The new American civilian administrator of Iraq arrived yester-day to take over the task of piecing the country back together amid a change in key posts responsible for rebuilding Iraq after war.

　　"We intend to have a very effective, efficient and well-organized handover," L. Paul Bremer said after arriving at Baghdad International Airport.

　　Bremer was traveling with General Richard Myers, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the man Bremer is replacing as the senior American civilian in Iraq, retired Army Lieutenant General Jay Garner.

　　"General Garner and I are pledged to working very close together," said Bremer. "I don't anticipate any problems with any of the changes that are ongoing."

　　Meanwhile, coalition forces have taken custody of the Iraqi scientist known as "Dr Germ" for her work in creating weapons-grade anthrax, officials said yesterday.

　　Dr Rihab Rashid Taha, who had been negotiating her surrender for days, turned herself in over the last 48 hours, said Major Brad Lowell of the US Central Command.

　　UN weapons inspectors nicknamed Taha "Dr Germ" because she ran the Iraqi biological weapons facility //where// scientists worked with anthrax, botulinum toxin and aflatoxin.

　　The new administrator's arrival reflects a turn to new leadership at the top as the civilian reconstruction agency makes inroads to restore law andsgroupsand government func-tions, even as many ordinary Iraqis complain about persistent insecurity and the slow pace of resuming basic services like power and water.

　　"It's a wonderful challenge to help the Iraqi people basically reclaim their country from a despotic re-gime," he said in a tarmac interview.

　　Attempting to smooth over implications that his replacement of Garner represented a policy shift, Bremer said in Basra, "I also want to say how proud I am of the work my good friend Jay Garner and the people who are working for him, have done." He spent a short while in the southern city before flying to Baghdad.

　　Bremer said former US ambassador Barbara Bodine, who was coordinator for central Iraq, within the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance, was being reassigned back to Washington by the State Department.

　　The New York Times, citing unidentified administration officials, reported in yesterday's editions that four other officials under Garner were also expected to leave soon.

　　Following the US-issued decree on Sunday dissolving Saddam's Baath Party, Bremer was said to be considering issuing additional orders dissolving Saddam's former defense and security apparatus.