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GOVERNANCE G ROUP MEETING M INUTES
l April 2003
Attendees:
Hon. Paul Wolfowitz
Mr: Ryan Henry
Mr. Larry Di Rita
Mr. Ray DuBois
Mr. Jaymie Duman
Mr. Kevin Kellems
Mr. Sam Rascoff
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Deputy Secretary of Defense
Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense
Director, Administration and Management
Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense
Special Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of Defense
Special Assistant to the PDUSD(P)
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Lead, Governance Group
Member, Governance Group
:·Member, Governance Group
' Member, Governance Group
· Member, Governance Group
Member, Governance Group
Member, Governance Group
Member, Governance Group
Executive Secretary, Governance Group
Notes:
Mr. Di Rita led off the meeting by describing the purpose of the Governance group:
• to provide broad-based thinking on principles for the Iraqi Interim Authority (IIA)
• to provide a consistent, basic conceptual message for long term governance
T he Deputy noted the importance of the charter of the Governance group and suggested he
would be willing to meet with them every day. He said the "clay is soft on the IIA;" the
framework that has already been developed is just a basis to work from and that it was this
group's responsibility to mold the clay.
Mr. Carpenter said the clay should be kept soft and that the group has already been thinking
about how the IIA would most easily work, how it is likely to work, and how it would work if it
arose organically. Molding the clay will be difficult until policy decisions are made; it is hard to
understand and instruct people in how to think absent those decisions.
The Deputy listed stability operations in the recent past that had resulted in mishaps or the long
term presence of US or allied troops: Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, East Timor and Haiti. He said
the goal now is to move as ra idl as ossible to hel the Ira i authori stand on its own two
feet. >
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Action items in bold. 3z,

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> _________ __, However, the goal of the Office of Reconstruction and
Humanitarian Assistance and the Governance group is to put themselves out of business.
Based on the current situation on the ground in Iraq, the Deputy noted that there may be a need
for an "interim IIA" in order to assuage the Iraqis we have already liberated. Some Iraqis have
already been identified from among those liberated as people likely to undertake to build the IIA.
Above all, the US must avoid the label of colonialism. The preference would be to send the
Governance group to Iraq sooner rather than later.
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The Deputy then asked what was the work program for while the group was in Washington?
What resources are available?
Mr. Di Rita noted that there will be a strong desire to keep a Coalition governance presence in
Iraq by Iraqis who are part of the system that will build '?'P around out presence there, as is the
case in Afghanistan. The group will have to push the IIA to become independent. The group
will have to think about how to engage them quickly to think about helping us to leave.
Mr: Henry noted that the group should get up to speed on the Iraqi opposition's current
thoughts about government.
The Deputy askedl(b)(5)
(b)(5)
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Mr. Carpenter said the group needed to bring in the cream of the Iraqis, get them informed and
bounce ideas off of them. Thev should be vroximate not intef!ral to the f!rouv itself fbl(5) I
l'b)(5)
In response to the Deputy's question about resources, Mr. Carpenter noted that some people are
available to work full time right away, while some would be able to spend two or three hours a
day with the group.
The Deputy asked about the agenda for the meeting on Wednesday, 2 April 2003 .
Mr. Carpenter noted the value in accumulating the many presentations that are floating around
on various subjects-judicial commissions, IIA, as well as any that have been briefed to the ESG
or at the Deputies Committee. He offered two ideas for the agenda:
Action items in bold. g /

• Running through the various options the group has developed.:so far to see which ones the
Deptuy likes and does not like, or · · .- ·:: ·'·:
• Figuring out a timeline from beginning to mold the IIA to getting the US out of Iraq,
based on the collective experience of the group.
Mr. Henry proposed developing a work products roadmap: first steps, things to bring together:
documents to publish, etc. · ::.
The Deputy suggested that such a roadmad<b)(S)
l (b)(5)
Mr. Carpenter suggested we.
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noted that it would be easy to get the briefings for the Future ofiraq.
Ms. Dickow noted that several of the Iraqis in the Arlington office (Iraqi Reconstruction and
Development Council, IRDC) had worked on the Future of Iraq project.
Mr. Carpenter said we might develop a mini-Future of Iraq working group.
Mr. Durnan suggested that the group needed an executive secretary to keep a record of the
meetings and circulate captured thoughts via email to the group.
Mr. Di Rita noted that Jay Garner is already up and running. One of the things on the timeline
should be how the group will plug into Garner's ongoing operations, how they will
demonstrate value added to Gen. Gamer. We should solicit Garner's thoughts on this.
Mr. Carpenter expressedl~b)(S)
(b)(5)
The Deputy asked for three things on the agenda for Wednesday's meeting:
• Structure of the Governance group- how it is organized, main responsibilities, how to
involve the right people
• Recruiting more people, either to become part of the group or to help out as necessary
• Work program- for the next 7 days, which briefs to get, which people to talk to.
Then he designated me the exec sec.
Action items in bold.

The Deputy said he loved the idea and notedf(b}(S )
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l(b)(:5)
Mr. Henrv su2:2:ested the_group _may_have_
oorous boundaries with oeoole flowing: in and out.
(b)(5)
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Mr. Carpenter noted that we have been able to offer a lot as faciljta,tors. The lesson of the
ro· ect is that the US is valued because we have the resources and can make a
Future of Iraq process work. (b)(S)
... (b>CS> Cb>c'ricc> "i said that people who came to workr (b)(S )
I!D)(O)
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b)(5)
The Deputy said that whatever UN resolution we were planning should include a clause that
permitted the detail of international civil servants to the reconstruction effort.
Ms. Dickow noted that it is im
to this group,._ ll
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The Deputy responded (b)(S) and then noted that we need to get a
phone book compiled of the subject matter experts the group could contact or invite in for
a few days or weeks.
Action items in bold.