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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

05 May 2003

Multi-Party Iraqi Interim Authority to Begin Work in May

(U.S. Administrator says most public services to be operational soon)
(950)
Following is a news release May 5 from the U.S. military's central
command about the imminent formation of the core of an Iraqi interim
government:
(begin text)
Centcom News Release - U.S. civil administrator for Iraq, retired
General Jay Garner, told reporters May 5, that he expects a group of
Iraqi leaders to emerge in May to form the core of Iraq's interim
government.
"By the middle of the month, you'll really see a beginning of a
nucleus of an Iraqi government with an Iraqi face on it that is
dealing with the coalition," Garner said.
Speaking with the press in Baghdad before traveling to the southern
city of Basra, he said the leadership is expected to include Masoud
Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party; Ahmad Chalabi of
the Iraqi National Congress; Jalal Talabani of Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan; Iyad Allawi of the Iraqi National Accord; and Abdel Azziz
al-Hakim, a senior official in the Iran-based Supreme Council for
Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Garner noted several other Iraqis might
join this collective leadership group, which would become the point of
contact for the Americans and others.
Garner announced that Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, a former U.S.
diplomat who headed the State Department's counter-terrorism efforts,
is expected to arrive in Baghdad next week to take over as U.S. civil
administrator in Iraq. Garner explained that Bremer is expected to
concentrate on Iraq's political process while he would focus more on
reconstruction before departing Iraq.
Turning to reconstruction, Garner noted electricity in Baghdad was now
running at 50 percent capacity but with the approach of summer, it was
critical to increase capacity by repairing transmission lines.
"The month of May is a key month for getting all the public services
stood up or at least prospect of being stood up and getting the law
enforcement system back." While military action in Iraq had caused
less damage to infrastructure and fewer refugees than anticipated
Garner said U.N. sanctions were slowing Iraq's recovery.
Upon their arrival in Basra, Iraq's second most populated city, Garner
and his team from the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian
Affairs (ORHA) visited the Basra General Hospital and discussed the
needs of the institution with hospital officials. Journalists from
international news services traveling with Garner noted the poor
conditions of the hospital and reported shortages of medicines and
anesthetics.
Newly named administrator for the southeastern Iraq, Danish Ambassador
Ole Wohlers Olsen, said he would be traveling to Basra at the end of
the week with cash to pay doctors' salaries and meet other
commitments.
"We have now a very serious job in front of us in the most mistreated
part of Iraq," Olsen said of the Shiite populated region. Olsen's
appointment changes ORHA's original three-region administrative
division of Iraq into four regions.
Information on Garner's visit was obtained from reports published by
U.S. Central Command, which can be read at http://www.centcom.mil/.
Following is a more detailed assessment of coalition efforts to aid
Iraq's recovery, released by U.S. Central Command May 5, 2003.
COALITION EFFORTS AID IRAQ'S RECOVERY
CAMP DOHA, Kuwait -- Coalition forces continue to assist in developing
a safe and secure environment in Iraq. Among recent developments:
.Coalition engineers continue to assess and make recommendations for
the repair of power, water and sanitation facilities damaged during
Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as repair to those that had fallen
into disrepair before the operation.
.U.S. Army V Corps continues to remove stockpiled Iraqi ammunition
from sites in Baghdad to prevent illegal use and black marketing. Over
150 truckloads of ammunition have been removed to secure coalition
military sites outside of Baghdad where the ammunition is examined for
serviceability. Unserviceable ammunition is destroyed, while the rest
is held in reserve for training of the future Iraqi military.
.In Safwan, five out of 14 schools have reopened, while in Al Zabayr,
48 of 60 schools have reopened.
.The Kirkuk Government Building formally re-opened May 4, a
significant milestone toward establishing civilian governance.
.All five hospitals in An Najaf are now operational and accepting
patients. Each hospital has its own functioning ambulance service.
.Power has been restored to residents and businesses at pre-war levels
or higher in nine of 27 key cities. All 18 hydroelectric power plants
in Iraq are producing power at levels 80 percent or better than
pre-war levels. In Ar Rutbah, Coalition engineers have restored the
flow of power to the city from the Haditha Dam.
.Water supply is at or above pre-war levels in 14 of the 27 key
cities. Military Reverse Osmosis Water Purification Units and wells
now supplement Iraqi supplies by producing more than 300,000 liters of
potable water daily.
.Phone service between Basra and Amarah has been reestablished.
.Order is being restored throughout the country with 19 of 27 cities
now considered permissive. Police forces are operational in many
cities, with joint Iraqi/Coalition Forces Police patrols successfully
maintaining civil order. Fire departments are again operational in
many cities. Several cities have freely elected town councils and
mayors. Security provided by Coalition forces has allowed the U.N.
international offices to relocate to Baghdad. Coalition forces, Office
of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance and Iraqis are working
together to re-establish a viable legal/judicial system.
.Another 250 Iraqi soldiers captured during Operation Iraqi Freedom
were released after accepting parole. To date 3,426 have been paroled.
Additionally, 3,217 have been released after determining they were
noncombatants. Currently, approximately 2,600 enemy prisoners of war
are being detained by the Coalition.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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