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[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] http://www.forward.com/issues/2003/03.03.21/news8.html > Pro-Israel General Will Oversee Reconstruction of Postwar Iraq > > By ALANA NEWHOUSE > FORWARD STAFF With the United States poised to invade Iraq, attention has > turned to retired army Lt. Gen. Jay Garner, the man set to govern the > country in the event of an American military victory. > > Garner — who in 1991 helped lead Operation Provide Comfort, which delivered > food and shelter to Kurds in northern Iraq after the Persian Gulf War — > will oversee all the civilian aid, reconstruction and governance of postwar > Iraq as head of the new Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian > Assistance in the Pentagon, reporting to General Tommy Franks, commander of > American forces in the Persian Gulf area. He left for Kuwait shortly before > President Bush's March 17 televised address. > > Garner is said to maintain ties with the Jewish Institute for National > Security Affairs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening > American foreign and defense policy. In 1998, he visited Israel for the > first time on a trip sponsored by JINSA. > > "He's very easy to talk to; he asks a lot of questions, and he listens to > the answers," said Shoshana Bryen, director of special projects for JINSA, > who participated in the trip with Garner. > > In October 2000, shortly after the outbreak of the intifada, Garner was one > of 26 American military leaders to sign a staunchly pro-Israel statement > released by JINSA condemning the escalating violence. The statement, titled > "Friends Don't Leave Friends on the Battlefield," lauded the Israeli army > for exercising "remarkable restraint in the face of lethal violence > orchestrated by the leadership of a Palestinian Authority," and called into > question the Palestinian commitment to peace. > > In a reference to the signatories' JINSA-sponsored trips to Israel, the > statement said: "[I]n those travels, we brought with us our decades of > military experience and came away with the unswerving belief that the > security of the State of Israel is a matter of great importance to U.S. > policy in the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, as well as around the > world. A strong Israel is an asset that American military planners and > political leaders can rely on." > > According to a report in this month's Fortune magazine, which dubbed Garner > "the most important businessman you've never heard of," Garner retired as a > three-star general in 1997 to become president of a provider of > communications and targeting systems for missiles that was bought last year > by defense contractor L-3 Communications for a reported $48 million. > > Since his Pentagon appointment in January, Garner has kept a low profile, > to the dismay of some. He caused a minor fracas last week when he canceled > a scheduled appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. > The Associated Press reported that Republican Senator Richard Lugar of > Indiana, who criticized the Bush administration for moving too slowly in > developing plans to rebuild Iraq, highlighted Garner's absence, calling the > cancellation "a missed opportunity for the administration." > > > _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk