L. Paul Bremer, III

L. Paul Bremer, III Administrator Coalition Provisional Authority Opening Statement Arabic Language Press Conference 9 August 2003 r A s p ep ared fo r De li ve ry Page 1 of 6 Allah Bil Khair. It is a pleasure to see you again. I begin by extending my condolences and those of the Coalition to the families, friends and loved ones of the 17 Iraqis murdered by terrorists outside the Jordanian liaison office. • It is almost certain that not one of the dead was known to the terrorists who killed him. • The terrorists reduced their bodies to charred and bleeding flesh to terrify television watchers, newspaper readers, and radio listeners. • The murder of innocents as a propaganda device is disgusting to civilized people everywhere. Before taking your questions I want to speak briefly about security I begin with the obvious—Iraq is not as safe as it must be. Page 2 of 6 The Governing Council recognized this when it named security as its number one priority, saying it wanted to emphasize security and stability for citizen s... the protection of their properties... activati ng an d rebuilding... t h e Iraqi police force and army. We in the Coalition Authority are working with the Governing Council to help achieve those goals. How are we helping the Governing Council in the quest for increased security? Enlarging and I m proving the P o lice S e rvice • Right now there are almost 34,000 Iraqi police on the streets. Of these, about 5,700 are in Baghdad and another 4,500 are available when background checks are complete. Page 3 of 6 • Within the next week we will begin an aggressive campaign recruit over 31,000 additional men and women for the police service. After passing background checks and rigorous training they will patrol Iraq’s streets. Creating a Civil Defens e Corps • Training has begun for a new Civil Defense Corps, with battalions in each of Iraq’s 18 governates. This will eventually become a force of 7,000. • These local forces will work with Coalition Forces to attack criminals, bitter-enders and terrorists. Create a Military Force • The first recruits, just under 700, have reported for eight weeks of rigorous basic training. • Not all those who have reported will complete the training, which is physically and mentally demanding. Page 4 of 6 • This force will grow to 12,000 next year and 40,000 within two years. • This new military force will be dedicated not to the support of an individual, not to the support of a party, but to the support and defense of a constitution written and ratified by Iraqis. • In short, the Iraqi people will have a military of which they can be proud. Before taking your questions I want to call your attention to a noteworthy incident. You may be aware that one of the causes of the shortage of diesel arises from the smuggling of products out of the country. The Coalition is cracking down on this smuggling, which was encouraged and protected under Saddam. These smuggled products are stolen from the Iraqi people. When sold through legitimate channels, Iraq’s exports put medicine in hospitals, teachers in Page 5 of 6 classrooms, and strengthen and expand electric, water and telephone systems. We have some good news about smuggling. The British r Royal Navy ship HM S Suthe l a nd has seized the tanker M/V Navstar, which was carrying at least 1100 metric tonnes of diesel—diesel critically needed in Iraq right now. The Navstar I, its crew and cargo are being brought into the port of the Port of Umm Qasr where the crew will be turned over to Iraqi police. The ship and its contents will be confiscated and become the property of the Iraqi people. This is good news. Thank you a nd I welcome your questions. Drafted: DRHamilton Page 6 of 6