Lewis Paul Bremer III, commonly known as L. Paul Bremer, is a retired American diplomat born on September 30, 1941, in Hartford, Connecticut. He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963, studied at the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) in 1964, and earned a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government in 1966. Bremer entered the U.S. Foreign Service that year, serving in various diplomatic roles including economic officer in Kabul, Afghanistan (1966–1969), and positions in Islamabad, Pakistan, and Oslo, Norway. During the Reagan administration, he held senior roles at the State Department, including Executive Secretary from 1981 to 1984, and was nominated as Ambassador to the Netherlands, although he did not serve in that role. His career emphasized management and counterterrorism, and following 9/11, he led the State Department’s Executive Office and was involved in crisis management.

Following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Bremer served as Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq from May 2003 to June 2004, effectively acting as the U.S. viceroy and chief civilian administrator governing the occupied country. In this capacity, he oversaw post-invasion governance and implemented controversial policies including CPA Order 1, mandating de-Baathification to purge former regime elements, and CPA Order 2, which dissolved the Iraqi Army. These decisions aimed to restructure Iraq’s governance and security but contributed to instability, sectarian tensions, insurgency, and economic challenges. His tenure was criticized for mismanagement and awarding contracts primarily to U.S. firms. Bremer returned to the U.S. in 2004 and authored "My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope" in 2006 to defend his actions.

Since leaving government service, Bremer has engaged in private sector consulting, served on boards such as the Chertoff Group, and been a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation. He remains active in Republican politics and foreign policy discourse. Bremer resides in Vermont and continues to comment on international affairs.