Number Of Displaced Continues To Drop In Iraq

The war against the Islamic State that started in 2014 caused the second major displacement of Iraqis since 2003. Over 5 million people left their homes. Now that the conflict is over, more and more people are returning.

This Day In Iraqi History – Apr 23

1917 British Samarra Offensive ended in victory over Ottomans British suffered

            18,000 casualties

1920 Ataturk gave speech demanding Turkey’s southern territories include Mosul and

            Sulaymaniya

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

1941 PM Gaylani asked for German military intervention in case of war with England

1941 London decided to land an entire division from India in Basra

1948 Kirkuk oil workers protested against Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1989 Ali Hassan al-Majid’s special powers over northern Iraq for Anfal ended

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

2003 Iraq oil started flowing for fist time since US invasion Iraq shut down oil flow

            day war started Mar 20

2003 USAID official told Nightline rebuilding Iraq could cost US $1.7 bil and

            Iraqi oil and donors would pay for rest

2003 ORHA head Garner came up with list of 9 objectives to accomplish for postwar

            Iraq including paying salaries return police and ministries etc

2003 White House said confident Iraq’s WMD would be found

2003 NY Times article Iraqi scientists told US Iraq destroyed all its WMD equipment

            before invasion US now looking for programs rather than WMD stocks

2003 NY Times article US would be getting info on Iraq’s WMD from Chalabi and

            INC

2003 Up to 3 mil participated in Arbaeen ceremony that had been banned under

            Saddam

2003 Protest in Kut, Wasit blocked US convoy for 4 hours

2003 Report thousands of Arabs were being evicted from Kirkuk by Kurds and

            forming militias to protect themselves

2003 1^st US troops arrived in Fallujah 2 weeks after end of invasion

2004 Bremer said ex-soldiers welcomed back into army said complaints about

            deBaathification were legitimate US streamlining how it deal with prisoners

2004 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Sanchez ordered investigation into military intel practices

            due to Abu Ghraib prison scandal

2005 UN Sec Gen Annan blamed US and UK for Iraq smuggling under Oil For Food

            program in 90s rather than UN

2009 KRG Premier Barzani criticized Hadbaa party for monopolizing all the seats

            on Ninewa council

2009 Iraq claimed it captured IS leader Abu Omar Baghdadi Didn’t happen

2010 5 car bombs hit Shiite mosques in Baghdad kill 72

2011 Karbala governor said province should think about becoming a federal region

2011 5,000 protested in Mosul demanding release of prisoners

2011 Sadrists marched in Baghdad against US occupation

2012 Iran tried to work out deal between Maliki and Sadr but failed Sadr moved

            into growing critic of Maliki’s rule

2012 Iraq’s Foreign Ministry called in Turkey’s ambassador complaining about

            Ankara’s interference in Iraqi politics

2013 Maliki ordered raid on Hawija protest camp run by Naqshibandi leading to over 40

            dead and 70 wounded

2013 Violence spiked in Iraq after Hawija raid and helped mark return of Iraqi

            insurgency

2013 Mohammed Abu Risha called for protesters to arm themselves after ISF attack

            upon Hawija protest site

2013 Clash between protesters and ISF in Ramadi 6 soldiers killed

2013 Fighting broke out between ISF and insurgents in Suleiman Beq

2013 British court found maker of fake bomb detectors guilty of 3 counts of fraud

2016 Fighting broke out again between Hashd, Turkmen vs Peshmerga Kurds in

            Tuz Kharmato

View the Iraq History Timelines

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was mentioned by Coline Clarke and Haroro Ingram in "Defeating the ISIS Nostalgia Narrative" in Foreign Policy Research Institute. The article was also republished by RAND.

Review Foulk, Vincent, The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq

Review Foulk, Vincent, The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq, Jefferson and London: McFarland & Company, Inc.: 2007

The Battle for Fallujah is a bit misleading as the book is really about the period from 2003 when the U.S. forces first entered Fallujah until the 2^nd Battle of Fallujah at the end of 2004. Each chapter has a theme such as kidnappings, car bombs, Moqtada al-Sadr and his uprisings, etc. It’s a quick read on what the American military was facing during this period of the Iraq War.

