AP Wire | 05/05/2003 | Garner: Group of 9 Will Likely Lead Iraq Retired Lt. Gen. Jay Garner also said he expects the newly appointed L. Paul Bremer, former head of the State Department's counterterrorism office, to take charge of the political process within the U.S. postwar administration.
"What you may see is as many as seven, eight, nine leaders working together to provide leadership," Garner said. He added, though, that he didn't know how the collective leadership would function specifically.
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.
The five met several times late last week, and at least one meeting was attended by White House envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. Garner said the group would probably be expanded to include, for example, a Christian and perhaps another Sunni leader.
Bremer is expected to arrive in Iraq by next week, Garner said.
"He will get more involved in the political process. I'm doing all of it and don't want to do all of it," Garner said.
He said the appointment of someone such as Bremer had been planned all along.
"I'll stay a while. There's got to be a good handoff," he said.
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"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 thus far has been his operation's inability to inaugurate an extensive television and radio broadcast system for Iraq. The satellite TV service broadcasting so far has been available to only a few Iraqis.
"We haven't done a good job," Garner said. "I want TV going to the people ... with a soft demeanor, programs they want to see."
"What you may see is as many as seven, eight, nine leaders working together to provide leadership," Garner said. He added, though, that he didn't know how the collective leadership would function specifically.
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.
The five met several times late last week, and at least one meeting was attended by White House envoy Zalmay Khalilzad. Garner said the group would probably be expanded to include, for example, a Christian and perhaps another Sunni leader.
Bremer is expected to arrive in Iraq by next week, Garner said.
"He will get more involved in the political process. I'm doing all of it and don't want to do all of it," Garner said.
He said the appointment of someone such as Bremer had been planned all along.
"I'll stay a while. There's got to be a good handoff," he said.
>>
"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 thus far has been his operation's inability to inaugurate an extensive television and radio broadcast system for Iraq. The satellite TV service broadcasting so far has been available to only a few Iraqis.
"We haven't done a good job," Garner said. "I want TV going to the people ... with a soft demeanor, programs they want to see."
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