 |
(Reuters) |
1920 British army facing revolt
in Rumaitha told no reinforcements coming because railways
destroyed
Railway fixed and reinforcements arrived later that day
(Musings
On Iraq review Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of
the Modern State)
(Musings
On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)
1920 Gertrude Bell wrote Cmdr in
Iraq Gen Haldane that support for Iraqi independence had fallen
Off She didn’t
know 1920 Revolt had started
(Musings
On Iraq review Gertrude Bell And Iraq)
(Musings
On Iraq review Gertrude Bell,
Explorer of the Middle East)
(Musings
On Iraq movie review Letters from Baghdad)
(Musings
On Iraq review Desert Queen, The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell:
Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia)
1940 UK Cabinet decided to send
division from India to Basra to pressure PM Gaylani who refused
to break
relations with Italy and demanded changes to Anglo-Iraq Treaty UK Mideast Cmdr
Gen Wavell opposed idea saying it would make situation worse Cabinet cancelled
deployment
(Musings
On Iraq review Iraq And Syria 1941,
The Politics and Strategy of the Second World War)
1943 Mustafa Barzani led
rebellion against govt Iraqi troops backed by British airplanes suppressed
revolt by Oct
1945
(Musings
On Iraq review The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern
Studies)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Kurdish Revolt 1961-1970)
(Musings
On Iraq Explaining Kurdish Nationalism Interview With Teen Tech Univ Prof
Michael Gunter)
1961 UK and Saudi Arabia sent troops to Kuwait after Qasim
claimed country as part of Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Unholy Babylon, The Secret History of
Saddam’s War)
1962 National Democratic Party suspended activities to
protest govt repression of Communists and
political
freedoms Had originally been behind crackdown on Communists
1964 KDP congress called by Barzani and excluded Ibrahim
Ahmad and Jalal Talabani faction
Ahmad-Talabani sent delegates who
were arrested Solidified Barzani’s control of KPD and Kurdish movement
(Musings
On Iraq review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iraq & the Kurdish Question, 1958-70)
1964 Foreign Affairs Min Hamid appeared on TV to explain
plans to unify Iraq and Egypt
1965 National Guidance Minister Farham removed and other
Nasserite ministers resigned
from Arif govt
1985 Def Dept official said that US should watch technology
exports to Iraq because they could be used
for its nuclear weapons program
1986 Iraq escalated air strikes on Iran’s economic
infrastructure
(Musings
On Iraq review Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With
The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988)
1986 Iran Op Karbala 1 pushed Iraqi forces almost back to
Iraqi border central front
1988 Iraq Foreign Min Aziz admitted that Baghdad used
chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq War but said
Iran started using them first
(Musings
On Iraq Origins Of Iraq’s WMD Programs)
(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 review The Iran-Iraq War
1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The
Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military
Conflict)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle
for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes
back, June 1982-December 1986)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s
Triumph)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten
Fronts)
1995 Iraq told UN inspectors it had a biological weapons
program and made anthrax and botulinum
1989-90 Denied it weaponized agents
Seemed like Iraq had finally come clean about all its weapons programs to
inspectors
(Musings
On Iraq UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)
(Musings
On Iraq Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003
Invasion)
(Musings
On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)
(Musings
On Iraq review Out Of The Ashes, The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Saddam Tapes)
1996 Richard Butler became head UN weapons inspector
