Security In Iraq July 8-14 2019

(Shaafaq News)

The Islamic State is in the middle of its annual spring-summer offensive Revenge of the Levant and yet little has come of it so far. Attacks have been heading downwards since the middle of July.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 17

1920 British worked out ceasefire with Iraqi rebels to end siege of Abu Sukhair

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1925 Frontier Commission report to League of Nations on where border between Turkey and Iraq should be

Said Mosul vilyat should be in Iraq after British seized it after WW1 armistice Said Assyrians should return to Turkey

(Musings On Iraq article on how Mosul province became part of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review State and Society in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930)

1930 UK intel officer wrote that senior Iraqi army officers gained positions through corruption and

connections to politicians Said were divorced from their troops and would follow any politician that could give them benefits

1951 Iraq made last payment to Turkey of oil revenues in return for giving up claims to Mosul after WWI

1958 Gen. Qasim sent delegation to meet with Gen. Nasser of Egypt to talk uniting 2 countries

(Musings On Iraq interview with Western Kentucky’s Prof Romero on the Qasim govt)

1968 Baath coup overthrew Pres Arif Gen Bakr became president Col Naif premier and Col Daud Defense

Minister

1968 Saddam had lawyer Shawkat executed in Baghdad for refusing him money in 1966

1973 Baath created National Progressive Front with Communists

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1973 Pres Bakr claimed govt had implemented most of autonomy plan for Kurds but Kurds were

undermining it

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)

(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)

1975 Pres Bakr on 7^th anniversary of Baath coup said Iraq would reach out to Gulf countries to improve

relations

1978 Saddam interview with Newsweek said Palestinians could come to Iraq to plan terrorist attacks

1979 Public celebrations held for Saddam’s election to presidency

1979 Saddam called for Iraqi-Iranian friendship after Iranian Revolution

1980 Iraqi govt took out ad in NY Times praising Saddam’s rule and comparing him to Abbasid caliphate

1982 Iranian Op Ramadan invasion into Basra Iranian armor bogged down in marsh Iraq counterattacked

and forced Iranian retreat

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1982 Saddam ordered capture of Qasr e-Shirin in center across from Diyala on anniversary of Baath coup

Iraqis attacked twice but failed Jordan ended up sending troops to support Iraqis

1988 Saddam speech at 20^th anniversary of Baath seizing power Said Iraq wanted to end Iran-Iraq

War Set 5 conditions Direct talks UN clearing of Shatt al-Arab Free navigation of Gulf End of Iranian attacks on shipping Prisoner exchange

1988 Saddam ordered Iraqi troops to start withdrawing from Iran

1988 Rafsanjani went to Khomeini to convince him to end war Khomeini said he would take

responsibility for war Pres Khameini wrote UN Secretary General de Cuellar requesting ceasefire and accepting UN Res 598

1988 Soviet UN Amb Vorontsov made trip to Middle East to help negotiate end to war

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Saddam accused Kuwait and UAE of overproducing oil Said some Gulf states were working with US

against Iraq Said if Gulf states didn’t change their policies Iraq would take action to protect its interests Said Iraq would protect itself from Israeli aggression

(Musings On Iraq article on Saddam’s motivation for threatening Israel before the Kuwait invasion)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1995 PUK accused KDP of working with Iraqi army to attack Irbil

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)

2001 Saddam speech on anniversary of Baath coup said tyrants would not be able to overthrow him and he

would not be defeated

2002 34^th anniversary of Baath coup Saddam gave speech saying he would defeat all the powerful and evil

people arrayed against him

2002 Iraq issued arrest warrant for Zarqawi who had been traveling through the country from Iran

2002 Def Sec Rumsfeld told Gen Franks projected war preparations costs by 12/1/02 would be

around $700 mil US was expanding air fields and pre-positioning fuel in northern section of Kuwait

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)

2003 CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid said US facing classic guerrilla war in Iraq

2003 Saddam tape aired on Al Arabiya TV on anniversary of Baath coup Said Bush and Blair lied to justify

war Condemned Iraqi Governing Council

2003 Report Pentagon set up its own intelligence office on Iraq before war

2003 Time reporter govt officials told him fmr Amb Wilson’s wife was CIA official Talked with Cheney

Chief of Staff Libby about matter beforehand Libby leaked information about Wilson’s wife in attempt to discredit him for opposing Iraq-Niger uranium story White House promoted

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2003 Gen Moseley 02-03 US-UK aircraft conducted 21,736 sorties and dropped more than 600 bombs on

