Iraq Election Commission Discards 1,000 More Voting Stations

The controversy over Iraq’s May 2018 election took another turn. The Iraqi Election Commission (IEC) announced that it was cancelling the votes from over 1,000 voting stations. This comes as the parliament met for a second time demanding the government and courts take action on the numerous fraud charges.

This Day in Iraqi History - May 31

1915 British forces set out to capture Amarah from Ottomans

1931 Iraq made first payment of oil revenues to Turkey in return for giving up claims

            to Mosul

1932 Kurdish revolt led by Barzanji put down by RAF

1941 Mayor of Baghdad worked out peace treaty with British surrendering city

1941 Yunis Sabawi pro-Nazi leader appointed himself governor of southern Iraq

            and told Jews to stay in homes

1941 Ger Amb to Iraq told Berlin UK-Iraq armistice signed False rumor British seized

            Mosul airport forced ambassador to flee to Syria

1941 German High Command told German planes heading to and based in Iraq to

            gather in Aleppo until further notice

1967 Jordan invited Iraqi army to deploy troops in its territory for war with Israel

1971 Nixon went to Tehran Shah asked U.S. help to aid Kurds against Baghdad

            leading to covert CIA operation

1981 Iran attacked Iraqi forces in Qasr-e-Shirin and Dehloran in central and northern

            Iran

1992 Bush proposed doubling budget for covert action to overthrow Saddam

2001 1^st of four Deputies Committee of NSC meetings on revising Iraq policy

2003 Badr Brigade claimed it gave up its heavy weapons Wasn’t true

2003 DepDefSec Wolfowitz said that US would find Iraq’s WMD

2003 CIA Dir Tenet said that CIA had not compromised its intelligence on Iraq

2005 Basra police chief said he had no control of 3/4 of his officers who were loyal to

            political parties and militias and were carrying out assassinations

2005 Basra police chief said militias were the real power in the province and they were

            criminals and bad people Said 2 main groups were Badr and Mahdi Army

2006 Maliki declared one month state of emergency in Basra after 100 killed in

            fighting

2007 Islamic Army of Iraq and ISI got into gun battle in Amiriya Baghdad ISI claimed

            it controlled neighborhood US forces called in

2008 US put PKK on sanctions list as a terrorist group

2008 Report only 15% of Sawha integrated into govt as promised

2009 Ex-Trade Min Sudani placed in Samawa prison for trial after arrested trying

            to leave country Charged with corruption

2011 ISI cell arrested that created fake human rights organization as front group

2011 Protests in Ramadi demanding army withdraw from city after police chief

            killed in raid

2012 2^nd day of 4^th auction round for Iraq oil and gas fields Only 2 winning bids

2012 Iraq announced 5^th auction round for Iraqi oil and gas fields would be held

            after disappointing 4^th auction

2012 Ninewa Gov Nujafi claimed almost enough votes in parliament to hold

            no confidence move against Maliki

2013 Fight broke out amongst protesters in Fallujah between those for and against

            Anbar becoming federal region

2014 ISIS kidnapped and killed 8 Naqshibandi members in Baiji who would not

            give it allegiance

2014 Operation started to clear Saqlawiya north of Fallujah in Anbar

2015 Kurdish MP said 1205 Peshmerga killed 6595 wounded fighting IS since

            Jun 2014

2015 Badr head Amiri dismissed PM Abadi’s plans to retake Ramadi Claimed

            only Hashd could free city

2017 ABC News story offered more information on Rapid Reaction unit abuses first

            Reported in Der Spiegel during Mosul campaign

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq May 22-28, 2018

Security continues to fluctuate in Iraq month to month. From January to March there was a slight uptick in attacks compared to the end of 2017. In April, incidents dropped by 20 per week, only to see those figures increase slightly in May. The news of the 3^rd week of the month was a large number of suicide bombings. There were 3 such attacks with a total of 6 bombers across Baghdad, Diyala and Kirkuk, the most since the third week of September 2017.  

