Many records destroyed during U.S. invasion of Iraq: Indian Embassy at Baghdad 

U.S. Marines near Fallujah in Iraq on November 1, 2004. Many records were said to be lost or destroyed during the invasion of Iraq by the U.S.
| Photo Credit: AP

Many records in the Indian Embassy at Baghdad were lost or destroyed during the invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2002-03. This was revealed to a petitioner who sought details of his birth from the records of the Embassy under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

In his petition, Edwin Nazarius Dmello wrote to the Indian Embassy officials in Baghdad saying he was born in Kuwait on July 28, 1954, when the Indian mission was not established in that country. He sent an email requesting details of his birth as available on record.

The Embassy officials replied saying no such information was available in their possession. Not convinced with their response, the petitioner moved an appeal before the Central Information Commission. During the hearing, the Chief Public Information Officer (CPIO) reiterated that many official records were lost and destroyed during the U.S. invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, the then President, and the shifting of the Embassy from Adhamiya to Al-Mansour in Baghdad.

“It was clearly mentioned in the RTI response that no record as sought in the RTI application was found in the Embassy. CPIO can provide information only which exists on record, and he is not supposed to create information on basis of documents provided by RTI applicant,” the official said.

Passing orders in the case, the Chief Information Commissioner, Heeralal Samariya, said an appropriate reply was given by the Embassy. He directed the CPIO to send the latest submission dated March 6, 2025, to the appellant within 10 days of the order and report compliance to the commission.