U.S. ambassador John Negroponte arrives in Iraq

The former American envoy to the United Nations reached the Iraqi capital late Monday, hours after the handover of sovereignty to Iraq's new government.

L. Paul Bremer, the top civilian administrator of the U.S.-led occupation, flew from Baghdad about two hours after the handover ceremony.

President Bush named Negroponte, 64, as ambassador to Iraq on April 19.

Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said that with Iraqi sovereignty restored, the State Department would assume from the Pentagon the dominant role in shaping Bush administration policy on Iraq.

''The Department of State is taking the lead now,'' Armitage said.

The U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority transferred control of Iraq to an interim Iraqi government on Monday, two days earlier than expected. A few hours later, Negroponte arrived, also ahead of schedule. He had been due in Baghdad at the end of the week.

''The U.S. government and the U.S. Embassy will hit the ground running,'' the State Department deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.

Armitage, in an interview with National Public Radio, said the Iraqis were ready and ''it had a subsidiary benefit, we thought, of perhaps somehow confusing the plans or what we believe are plans, to disrupt the proceeds by the anti-coalition militants.''

U.S. plans call for a U.S. Embassy that probably will be the largest in the world, with some 1,000 Americans assisted by hundreds of Iraqis. Negroponte will be assisted by a handful of U.S. ambassadors who volunteered for duty in Baghdad.

At the same time, though, administration officials say the United States intends to maintain a low-key presence, deferring to the interim Iraqi government.

Armitage described the United States as a partner, working with Iraqi officials to improve the ''scary situation'' in Iraq.

He said Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday night called all the foreign ministers and defense ministers of the countries that were part of the U.S.-led coalition to advise them of the early transfer of power to Iraqis.

Nearly 140,000 U.S. troops remain in Iraq and there are no plans for their removal.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/180/world/U_S_ambassador_John_Negroponte:.shtml

BAGHDAD, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- The new US ambassador to Iraq, John Negroponte, arrived in Baghdad on Monday, hours after the Iraqi interim government took over sovereignty from the US-led coalition, a US official said.

Negroponte, appointed by US President George W. Bush on April19, arrived on late Monday, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The diplomatic veteran is becoming the first US ambassador to Iraq since relationship between the two nations was frozen in 1990,when the former Iraqi regime invaded neighboring Kuwait.

Negroponte is to present his credentials to the new sworn-in Iraqi government soon.

Earlier in the day, US overseer of Iraq Paul Bremer delivered a letter from Bush to Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, offering the resumption of diplomatic ties. Enditem

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-06/29/content_1552414.htm

State Department to lead U.S.-Iraq policy
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With Iraqi sovereignty restored, the State Department will assume the dominant role in shaping Bush administration policy on Iraq, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said Monday
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/06/28/us.iraq.ap/

Baghdad - The United States handed Iraqi sovereignty to an interim government on Monday, but will still exert considerable influence through nearly 140 000 soldiers stationed in the country and through the new US embassy.

The embassy will be Washington's biggest in the world. Here are some facts about it:

Diplomats

Ambassador: John Negroponte, a veteran diplomat - until now ambassador to the United Nations - who has been deeply involved in shaping and presenting US policy towards Iraq.

Deputy head of mission: James Jeffrey. Worked in Iraq during transition, has served as ambassador to Albania.

Political and military head: Ron Neumann, who has served as ambassador in Bahrain.

Staff

The embassy will have 900 to a thousand permanent American staff, with others working on special projects lasting 90 days.

The staff will include a hundred to 150 employees of the US government's development agency USAid and 200 State Department employees. Others will be from other government agencies or attached to bodies such as the Iraq Reconstruction Office.

There will also be 600 to 700 foreign nationals working there.

Relations

Diplomatic relations between Washington and Baghdad, broken off during 1990 to 1991 Gulf War, are to be restored. Negroponte will present credentials and the US mission will become an embassy.

Location

The embassy will be based in a building on the east side of the Green Zone, the sprawling complex of buildings once occupied by Saddam Hussein's government in central Baghdad.

A permanent embassy will be built on a site yet to be identified.

Beyond Baghdad

An additional 35 US staff will work at "regional outreach" hubs in the cities of Mosul, Kirkuk, Hilla and Basra, which will report to the embassy in Baghdad.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?sf=2813&art_id=qw1088410866516B262&click_id=2813&set_id=1