This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 23

1922 King Faisal struck by appendicitis with no PM or govt UK High Commissioner Cox ruled

until king returned Cox deported and exiled opposition leaders banned opposition parties and papers Silenced opposition and Shiite leaders

1924 American Consul in Iraq said King Faisal had no popular support and many were openly opposed to          him

1952 Communist led strike at Basra port over pay Broken up by police Started year of protests called the

Intifada

(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)

1962 Govt census in Jazeera listed 120,000 Kurds as aliens during Kurdish revolt

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

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

1986 1000 Turkish soldiers invaded Kurdistan Captured 40 KDP Peshmerga

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

1988 UN said that Iraq used poison gas in attack on Oshnaviyeh Iran on Aug 2 that wounded around 2,600

civilians 7^th time UN documented use of WMD by Iraq

(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 appeared on state TV with western hostages in Iraq Told them they were being held to

prevent war

1996 Barzani said KDP stopped PUK offensive captured or killed 400 PUK Peshmerga

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

2002 UK intel said it knew little about Iraq’s WMD since 1988

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

2003 CPA created Dep of Border Enforcement but gave it little money to control Iraq’s borders

2003 Turkmen protested in Kirkuk city over Turkmen being killed Turned violent 3 killed 15-20 wounded

2005 US embassy report said Gen Casey’s plan for handing off security to Iraq had no chance of succeeding

and argued for counterinsurgency to defeat insurgency

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee said they rejected draft Said committee didn’t create

consensus on draft

2005 Members of Allawi’s Iraqi National Accord also voiced concerns over draft constitution

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

2006 Gen Barbero Joint Chief deputy chief of ops said Iran training funding arming Iraqi militias

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

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

2006 UK Intel report Said Maliki govt unable to deal with militias because afraid of break up of United Iraqi

Alliance

2008 Report 2 Mahdi Army men said Hezbollah training the militia in Lebanon

(Musings On Iraq article on Iranian and Hezbollah training of Iraqi militias)

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2009 Baghdad Operations Command aired taped confession of man who said he was a Baathist and

involved in Aug 18 Baghdad bombings Said attack ordered by Syria Was actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

2015 Police opened fire on demonstrations in Babil wounding 4

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict

Hybel, Alex Roberto and Kaufman, Justin Matthew, The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict, New York, Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006

In The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein Alex Hybel and Justin Kaufman attempted to explain the decision making process behind the senior and junior Bush presidents when they dealt with Iraq in the Gulf War and 2003 Invasion and find an appropriate theory to help understand them. They found the two presidents were strikingly similar. The authors argued that both administrations reacted instinctively to Saddam, seeing the world in stark black and white terms. Instead of being rational actors they both fell victim to group think by refusing to consider alternatives after they quickly made decisions about what to do about Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 21

1921 King Faisal’s coronation Started negotiations over Anglo-Iraq treaty

(Musings On Iraq book review The Role of the Military In Politics, A case study of Iraq to 1941)

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

1950 Nuri al-Said threatened to revoke license of transport company if didn’t fill quota of shipping 500

Jews out of Iraq per day

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

2002 Bush told press he had patience on Iraq and was thinking of all the options

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)

2003 Sec State Powell asked UN Security Council to pass resolution encouraging foreign countries to

provide troops for Iraq

2003 Ali Hassan al-Majid “Chemical Ali” captured by US forces

2005 Interior Minister Jabr said that stories of Iran supplying weapons to Iraqi militias were exaggerated

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

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

2005 Islamic Party leader Tariq Hashemi said constitution would not stop violence in Iraq because most

politicians not recognized by public

2005 Isam al-Rawi of Muslim Scholars Association advocated US withdrawal reforming security forces

amnesty for Baathists talks with insurgency

2006 2^nd trial started for Saddam accused of genocide during Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed Jazeera police station in Ramadi Killed Sheikh Ataymi of Albu Jassim in

Anbar who aligned with US and provided tribesmen for Ramadi police

(Musings On Iraq article on change in perceptions that led to Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq book review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Nvy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)

2006 Bush said Saddam had relations with Zarqawi Disputed by CIA who said no ties between two

2007 ISI killed Sheikh Alayawia of Abu Jassim tribe of Ramadi for supporting govt

2007 ISI blew up new police station in Jazeera, Anbar

2007 Report 3 attempts to replace PM Maliki including from ISCI within his own Dawa and from Allawi

            U.S. trying to prop up his govt

2008 Report Finance Min counted all money appropriated in budget as spent when little of it actually was

Govt claimed it spent 57% of the 2008 budget by Aug when only 18% had been used

(Musings On Iraq article on inability of Iraqi govt to spend budget)

2015 Protests in Baghdad Maysan Dhi Qar Wasit Diyala Basra Kirkuk Qadisiyah Salahaddin Najaf Karbala

Babil Diwainiya demanding reform

2015 Police attacked reporters from 3 TV stations trying to cover day’s protests

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Aug 8-14, 2019

(Shafaaq News)

Attacks went back down to the teens during the second week of August in Iraq. This was another sign that this year’s spring-summer campaign Revenge of the Levant has not amounted to much. At the same time that might be because the Islamic State has other priorities in Iraq right now.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 22

1973 Sheikh Jabir al-Sabah visited Iraq and again offered to talk about Iraq-Kuwait border dispute

Iraq demanded 2 islands from Kuwait which it refused

1991 Bush announced no fly zone over southern Iraq to stop Saddam offensive to clear out southern

marshes

1995 UN interviewed Hussein Kamal former Industry Min and Saddam’s son-in-law that defected to

Jordan Kamal said Iraq hid its WMD and nuke programs from inspectors but all programs ended after Gulf War US and UN didn’t believe Kamal’s claim that Iraq had ended its programs Were convince Iraq would always hide WMD

