Word: bremer
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...public Bremer has adopted an almost presidential air, moving about in motorcades flanked by Secret Service agents, wearing a suit and tie despite the heat, positioning himself behind a podium at press conferences. "Everything Jerry Bremer's done has been to give the impression that he's in charge, that someone is running things," says a senior U.S. intelligence official. "And after the disorder, that's exactly what you need." On Bremer's desk sits a plaque that reads SUCCESS HAS A THOUSAND FATHERS...
...Bremer's biggest asset is his direct line to the people who matter in Washington. He says he speaks to Bush every 10 days and to Rumsfeld several times a week. He phones in to the White House's weekly national security meeting. Unlike Garner, whom some U.S. officials criticize for failing to engage the Army commanders, Bremer works closely with Lieut. General Sanchez to determine how the military deploys its resources. Since Bremer's arrival, U.S. troops have become more visible peacekeepers: conducting foot patrols, guarding schools, building soccer fields, cleaning streets. "What is unusual is that Lieut. General...
...people screaming at you," says Lieut. Colonel P.J. Dermer, a civil-affairs officer in Baghdad. "The military adds a bit of backbone. The Kumbaya part comes later." Captain James Ogletree, a Marine civil-affairs officer in Karbala, says his units are carrying out orders that come directly from Bremer's staff. "They will say, 'See how many orphanages there are in the city and what they need,'" says Ogletree. "Basically, Marines who pull triggers are going into schools and saying 'O.K., it needs this many windows?'" Bremer has asked Washington to send him 400 additional civilians for his staff...
...Bremer's efforts, progress has been slow. Aid groups say hospitals are running out of oxygen supplies. Oil production is at less than half its prewar capacity, and though gasoline stocks inside Iraq are closer to prewar levels, Baghdadis claim that lines for gas are longer than they used to be. Bremer says the U.S. has tried to tackle the unemployment problem by paying 1.5 million civil servants their monthly salaries, but even that has provoked discontent. The U.S. is paying salaries in 10,000-dinar ($7.40) notes, which a cartel of Baghdad money changers has refused to break...
...Bremer fix it? During his interview with TIME, Bremer insisted that his team had achieved "quite a lot of progress" on its three main priorities: restoring law and order, reviving the economy and moving toward the establishment of a new Iraqi government. Operations chief Bearpark says, "I've seen the systems be put in place here faster than anywhere I've worked. What we have in Iraq after 12 weeks wasn't in place in six to 12 months in Bosnia and Kosovo." Bremer says people will begin to realize the promise of a brighter future in coming months...