The top U.S. administrator in Iraq, L. Paul Bremer, warned Friday that attacks against American forces will likely intensify over the next few months as the occupation authority prepares for a transfer of sovereignty to a new Iraqi government.
"In the immediate phase ahead of us between now and the end of June we will actually see an increase in attacks, because the people who are against us now realize that there's huge momentum behind both the economic and political reconstruction of this country," Bremer said in an interview with The Associated Press.
He added that former members of Saddam Hussein's intelligence agencies were now assuming an increasingly prominent role in the attacks.
Also Friday, President Bush named former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, to oversee the job of getting Iraq out from under its crushing $125 billion debt.
"Secretary Baker will report directly to me and will lead an effort to work with the world's governments at the highest levels, with international organizations and with the Iraqis in seeking the restructuring and reduction of Iraq's official debt," Bush said in a statement read by White House press secretary Scott McClellan.
As Bush's personal envoy on the issue, Baker will tackle a major problem in the rebuilding of Iraq. Iraq's debt carries annual servicing charges of $7 billion to $8 billion. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
