This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 1

1928 British sent note to Iraqi govt saying opposed conscription and if govt ran

            into problems over it British wouldn’t help

1958 Egypt and Syria created United Arab Republic PM Said afraid pan-Arabists

            would overthrow his govt so Iraq could join Republic

1981 Iraq received 1^st of 4 shipments of Mirage jets from France despite Paris

claiming neutrality in Iran-Iraq War

1999 NY Post claimed Saddam was making contacts with bin Laden and Abu Nidal to strike US

2001 2^nd Bush NSC meeting again dealt with Iraq policy State Dept said US

            policy should be to stop Iraq from threatening Middle East

2001 Sec of State Powell talked again about smart sanctions

2001 Sec of Def Rumsfeld said removing Saddam and putting in pro-US govt could

            change Middle East and show world what US policy about

2001 Pentagon talked about rebuilding Gulf War coalition against Iraq CIA Dir Tenet

            talked about coup vs Saddam

2001 End of meeting Rumsfeld said US objective was not getting rid of Saddam but his WMD

2002 Gen Franks briefed Rumsfeld on war plans with start time April 2002

2003 US Army War College study said ehtnosectarian differences could lead to civil

            war or fractured state after fall of Saddam

2003 US Army War College said longer US presence in Iraq the more resistance it would face

2003 US Army War College said ethnosectarian parties would probably emerge in Iraq

            and increase divisions

2003 US Army War College warned that there would be terrorism providing services

            would be difficult oil could not pay for reconstruction

2003 US Army War College study suggested 135 tasks US had to take care of

            to ensure stability of postwar Iraq

2003 US Army War College study said US would have to occupy Iraq for a long time

            and building democracy a huge challenge

2003 US Army War College warned US could win the Iraq war and lose the peace

2003 Chief UN inspector Blix refused US claims that Iraq was sending WMD and

            scientists outside country to hide them

2003 Powell went to CIA HQ to go over Iraq-Al Qaeda intel for UN speech Decided to

            focus upon Zarqawi

2003 Cheney Chief of Staff Libby and DepNatSecADv Hadley wanted Powell to use

            9/11 hijacker Atta meeting with Iraqi intel in 2001 Powell said no

2004 2 suicide bombers hit KDP and PUK offices in Irbil killed 117 injured 133

2005 Report US analysts believed Jan 05 elections could erode support for insurgency

2006 Saddam refused to appear in court claiming new judge was biased against him

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