replacing Rolf Ekeus Butler was more
confrontational with Iraqis
(Musings
On Iraq review Iraq In The Eye of the
Storm)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Greatest Threat, Iraq, Weapons of Mass Destruction,
And The Growing Crisis Of Global Security)
2002 Pentagon memo said US should organize Iraqi opposition
to help with regime change and fill
vacuum after Saddam Said exiles
would help ensure no chaos after invasion Said if US tried to run Iraq without
opposition leaders would backfire
(Musings
On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris
Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy)
2003 Mosque in Fallujah bombed killing 5 wounding 4
2004 CIA official said agency was constantly told to re-do
assessments that said no Iraq-Al Qaeda
connection by White House
2004 Saddam and 11 senior Baathists appeared in court for
first time
2005 Insurgents killed senior aide to Sistani in Baghdad Car
bomb hit PM Jaafari’s offices Mortars
shut down power station that cut
water supply to much of Baghdad
2006 Truck bomb Sadr City killed 62 wounded 120
2006 Sunni female parliamentarian and 8 bodyguards kidnapped
in Baghdad
(Musings
On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A
People’s History, 2003-2009)
2006 PM Maliki visited Saudi Arabia then went to UAE and Kuwait
to try to re-integrate Iraq into Arab
world
(Musings
On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
2007 Iraqi govt announced 1,227 civilian deaths in June
lowest monthly total in 2007
2008 Report US didn’t have people or plans for postwar Iraq
Chaos that ensued set conditions for
insurgency Were many groups working
on postwar Iraq but few made it into the war plans Top officials had best case
scenario for postwar Iraq which overrode plans for bad situations Almost all
planning went to war as a result Gen Franks only cared about war which made
accomplishing postwar goals harder NSC had no strategy despite multiple
requests Left each agency to carry out individual plans Meant no coordination
of planning NSC never mediated between Defense and State Pentagon given control
of postwar plans but cared about war more Created ORHA to run Iraq only 8 weeks
before invasion but didn’t have expertise or personnel to run it Problems
lasted postwar State Dept’s Future of Iraq Project was not a postwar plan
(Musings
On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)
2008 KRG released report that its oil deals were far
superior and Baghdad’s oil plan would be disastrous
for the country
2008 2 Sadrist politicians and Iraqi army officers said
Hezbollah ran two training camps in Basra
since 2006 Up to 10 Hezbollah
operatives trained Special Groups there Closed during Charge of Knights Said
Hezbollah involved in Jan 07 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq raid on Karbala that killed US
soldiers and involved in AAH kidnapping of 5 Britons from Finance Min in
Baghdad May 07
(Musings
On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings
On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings
On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of
Iraq)
2009 Report After 1st auction of Iraq’s oil and
gas fields only got 1 winning bid Asian oil company
official said contracts offered
were bad Said companies only interested because of amount of oil in Iraq
2009 Report Energy Intelligence group said Iraq’s 1st
auction of oil and gas fields was a disaster Iraq
didn’t understand business
realities when offered contracts
2010 Report Transportation hindered by checkpoints Baghdad
to Tikrit has more than 40
checkpoints ISF demand bribes at
each one Checkpoints business for officers Sell checkpoints Checkpoint with
Jordan could be bought for $20,000
2011 100s protested in Baghdad for political reforms end of
US occupation Burned US flat Demanded PM
Maliki to step down
(Musings
On Iraq July 1, 2011 Protests In Iraq’s Tahrir Square, Baghdad)
2012 Sadr said PM Maliki should not be questioned by
parliament because would harm political system
Before Sadr was pushing to remove
Maliki Now supported him
(Musings
On Iraq What Does Iraq’s Sadr Want?)
