BAGHDAD, May 12: Washington’s new civilian administrator for Iraq arrived in Baghdad on Monday, full of praise for the man he is supplanting after just three weeks, but refusing to predict when Iraqis would get their own government.

L. Paul Bremer said retired US general Jay Garner had been “very effective” in starting reconstruction and forecast a smooth handover following a staffing shake-up seen by many as a mark of dissatisfaction with progress on restoring basic services and forming a transitional Iraqi government.

“I don’t anticipate any problems with the changes,” Mr Bremer told reporters on landing at Baghdad airport from Kuwait, via a short stop at Basra. He said he was proud of the work Jay Garner and his team had done so far.

Mr Garner said a week ago that the core of an Iraqi government could be in place within weeks. But Mr Bremer, questioned by reporters in Baghdad, declined to be drawn on a timeframe.

“We will be in the process of discussing with appropriate people in Iraq a transition to an Iraqi government at a time line that still has to be determined,” Mr Bremer said.

But he added: “We are not here as a colonial power. We are here to turn over to the Iraqi people...as quickly as possible.”

Paul Bremer, a former diplomat with a background in countering terrorism, was accompanied by visiting U.S. General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and by Jay Garner.

The three had held talks at a U.S. base in Qatar on Sunday.

US President George Bush described Bremer, 61, as a “can-do-type person” when he appointed him last week. Mr Bremer denied suggestions Mr Garner might leave Iraq almost immediately.

“I certainly intend to work with him in the next weeks here to get a bunch of serious milestones accomplished,” he said.

Standing beside him, Garner said: “What I say we have here is one team, one fight... We’ll drive on.”

Iraqis have expressed frustration at the pace of progress on restoring services like water, electricity and hospitals after years of economic crisis and, lately, war damage and looting.

Barbara Bodine, coordinator for central Iraq and Baghdad within Garner’s Pentagon-run Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, has been recalled to Washington. Officials travelling with Bremer did not comment on reports that other officials under Garner were also to leave soon.—Reuters