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 22

1915 Lord Curzon asked why British should promise Basra and Baghdad vilyats

            to Arabs if they were fighting on Ottoman side

1916 British attacked Sannaiyat but Ottomans turned them back British suffered

            1,200 casualties

1923 British troops occupied Rowanduz in military campaign to subdue Kurds opposed

            to being included in new Iraq Mandate

1969 After Shah ended 1937 border treaty with Iraq Iran sailed ship down Shatt al

            Arab waterway in violation of treaty

1969 Iraq retaliated by expelling 10,000 Iranians for Shah ending 1937 border treaty

            over Shatt al-Arab waterway

1980 Khomeini revealed that Ayatollah Baqir al-Sadr had been executed and called for

            overthrow of Saddam

1991 Report that Iranian intel and Revolutionary Guard working in Iraq to help revolts

1998 Tariq Aziz letter to UN Said inspectors ignored last 7 yrs of progress Said intrusive

            inspections work of US to create justification for US military strike

2003 ORHA head Garner went to KRG to talk with Barzani and Talabani about interim

            Iraqi govt

2003 Barzani and Talabani suggested group of Iraqi advisers to help Garner rather than

            interim Iraqi govt

2003 Sadrists held second day of protests after its cleric Fartusi was arrested by US

2003 Only 10% of Baghdad’s electricity restored since city fell to US forces

2003 US sent 1000 more experts to look for Iraq’s WMD

2003 Chief UN inspector Blix told BBC US tried to discredit inspections at the Security

            Council

2003 UK general warned that British military not trained for postwar operations called

            for in Iraq

2003 NYTimes’ Miller told PBS NewsHour US found info on Iraq’s WMD Had

            destroyed stocks right before invasion Fooled UN inspectors

2004 Bremer said some Baathist officials would be able to return to their jobs

2004 After no real weapons turned over by insurgents in Fallujah Gen Conway said

            militants had days to do so or city would be attacked again

2006 Pres Talabani Asked Maliki to form new govt

(Musings On Iraq interview with Reuters’ Parker on Maliki’s biography)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Inside Iraqi Politics’ Sowell on whether Maliki became a dictator)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Historian Phebe Marr comparing PM Maliki with MP Said)

2007 ISI stopped bus and took 23 Yazidis off and executed them in Bashiqa, Ninewa

2008 Maliki promised $150 mil to rebuild Sadr City after fighting Mahdi Army was

            over

2009 16 Kurdish towns in Ninewa threatened to not cooperate with new Hadbaa run

            Ninewa council calling it Baathists

2010 Parliamentary election results were supposed to be certified but political disputes

            delayed that

2011 Protests in Baghdad, Mosul and other cities calling for release of prisoners better

services fighting corruption

2011 Sadr announced new social organizing project Munasiroon in Basra

2012 Attack on Najaf offices of Ayatollah Fayadh in wave of attacks against Iraq’s

            top clerics

2012 Turkey’s Erdogan compared Maliki to Saddam

2013 Tigris Ops Command stopped parliamentary delegation from visiting Hawija

            protest site after checkpoint attacked

2014 Pres Barzani threatened independence of Kurdistan if oil dispute with Baghdad

            continued

2015 Day after IS attacked Sahl al-Malih, Ninewa Peshmerga expelled Arab residents,

            looted and burned village

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Fukuyama, Francis, America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy

Review Fukuyama, Francis, America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy, Yale University Press: New Haven and London, 2006

Neoconservatives were one of the main groups behind the 2003 invasion of Iraq providing much of the ideological justification for the war. The term was thrown around a lot in the media, yet few actually knew what it was about. For example, there was some talk about Leo Strauss and graduates from the University of Chicago where he taught, but what that meant in real terms or how it related to the Iraq war were largely left unexplained. That’s the reason why Francis Fukuyama’s America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy is important because it provides a short and concise summary and analysis of just what neoconservatism is and how it was connected to Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 21