391 targets Air raids were part of No Fly zones but were aimed at weakening Iraqi defense before 03 invasion

2005 Iraqi court filed charges against Saddam for executing people in Dujail in 1982

2005 Shiite MP Khuzai said time to bring back militias because Interior and Defense Ministries had failed

to stop terrorism

2005 Iraq-Iran deal signed for $1 bil line of credit to buy Iranian products

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2005 Report Bush signed and then rescinded order to provide covert aid to candidates in Iraq’s 2005 Jan

elections

2005 Congressional Budget Office reported military and reconstruction spending on Iraq cost U.S. $218.2

bil 03-05

2007 Truck bomb in Amerli Salahaddin killed 156

2015 Protest in Basra over electricity ISF fired into crowd 1 killed Protesters shot back Also protest in

Nasiriya and Amara where highway to Basra blocked

2018 Protests in Baghdad Najaf 2 in Basra 2 in Dhi Qar Most broken up by police

2018 Govt launched media campaign to discredit protests claiming they were full of infiltrators Baathists

criminals outsiders and terrorists

2018 Report ISF arrested more than 50 reporters covering protests and assaulted some

(Musings On Iraq article on July 17 protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Can The Islamic State Make A Comeback In Iraq Part 2? Interview With Il Foglio’s Daniele Raineri

(Iraqi News)

Daniele Raineri is a reporter for Italy’s Il Foglio. He has been covering the Islamic State for years now. That group is currently attempting its second comeback from defeat. There are some questions about how successful they will be in this endeavor. Raineri weighs in on this issue. He can be followed on Twitter @DanieleRaineri.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 16

1921 Council of state confirmed plebiscite choosing Faisal as king of Iraq

1958 PM Said’s body dug up and dragged through streets of Baghdad after coup

1968 Pres Arif asked head of military intel Col Naif and Col Daud commander of Republican Guard if they

were involved in Baath coup They said no

1968 Baath meeting after coup called off vs Pres Arif Head of military intel Col Naif said he would join if

he got premiership

1970 2^nd provisional constitution issued by Pres Bakr Said Iraq People’s Democratic Republic committed to

Arab unity and socialism

1979 Saddam’s election to president of Iraq made public

1979 Nouri al-Maliki fled Iraq after his membership in Dawa Party was discovered by govt

1980 Saddam told chiefs of staff that he was going to invade Iran Saddam thought Iran weak but didn’t

think Iraq could fight a total war and reach Tehran Decided on limited war based upon seizing Shatt al-Arab waterway Saddam thought war would allow Iraq to assert its influence over Iran and deter Khomeini from exporting his revolution

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

1981 Saudis offered to finance reconstruction of Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor destroyed by Israeli air

raid

1982 Iranian Op Ramadan attacked into Basra again towards Qurna hoping to cut Basra-Baghdad highway

and isolate Basra city

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1986 Saddam re-elected secretary general of Baath Party and president of Revolutionary Command

Council

1988 Iran began withdrawing from Kurdistan starting with Halbja Penjwin Haj Omran Rayat

1988 After capturing 30 mi of Iranian territory along the border Iraqi forces withdrew back into Iraq Was

meant to reduce Iranian military

1988 Iran’s Assembly of Experts agreed to present ceasefire proposal in Iran-Iraq war based upon UN Res

598 to Khomeini Khomeini agreed to ceasefire

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Saddam on TV accused Kuwait and UAE of breaking OPEC quotas and driving down oil prices

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1990 Iraq moved a division to border with Kuwait as feud between two escalated Wanted to see how west

would react

1990 Iraq ForMin Aziz letter to Arab League said Kuwait stealing oil from Rumaila field driving down oil

prices destroying Iraq’s economy Called on Arab govts to forgive Iraq’s debt and help pay for rebuilding after Iran-Iraq War

2002 PM Blair told parliament Iraq’s WMD threat to world and had to be dealt with but no decision for

military action made

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2003 Fadhila Party created in Basra as breakaway faction from Sadr movement Sheikh Yacoubi claimed he

was heir to Ayatollah Sadiq al-Sadr

2003 Mayor of Haditha and his son assassinated by insurgents

2005 Musayib Babil suicide truck bomb left 250 casualties

2006 UK Gen Fry wrote War on Terror and Iraq War in conflict Fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq alienated Sunnis

and led them to reject politics and led to more terrorism

2007 Kirkuk bombings killed 86

2007 Report ISF in Abu Ghraib raided and arrested members of Sahwa Also carried out random arrests and

beat and killed prisoners

2007 Report Mahdi Army forced out almost all the Sunnis from West Rasheed Baghdad Sold stolen cars

Involved in weapons trafficking and kidnapping Extorted money from local businesses Rented homes of Sunnis who they forced out and sold their property

