Sunday, June 29, 2003
Bremer puts it in perspective
KEEP YOUR HELMET ON!
TIMES NEWS TRACKER
Topics Alerts
Bremer, L Paul III
Iraq
United States Armament and Defense
Bremer Says More Attacks Won't Deter the Allies
By AMY WALDMAN
AGHDAD, Iraq, June 29 — The American civilian administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, warned tonight that attacks against allied targets in Iraq could escalate, but vowed that the resistance would not deter the country's reconstruction.
"We're certainly not panicked," he said in an interview with several newspapers tonight, one of several meetings he had with news outlets over the weekend. "We're not going to get deflected from our direction by an attack now and then, tragic as it may be."
The attacks "are a sign of weakness," he said of those responsible for them, adding, "And I think we have to anticipate that as we succeed, we will continue to see attacks, and indeed you may find an escalation to terrorism as we go forward."
Referring to those carrying out assaults on coalition forces, sabotage of infrastructure and attacks on Iraqi and American civilians, he said, "These are people who do not want the coalition to succeed."
He put the blame for the attacks, as he has before, on remnants of the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein, members of the Saddam Fedayeen paramilitary force and "perhaps some terrorists." While he maintained, as have allied commanders, that the attacks were not centrally coordinated, he said "some of them are quite professional," and had probably been committed by former Fedayeen members.
At least five or six of the attacks, including the shooting of a soldier in the head in a Baghdad market on Friday, were carried out in a similar manner, Mr. Bremer said, suggesting "a clear understanding of how body armor works."
Of attacks in recent days on civilians cooperating with the allies, he said, "They may be targeting civilians as a way to intimidate people from working on reconstruction." But he added, "I'm not prepared to say we're entering a new phase yet."
He reiterated the importance of killing or capturing Mr. Hussein as a way to sap the vigor of the resistance, and curb the fear of the Iraqi people. He said all available assessments suggested that Mr. Hussein was still in Iraq.
Mr. Bremer said that the attacks would not deter an expansion of the American-led civilian administration here, and that he had requested several hundred more people to be sent to bolster the administration and deploy around the country.
In the meantime, he said, the military was continuing to carry out hundreds or thousands of small-scale reconstruction projects across Iraq.
Mr. Bremer sketched out a series of measures that the coalition is using to funnel money and resources to the Iraqi people.
Salaries are being paid to 1.3 million civil servants, although many have little work to do. Stipends are being given to about 200,000 officers, and one-time payments to 300,000 military conscripts.
Some $150 million was spent to buy wheat and barley from Iraqi farmers, and the coalition is continuing to provide food rations. About $200 million also being spent on emergency programs directed at creating jobs.
Mr. Bremer said that the Iraqi economy had been destroyed from within, referring to Mr. Hussein's spending on weapons and palaces, and that it could not be rebuilt quickly. Reconstruction, he said, "will not be self-financing," but will require international donor support.
Iraq will be a rich country eventually, he said, "but it will need bridging money from international capital over the next few years."
Mr. Bremer said he disagreed with criticism of the planning for postwar Iraq, saying it was hard to move forward when there were people bent on disrupting progress, and "at least one country" — referring to Iran — interfering in Iraq's affairs.
"I think basically there was a plan," he said of the postwar preparations. "It's just damn difficult to execute."
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TIMES NEWS TRACKER
Topics Alerts
Bremer, L Paul III
Iraq
United States Armament and Defense
Bremer Says More Attacks Won't Deter the Allies
By AMY WALDMAN
AGHDAD, Iraq, June 29 — The American civilian administrator of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer III, warned tonight that attacks against allied targets in Iraq could escalate, but vowed that the resistance would not deter the country's reconstruction.
"We're certainly not panicked," he said in an interview with several newspapers tonight, one of several meetings he had with news outlets over the weekend. "We're not going to get deflected from our direction by an attack now and then, tragic as it may be."
The attacks "are a sign of weakness," he said of those responsible for them, adding, "And I think we have to anticipate that as we succeed, we will continue to see attacks, and indeed you may find an escalation to terrorism as we go forward."
Referring to those carrying out assaults on coalition forces, sabotage of infrastructure and attacks on Iraqi and American civilians, he said, "These are people who do not want the coalition to succeed."
He put the blame for the attacks, as he has before, on remnants of the Baath Party of Saddam Hussein, members of the Saddam Fedayeen paramilitary force and "perhaps some terrorists." While he maintained, as have allied commanders, that the attacks were not centrally coordinated, he said "some of them are quite professional," and had probably been committed by former Fedayeen members.
At least five or six of the attacks, including the shooting of a soldier in the head in a Baghdad market on Friday, were carried out in a similar manner, Mr. Bremer said, suggesting "a clear understanding of how body armor works."
Of attacks in recent days on civilians cooperating with the allies, he said, "They may be targeting civilians as a way to intimidate people from working on reconstruction." But he added, "I'm not prepared to say we're entering a new phase yet."
He reiterated the importance of killing or capturing Mr. Hussein as a way to sap the vigor of the resistance, and curb the fear of the Iraqi people. He said all available assessments suggested that Mr. Hussein was still in Iraq.
Mr. Bremer said that the attacks would not deter an expansion of the American-led civilian administration here, and that he had requested several hundred more people to be sent to bolster the administration and deploy around the country.
In the meantime, he said, the military was continuing to carry out hundreds or thousands of small-scale reconstruction projects across Iraq.
Mr. Bremer sketched out a series of measures that the coalition is using to funnel money and resources to the Iraqi people.
Salaries are being paid to 1.3 million civil servants, although many have little work to do. Stipends are being given to about 200,000 officers, and one-time payments to 300,000 military conscripts.
Some $150 million was spent to buy wheat and barley from Iraqi farmers, and the coalition is continuing to provide food rations. About $200 million also being spent on emergency programs directed at creating jobs.
Mr. Bremer said that the Iraqi economy had been destroyed from within, referring to Mr. Hussein's spending on weapons and palaces, and that it could not be rebuilt quickly. Reconstruction, he said, "will not be self-financing," but will require international donor support.
Iraq will be a rich country eventually, he said, "but it will need bridging money from international capital over the next few years."
Mr. Bremer said he disagreed with criticism of the planning for postwar Iraq, saying it was hard to move forward when there were people bent on disrupting progress, and "at least one country" — referring to Iran — interfering in Iraq's affairs.
"I think basically there was a plan," he said of the postwar preparations. "It's just damn difficult to execute."
