Bill Sykes' Newsletter
from America.
(Summer 2003)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
Cleaning house---Changing of the guard.
Dateline Baghdad, Iraq 11th of May 2003.
It was confirmed today that retired Lt. General Jay Gardner,
who was chosen by the Bush administration to be the top
civil administrator for the new Iraq, has been given his
marching orders.
 General
Gardner, who has been in country for less than six weeks,
has been replaced by a Mr. L. Paul Bremer, (a counter-terrorism
veteran from the State Department), who was due to arrive
in Iraq on Monday the 13th of May to act as the new top
administrator in charge of re-building Iraq. The White
House was reported to have stated that the appointment
of Mr. Bremer was part of a smoothly run post war transfer
plan. Senior Administration officials revealed at a later
stage that it was a hastily conceived decision, as the
White House were worried about the collapse of civil law
and order in Iraq. Good luck Mr. Bremer with the enormous
task ahead.
Other officials of General Garner’s staff, who
also will be abruptly leaving their positions in Iraq,
are Margaret Tutwiler, (who was in charge of communications),
Tim Carney, (who was overseeing Iraq’s Ministry
of Industry and minerals), David Dunford, (Senior Foreign
Service Specialist for Middle East affairs), and a John
Lambert, (Ambassador to Mauritania).
Today in Baghdad. (Dateline 11th May 2003).
Black smoke hangs over a sector of the city of
Baghdad as looters set fire to the city’s former
telephone communications centre.
Eruptions of gunfire are common occurrences with indiscriminate
shootings of individuals on an hourly basis.
It has been stated that the primary occupation of the
majority of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad is looting. Cars,
even trucks and their contents, (which in some cases were
destined to assist in the rebuilding process), and anything
else that is movable, or is considered to be of some intrinsic
value, is considered fair game. Hundreds of civilian gunmen
are said to roam the city streets every day seeking places
or people to rob. Re-establishing law and order is a prime
target of American officials, but they are finding this
to be an unenviable and impossible task under the prevailing
conditions where law and order is non-existent and the
prevalence of looters cannot be curtailed, as even a month
after the shooting war was stated to have ended there
is no functioning police force in the city.
 It
has been reported that clashes have occurred between American
civilian administrators and military commanders over the
method of restoring law and order. Barbara K. Bodine was
stated to have insisted upon the hiring of 50 top flight
interpreters, in order to be able to interact and communicate
with the Iraqi people, (a very reasonable request under
the circumstances), was vetoed by unknown powers. So the
question arises "Who is in charge?" - the Military
or the new administration - as the commander of the allied
land troops stated in an edict published in late April
that his military force was the ultimate authority in
Iraq.
There apparently are no visible signs of the commencement
of a rebuilding process, as a civil administration has
no power to make this happen due to the absence of law
and order. How could the American administrators function,
when living in isolation behind barbed wire and protected
by machine gun positions, without any means of communication
with the Iraqi people due to the obvious lack of interpreters?
American statements that the situation is improving is
disproved by the lack of security which apparently prevents
senior managers of companies such as Bechtel from reconnoitring
material and manpower requirements for the commencement
of a rebuilding of the Iraqi infrastructure.
With a population of around five million people, Baghdad
is seething with frustration, anger, and hatred towards
the American administration and those frustrations appears
to be increasing by the day,
-
Dateline: Thursday 15th May 2003. Baghdad.
Thousands of Shiite demonstrators crowded the streets
of Baghdad demanding that the Shia be given prominent
and dominant participation in the formation of a new
Iraqi Government. If this came to pass the new Iraqi
government certainly would not be formulated in the
Democratic image that the Bush Administration envisages.
-
Dateline: Saturday 17th May 2003. Washington D.C.
It has been reported that because of the current anarchy
reigning in Iraq that the "self rule" of
Iraq by Iraqis has been put on hold by the American
Administration, and the United Nations have voted
to give the American and British forces, powers of
an Army of Occupation.
Today in Basra
 The
city of Basra on the other hand, (whilst acknowledging
that it is smaller in size and population), which is under
British supervision, apparently is enjoying a somewhat
greater degree of security, and has some of its essential
services, such as electricity, water, and other utilities
restored. British experience in their many years of colonial
administration has stood it in good stead in their ability
to make things happen by restoring law and order and the
establishment of good people to people relationships,
whilst at the same time building political and governmental
administrative powers. The American belief is that if
you throw enough money at any problem it will eventually
resolve itself. Perhaps they could take a leaf out of
the British book and function better in their current
predicament.
We welcome feedback about any of the contents
of these newsletters. Please send all correspondence to
bill_sykes@huddersfield1.co.uk
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