Bush appoints former diplomat to lead Iraqi reconstruction

President Bush on Tuesday appointed a former State Department diplomat to head the U.S. government's humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq, placing the projects under civilian leadership, a move aid groups and the State Department have advocated.

The administration designated L. Paul Bremer III, who served in the U.S. Diplomatic Corps for 23 years, as presidential envoy to Iraq. Jay Garner, the retired general currently overseeing Iraq's reconstruction, will now report to Bremer. Gen. Tommy Franks will retain command of coalition military forces in the region.

In a speech announcing the appointment, Bush praised the new envoy as a "a can-do type person" who shares Americans' "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." Bremer served under six State Department secretaries in a variety of diplomatic positions, including ambassador to the Netherlands.

The Pentagon is "thrilled" with Bremer's appointment and believes he will be a "huge boon" to humanitarian efforts in Iraq, said Pentagon spokesman Navy Cmdr. Chris Isleib. Bremer's expertise on democracy-building and legal issues will complement Garner's work, he said. Garner will remain deeply involved in implementing reconstruction projects, Isleib added. "He's a roll-up-the sleeves, get everybody working together, guy."

News reports have exaggerated quarrels between the State Department and Pentagon over who will run humanitarian projects, Isleib said. He contended the Pentagon had always planned on handing over reconstruction leadership to a civilian knowledgeable about nation building. Defense has simply been "tight-lipped" about the plans, he said.

The State Department sees Bremer's appointment as an "important next step forward in Iraq's long-term transition to democracy and prosperity," said agency spokeswoman Nancy Beck. "He completes our senior management team [in Iraq]." She emphasized that while Bremer is a civilian diplomat, he will still ultimately report to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Bremer's appointment is a mixed blessing, according to Joel Charny, vice president for policy at Refugees International, an advocacy group that has called for a civilian to lead Iraqi reconstruction. Putting a former diplomat in charge will help mobilize aid groups and nongovernmental organizations reluctant to work under a former military leader.

U.S. agencies are facing a huge challenge coordinating aid to Iraq, and "the image of Garner eating hamburgers in one of Saddam Hussein's palaces" discourages cooperation from nonprofits and the international community, he said. But at the same time, Bremer still reports to Rumsfeld, he noted.

"In a sense, it's a reaffirmation of Pentagon control, but with a clearer civilian face in charge," Charny said. "Rumsfeld will still maintain his direct line of management."