2008 US Surge officially ended

2008 US turned over security for Qadisiyah to Iraqi forces

(Musings On Iraq article on turnover of Qadisiyah)

2008 Maliki govt said displaced squatters in two neighborhoods of Baghdad had 3 days to leave Nothing

happened

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki policy on squatters/displaced)

2009 Sadr visited Abdul Hakim in Tehran and said he was willing to rejoin the United Iraqi Alliance Came

as a result of Iranian lobbying to re-unite the Shiite lists for upcoming elections

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

2015 Basra protest over services fired upon by police 1 Protester killed

2018 Protests in Baghdad Basra Dhi Qar Karbala Muthanna Najaf 1 Killed in Baghdad’s Shula by police

gunfire Badr office stormed in Najaf 1 protester shot on Jul 15 died of wounds

2018 Govt ordered arrest of activsts and general protesters in Baghdad Basra Maysan

            Muthanna as crackdown started on demonstrations

(Musings On Iraq article on Jul 16 protests) 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988,

Cooper, Tom and Sipos, Milos, Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988, Warwick: Helion & Company, 2019

Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988 covers the development of the Iraqi Air Force that led to its purchase of the Mirage fighter from France, which became its most advanced aircraft during the Iran-Iraq War. It places those planes within the larger operational plans during that conflict. The major argument was that the Air Force faced a number of problems from the top down, and it was only at the very end of the war that Iraq overcame these difficulties and effectively used the Mirages.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 15

1920 UK Chief General Staff Wilson heard of 1920 revolt and ordered dispatch of division from India

to put it down

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1950 Cabinet resigned when PM Suwaidi complained his brother not appointed head of Cassation Court

Stayed in office because Regent out of country and couldn’t call for new govt

1952 Mustafa al-Umari became premier

1958 Deposed PM Nuri al-Said executed by Free Officers Regent’s body taken from royal palace Mutilated

Dragged through Baghdad streets

1968 PM Yahya resigned over divisions within military over running country that would eventually lead to

68 coup

1979 Saddam had Revolutionary Command Council Secretary General Mashadi arrested and tortured

Mashadi named Saddam opponents within Baath Party Those members later accused of a Syrian backed coup

1982 Iraqi counterattack against Iran’s Op Ramadan in Basra regained most lost territory

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1986 UK Official told Geneva conference that Iraq chemical weapons had caused 10,000 Iranian casualties

in Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq article on the origins of Iraq’s WMD programs)

1988 Iraq Op Tawakalna ala Allah 3 withdrew from Iranian territory ending offensive Took 5,000-

7,000 Iranian prisoners

1988 Iraq recaptured Sirwan Kurdistan

1988 Iran’s cabinet endorsed decision to accept UN Res 598 ending Iran-Iraq War but had to convince

Khomeini

1988 Rafsanjani publicly announced Iran’s withdrawal from Kurdistan

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

1990 At Baath Party meeting decided Iraq should make its case to the world against Kuwait so that it would

not be seen as an aggressor Izzat al-Duri said Kuwait conspiring against Iraq and part of larger Israeli conspiracy

1990 At Arab League Iraq complained Kuwait tapping into Rumaila oil field in Basra costing Iraq $1

bil/year Demanded loans from UAE and Kuwait during Iran-Iraq War be forgiven Threatened force against Kuwait and UAE saying they were US puppets

1990 Iraq made first deployment of troops for Kuwait invasion

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

(Musings On Iraq book review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)

1991 US troops withdrew from Kurdistan after setting up safe area for displaced Kurds after Gulf War

2002 Czech Intel head doubted that 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intelligence in Prague in 2001

2002 Fmr Saddam Fedayeen told press Iraq trained Al Qaeda fighters in Salman Pak False story

2004 UN head inspector Blix accused PM Blair of misleading public on Iraq threat before invasion

2004 Report in 2003 UK intel found Zarqawi setting up cells in Baghdad 

2006 Insurgents stormed Olympic Committee in Baghdad Took 30 people including committee president

(Musings On Iraq book review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)

2007 Report 45% of foreign fighters in Iraq come from Saudi Arabia More Saudis had been suicide

            bombers than any other nationality US tried to not talk about issue because Saudis are allies

