Mohammed Nayil al‑Jurayfi

From the news reports:

In this hilly town along the Euphrates River, people recall how Mohammed Nayil Jurayfi used to boast that his black Toyota Avalon had belonged to a senior Baath Party official -- until Jurayfi confiscated it on orders from U.S. Army officers. ...

But Jurayfi, an influential tribal leader who proclaimed himself mayor of Haditha after Saddam Hussein's government dissolved, was unruffled, according to relatives and colleagues. He was so proud of his relationship with the U.S. military that he kept a framed citation of thanks from an American officer on his mantel. ...

A former Baathist who broke with the former ruling party in the 1970s and was imprisoned repeatedly for alleged pro-Syrian leanings, Jurayfi staked claim to the mayor's office as soon as Hussein's government fell.

He dispatched police to the streets and called on local tribal chiefs to help maintain order. His actions are regarded by many as the reason Haditha escaped the looting that befell other parts of Iraq. ...

He noted wryly that he had escaped three death sentences, which were commuted because of his prominence as a tribal leader. A jovial character and the father of 11 children, Jurayfi said he wanted to enter national politics in the new Iraq.

"I'm very optimistic about the future," he said in the sitting room of his large walled home. "God willing, these problems we have will disappear soon."

WP 18 Jul 2003