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American Morning
Leadership Shakeup in Iraq
Aired May 12, 2003 - 07:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There is a new boss, a new U.S. boss of post-war Iraq. He has arrived in Baghdad. Former diplomat Paul Bremer will soon take the helm of a very troubled administration, one that has seen much of the country languish in lawlessness and chaos.
John King up early this morning, he is live at the White House.
John -- good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
And, of course, one of the questions is: Why? Why a shakeup in the U.S. administration of Iraq so soon after the fighting stopped?
As you noted, L. Paul Bremer -- also known by his nickname, "Jerry" Bremer -- making his first appearance in Iraq today. He arrived in the southern city of Basra, making his way up to Baghdad.
For now, retired Army General Jay Garner, who was put in charge after the fighting stopped, will stay for a few more weeks. Both men saying they will have a smooth handoff, a transition of power. General Garner will come back, though, within the next month or so to the United States.
White House officials and others in Washington saying there is no tension between those two men. But obviously the administration made a decision to move the retired general -- a military face, if you will -- out, and put in a veteran, a 23-year veteran of the State Department, a man known for his diplomacy, in.
Another reason for this, administration officials say, is that Paul Bremer has very close friends at the State Department, but also is very close to the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and his team at the Pentagon. It is Secretary Rumsfeld to whom Paul Bremer will report.
There has, of course, been some tension -- others call it a "tug of war" -- between the State Department and the Pentagon over what to do in Iraq in the post-war days. And there also, of course, have been a number of complaints from Shia clerics and others in Iraq that the reconstruction and humanitarian efforts are moving too slowly. The administration insists this was always part of the plan: Once security improved, to put a more senior civilian in on the ground.
But Paul Bremer will now be watched very closely. There is some dissatisfaction in Washington, obviously some dissatisfaction among the Iraqi people, about the pace of progress in getting a new Iraqi administration and basic services up and running -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John King at the White House -- John, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired May 12, 2003 - 07:18 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There is a new boss, a new U.S. boss of post-war Iraq. He has arrived in Baghdad. Former diplomat Paul Bremer will soon take the helm of a very troubled administration, one that has seen much of the country languish in lawlessness and chaos.
John King up early this morning, he is live at the White House.
John -- good morning.
JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Daryn.
And, of course, one of the questions is: Why? Why a shakeup in the U.S. administration of Iraq so soon after the fighting stopped?
As you noted, L. Paul Bremer -- also known by his nickname, "Jerry" Bremer -- making his first appearance in Iraq today. He arrived in the southern city of Basra, making his way up to Baghdad.
For now, retired Army General Jay Garner, who was put in charge after the fighting stopped, will stay for a few more weeks. Both men saying they will have a smooth handoff, a transition of power. General Garner will come back, though, within the next month or so to the United States.
White House officials and others in Washington saying there is no tension between those two men. But obviously the administration made a decision to move the retired general -- a military face, if you will -- out, and put in a veteran, a 23-year veteran of the State Department, a man known for his diplomacy, in.
Another reason for this, administration officials say, is that Paul Bremer has very close friends at the State Department, but also is very close to the defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and his team at the Pentagon. It is Secretary Rumsfeld to whom Paul Bremer will report.
There has, of course, been some tension -- others call it a "tug of war" -- between the State Department and the Pentagon over what to do in Iraq in the post-war days. And there also, of course, have been a number of complaints from Shia clerics and others in Iraq that the reconstruction and humanitarian efforts are moving too slowly. The administration insists this was always part of the plan: Once security improved, to put a more senior civilian in on the ground.
But Paul Bremer will now be watched very closely. There is some dissatisfaction in Washington, obviously some dissatisfaction among the Iraqi people, about the pace of progress in getting a new Iraqi administration and basic services up and running -- Daryn.
KAGAN: John King at the White House -- John, thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
