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The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and the other members of the multinational coalition which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003. Citing UN Security Council Resolution 1483 (2003), and the laws of war, the CPA vested itself with executive, legislative, and judicial authority over the Iraqi government from the period of the CPA's inception on April 21, 2003, until its dissolution on June 28, 2004.

The CPA was divided into three geographic regions. CPA North was headquartered in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, CPA Central was headquartered in Baghdad at Saddam's former Republican Palace, and CPA South was headquartered in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Each region operated semi-autonomously, and all three had the same common goals for reconstruction of the country. Throughout the existence of the CPA, the security situation and levels of civil unrest throughout the country varied by region, and these variances were reflected in the different levels of program successes within the CPA divisions.

Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) was the organization established by the United States Government which was intended to act as a caretaker administration in Iraq until the creation of a democratically elected civilian government.

Retired United States Army Lieutenant General Jay Garner was appointed as the Director of ORHA in January of 2003. Upon the dissolution of ORHA and the creation of the CPA, he then became the first chief executive of the CPA. His term, however, lasted only from April 21, 2003, until he was replaced abruptly less than a month later by L. Paul Bremer on May 11, 2003.

Upon assuming his post in May 2003, L. Paul Bremer also assumed the title of U.S. Presidential Envoy and Administrator in Iraq.

Iraq's Republican Palace in Baghdad under CPA occupation in August, 2003

The CPA was created and funded as a division of the U.S. Department of Defense, and as Administrator, Bremer reported directly to the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Although troops from several of the coalition countries were present in Iraq at this time, the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) was the primary military apparatus charged with providing direct combat support to the CPA to enforce its authority throughout during the occupation of Iraq.

While many of Saddam Hussein's ornate palaces were looted in the days immediately following the invasion, most of the physical structures themselves survived, relatively intact. It is in these numerous palaces situated throughout the country that the CPA chose to set up office in order to govern. Several of these palaces were retained by the U.S. Government even after the transition of power back to the Iraqi people.

The CPA was also responsible for administering the Development Fund for Iraq during the year following the invasion. This fund superseded the earlier UN oil-for-food program, and provided funding for: Iraq's wheat purchase program, the currency exchange program, the electricity and oil infrastructure programs, equipment for Iraq's security forces, Iraqi civil service salaries, and the operations of the various government ministries.

On July 22, 2003, the CPA formed the Iraqi Governing Council and appointed its members. The Council membership consisted largely of Iraqi expatriates who had previously fled the country during the rule of Saddam Hussein and also with many outspoken dissidents who had been persecuted by the former regime.

Though still subordinate to the CPA, the Iraqi Governing Council had several key responsibilities of its own. Its duties included appointing representatives to the United Nations, appointing interim ministers to Iraq's vacant cabinet positions, and drafting a temporary constitution known as the Transitional Administrative Law (TAL), which would be used to govern Iraq until a permanent constitution could be written and approved by the general electorate.

The CPA leadership decided to disband the CPA three days ahead of schedule, and transferred power to the newly appointed Iraqi Interim Government at 10:26 AM local time on June 28, 2004. In order to ensure his own personal safety, L. Paul Bremer left Iraq that same day.

Edited from: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.com