Power change in Iraq

America today handed over power in Iraq two days early in a bid to pre-empt terrorists plotting a spectacular attack.

America today handed over power in Iraq two days early in a bid to pre-empt terrorists plotting a spectacular attack.

The bold move to bring forward the transfer of sovereignty from Wednesday was revealed by the country's foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari at the Nato summit in Istanbul.

Mr Zebari surprised officials when he let slip that the change to the 30 June handover date had been made to prove that the country was now ready to take on its own affairs and challenge pro-Saddam rebels.

The formal handover took place an hour later when US administrator Paul Bremer handed legal documents to an Iraqi judge in a low-key ceremony in Baghdad.

Mr Bremer later left the country by plane.

Iraq's prime minister Iyad Allawi, who also took part in the ceremony in the city's heavily guarded Green Zone, said it was "a historic day, a happy day" for his nation.

The surprise move was first revealed by Mr Zebari after a breakfast meeting with Tony Blair in Istanbul as the two-day Nato summit got under way.

Mr Blair, who was also meeting US president George Bush today, was visibly startled as the foreign minister disclosed plans that had been kept secret over the weekend.

Mr Zebari said: "We are confident and we are ready to take up our responsibility, even before 30 June. Today we will challenge those elements in Iraq, the terrorists, the criminals, the Saddamists, the antidemocratic forces by bringing even the date of the handover of sovereignty before 30 June as a sign we are ready for the challenge."

As Mr Blair looked on, the minister added: "We want to take away the level of occupation, that's what we have suffered a great from."

President Bush marked the transfer with a whispered comment and a handshake with Mr Blair as world leaders gathered round a table at the Nato summit.

Stealing a glance at his watch to make sure the transfer had occurred, Mr Bush put his hand over his mouth to guard his remarks,

leaned toward Mr Blair and then proffered his hand. The Nato meeting formally agreed to a request from the fledgling Iraqi government for training and equipment for its military and police forces.

However, lingering tensions between the US and Britain and France and Germany meant that the Nato deal on helping Iraq fell far short of the boots-ontheground role Washington had sought for the alliance.

France and Germany will not allow any of their troops to set foot in Iraq and will instead train Iraqi forces in neighbouring nations such as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

While American officials spoke in glowing terms about the training agreement, France was distinctly cool, insisting there would "no Nato flag" in Iraq.

"France will continue to make known its concerns and reservations with respect to a Nato role, as such," said Catherine Colonna, spokeswoman for French President Jacques Chirac. US officials said that the accelerated handover was prime minister Allawi's personal decision.

The American-led coalition transferred the final 11 of the 26 government ministries to full Iraqi control last Thursday. Mr Blair's official spokesman said that Britain knew of the handover being brought forward this weekend.

Referring to Mr Zebari's surprise announcement, he said: "While it may have come out earlier than we expected it to, it was entirely appropriate it was the foreign minister who said it." He said the change to the handover timetable was partly designed to combat terrorists in Baghdad and partly simply to "seize the political initiative".

However, the spokesman added: "Nobody should think this means there won't be terrorist attacks.

"Of course there will be, but as of this moment what those terrorists are attacking is the representative government in Iraq. What they are not attacking is the coalition."