Paul Bremer at the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Case Study Example

Introduction

Ambassador Paul Bramer was inch age of over 3000 civilian employees of different nationalities. All these were working under the coalition provisional authority. It was through the CPA that crucial services to the society were restored after the initial Iraq attacks in 2003. Some of the successes of the CPA were restoration of hospitals, electricity as well as educational services. The key objective of Bramer in the war torn Iraq was to develop structures for the development of a people’s government. This could only be achieved through representation. Through elections, the sovereignty of Iraqis would be transferred to the citizens. The decisions enforced by CPA had significant implication to the future of the country as well as the region. The vengeance on Iraq was triggered by the September 11 terrorist attack. The government key concern was the contribution of Saddam Hussein to the al-Qaeda. During his days at the helm of CPA, Bremer was dedicated to his job. He worked for about eighteen hours every day with a high-level decisions being made daily. Based on the observation of his past management practices Bramer could be described as a control freak with adequate experience in making executive decisions.

Management style

Bramer was effective in decision making during his tenure at the helm of CPA. He was keen to ensure that non-executive decisions were made by his aides. However, in Iraq most of the decisions were high-level due to their implications to the success of the mission. Daily decisions were made in extra ordinary conditions. He required adequate information and details in the decisions making process. To ensure that he had that adequate information, he had made a requirement to the CPA staffers that they should provide one to two page documents titled action memo or information memo on a regular basis. He would personally peruse the documents in order to get a clear picture of the circumstances surrounding his decisions. This was instrumental in ensuring that he made well-informed decisions. Moreover, he was quick to respond to the memos with comments and recommendations.

Decisions

When he made a recommendation regarding the multiple levels of orders from Washington, he was articulate on the negative implications of these orders. He made a request through Condoleezza rice to ensure that his staff in Iraq did not receive orders from low ranked bureaucrats from Washington. This had implications to his relationship with some officials in Washington who felt undermined by this request. However, the decision was pertinent to ensure that the focus of the CPA staffers was never interfering red. Moreover, the staff was working under intensive pressure, and the multiple orders from Washington would increase that pressure to the detriment of the mission.

The De-Beatification decision was instrumental in helping CPA gain roots in the country. The Baath party was structured in a cell-based format like the German Nazi party. The party had positioned as the only avenue of progress. Changing the mindset of the society from the Baath party superiority would help in the establishment of strong governance structure within the country. From the decree that rendered the top levels of the party illegal, the citizens’ confidence on the new civil service was restored (Bremer, 2005).

Another key decision reached by Bramer was the discharge of all former Iraqi military and intelligence service officials from their duties. The army was already disintegrated as seen from the information available to Bremer. The challenge remained whether to recall the remaining service men who were mainly, the Shia drafters and Sunni officers to form an army for the security of a free Iraq or form a new defense force. The formation of a new defense force was selected by Bremer. This decision was based on enhancement of confidence amongst the citizens. Recalling the previous soldiers would lead to a civil war since they had engaged in human atrocities in the past. The defense forces under Saddam Hussein had repressed the Shiites and Kurd who constituted a majority of the population. Recalling the soldiers would indicate that the American government was in support of the past repressive acts of the military (Bremer, 2003).

The decision for building the governing council was instrumental in building confidence amongst the Iraqis that of the country sovereignty would soon be theirs. The governing council was an independent entity constituted of Iraqis of high society regard. They council would be instrumental in the writing of a new constitution to guide the structures of democratic processes within the country. The governing council served as the interim Iraqi government. This was one of the key options available for transferring sovereignty to the people. Another option of transferring the sovereignty was through an elective process, which would yield leaders to write a constitution. The third option for transferring sovereignty would be through developing an interim constitution. The suitable option guaranteeing the representation of the voice of the majority in the constitution making process and subsequent sovereignty of the country would be through elected individuals and not appointed ones.

References

Bremer, L. P. (2003). Coalition Provisional Authority order no. 4 management of property and assets of the Iraqi Baath Party. Baghdad: Coalition Provisional Authority.

Bremer, L. P. (2005). Early decisions of CPA. Washington, D.C.: Palgrave Macmillan