My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope
Jeffrey L. Ward (Map) New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. [12], 417, [3] pages. Illustrations. Map. Index. Inscribed by the author on the title page. The inscription reads To Jeff with my deep appreciation for your great service to our country. L. Paul Bremer 1/13/06. The author was America's proconsul in Iraq in the fourteen months following the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime. Lewis Paul Bremer III (born September 30, 1941) is a retired American diplomat. He was the second de facto chief civilian administrator of Iraq as leader of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) following the 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, from May 2003 until June 2004. He joined the Foreign Service, which sent him to Kabul, Afghanistan, as a general services officer. Bremer held various domestic posts with the U.S. State Department, including one as an assistant to Kissinger from 1972 to 1976. He was with Kissinger on shuttle diplomacy missions to Israel, Syria, and Egypt to resolve the Yom Kippur War in 1973. In vivid, dramatic detail, Bremer reveals the previously hidden struggles among Iraqi politicians and America's leaders, taking us from the ancient lanes of the holy city of Najaf to the White House Situation Room and the Pentagon E-Ring. Bremer arrived in Iraq in May 2003. On May 11 he replaced Lt. General Jay Garner as Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance. In June, the Office was transformed into the Coalition Provisional Authority, and Bremer became the country's chief executive authority. As the holder of the "most powerful foreign post held by any American since Gen. Douglas MacArthur in Japan," he compared himself to MacArthur as well as General Lucius Clay, who was in charge of the American zone in Germany following its defeat in World War II.
As the top civilian administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, Bremer was permitted to rule by decree. Among his first and most notable decrees were Coalition Provisional Authority Order 1, which banned the Ba'ath party in all forms, and Coalition Provisional Authority Order 2, which dismantled the Iraqi Army. On July 13, 2003, Bremer approved the creation of an Iraqi Interim Governing Council with the stated mission of "ensuring that the Iraqi people's interests are represented." The council members were chosen by Bremer from among groups and individuals which had supported the American invasion of Iraq. Bremer retained veto power over the council's proposals. The council was authorized to select a limited number of delegates to key Coalition Provisional Authority committees, like the Program Review Board. Bremer also empowered the CPA to develop and implement the Iraqi constitution. On June 28, 2004, at 10:26 am local time, the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority formally transferred limited sovereignty of Iraqi territory to the Iraqi Interim Government, two days ahead of schedule. Bremer departed from the country on the same day. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: Iraq, Saddam Hussein, Insurgency, Diplomacy, Shiites, Kur Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Coalition Provisional Authority
ISBN: 9780743273893
[Book #57251]
Price: $175.00