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

1996 Massoud Barzani wrote Saddam asking for help to fight PUK and their Iranian backers in Irbil Tariq

Aziz released letter

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

2003 Bush said Iraq war had transformed to one against Baathists and Al Qaeda

2003 Australian intel officer testified to parliament no pre-war evidence of Iraq-Al Qaeda ties and Iraq’s

WMD contained Said US flooded with disinformation by anti-Saddam Iraqis before war

2005 Incomplete draft constitution presented to parliament Given another extension to finish draft

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2005 Report Abu Mustafa Sheibani running arms for Iranian Revolutionary Guard to Shiite militias in Iraq

including EFPs

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)

(Musings On Iraq book review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)

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

2005 Board of Supreme Audit report leaked to press Nearly half of $1.27 bil spent by Def Min disappeared

in 1^st 8 months of Allawi govt Found Allawi’s office and Def Min gave no bid defense contracts to middlemen paid up front in cash

(Musings On Iraq book review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)

2006 Sheikh Abu Risha met with US and asked for more financing and more raids on insurgents

(Musings On Iraq article on change in perceptions that led to Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq book review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

2007 1920 Revolution Brigade leader killed by ISI in Baquba His mosque was destroyed and 15 people

kidnapped as well

2009 Iraqi govt said it was arresting Baathists involved in Aug 18 Baghdad bombings when it was actually

ISI

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

2014 ISF and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq raided mosque in Diyala and killed worshippers

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

(Musings On Iraq Iran And Its Shiite Militias Mobilize In Iraq Interview With Phillip Smyth)

2015 Gunmen in military uniforms attacked sit in protesters in Basra Police did nothing

2015 Riot police broke up protests in Hillah beating them Used water hoses

View the Iraq History Timelines 
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Expansion of the Hashd al-Shaabi’s Influence In Iraq, Interview With Clingendael’s Erwin van Veen

(Getty)

Erwin van Veen is part of the Clingendael Institute in the Netherlands, which has released a series of reports about the Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq over the last several years. The last one came out in July 2019 and talked about how different Hashd groups were expanding their influence in Iraq. This is an interview about those development. Van Veen can be followed on Twitter @ErwinVeen.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 20

1974 Iraq deployed 84,000 troops and 20,000 Kurdish militia to fight KDP

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

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

1987 Dawa set off car bomb in Baghdad killing 20

1988 Ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War announced 350 UN peacekeepers deployed along border

(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 NSD 45 signed saying U.S. would get withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait restore Kuwaiti govt

restore security of Gulf protect U.S. citizens in Kuwait and Iraq

1990 Iraq withdrew from last piece of Iranian territory taken during Iran-Iraq War Meant to secure

            east front

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

1991 Barzani left Baghdad effectively ending autonomy talks with Baghdad

1995 Iraq admitted to UN inspectors that its crash program to build a nuclear bomb failed

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

1996 PUK attacked KDP positions in Sulaymaniya with Iranian artillery and helicopter support

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

1997 Iraq agreed to allow Iranian pilgrims to go to Najaf and Karbala as way to get around UN sanctions

2002 Rumsfeld said Al Qaeda operatives were in Iraq and that US needed to launch pre-emptive strike

because couldn't wait for Iraq to get stronger

(Musings On Iraq book review America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy)

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy)

2002 UnderSecDef Feith’s intel group met with CIA to discuss Iraq-Al Qaeda ties Complained CIA didn’t

believe Iraq involved in 9/11 Brought up story that 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intel in Prague in 2001

2003 Bush at NSC meeting said US had to re-evaluate enemy in Iraq after Zarqawi bombed UN in

Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq book review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

2003 UN said bombing of its Baghdad offices wouldnt stop reconstruction of Iraq UN would withdraw most

of its staff

2003 Bremer told Iraqi Governing Council they had to act quicker to rebuild country and give public

confidence

2004 PM Allawi called for Sadr to give up Imam Ali shrine in Najaf or face US-Iraq assault

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2005 Report Islamic Party talked with insurgents to try to ensure large turnout in constitutional referendum

2005 Report Shiite parties took over police in Basra Carried out assassinations of ex-Baathists Sunni leaders

and rival Shiites

2005 Report Peshmerga ran 5 prisons and carrying out mass arrests of Sunnis Turkmen and minorities in

Mosul

2007 ISCI governor of Muthanna assassinated by Sadrists Sadr-Hakim rivalry

2007 Report Mahdi Army fighters said they’d gone to Lebanon to train with Hezbollah Sadr said there was

a formal alliance between the two groups

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2007 Protest in Bagdhad’s Ghazilyia against Sahwa there Ghazailya Guardians Said they were former

insurgents

2008 As part of Maliki-Pres Barzani deal Peshmerga began withdrawing from Qara Tappa and Jalawla in

Diyala after Baghdad sent in army and demanded them to withdraw from disputed area

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki-KRG dispute over Khanaqin dist)

2011 On ISI’s 5^th anniv released video with message that it was going to Syria

2012 US warned that oil companies signing deals with Kurds without Baghdad’s approval were taking risks

2015 Pres Barzani’s term expired but he refused to leave office

2017 Operation to free Tal Afar began

2018 Protests in Muthanna and West Qurna 1 oil field in Basra over services and jobs

View the Iraq History Timelines