Jay Garner Retired with the rank of lieutenant general. Country: USA

Biography of Jay Garner

Jay Garner, a retired Lieutenant General, had a distinguished career in the United States Army. He enlisted in the army in 1960 and served in Vietnam. Later, he specialized in missile defense and counterterrorism. During the Gulf War in 1991, Garner commanded several Patriot missile batteries. In 1994, he became the head of the United States Space and Strategic Defense Command. He held this position until his retirement in 1997.

After retiring from the military, Garner worked in the leadership of the American company "S.W. Technology," which is one of the Pentagon contractors involved in the creation of the US missile defense system. However, Garner's views on missile defense were not without controversy. Theodore Postol, a critic of the missile defense system from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, characterized Garner as "arrogant and ill-mannered." Garner and Postol testified together at a congressional hearing in 1992 regarding the effectiveness of the Patriot missile system. According to Postol, Garner was part of a group of high-ranking officers who lied about the performance of the Patriot missiles.

On a different note, retired General Anthony Zinni described Garner as a "likable person, very intelligent, and result-oriented." There were reportedly disagreements between Garner and the higher leadership, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell. The Washington Post once quoted Garner as saying that the United States would have won the Vietnam War "if President Bush had been in power at that time."

In January, Garner was appointed as the head of the newly created "Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance" under the Pentagon. Following the collapse of power in Iraq, this office now represents the US occupation administration in Iraq. However, American authorities carefully avoid using this term, emphasizing that the "office" is not a transitional government. The new Iraqi authorities will be formed later by Iraqis themselves, under the watchful eye of Washington, of course.