Major Milestone

" historic handover in Iraq today at a sign of how far that country has come since the war began. You've all heard about the Green Zone in Baghdad at the place where US troops set up shop. And random war to get Barack up and running again it's been under its contents CK a symbol of the US led occupation. Glad it's not going to be viewed that way anymore at least that's how the Americans think about it Iraqis are now in full control of the Green Zone. Boxes -- reports from Baghdad."

" The new year is bringing major changes the way the US military operates in Iraq some of those changes already visible in the Green Zone in the high security compound in central Baghdad. The government has taken control of Saddam's presidential palace the building that had house the US embassy. The prime minister declared that Iraqi sovereignty has been restored and proposed a national holiday for January 1. The Americans have moved to a massive newly built embassy compound. The greens and serves as headquarters for the US military and diplomats and has been a symbol of American presence here -- Years the US military has also handed control of security in the Green -- to Iraqi forces Iraqis now handling all the checkpoints with American's stepping back into a support role. It's a good -- actually because it's it's time for change it's time to you don't get the country back to Iraq I mean their proud of their country and they're ready but the greens and remains a high profile target hit by several bomb attacks and numerous mortar attacks over the years and the Iraqis are likely to require US help for many months to come. But the rules of the game are changing US troops can no longer conduct operations without the Iraqis approval and they will need warrants signed by an Iraqi judge to arrest and detain."

" Suspects. Heather. All right Bellini -- in Baghdad trying to report for us tonight what my next guest shows -- Firsthand why such an important milestone for both Iraq and the United States is what happened today Fox News contributor Dan senior was a spokesman for the interim government of Iraq. When there was an interim government was back in the very very beginning he was also an adviser to edit. And he joins us now hi Dan I -- it is really a big deal to -- done been handed over Fallujah also been handed over a lot of the troops leaving their but as a small. Group of them will be left for a while -- think that this is is is symbolic or are Iraqis really control."

" I think the Iraqis are controlled from a security standpoint and number various but they know we're there to provide support they needed so if -- gets and it would certainly continue to help with training. The things suddenly escalate again and negative direction US forces will be their back up but Iraqis will be taking the lead I think the real big turning point. Was in Basra last spring march April when when president mallet he conducted operation southern Iraq and he didn't notify the US ambassador. He didn't -- notified General Petraeus -- look we know is an afterthought and oh by the way am conducting this operation. Since then what you've seen is the Rockies leading taking their own decisions communicating with us but not relying."

" Well that's good news that for the direction of that country and for its people what went and edit a lot of thought to be concerned about what does this mean for US troops because in some ways this handover."

" Could make it more difficult for them yeah well we are now going to have to coordinate with the Iraqis on military operations we are involved with the way that we are forces have never had to before for instance the requirements that if US forces want to detain an Iraqi citizen in Iraqi national. They must get a warrant equal that of an arrest warrant from the Iraqi Government that's going to make things complicated so they have to literally like in the gets its wake up the judge in the middle of the night and say hey we got his back that we want to -- that prompted some purposes yes now how work operationally it's good -- work it out of shuttle find out find some -- to expedite things when it's necessary. It's going to be very complicated it's going to be very murky that but what we had before was complicated market and we have to fight our guys have had to fight a counterinsurgency. So it's been company before it couldn't be complicated the different way now the important thing is the trend lines direction -- it's."

" They're going in the right direction and you may not see that being reported a whole half of a lot of -- is but we're glad to be able to report -- also it war Afghanistan of course we're looking at sending in another troop as troop surge in Afghanistan how -- you see that is being different from what's happened in Iraq."

" The troops are there yet it troop surge in Iraq I believe was successful not because so much of the troop surge -- because -- change strategy we decided to locate our forces in civilian areas and make a commitment to protecting Iraqi civilians so that when they stepped up to challenge extremists and their own communities and their own villages their own province's. We still with them. We we -- search the troops to back up the strategy but that make no mistake about it was a change in strategy first and then providing a sufficient troops to implement and in Afghanistan they're talking that more troops it's not clear to me that we even new strategies so it's not that opposed at this point to new troops and which important -- tragic before we send troops to back."

" It US is sending a bunch of guys and gals to that to the Kandahar area in the south which has been a particularly fierce fighting. If that's would be similar kind of fighting to Baghdad or different -- all the other."

" It really depends on the strategy if if our forces are committed to going into these towns and protecting civilians were standing with us that it is similar. If it's just straight on fighting and doing you know clearing of safe havens and safe the al-Qaeda safe houses and Talabani statehouses."

" It's different -- be you know last year all right -- senior -- thank you so my village and -- was with the Coalition Provisional Authority -- called CPA back then in 1990s -- it's so things have changed a lot -- actually nice to be able to bring it's a very powerful notion -- that that there is that the change is really more -- in more than symbolic -- dramatic -- thank -- so much."