Handover ends Abu Ghraib era

The United States handed over the last detention facility under its control to Iraqi authorities yesterday, a milestone in Iraq's push for complete sovereignty seven years after the US-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

The handover of the base near Baghdad's international airport marks the end of a troubling chapter in the US presence in the country – one defined for years by the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.

Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon said the Iraqis were ready for the added responsibility. "There is overwhelming evidence they are equipped, prepared and poised to take over."