This past week was another week of explosive violence in Iraq: 54 people were killed and hundreds wounded in car bombings; oil exports were brought to a halt by pipeline sabotage; senior Iraqi officials, including a high level petroleum security chief, were assassinated. Polling results gathered by the Coalition Provisional Authority indicate that 92 percent of Iraqis see coalition troops as occupiers, and only 2 percent see them as liberators.

The handover of limited sovereignty is just 11 days away but, lately, Iraq has looked like too much for anyone to handle. President Bush remains optimistic, saying on Wednesday that “a democratic, free Iraq is on the way.” Glimmers of hope can be found but the country Iraqis will be handed on June 30th, 2004 is a country on a hard road.

Click the “Listen” link to hear about Iraq on the homestretch to handover and the turmoil of transition.

Guests:

Michael O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution

Thanassis Cambanis, correspondent for the Boston Globe

Tony Perry, correspondent for the LA Times

Bobby Ghosh, senior editor, LA Times.