#4
WaPo this morning reported L. Paul Bremer III, "conservative career diplomat" (sheesh, with a name like that how could he be anything else?) "will be named special envoy and civil administrator of Iraq in the next few days, the officials said. He will report to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and will be the new boss of Jay M. Garner, the retired Army lieutenant general who has been in charge of rebuilding Iraq." Here are some choice excerpts:
"State Department officials said they view the appointment of Bremer, who was a top aide to six secretaries of state during 23 years as a foreign service officer, as a small victory in their bitter turf war with Pentagon rivals.
"Garner, director of the Pentagon's new Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, will continue to oversee policing, the restoration of communications and utilities, and planned improvements to Iraq's schools and roads, officials said.
"Negotiations with potential Iraqi leaders will continue to be handled by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. envoy overseeing Iraq's political development, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ryan C. Crocker.
""Ambassador Bremer is going to help oversee all the responsibilities we and coalition partners have to help the Iraqi people restore and renew their country after 30 years of tyranny," a senior administration official said. "
So - there will be a three-way group grope to run things, thus guaranteeing that it will be your typical DC-style screwup. Makes it sound like Bremer is there to kiss up to people/countries (France?) that don't want to dirty themselves by getting too close to (shudder!) a military man.
Sofia
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