Opinion ID: 627225
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: .The Coalition Provisional Authority

Text: The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was created in May 2003 by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other members of the Coalition Forces to function as a temporary governing body in Iraq. U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld appointed Ambassador Paul Bremer to serve as Administrator of the CPA, and shortly after it was established, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution recognizing the CPA's legitimacy. The U.N.'s resolution called upon the CPA to promote the welfare of the Iraqi people through the effective administration of the territory.... See S.C. Res. 1483, ¶ 4, U.N. Doc. S/RES/1483 (May 22, 2003). For the next fourteen months, the CPA carried out this mandate by administering humanitarian programs and reconstruction projects. To finance its operations, it drew on two sources of funding: U.S. congressional appropriations, [2] and the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI). [3] On June 28, 2004, the CPA was replaced by the Interim Government of Iraq, a sovereign Iraqi entity. The CPA's staff, about 3,000 persons, consisted of employees sent by the Governments of Australia, Denmark, Italy, Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, and other members of the Coalition Forces. For its part, the United States contributed both active-duty service members, including reserves, as well as civilian employees. While assigned to the CPA, members of the U.S. armed forces continued to be bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, see 10 U.S.C. § 802(a)(1), whose provisions apply in all places, id. § 805. Military officers also continued to be bound by Part 2635 of Title 5 of the Federal Code of Regulations, which sets forth standards for ethical conduct for employees of the Executive Branch. 5 C.F.R. § 2635.101(c). Part 2635 extends to persons on detail to an international organization, unless they are specifically exempted. Id. § 2635.104(c). Given that officers are considered employees of the Department of Defense (DoD), id. § 2635.102(h) (Employee ... includes officers but not enlisted members of the uniformed services.), they are bound by Part 2635, and face potential penalties if they deviate from its instructions, id. §§ 2635.106(a), 3601.101. As Colonel and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, Whiteford and Wheeler, respectively, were officers. The CPA promulgated rules, memoranda, and orders which carried the force of law in Iraq. See CPA Official Documents, The Coalition Provisional Authority, http://www.iraqcoalition.org/regulations/ (last visited Feb. 12, 2012). Memorandum Number 4, issued on August 19, 2003, governed contracting procedures. It provided that: competition is mandatory for all Contracts; [r]easonable efforts will be made to obtain competitive offers by publicizing a solicitation; [g]rants administered under this Memorandum will not directly or indirectly benefit any Ministry, CPA or Coalition Forces official or employee involved in the contracting or grant-making process; [p]ersons involved in the contracting process ... shall not ... [u]se public office for private gain; requirements on a project may not be split to avoid the application of these rules; and contracts in excess of $500,000 shall be approved by a special Award Committee. See CPA, Coalition Provisional Authority Memorandum Number 4: Contract and Grant Procedures Applicable to Vesterd [sic] and Seized Iraqi Property and the Development Fund for Iraq, §§ 6(2), 6(5), 6(6), & 7 (Aug. 19, 2003), available at http://www.iraqcoalition.org/regulations.