06 May 2003
Ambassador Paul Bremer Named Presidential Envoy to Iraq
(White House says Bremer to be senior coalition official in Iraq) (630) President Bush named Ambassador Paul "Jerry" Bremer to be presidential envoy to Iraq, the White House announced May 6. At an Oval Office ceremony, the president announced Bremer's selection, calling him "a man of enormous experience" and "a can-do type person." The president said Bremer "goes with the full blessings of this administration, and the full confidence of all of us ... that he can get the job done." Bremer previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of Marsh Crisis Consulting. Prior to that he was managing director of the Kissinger Group, the White House said. In his government career, Bremer was a State Department Foreign Service Officer for 23 years, serving as ambassador to the Netherlands and as President Reagan's ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism. Bremer will serve as the senior Coalition official in Iraq, reporting to the president through Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the White House said. U.S. Army General Tommy Franks will remain in command of coalition military personnel in theater, according to the statement. Following is an excerpt of Bush's remarks and the text of the White House announcement: (begin text) THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary May 6, 2003 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN PHOTO OPPORTUNITY AFTER MEETING WITH THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE The Oval Office THE PRESIDENT: Today it's my honor to announce that Jerry Bremer has agreed to become the presidential envoy to Iraq. In selecting Jerry Bremer, our country will be sending one of our best citizens. He's a man of enormous experience; a person who knows how to get things done; he's a can-do type person; he shares the same values as the American -- most Americans share, and that is our deep desire to have an orderly country in Iraq that is free and at peace, where the average citizen has a chance to achieve his or her dreams. The ambassador goes with the full blessings of this administration, and the full confidence of all of us in this administration that he can get the job done. So, Mr. Ambassador, thanks for taking this on and I'm proud of you and I appreciate so very much you're willing to sacrifice not only on behalf of our country, but on behalf of the people of Iraq who deserve a free and democratic society. Good luck to you... (end excerpt) (begin text) THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary May 6, 2003 STATEMENT BY THE PRESS SECRETARY Ambassador L. Paul Bremer as Presidential Envoy to Iraq President Bush today announced the appointment of Ambassador L. Paul Bremer, III, as Presidential Envoy to Iraq. Ambassador Bremer will serve as the senior Coalition official in Iraq. In his capacity as Presidential Envoy, he will oversee Coalition reconstruction efforts and the process by which the Iraqi people build the institutions and governing structures that will guide their future. General Tommy Franks will maintain command over Coalition military personnel in the theater. Ambassador Bremer will report to Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld and will advise the President, through the Secretary, on policies designed to achieve American and Coalition goals for Iraq. Ambassador Bremer was recently the Chairman and CEO [chief executive officer] of Marsh Crisis Consulting, and was previously Managing Director of the Kissinger Group. He joined the Kissinger Group after 23 years of service in the U.S. Diplomatic Corps under six Secretaries of State. In 1983, Ambassador Bremer was named Ambassador to the Netherlands, and in 1986, President Reagan appointed him Ambassador-at-Large for Counter Terrorism. In 1999, Speaker [of the House of Representatives Dennis] Hastert appointed him as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorism. (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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