Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Sunday Morning
'Washington Post': Garner Relieved of Duties
Aired May 11, 2003 - 07:06 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.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, want to talk about some of our top stories this morning. We go to Iraq. Big shake up of U.S. operations in Iraq, reportedly in the works right now.
Now, "The Washington Post" is reporting that retired U.S. General Jay Garner, who has been overseeing the building of Iraq, for a very short time now, has been relieved of duty along with some of his top aides. For the latest on this development let's go to CNN's John Vause, in Baghdad.
Good morning, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Anderson.
CNN has confirmed that Barbara Bodine, the senior ranking woman at the interim administration here in Iraq, in Baghdad, will be leaving. In fact, she will be leaving tonight. U.S. officials here tell CNN that Ms. Bodine will leave to take up a senior position with the Department of State.
Now, Ms. Bodine is a former ambassador to Yemen. And her role here was basically to rebuild Baghdad and oversee the election of a democratically elected local government. Now, public services here in Baghdad are still in chaos. There is not sign of that local government either.
Now, last week, officials at the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, told CNN that there would be a number of changes to that office, especially with the appointment of L. Paul Bremer. He's a career diplomat, a conservative diplomat who has very close ties to the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, as well as his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz. And Mr. Bremer will answer directly to the Defense secretary even though Mr. Bremer has no military background.
At the time of his appointment we were told that Mr. Bremer would oversee the political changes here in Iraq while leaving the day-to- day running of the Office for Reconstruction to the retired U.S. General Jay Garner. Well, just three weeks into the job and now "The Washington Post" is reporting that Jay Garner will be packing up and leaving soon, that according to "The Washington Post".
Interestingly, though, Jay Garner said, just a few weeks ago, that he expected to be in Iraq for about three months. Obviously, now, if "The Washington Post" is to be believed, that will be cut short. Now, General Garner received a lot of kudos about a decade ago when he oversaw "Operation Provide Comfort". That was the military operation to provide relief to the Kurds in the north when U.S. troops were seen changing babies and providing food to the Kurdish refugees up in the north. But now it appears, if "The Washington Post" is correct, that the White House would prefer to see a civilian in charge of things here, as opposed to a military man -- Anderson.
COOPER: John, any sense how long he still has or when he's coming back?
VAUSE: It certainly appears that it will be a number of days, not weeks. Right now, Jay Garner and L. Paul Bremer are in Qatar, meeting with the Chiefs of Staff General Richard Meyers. They are expected here within the next day or so. So, certainly transitions in the works. A lot of thing happening, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes, major developments. All right, John Vause, we'll check in with you a little bit later on. Thanks very much.
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 11, 2003 - 07:06 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, want to talk about some of our top stories this morning. We go to Iraq. Big shake up of U.S. operations in Iraq, reportedly in the works right now.
Now, "The Washington Post" is reporting that retired U.S. General Jay Garner, who has been overseeing the building of Iraq, for a very short time now, has been relieved of duty along with some of his top aides. For the latest on this development let's go to CNN's John Vause, in Baghdad.
Good morning, John.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN INT'L CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good afternoon, Anderson.
CNN has confirmed that Barbara Bodine, the senior ranking woman at the interim administration here in Iraq, in Baghdad, will be leaving. In fact, she will be leaving tonight. U.S. officials here tell CNN that Ms. Bodine will leave to take up a senior position with the Department of State.
Now, Ms. Bodine is a former ambassador to Yemen. And her role here was basically to rebuild Baghdad and oversee the election of a democratically elected local government. Now, public services here in Baghdad are still in chaos. There is not sign of that local government either.
Now, last week, officials at the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, told CNN that there would be a number of changes to that office, especially with the appointment of L. Paul Bremer. He's a career diplomat, a conservative diplomat who has very close ties to the Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, as well as his deputy, Paul Wolfowitz. And Mr. Bremer will answer directly to the Defense secretary even though Mr. Bremer has no military background.
At the time of his appointment we were told that Mr. Bremer would oversee the political changes here in Iraq while leaving the day-to- day running of the Office for Reconstruction to the retired U.S. General Jay Garner. Well, just three weeks into the job and now "The Washington Post" is reporting that Jay Garner will be packing up and leaving soon, that according to "The Washington Post".
Interestingly, though, Jay Garner said, just a few weeks ago, that he expected to be in Iraq for about three months. Obviously, now, if "The Washington Post" is to be believed, that will be cut short. Now, General Garner received a lot of kudos about a decade ago when he oversaw "Operation Provide Comfort". That was the military operation to provide relief to the Kurds in the north when U.S. troops were seen changing babies and providing food to the Kurdish refugees up in the north. But now it appears, if "The Washington Post" is correct, that the White House would prefer to see a civilian in charge of things here, as opposed to a military man -- Anderson.
COOPER: John, any sense how long he still has or when he's coming back?
VAUSE: It certainly appears that it will be a number of days, not weeks. Right now, Jay Garner and L. Paul Bremer are in Qatar, meeting with the Chiefs of Staff General Richard Meyers. They are expected here within the next day or so. So, certainly transitions in the works. A lot of thing happening, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes, major developments. All right, John Vause, we'll check in with you a little bit later on. Thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
