NEWS RELEASEHEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 |
May 5, 2003
Release Number: 03-05-11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5th Pool Report Number One
GARNER POOL NOTES No. 1
From reporter Charles J. Hanley, The Associated Press
5-5-03 9 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) Monday:
Retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, U.S. civil administrator for Iraq, spoke in Baghdad as he prepared to leave for a one-day trip to Basra, where he will be visiting a school, a hospital and an oil refinery and will be conferring with a local sheik.
He said a group of up to nine leaders will probably head Iraq's interim government through the coming months. He also said he expects the newly appointed L. Paul Bremer to take charge of the political process within the U.S. postwar administration here.
The Iraqi leaders Garner referred to were Massoud Barzani; leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party; Ahmad Chalabi of the Iraqi National Congress; Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan; Iyad Allawi of the Iraqi National Accord; and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, whose elder brother heads the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
He said that group would likely be expanded to include, for example, a Christian, and perhaps another Sunni figure.
"I think what you may see is as many as seven, eight, nine leaders working together to provide leadership," Garner said. He added that he didn't know how the collective leadership would function specifically.
He said he expected Bremer to arrive in Iraq by next week.
"He will get more involved in the political process. I'm doing all of it and don't want to do all of it. ... We really need a dedicated effort," on the political side, Garner said.
He said that the appointment of someone like Bremer had been planned all along and that Garner was intended to be here temporarily.
"I'll stay a while. There's got to be a good handoff," he said.
On the detention of the self-proclaimed mayor of Baghdad: Garner said he understood that Mohammed Mohsen al-Zubaidi had been released after two days in custody. The condition for his release was that he not resume his activity of asserting authority in Baghdad.
"I understand he was released after 48 hours," Garner said.
On progress: "The month of May is a key month for getting all the public services stood up or at least with a good prospect of being stood up and getting the law enforcement system back," Garner said.
He said one disappointment of his operation thus far had been its inability to inaugurate an extensive television and radio broadcast system for Iraq.
"We haven't done a good job ... I want TV going to the people ... with a soft demeanor, programs they want to see."
END
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