Bremer's last 100 Orders that can't be undone - the Iraq Scam

[donsu]

http://www.alternet.org/story/19293


Posted July 20, 2004.

The Handover That Wasn't

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The most important tools being used by the Bush administration to maintain varying degrees of economic and political control in Iraq are the 100 Orders enacted by L. Paul Bremer, III, head of the now defunct Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) before his departure. It was thought that the "end" of the occupation would also mean the end of the Orders. Instead, in his final Order enacted on his last day in the country, Bremer simply transferred authority for the Orders over to the new Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi. For his part, Allawi – a thirty-year exile of Iraq with close ties to both the CIA and British Intelligence Services – is considered America 's new man in charge of Iraq .

Bremer also ensured the implementation of the Orders by stacking every Ministry with U.S.-appointed authorities with five-year terms – well into the period of the new, elected government, which is to take office by the end of this year.

The Orders are exercised pursuant to the Iraqi interim constitution, the Transitional Administration Law (TAL). The Annex to the TAL states that the Orders can only be overturned with the approval of the president, the two vice presidents and a majority of the ministers.

But the Annex also denies the interim government from taking "any actions affecting Iraq 's destiny" beyond the election of an Iraqi government. The identical sentence appears in UN Security Council Resolution 1546, which outlines Iraq's transition to "sovereignty." Thus, while Allawi may succeed in overturning a few less far-reaching Orders if for no other reason than to demonstrate his independence from the Americans, it is beyond his authority to change any fundamental laws.
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Bremer also said: "You set up these things and they begin to develop a certain life and momentum on their own – and it's harder to reverse course."

let's not forget money was in the budget to build the largest embassy in the world in Iraq

[elperromagico]

1. Well of course. You don't appoint a puppet and then give away the strings.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. If you haven't read this, you should (Harpers/Naomi Klein)

http://www.harpers.org/BaghdadYearZero.html