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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Washington File

27 April 2003

Coalition Forces Detain Self-Proclaimed "Mayor of Baghdad"

(U.S. Central Command April 27 news release) (1123)
Coalition forces have detained Mohammed Mushin Al-Zubaidi, the
self-proclaimed "mayor of Baghdad," according to a news release issued
by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) April 27.
According to CENTCOM, Al-Zubaidi declared himself mayor of Baghdad in
an April 17 statement, claiming he had been sponsored by the Iraqi
National Congress and selected by an executive council representing
clerics, Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, academics and writers.
However, the Coalition does not recognize Al-Zubaidi's claims, as he
has not been elected and has not been recognized by the interim
Coalition authority administering Iraq, according to a statement
issued April 21 by Barbara Bodine, Senior Representative for the
Organization for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) for
the central region in Iraq.
In addition to misrepresenting his status, Al-Zubaidi has interfered
with Coalition efforts to restore public services by telling
individuals and organizations not to return to work at utility plants
and banks without his approval and -- without authority -- purporting
to fire legitimate, licensed and competent power company employees and
appoint other persons to operate water, power, and sewage and bank
facilities in Baghdad, according to the CENTCOM news release.
"Al Zubaidi's efforts to take political and personal advantage during
this transitional period in Iraq's move to a representative government
made it necessary for Coalition Forces to act decisively against him,"
CENTCOM said.
"The Coalition, which liberated the Iraqi people from the tyranny and
oppression under Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party, is committed to
ensuring the Iraqi people have the freedom to establish a legitimate
representative government, elected by all the citizens," the news
release says. "Until such time as that government is formed, the
Coalition is the only legitimate government authority in Iraq."
Following is the text of the news release:
(begin text)
News Release 
Headquarters United States Central Command 
MacDill Air Force Base, Florida 
April 27, 2003
AL-ZUBAIDI DETAINED IN BAGHDAD
BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- Coalition forces detained Mohammed Mushin Al Zubaidi
today at approximately 4 pm (Kuwaiti Time) while he was in the
vicinity of the Coalition Civil Military Coordination Center, Baghdad.
Al Zubaidi obstructed Coalition efforts to get Iraqis back to work and
exercised authority he did not have.
Al-Zubaidi was detained and then removed from Baghdad to prevent his
continued misrepresentation of his authority as the mayor of Baghdad
in the aftermath of the regime's defeat. Specifically, Al Zubaidi sent
letters to individuals and organizations telling them not to go back
to work at utility plants (power, water, sewage) and banks, unless he
approved it. Without authority, he purported to fire legitimate,
licensed and competent power company employees and in their stead
placed his deputy Ubaidi in charge of power. He then appointed other
persons to operate water, power, and sewage and bank facilities in
Baghdad. Al Zubaidi and Al Ubaidi attempted to exercise authority in
the region not representative of the interests of the people in
Baghdad while obstructing the normal means of governance for their own
self-interests.
No decision has been made on the next step to ensure he does not
interfere with the restoration of Iraq.
Elements of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division took
Al-Zubaidi and approximately seven other members of his organization
into custody. Five have been released with the remainder being held at
an internment facility in Iraq.
There were no injuries and no exchange of gunfire.
Al-Zubaidi appeared unannounced in Baghdad in the wake of the
Coalition seizure of the Iraqi capital and the destruction of the
former regime. In a media statement he issued on April 17, Al-Zubaidi
proclaimed himself mayor of Baghdad and further claimed he was
sponsored by the Iraqi National Congress and selected by an executive
council representing clerics, Shiites, Sunnis, Christians, academics
and writers. Then on April 20, Al-Zubaidi began issuing letters to the
managers of public services such as power plants and banks in Baghdad
directing them not to operate unless they had received documents from
him authorizing operations.
Barbara Bodine, Senior ORHA (Organization for Reconstruction and
Humanitarian Assistance) Representative for the central region in
Iraq, stated the next day that Al-Zubaidi was not the mayor of Baghdad
as he had not been elected and had not been recognized by the interim
Coalition authority administering Iraq.
Previously on April 18, CFLCC representatives met with Al Zubaidi and
informed him that he had no authority. Although he acknowledged his
the lack of authority, he continued to subvert Coalition authority and
their attempts to restore public services by replacing people who were
working with the Coalition with his own people.
Subsequently, on April 23, Lt. Gen. David D. McKiernan, Commander of
Coalition Forces Land Component Command, delivered a letter to
Al-Zubaidi warning him that he was misrepresenting himself, directing
him to move out of the Palestine hotel, well away from Coalition
forces, and cease his efforts to subvert the Coalition's restoration
of services. Al-Zubaidi did not follow Lt. Gen. McKiernan's directive.
He instead moved across the street into the Sheraton Hotel and
continued his subversive actions.
On April 23, McKiernan also issued a proclamation reaffirming to the
citizens of Iraq that Coalition Forces are committed to improving the
security situation and repairing damaged infrastructure. In addition
to encouraging Iraqis to return to work, the proclamation also made
clear that the Coalition, and Coalition alone, retains absolute
authority within Iraq. In the proclamation -- distributed in
handbills, through radio programs and in person - McKiernan warned
that "those that choose to wield power without the express authority
of the Coalition will be considered unfavorably by the Coalition" and
that "failure to abide by these instructions will be viewed as
criminal behavior."
Al Zubaidi's efforts to take political and personal advantage during
this transitional period in Iraq's move to a representative government
made it necessary for Coalition Forces to act decisively against him.
The Coalition will continue to move decisively against any individual
or group exercising or claiming political authority outside the
Coalition.
The Coalition is committed to ensuring that the people of Iraq elect
their own future political leaders in Iraq. The Coalition will not
tolerate and will exercise every option at its disposal to ensure
there is no interference with the Iraqi peoples' moves toward
self-governance and reconstruction.
The Coalition, which liberated the Iraqi people from the tyranny and
oppression under Saddam Hussein and the Ba'ath Party, is committed to
ensuring the Iraqi people have the freedom to establish a legitimate
representative government, elected by all the citizens. Until such
time as that government is formed, the Coalition is the only
legitimate government authority in Iraq.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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