This Day In Iraqi History – Mar 20

1933 Rashid al-Gaylani became premier of Iraq, would hold office 3 times

1971 Ex-Def Min and VP Tikrit assassinated in Kuwait by Bakr govt

1973 Kuwait sent troops to try to expel Iraq building base on its territory leading to

            gunfight 3 killed US thought part of Soviet plot in Persian Gulf

1981 Iraqi attack on Susangard failed after 1 day Turning point in war Iraq couldn't

            capture anymore Iranian land

1983 Saddam executed 6 members of the Hakim family including 3 brothers of

            Ayatollah Hakim

1985 Iraqi counter attack forced Iranians back into Maysan-Basra marshes 20,000

            Iranians 14,000 Iraqis killed

1986 US condemned Iraq at UN for violating international law by using chemical

weapons in Iran-Iraq War

1991 Kirkuk fell to Kurdish rebels

1991 Kurdish leaders said that all of Iraqi Kurdistan had been liberated from Iraqi

            forces

1991 Ayatollah Khoei made to appear with Saddam on TV to denounce Shiite uprising

            Ayatollah Khoei then placed under house arrest in Najaf

1995 Op Steel 35,000 Turkish troops invaded Kurdistan to attack PKK who withdrew

            forces from border before op

1996 UN and Iraq sign agreement to allow for Oil for Food program

2003 US Amb to UN Negroponte letter to Security Council said Iraq failed to comply

            with weapons inspectors since end of Gulf War justifying use of force

2003 State Dept legal adviser Taft said Iraq hadn’t complied with UN resolutions since

            1990s justifying use of force

2003 Gen Franks said Special Forces were in control of Anbar desert to prevent SCUD

            missiles

2003 U.S. forces crossed into Iraq and attacked Um Qasr port in Basra

2003 British commandos attacked Fao Peninsula

2003 British received reports Iraqi forces disintegrating in south and might have to

            intervene in war earlier than planned

2003 Iraq fired several SCUD missiles at Kuwait One destroyed by Patriot Missile

            battery

2003 Saddam speech said war “shameful crime” Said US would give up out of fear

            of Iraqi soldiers

2003 Iraq halted oil flows due to start of war

2003 China France and Russia criticized the Iraq invasion

2003 Bush signed executive order freezing all Iraq funds in US Money would later

            be used to run and rebuild Iraq

2003 Blair thought Iraq wanted to draw Coalition into cities for street fighting and

            afraid of WMD attacks

2003 Bush and Blair discussed sudden collapse of Iraqi forces during start of

            invasion

2003 ORHA staff went to CENTCOM in Qatar and found military had parallel

            post-war admin set up isolated from ORHA

2003 UN Sec Gen Annan called on Security Council to change Oil for Food program

            so he instead of Iraqi govt could run it

2003 Turkey asked for written guarantee from US it would allow Turkish troops into

            Iraq US said no

2004 Bombings against Shiite pilgrims in Karbala during Ashura left 165 dead more

            than 230 wounded

2004 Suicide bombers attacked Shiite pilgrims during Ashura at Khadmiya shrine

            Baghdad

2004 Protest in Khadimiya Baghdad against attacks aimed at pilgrims in Baghdad and

            Karbala

2004 Ayatollah Sistani blamed US occupation for not securing borders for bombings

            of pilgrims in Baghdad and Karbala

2004 6 US soldiers charged with prisoner abuse for Abu Ghraib scandal

2005 Rumsfeld blamed Turkey for not letting 4^th Inf Div to invade Iraq from north

            for violence in Iraq

2005 Rumsfeld claimed if Turkey let US forces in would have captured more Baathists

            and lessoned insurgency

2005 Rumsfeld said that CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Franks didn’t want more troops in Iraq

            after invasion

2006 Bush talked about successful counterinsurgency in Tal Afar by US Claimed

            showed US strategy working

2006 Tal Afar successful counterinsurgency by US unit stationed there and not part

            of larger US strategy in Iraq

2006 Report 2002 Iraq’s Foreign Min Sabri agreed to work with US Told US intel

            Iraq had no biological weapons Had cache of chemical weapons

2006 Report 2002 Iraq’s Foreign Min Sabri told US intel Saddam wanted a nuclear bomb

2007 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s leader Qais Khazali along with his brother Laith and

            Hezbollah commander Ali Musa Daqduq were captured by the British in Basra

2012 Pres Barzani gave speech attacking Maliki’s misrule

2013 Sadrists ended boycott of parliament over postponement of provincial voting in

Anbar and Ninewa

2014 IS held parade in Fallujah

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