As the power handover in Iraq approaches,major media worldwide voiced their comments as what follows.

US New York Times: Although US President George W. Bush said on May 28 to hand over the power to Iraq "thoroughly and completely", judging from the present situation, nothing has been started yet. So it is almost impossible for the so-called "power" to have any concrete essence. Bush hasn't got any complete and unified plan to create a security or political environment for the amendment of Iraq's Constitution or that for election. The timetable for the power delivery in Iraq is still a joint result of the approaching US presidential election, Iraqis' surging dissatisfaction with US and the occupation against which, the voice is getting louder and louder.

German Sueddeutsche ZeitungJohn Kerry's speech on the first fundamental diplomatic policy said, in diplomacy in general and Iraqi issue in particular, he does not mind walking along the same path with Bush. As to the speech style, Kerry appears friendly and amiable and wishes for a new alliance with old allies. But from the content of the speech, Kerry's hasn't seen much difference with that of Bush: both of them wanted to let United Nations (UN) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to get deeper involvement in Iraq and neither of them can, nor are they willing to set the date for US armies to withdraw from Iraq.

This will become Kerry's trouble because he will lose the support of grass-root Democrats at the same time he draws near to Bush in policy. Supporters for anti-war candidate Howard Dean hoped the war could end soon. Independent candidate Ralph Nader is waiting for the support of these voters, because he promised complete withdrawal in six months. Kerry is in a dilemma: either to let Nader have the anti-war voters or let Bush have the politically middle-roaders.

British Independence Iraqi Interim Governing Council (IGC) nominated Iyad Allawi on May 28 as the candidate for government prime minister after the power hand-over on June 30. It is a compromise. The decision will be welcomed by liberal politicians in Iraq.

Allawi is very close with US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and British MI-6 (Military Intelligence-6). He is a relative of once US-favored Ahmed Jalabi, another exiled Iraqi, and both of them should be to some extent responsible for US wrong intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Allawi is lack of extensive support from the masses, and in most Iraqis' eyes, his intimacy with the Western world, especially with US and Britain is likely to have negative impact on Iraqi situation in the future.

By People's Daily Online