As this Reuters story (quite short) makes clear the UN is not exactly happy with how the new Iraqi caretaker government has shaped up. On the other hand, they can’t exactly say they are unhappy, either. Kofi Annan insists--to my amusement--that the UN was not being used! Should I think myself odd that I trust the Iraqis more than I do the UN? We’ll find out soon enough. Brendan Miniter explains why the fact that there is no news coming out of Fallujah is good news. I am looking to CNN to report this as good news. No dice. This Washington Post story on the transition to the caretaker government has some interesting information in it. The Governing Council has now dissolved itself (another surprise!) and, according to the AP, the Coalition Authority will dissolve at the end of this month, as palnned. So, the Iraqis are one month ahead of the schedule that the media had been saying would not be able to be met.
Clever, these Iraqis, no? President Bush praises the new Iraqi cabinet. Gazi Yawer, the new president of Iraq, said his goal was to make Iraq one nation, "without murderers and criminals." He also said, according to the BBC, "he wanted a pluralistic, democratic and federal Iraq that would live in peace and co-operation with its neighbours."

BBC: "Mr Allawi for his part said that while he wanted the US occupation of Iraq to end as soon as possible, for now coalition forces would remain in place.

He expressed gratitude for what the coalition forces had done thus far in Iraq.

’We will need the participation of the multinational forces to help in defeating the enemies of Iraq,’ he said."