the United States handed control of the Green Zone and Saddam Hussein's presidential palace to the Iraqi government. This monumental action was described by the country's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, as a restoration of Iraq's sovereignty. He proposed January 1st be declared national "Sovereignty Day":
In a move to further back
the existing Iraqi government, the United Nations lifted the Saddam Hussein-era
UN restrictions on Iraq. This resulted in allowing Iraq to have a civilian
nuclear program, permitting their participation in international nuclear and
chemical weapons treaties, and returning control of Iraq's oil and gas revenue
to the government and ending the Oil-for-Food Program. At the end of it, Iraq's government was reinvented and improved from what is originally was.