(Musings
On Iraq Iraq’s Sadrist Back Off Attacks Upon Prime Minister Maliki For Now)
(Musings
On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New
Authoritarianism)
2013 ISIS began
Soldiers’ Harvest campaign
2013 Adv to PM
Maliki said electricity problems wouldn’t be solved until 2015 In Jan Maliki
said would
be fixed by end of 2013
(Musings On Iraq Iraq No Closer To Solving Its Electricity
Problems)
(Musings On Iraq More Hollow Promises By Iraq’s Electricity
Ministry)
2013 Report Chevon would invest in 3rd oil block
in KRG Total bought into 3rd bloc in KRG
2013 Report Oil and Electricity Mins didn’t cooperate on
delivery of fuel for power stations Some stations
shut down for lack of fuel
2014 IS released recording of its leader Baghdadi declaring
a new caliphate
(Musings
On Iraq review The Caliphate At War,
Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
2014 IS and Naqshibandi fought in Hamrin Mts Diyala leaving
4 dead
(Musings
On Iraq Iraq’s Resurgent Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)
(Musings
On Iraq Precarious Relationship Between The Islamic State of Iraq And The
Baathist Naqshibandi)
(Musings
On Iraq Rise Of The Islamic State And the Fading Away of the Rest of the Iraqi
Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad al-Tamimi)
(Musings
On Iraq review The Caliphate At War,
Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
2014 Iran sent 7 Su-25 ground attack planes and drones plus
ground crews to Iraq to help with war vs IS
Planes were Iraqi that Saddam sent
to Iran during Gulf War and Tehran kept Also sent drones with pilots and air
controllers for them
2014 Pres Barzani said there would be a referendum on
Kurdish independence soon
2014 Report Interviewed soldiers from Iraqi army brigade
that collapsed during fall of Qaim Anbar Said
never got food or water Cmdr went
to ask for supplies but never returned Told to retreat but got lost and
ambushed Division cmdr accused of wanting publicity more than leading unit
2014 Report on Iraqi army 2nd Div that collapsed
in Mosul Only manned checkpoints and did arrests
Extorted money from businesses Took
bribes to release prisoners Officers stole money meant to buy food for troops
Sold fuel on black market Officers took part of salaries PM Maliki created
patronage network within officer corps Meant unqualified officers got positions
Was undermanned underequipped undertrained New cmdr named but didn’t pay bribe
to get position Insurgents carried out assassinations of soldiers and their
families
2015 Fall of Ramadi in May hurt PM Abadi Hashd took lead in
fighting in Anbar Before it was ISF
Hashd changed emphasis from
retaking Ramadi to Fallujah Different Hashd brigades have their own operations
and argued with each other over victories Before Ramadi Anbar council asked
Hashd for help Abadi tried to keep Hashd out but then had to ask for their help
Badr’s Amiri blamed Abadi for fall of Ramadi Abadi said Hashd non-sectarian and
were under his command Same day Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s Khazali said Hashd part of
pro-Iran Resistance that would fight US
2016 Report Badr’s
Amiri claimed Hashd formed by PM Maliki before Sistani’s fatwa calling for
men to defend Iraq Apr 2014 meeting of Natl Alliance where Maliki talked
about creating militias to help with security Maliki said Sunni-Turkish
conspiracy against Shiites Said if Syria fell to Sunni-Turkish conspiracy Iraq
would be next Maliki said US refused to help Led him towards Iran Quds Force
Gen Suleimani came up with militia plan PM said ISF unreliable because had
Sunnis Shiites Kurds Said 20 militias were operating in Baghdad Babil
Salahaddin Karbala already
2017 Report Trump admin deployed US forward observers with
ISF in Mosul Tried to coordinate
different ISF units Called in air
strikes
(Musings
On Iraq Mosul Campaign Day 259 Jul 1 2017)
2017 Gorran MP accused Pres Barzani and KDP of monopolizing
KRG independence referendum
for their political gain
2017 Hashd leader said 6500 Hashd died last 3 yrs fighting
IS
2017 Report Salahaddin Gov Jabouri asked PM Abadi to deploy
pro-Sistani Abbas Combat Brigade
Most of Salaahddin had pro-Iran
Hashd accused of abuses Blocking returns of displaced
2017 Hashd cmdr said Mukhaisa Qara Tapa Hamrin Mts IS bases
in Diyala Said ISF submitted false
reports claiming things secure
2019 PM Abdul Mahdi executive order Hashd part of the
security forces Had to follow its rules and
orders of the commander in chief
Individual names of brigades could no longer be used Could not be linked to
political parties Those that did not comply by Jul 31 could no longer carry
weapons Came after 7 attacks by pro-Iran groups due to US-Iran tensions and
Hashd drone attack upon Saudi Arabia Was ignored
(Musings
On Iraq PM Abdul Mahdi Orders Fuller Integration Of Hashd In Response To
Attacks By Iranian Backed Groups In June)
2019 Sadr said he was disbanding his Saraya al-Salam militia
Didn’t do it
2019 Peshmerga cmdr said 20 empty villages in Khanadin dist
of Diyala due to IS attacks
2021 Report Some activists would run in 2022 election Said
election law that created small voter
districts opened opportunities for
new candidates
View the Iraq History Timelines