Word: bremers
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...statement said. ?There must be no Baath Party activity, because the party no longer exists.? As many as 1.5 million of Iraq's 24 million people belonged to the party, but only 25,000 to 50,000 were hard core members. The U.S. civilian administration, led by L. Paul Bremer, announced last week that up to 30,000 former Baathists would be kept out of any new, American-established government...
Iraq this week saw its second regime-change in a month: The official line may be that the hand-over of authority in Baghdad from retired general Jay Garner to former ambassador Paul Bremer is simply a preplanned administrative change signaling progress and continuity, but it was clear to many in the Iraqi capital on Thursday that significant changes have occurred. U.S. military units that had been slated to go home were suddenly ordered to stay, and to begin systematically patrolling the city with an eye to stopping looting and restoring order. Bremer announced on Thursday that these patrols...
...sharpest reminder of the urgency of Bremer's mission came on Tuesday, not in Iraq itself, but in neighboring Saudi Arabia, where suspected al-Qaeda operatives staged a deadly multiple terror attack on Americans and other foreigners. Al Qaeda loves a vacuum - it's no coincidence that the network's headquarters have been in states such as Afghanistan and Sudan, rather than authoritarian autocracies such as Saddam's Iraq. But if the current turmoil in Iraq persists, it would certainly fit the textbook definition of an attractive setting for Bin Laden acolytes seeking new addresses...
...Bremer is also moving quickly on a number of other fronts to speed the delivery of basic services to Iraqis, to demonstrate that the coalition is in charge and that it is pursuing plans to make life better in Iraq. It's not yet clear how he plans to manage the establishment of an interim government, although that may become clearer after he meets on Friday with the seven-member leadership council tapped by Garner to organize the process. The political landscape remains uncertain, particularly in respect of the majority Shiite community, many of whose clerical leaders are rejecting...
...Bremer's appointment had been characterized in the U.S. media as a victory for Secretary of State Colin Powell in his battles with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, but while Bremer hails from the State Department, he is reported to hold hawkish views on Islamic extremism, and in his new position he reports directly to Rumsfeld. In fact, Washington insiders cite his ability to bridge the Defense-State divide as among his primary assets in the job. Another may be his understanding of the urgency of the U.S.-led occupation authority delivering security and services to ordinary Iraqis: His most senior position...