2011 3 bombs in Karbala left 100 casualties

2012 Iraq complained about KRG-Turkish oil deals saying it would affect relations between two countries

2018 Protests in 9 provinces Sairoon offices in Babil attacked Hikma and Badr offices in Nasiriya burned

Police shot at crowds outside Dhi Qar provincial council building Attempt to burn council building in Maysan Led to police to kill 3 Mayor’s house in Maysan burned Fadhila Hikma Badr Dawa offices set on fire in Samawah Muthanna and council building sacked 3 more killed March in Baghdad broken up by security forces Basra provincial council building taken over with police killing 4 Protesters rushed gates at Zubayr oil field leading to 5 being shot and wounded Protest at Um Qasr port Basra Marches in Najaf and Qadisiya broke up by security forces

2018 Karbala council threatened to take its power station off the national grid unless protest demands met

2018 PM Abadi again talked about potential threat of protests Claimed small groups taking advantage of

them to destroy property and attack govt offices

(Musings On Iraq article on Jul 15 protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 14

1920 Banu Hassan tribe joined 1920 Revolt

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1941 PM Midfai declared martial law in Sulaymaniya to stop revolt by Barzani

1958 Free Officers led coup overthrowing King Faisal II and Iraq’s monarchy

(Musings On Iraq book review An Analysis of Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq)

1958 Gen Qasim became head of state King Faisal II and family killed

(Musings On Iraq interview with Western Kentucky’s Prof Romero on the Qasim govt)

1958 Communists had been in contact with Free Officers Called out its followers to demonstrate in

streets of Baghdad to support coup

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1959 Kurdish communists and KDP held joint anniversary for 58 coup in Kirkuk city Turkmen held

separate celebration Two sides clashed leading to 2 days of fighting in city Around 30 killed and 100 injured

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1964 Pres Arif announced pan-Arab Iraqi Arab Socialist Union party

1964 Pres Arif nationalized banks and insurance companies

1968 Coup against Pres Arif planned but called off after army officers backed out Baath would not drop

coup

1982 Iraqi 3^rd Corps counterattacked began against Iran Op Ramadan in Basra Used tear gas

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1985 Iran Op Qadir overran Iraqi forces outside Penjwin Kurdistan and advanced 20 miles into Iraq

Attack into Halabja failed

1987 Saddam shuffled military leadership to get more offensive minded officers in command

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

1988 Iran Op Tawakalna ala Allah 3 expanded into Iranian territory in center Saddam threatened to

attack towards Ahwz in southern Iran and seize oil fields if Tehran didn’t withdraw from Kurdistan

1988 Iranian leadership agreed to accept UN Res 598 calling for end of Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Kuwait said it would reconsider OPEC quotas in Oct Was considered a breech by Iraq

1990 Pres Mubarak visited Saddam in Baghdad trying to get him to backdown in confrontation with Kuwait

2003 Article Iraqi scientists said bombings inspections sanctions unilateral destruction ended Iraq’s WMD

programs before invasion

2003 Columnist Novak exposed Ex Amb Wilson’s wife as a CIA agent after he criticized Bush admin over

false Niger-Iraq uranium deal Info came from VP Cheney’s office trying to discredit Wilson

2003 UK For Sec Straw said CIA believed UK intel on Iraq-Africa uranium deal

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2004 US appointed governor of Mosul assassinated

2004 Blair said he expected Iraq’s WMD to be found

2004 Butler Report said UK intel on Iraq WMD based upon worst case scenarios and exaggerated alleged

stockpiles Said UK intel on Iraq WMD was “seriously flawed”

2004 Butler Report said UK intel found no evidence of Iraq-Al Qaeda cooperation

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2006 When asked was the US winning in Iraq US Army Chief of Staff Gen Schoomaker told congressional

aids U.S. wasn’t losing in Iraq Said war was getting more difficult and was more at the start than the end

2007 PM Maliki said Iraqi forces were ready to take over security when US left

2007 Fmr State Dept reconstruction coordinator said impact of Provincial Reconstruction Teams were

negligible because of lack of security

2018 Govt shut down Internet to try to stop protest organizers and news of demonstrations from being

spread PM Abadi warned of “infiltrators” amongst activists while releasing funds for development projects demanded by protests

2018 Protests in 9 provinces Babil stormed Dawa and Fadhila offices 2 marches in Baghdad Badr HQ in

Basra city burned Protests at Rumaila Majnoon West Qurna oil fields and Um Qasr port Asaib Ahl Al-Haq office in Najaf burned marches in Dhi Qar Maysan Najaf Qadisiya Wasit

(Musings On Iraq article on latest protests)

(Musings On Iraq article on history of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

View the Iraq History Timelines