Taha Bidaywi Hamed is an Iraqi politician. He was elected by local tribal leaders to lead the town council of Fallujah on April 30, 2003.[1] The position had been vacant after the previous administrators - loyal to Saddam Hussein's regime - fled to avoid being caught up in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Described as strongly pro-American,[2] Hamed blamed Baathist officers for provoking anti-US sentiments in the city.[3] However, when seven US soldiers were injured in a series of grenade attacks in early May, he was quoted as stating that the general population wished for the troops to leave the city, because they were occupying a Baathist headquarters.[4]