ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILES
Decrypting documents...
Your connection is being monitored
Back to Individuals
critical risk
L. Paul Bremer
Head of Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq
Disbanded the Iraqi army and enacted de-Baathification; decisions directly blamed for fueling the insurgency; sectarian civil war; and rise of ISIS
Overview
Lewis Paul Bremer III served as the head of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq from May 2003 to June 2004; functioning as the de facto ruler of Iraq following the U.S. invasion. Within his first month; Bremer issued two orders that are widely considered among the most catastrophic decisions in modern military history. CPA Order 1 (de-Baathification) purged members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party from government; removing approximately 30;000 to 50;000 experienced civil servants; teachers; doctors; and administrators who had joined the party simply to hold their jobs. CPA Order 2 dissolved the entire Iraqi military; instantly creating 400;000 unemployed; armed; trained men with intimate knowledge of weapons caches across the country. Military and intelligence officials had warned against both orders. General Jay Garner; Bremer's predecessor; had planned to reconstitute the Iraqi military under new leadership. CIA Station Chief in Baghdad warned that disbanding the army would create an insurgency. The decisions are directly linked to the subsequent Sunni insurgency; the sectarian civil war that killed hundreds of thousands; and the eventual rise of the Islamic State (ISIS); which recruited heavily from former Iraqi military officers. Bremer also oversaw $8.8 billion in Iraqi oil revenue that the CPA's Inspector General reported was unaccounted for. Despite overseeing one of the most disastrous reconstruction efforts in history; Bremer was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2004.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
CPA Order 1 (de-Baathification) purged 30;000-50;000 experienced civil servants; teachers; and administrators who had joined the Ba'ath Party to hold jobs
CPA Order 2 dissolved the 400;000-member Iraqi military; creating a massive pool of armed; unemployed men who fueled the insurgency
Military and intelligence officials; including the CIA Baghdad Station Chief; warned against disbanding the army; warnings were ignored
Decisions directly linked to the Sunni insurgency; sectarian civil war that killed hundreds of thousands; and the rise of ISIS
CPA Inspector General reported $8.8 billion in Iraqi oil revenue was unaccounted for under Bremer's administration
Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bush in 2004 despite overseeing catastrophic reconstruction failures
Related Investigations (1)
Known Associates & Connections
Donald Rumsfeld
Defense Secretary who oversaw Bremer's Coalition Authority in Iraq
George W. Bush
President who appointed Bremer to lead Iraq reconstruction and later awarded him Medal of Freedom
Sources & Documentation
2 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- September 30, 1941
- Birthplace
- Hartford, Connecticut, USA
- Also Known As
- Jerry Bremer
Education
- •Yale University; B.A. 1963
- •Harvard Business School; M.B.A. 1966
Key Timeline
September 30, 1941
Born in Hartford, Connecticut
May 6, 2003
Appointed Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq
May 16, 2003
Issues CPA Order 1 (de-Baathification); removing 30;000-50;000 civil servants from government positions
May 23, 2003
Issues CPA Order 2; dissolving the entire 400;000-member Iraqi military; creating mass armed unemployment
2003-2004
Oversees CPA while $8.8 billion in Iraqi oil revenue goes unaccounted for
June 28, 2004
Transfers sovereignty to Iraqi Interim Government; departs Iraq
December 2004
Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush