U.S. Pullout From Iraqi Cities Marked by Holiday

By ALISSA J.RUBIN
Published: June 30, 2009

BAGHDAD — Iraq declared a public holiday Tuesday to celebrate the official withdrawal of American troops from the country’s cities and towns, emptying the streets as many people stayed home because they feared violence.
As official Iraq celebrated, the American military announced the death of four soldiers on Monday from combat operations in Baghdad, a reminder of the continuing vulnerability of soldiers as they wrap up operations in the field.
In the past few weeks, nationalist sentiments have spread within the Iraqi government and military, with officials boasting all but publicly that Iraq is ready to handle the security situation on its own.
Speaking as a military parade marking the event was held deep inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said: “The national united government succeeded in putting down the sectarian war that was threatening the unity and the sovereignty of Iraq.”
He made no mention of the American military’s involvement in fighting here for the last six years and more than 120,000 American troops remain on Iraqi soil. There were no official documents signed between the countries and no handover of authority on Tuesday. June 30 was date set in an Iraqi-American security agreement that went into effect on Jan. 1.
Many ordinary Iraqis said that a day they long doubted would come seemed to have arrived. Although some worried that the security forces may not be able to control the insurgency, they were also relieved to have the Americans out of sight. Some said they believed that the American presence had given insurgents a pretext to stage attacks.
The American presence here is associated with better security in some places, but in others for sometimes heavy-handed detention techniques, for creating traffic jams and generally reminding Iraqis that they are not in control.
“It really is a sovereignty day. I agreed with Maliki. It is a very important day in our history,” said Balqis Eidan, a 30-year-old state employee. “But we are still worried about security. We hope that our forces will be able to handle security. The way will be a long one.”
In accordance with the security agreement, there were few American troops to be seen on Baghdad streets and the Iraqi authorities have made clear they do not want to see them unless their help is requested. The American military has obliged, ordering soldiers to remain in garrison for the next few days to give the Iraqis a chance to demonstrate that they are in control.
The vast majority of American troops withdrew before Tuesday and closed down their urban bases, in some cases several weeks ago. They have moved to large forward operating bases. Only a handful of urban outposts in Baghdad, requested by the Iraqi authorities, remain open. Near one entrance to the Green Zone and on the airport road, there were still American armored vehicles to be seen on Tuesday.
The military parade in the Green Zone on Tuesday — at the official monument to the unknown solider — was attended primarily by Iraqi media and dignitaries. The public could not reach it because of extensive security restricting access to the area. Several American news organizations were also barred, including two television news networks and The New York Times, on the grounds that they did not have the appropriate badges.
This seemed in part intended to signal that the Iraqi authorities were in charge. In the past most checkpoints were run jointly by Iraqis and Americans and if someone lacked the correct badge, an exception could be made.
In his speech, Mr. Maliki said the media would encourage insurgent attacks if they questioned the ability of the security forces to handle the job. The Iraqi government has periodically attempted to muzzle news organizations perceived as supporting insurgents. While only a couple of outlets have been prevented from covering the country, the message has been clear.
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 primarily drew young men, many of them off-duty police officers.
Some Iraqis were more skeptical. “There is no doubt this is not national sovereignty because the Americans will stay inside Iraq in military bases,” said Najim Salim, 40, a teacher in Basra. “But the government wants to convince the citizens that there is a withdrawal of foreign troops, although the government could not protect citizens in some cities in Iraq even with the presence of U.S. forces.”