1917 Sir Percy Cox made civil commissioner in Iraq
Iraq News, Politics, Economics, Society
Bluemel, James and Mansour, Dr Renad, Once Upon A Time In Iraq, History of a Modern Tragedy, BBC Books, 2020
In the introduction to Once Upon A Time In Iraq, History of a Modern Tragedy James Bluemel and Dr. Renad Mansour say they wanted to provide a voice to ordinary Iraqis so they could tell how their lives were impacted by the Iraq War. Few books include Iraqi voices so this seemed like just the type of book that is needed. In reality however the book is a mix of Iraqi and American personalities. Not only that but the first half covers 9/11 to the end of 2003. The middle is about the two battles of Fallujah and the capture, interrogation and execution of Saddam Hussein which diverges from the stated goal of the authors. The last third quickly goes from 2005 when the civil war broke out to 2017 when the Islamic State was defeated. There are definitely good moments but there could’ve been more Iraqis and the authors could’ve spent less time on the early years of the conflict.
1914 UK sent 3 gunboats to Shatt al-Arab to protect Persian oil fields
(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)
1916 British leaders told troops to continue advance in Mesopotamia vs Ottomans after huge loss
at Kut One of biggest British defeats in WWI
1953 Mohammed al-Jamali became PM Was a Shiite Cabinet included Kurdish Interior Minister 7
Shiites most ever and ministers from opposition United Popular Front and Independence Party Presented land and civil service reform which parliament rejected Landowners blocked land reform MPs blocked civil service reform accusing Jamali of sectarianism
(Musings On Iraq review The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraqi Statesman, A portrait of Mohammed Fadhel Jamali)
(Musings On Iraq review Relations Of The People to The Land In Southern Iraq)
1917 Sir Percy Cox made civil commissioner in Iraq