1802 Wahabi army from Arabia sacked Karbala 2,000-5,000 killed

1917 Battle of Istabulat in Diyala started between British and Ottomans with

            the Turks being defeated

1926 Turks told British it no longer wanted Mosul just a stake in the province’s oil

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

1941 Hitler told military aid to Iraq could only be delivered by air and that would require

            stop in Syria which would need approval of Vichy France

1941 Hitler got intel of large British forces in Iraq and more arriving so was skeptical

            of providing aid to Gaylani govt

1981 Kuwait gave Iraq $2 bil interest free loan to help pay for Iran-Iraq War

1991 Iraqi govt forces began attack on southern marshes in Maysan Basra and Dhi Qar

            to root out rebels

2002 Telegraph reported Iraq supported Ansar al-Islam Al Qaeda affiliate in Kurdistan

2003 CPA created to take over running Iraq for US replacing ORHA

2003 ORHA staff and head Garner entered Baghdad Gen Franks had kept them out He

            didn’t want civilians to get in way of military

2003 Rumsfeld took advice of Gen Franks and cancelled sending 50,000 additional

            troops to Iraq from 1^st Cavalry Div

2003 5,000 Sadrists protested arrest of its cleric Fartusi by U.S.

2003 NY Times article claimed Iraq had destroyed WMD right before war and moved

rest to Syria Story proved false

2003 NY Times article said Iraqi scientist told Americans Iraq had been working on

            WMD for years and led US soldiers to banned precursors

2003 Foreign Sec Straw told Blair he was skeptical evidence of Iraq’s WMD wound be

            found Thought it might be destroyed

2003 Iraqi scientist told US Iraq had destroyed WMD equipment right before invasion

            Had sent some to Syria since 90s Worked with Al Qaeda Story false

2003 2 US congressmen went to Syria and got Assad’s promise not to harbor any

            Baathists and expel those that tried to flee there

2004 Car bombs in Basra City killed more than 70

2004 CIA analyst told Congress no working relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda

2006 United Iraqi Alliance nominated Dawa’s Nouri al-Maliki as new PM Mahmoud

            Mashadani of Accordance Front would become Speaker of Parliament

2008 Oil Minister objected to Kurds’ independent oil deals

2008 U.S .general said if Sadr didn’t hold back Mahdi Army US would fight them

2009 Sahwa in Adhamiya put “X”s on houses of displaced Shiites and told them

            not to come back

2010 State of Law said Sadr reason no new govt after elections because Sadr opposed

            to Maliki 2^nd term

2011 Human Rights Watch report Govt arrested and tortured protesters in

            Baghdad and held some in secret prison at Muthanna Airport

2011 Drive by shooting on opposition radio station that supported protests in

            Sulaymaniya

2011 2 offices of Kurdistan Islamic Group attacked in Sulaymaniya

2011 Lawyers protested in Fallujah demanding US withdrawal and release of prisoners

2011 Clash in Mosul as army tried to stop demonstration

2011 Maliki told US joint chiefs head Adm Mullen ISF could handle security after

            US withdrawal

2011 5,000 Sadrists held march in Basra to commemorate formation of Mahdi Army

2013 Maliki blamed anti-govt protests for increase in violence in country

2013 Protest leader in Hawija said army had arrested 114 demonstrators after

            checkpoint was attacked and 1 soldier killed

2015 Pres Barzani and other KRG politicians complained about PKK being in Sinjar

            Claimed trying to take over district

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraq Delays New Round Of Auctions For Oil-Gas Fields

April 15, 2018, Iraq’s Oil Ministry was scheduled to take bids for eleven oil and gas fields along the Iranian and Kirkuk borders as well as offshore in the Persian Gulf. The Ministry was also rolling out a new contract for foreign energy companies, which they were supposed to receive two days before the auction. The new deals included linking oil prices to remuneration fees to the companies to try to mitigate against the constant ebb and flow in the international energy market. The introduction of new terms with a rushed bidding process was criticized, but 14 companies still showed interest. The Oil Ministry eventually backed down and delayed the auctions until April 25, so that it could continue changing the contracts. It likely took the advice that it was trying to push things ahead too quickly and taking more time would help all those involved.

