News leaks from Washington, published in the New York Times on 11 October 2002, indicate that the U.S. military is preparing for a lengthy occupation of Iraq, with a U.S. military commander running the country.
New York Times writers David E. Sanger and Eric Schmitt claim "Iraq would be governed by an American military commander -- perhaps Gen. Tommy R. Franks, commander of United States forces in the Persian Gulf, or one of his subordinates -- who would assume the role that Gen. Douglas MacArthur served in Japan after its surrender in 1945."
