New! Improved! In The Freedom Proof Package!

Given the chaotic state of affairs in their country, it's understandable that the folks we're supposed to be turning Iraq over to in a week or so would advocate a 'lawnorder' policy. Still, when words like 'martial law' started cropping up, there was a lot of handwringing among American worry-warts.

Be not dismayed. Nothing like that is going to happen. Not under Iraqi supervision, anyway.

The US-led occupation authority in Baghdad has warned Iraq's interim government not to carry out its threat of declaring martial law, insisting that only the US-led coalition has the right to adopt emergency powers after the June 30 handover of sovereignty.

Senior American officials say Iraq's authorities are bound by human rights clauses in the interim constitution, known as the Transitional Administrative Law, prohibiting administrative detention.

But they say the recent United Nations Security Council resolution 1546 sanctions the use by foreign forces in Iraq of "all necessary measures" to provide security.

A senior coalition official in Baghdad said: "Under the UN resolution, the multinational force will have the power to take all actions traditionally associated with martial law."

In other words, if there's going to be martial law, we're going to provide the marshalls. We may be sending a new ambassador to Baghdad, but it'll be the same old sheriff in town.

Of course, all that concern was just a matter of confusion. It seems some people thought that the full 'full sovereignty' we've promised the Iraqis had something to do with the kind of antiquated sovereignty pioneered in places like Old Europe® - you know, the kind where governments write their own laws, pass their own budgets and defend their own borders. But that would be wrong. Instead, we're offering them the very latest model, Way New™ brand sovereignty by Bushco®.

Custom tailored to the needs of New Iraq®, Way New™ sovereignty solves all kinds of thorny problems for the budding Iraqi government. National defense? Not their problem!

US advisers are concerned about the security powers sought by Mr Allawi, a one-time Baath party member, and are struggling to check the ambitions of his ministers to rebuild and re-arm Iraq's forces.

"Iraq will have a lightly-armed standing army and no heavy field artillery," says Jacinta Caroll, director of defence policy for the Coalition Provisional Authority. If tanks and attack aircraft were needed, Iraq would have to rely on US-led forces, she said.

Struggles with budget priorities and a confusing array of vendors? No sweat!

To curb Iraq's access to heavy weapons, observers say the occupation authorities have signed a $259m contract with US company Anham Joint Venture to be sole supplier of arms to Iraq's armed forces for the next two years.

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All but 20 per cent of the defence ministry's 2004 $1.5bn budget stems from US funds, say coalition officials, and Iraq's share is earmarked for the payment of salaries, not equipment.

Need a hand keeping the foreign occupiers and merecenary armies in line? Hey, it's handled!

The Bush administration has decided to take the unusual step of bestowing on its own troops and personnel immunity from prosecution by Iraqi courts for killing Iraqis or destroying local property after the occupation ends and political power is transferred to an interim Iraqi government, U.S. officials said

And you don't even need to trouble your own citizens with the details!

Bush's top foreign policy advisers, including Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice, are still debating the scope of immunity to be granted

Yep, if you've got problems, Way New™ brand sovereignty by Bushco® has the answers!