This Day In Iraqi History – Apr 20

1921 Churchill wrote Iraq High Comm Cox that Feisal needed to be told all

British would be out of Iraq by end of year unless he gave up demands for more power

1941 Churchill told For Sec Eden that British troops landed in Iraq to establish a

            base in Basra to establish control of province

1948 Operation Hametz began with Jewish forces attacking Arab villages held by Iraqi

            volunteers in 1^st Arab-Israeli War

1970 Bakr govt restored citizenship to Patriach of Assyrian community

1987 Iraq agreed to allow UN team to visit and investigate its use of chemical weapons

            in Iran-Iraq War

1988 End of last war of cities Iran-Iraq War Iraq fired 200 missiles at Iran killing

            2000 Iran fired 77 missiles at Iraq

1988 End of 3^rd Anfal campaign that targeted PUK in Sulaymaniya Civilians were

            rounded up and put into camps Mass executions

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1991 Bush White House didn’t think Saddam was going to be overthrown anymore

            after Gulf War

1991 SCIRI claimed it started attacks upon govt forces in southern Iraq Came after

            Shiite revolt put down

1991 Kurds went to Baghdad to hold talks with Saddam to end revolt

1991 500 Marines landed in Kurdistan to set up safe-haven for displaced Kurds

2002 Gen Franks briefed Bush on Iraq war plans Franks said he wanted to cut timeline

            by 1/3 and could start with 180,000 troops

2003 US forces arrested Sadrist cleric Fartusi leading to days of protests

2003 ORHA head Garner held meeting Said top priority was getting to Baghdad and

            establishing its presence

2003 ORHA head Garner said when staff got to Baghdad had to get Iraqi ministries

            up and running

2003 ORHA staff finally allowed to enter Iraq by US military

2003 Report US wanted long term military relationship with Iraq and use of up to 4

            bases

2003 Report Kurds expelled 2000 Arabs from Daquq, Kirkuk

2003 Apr 10-20 up to 40 people killed in Arab-Kurd violence in Kirkuk city

2003 UnderSecDef Feith cancelled State Dept plan to set up Kirkuk committee to

            return displaced set up compensation etc

2004 US forces surrounded Najaf that was under control of Mahdi Army

2006 Jaafari stepped down as Iraq’s premier under pressure from Sadr Kurds US

            Said he wouldn’t give up office until Ayatollah Sistani told him to

2007 ISI sent letter to Ansar al-Sunnah apologizing for past attacks and asking for

            unification Ansar said no

2007 Ramadi sheikhs said they would turn Awakening into political party to run in

            09 provincial elections

2007 Abu Sheibani captured by US Was deputy of network that delivered EFPs from

Iran to militias

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

2008 Sadr said he gave final warning to Baghdad to stop offensive against his

            followers

2008 Report that Thar Allah head Sinawi executed in Baghdad after being

            captured in Basra during Charge of Knights

2009 Kurdish Alliance complained about Hadbba rule in Ninewa excluding them

2009 Suicide bomber in Iraqi army uniform attacked US soldiers visiting Baquba

            mayor killing 11

2011 Mass grave found in Anbar with more than 800 bodies in it Victims of

            Saddam

2011 Arab League delayed summit in Baghdad due to Iraqi govt complaints

            about crackdown in Bahrain against Shiites

2011 Independent TV station and a Kurdish poet said they were attacked by security

            forces during crackdown on protests

2011 Protest in Fallujah demanded withdrawal of ISF after man killed by army

2012 Oil Min said Exxon could continue work at West Qurna oil field despite signing

oil deal with Kurds

2012 Sadr met with KRG PM Barzani in Tehran to talk about removing Maliki

2012 Pres Barzani gave speech saying power sharing agreement after 2010 elections

            was dead due to Maliki

2012 Pres Barzani speech said that PKK would not be tolerated if continued to use

            violence

2012 Maliki called Turkey a hostile country

2013 Provincial elections held in 12 of Iraq’s 18 provinces No voting in KRG or

            Ninewa, Kirkuk and Anbar

2014 Anbar Ops Command announced offensive to retake Fallujah while Anbar

            council said no op started

2015 IS held ceremony where Ramadi sheikhs gave it baya

2015 80 Anbar sheikhs called on Abadi to provide more military aid and called

            on Hashd to help fight in province

View the Iraq History Timelines

PM Abadi’s Nasr List Opens National Campaign With Candidates In Kurdistan

Part of Prime Minister Haidar Abadi’s election campaign is hinged upon being a nationalist leader who represents all of Iraq. As part of that stance his Nasr list has opened offices in Kurdistan and plans on running candidates there.