Reminiscent of a back-alley drug deal, the Bush administration tossed the new Iraqi government the goods as they dashed out of sight -- two days ahead of schedule and in the virtual dark of (the American) night.

From the Progress Report:

Chief U.S. administrator Paul Bremer formally transferred sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government two days early. The "near secret" ceremony was attended by just "a half dozen Iraqi and coalition officials held in the heavily guarded Green Zone."

After handing a few legal document to Iraqi chief justice Mahdi al-Mahmood, Bremer immediately "left Iraq on a U.S. Air Force C-130."

The early handoff was most assuredly to avoid the catastrophe that would likely have occurred had the transfer been executed as scheduled. No doubt every insurgent group from Dahuk to Al Basrah was preparing for attacks on coalition and sympathetic forces -- strategically timed to sustain maximal symbolic impact as the reigns of power were changing hands.

Who knows what chaos might have ensued had the insurgents known the true time of the handover. Now the Bush administration can claim that a successful transition has been completed. In addition, they can broadcast a quiet and dignified transfer ceremony during American prime time.

A brilliant idea?

I’m sure administration officials are patting themselves on the back, knowing that the ceremony will be presented to the world without the scars of any concurrent attacks, symbolic or otherwise. I welcome this move. It most certainly stole the insurgent’s thunder and perhaps spared a few lives.

From a public relations perspective, though, the move was an unmitigated disaster. Why would the administration pre-empt their heroic transfer of power to the newest democracy in the world? Why would the administration downplay -- even hide one of the greatest successes of the Bush administration’s foreign policy?

The answers that come quickly to mind are not encouraging -- This was not a ‘heroic’ transfer of power. This is not the newest democracy in the world. And this was not a ‘great success’ for Bush’s foreign policy.

The handover should have been an unmitigated show of confidence. In reality, the avoidance of any pomp and circumstance is a clear admission by the administration that Iraq is in no way ready for such a handover. There is no security. There is no stability and there is certainly no sensibility. The handover was simply an act of ‘do or die’ desperation. A literal hit-and-run maneuver that the administration hopes will dupe Americans and the rest of the world into believing that Bush’s foreign policy in Iraq was somehow valid.

Once again, the administration seems to have forgone consideration of what happens next. They’ve avoided asking the questions, ‘What is the best thing for the Iraqi people and the region?’ or ‘What will it take to make Iraq a legitimate, working democracy?’ They seem unconcerned about the long-term viability of the Iraqi government -- Civil war -- Chaos.

Even as the administration works to create legitimacy for their Iraqi incursion, these types of actions destroy confidence in the administration’s motives and competence.

In essence, the remnants of trust in this administration have taken a hit by this secretive, fearful, cowering transfer of power at a time when a bold, empowering, confident celebration should have introduced to the world, an Iraq that is ready and willing to stand on its own strength -- powerfully able to push toward a brighter future.

Instead, there are only new questions and doubts.