Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that “Iraq today is sovereign and independent.” He continued: “With the execution of the troop pullout, our relations with the United States have entered a new stage between two equal, sovereign countries.” But think back over six years to June 28, 2004, when Paul Bremer handed over a note to an Iraqi judge and left the country in a helicopter. Condoleezza Rice passed a note to President Bush saying…