McPherson shifts priority from Iraq to presidency

After only being in East Lansing for about two weeks, MSU President M. Peter McPherson said he's ready to focus on the university and step out of the limelight created by his work in Iraq.

His comments came after recently returning from a trip to Washington, D.C., where he briefed President Bush on the advancement of Iraq's economy.

"I expect to periodically go to Washington on behalf of Michigan State business," he said. "But not in connection with Iraq."

McPherson was in Iraq from early May until Sept. 26, serving as the financial coordinator for the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq.

McPherson returned from his Washington trip on Monday night, but Bush isn't the only politician seeking answers from MSU's president on the conditions in Iraq.

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, recently contacted McPherson for information regarding Iraq's economic advancement and McPherson's first-hand experiences with the country's conditions.

"I talked to him a little about the economy and other possibilities," McPherson said. "I know him very well and have for the better part of 20 years."

Upton and seven other members of Congress left for Iraq on Monday in a fact-finding mission to assess the Iraqi condition as Congress ponders the validity of an $87 billion request by Bush to aid Iraq and Afghanistan.

McPherson said he also spoke to the President Bush about how he feels the media is only focusing on death tolls and security issues and not on the opening of schools, banks and the stabilization of life for the Iraqi people.

"I think the media wants to get balanced coverage," he said. "It's been easier to get the security angle, but I presume they'll try to cover more widely.

"It's not all about security."

One of McPherson's accomplishments will have a more tangible effect for Iraqis on Wednesday, as the old Iraqi currency, the "Saddam Dinar," will be replaced by new currency, the "Iraqi Dinar."

A U.S. economic team will try and implement the equivalent of billions of dollars worth of the new currency into Iraqi society by Jan. 15.

In late September, McPherson said the old currency was almost useless because there were only two denominations available.

"It was as if Americans only had the quarter and the $10 bill," he said.

McPherson said the new currency will have six denominations and resemble some of the old currency with ancient Babylonian pictures.

In addition to establishing a new currency, McPherson said hundreds of banks open every day, oil production is at its highest point since the beginning of the war and about 3 million Iraqi government officials are getting paid by the Iraqi Finance Ministry.

Some university administrators say they're happy McPherson is back and ready to take on some of MSU's most pressing needs.

"He did such a huge service, not only for the United States, but for Iraq as well," Trustee Donald Nugent said. "It's great to have him back, because we have huge financial challenges ahead of us as well."

McPherson and other administrators will begin tackling some of those issues at the Board of Trustees meeting Friday. This is the second meeting of the year and the first that will be led by McPherson since his return from Iraq.

In July, the state slashed MSU's funding by $21 million, forcing the university to impose $31 million in cuts and implementing a 9.9-percent tuition increase.

Since McPherson's return, the university's top 11 executive officials filed briefs in their areas of expertise, designed to inform McPherson of MSU's activities during his absence as president.

University spokesman Terry Denbow said McPherson's excited to be back on campus and has probably meticulously read through the briefs.

"He's immersed himself in all of the issues," Denbow said. "He mentioned to me something that was deep in to my briefings, that indicated to me that he's read mine."

Antonio Planas can be reached at planasan@msu.edu.