This Day In Iraqi History - May 30

1926 Verbal agreement made between British and Turks to give Turkey 10% of

            Mosul oil revenues for 25 years in return for giving up claims to province

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

1941 Last brigade of British 10^th Infantry Division from India landed in Basra

1941 British troops reached Baghdad Iraqi army barracks bombed leading it to ask for

            peace

1941 Baghdad mayor and army officers approached British embassy asking for armistice

1941 German Amb to Iraq Grobba fled to Mosul Told German Foreign Minister

            Ribbentrop Iraqis still in the fight

1941 Ger For Min Ribbentrop told Ger Amb to Iraq Grobba that more planes arriving

Jun 1 Grobba said because of lack of fuel Ger planes would have to be based in Syria

1946 PM Suwaidi resigned over controversy over Iraq-Turkey Friendship Treaty Nuri

            al-Said negotiated treaty without consulting with govt

1959 Last British soldier departed Habaniya base in Iraq as English military withdrew

            from country

1982 Protests and riots in Karbala Basra Nasiriyah Baghdad over battlefield losses

            in Iran-Iraq War

1985 Iraq carried out heavy air raid on Iran oil terminal at Kharg Island

2003 Gen Conway 1^st Marine Expeditionary Force surprised hadn’t found any

Iraq WMD in searches Said intel about Iraq having ready to use WMD was wrong

2003 Rumsfeld announced new Iraq Survey Group would be formed to take over

            search for Iraq’s WMD

2003 Coalition forces looking for Iraq WMD increased to 1300 personnel

2003 Final report of UN inspectors found no evidence of WMD programs

2003 UN inspectors said soil samples helped back Iraq story that they destroyed

            anthrax

2003 Blair said he was sure evidence of Iraq’s WMD would be found

2003 Rumsfeld said war was not based upon lies because both US and England said

            Iraq had WMD

2003 Bush said US found WMD because 2 alleged mobile WMD labs were found

            Inspection found not labs

2003 UnderSecDef for Intel Cambone said only 70 of roughly 600 suspected WMD

            sites in Iraq had been inspected

2003 CIA Dir Tenet said that its Iraq intelligence was not politicized by Bush admin

2003 US report on Iraqi police Said they were corrupt and needed reform Called

            for 6,000 advisers which US didn’t have

2004 US Op Smackdown to probe Mahdi Army defenses of Kufa mosque began

2004 7 US soldiers disciplined for not stopping Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal

2004 Leaked parts of Ryder report on Abu Ghraib found 100s of Iraqi prisoners were

            held despite lack of evidence

2005 Cheney said Iraq in “last throes” of an insurgency

2006 Pentagon report to Congress said violence increased since 2004 from avg 400

attacks/wk spring 04 to 550 attacks/wk Aug 05-Feb 06 to 600 attacks/wk Feb-May 06

2007 US turned over security for Kurdistan to Peshmerga

2007 Op Alljah started to clear Fallujah

2007 2 day battle began in Baghdad between ISI and insurgents that would eventually

            form Sahwa unit

2007 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq arms supplier Abu Abdullah captured by U.S. forces

2008 ISF raided Iraqi National Gathering HQ in Basra

2008 CIA Chief Hayden said ISI near strategic defeat in Iraq

2008 Ayatollah Sistani aide said he was opposed to Status of Forces Agreement with

            U.S.

2008 Fmr White House spokesman McClellan said Bush White House so caught up

            in pushing war ignored intel that didn’t fit argument

2009 Ex-Trade Min Sudani tried to leave Iraq but plane turned around and arrested at

            Baghdad airport on corruption charges

2009 Ex-Trade Min Sudani’s brother arrested trying to leave Iraq by land Tried to

            bribe border police Also charged with corruption

2009 Gov Nujafi accused Peshmerga of human rights abuses and breaking law in

Ninewa

2010 Diyala police chief complained his forces were infiltrated by insurgents

2010 Maliki met with Pres Barzani in Irbil to lobby for 2^nd term

2011 Ninewa Gov Nujafi escaped bombing on his motorcade in Mosul

2011 Maysan council voted to keep US forces out of province as objection to a US raid

2011 VP Mahdi resigned saying position no longer held power and Najaf objected to

            way VPs elected

2012 Maliki said he was reinstating Saddam era army officers as concession to Sunni

            parties to stop no confidence vote against him

2012 Pres Talabani met Pres Barzani Allawi Speaker Nujafi Dep PM Mutlaq in

            Sulaymaniya and refused to back no confidence vote vs Maliki 

2012 Sadr said if Iraqiya and Kurdish Coalition backed no confidence vote against

            Maliki he would support it

2012 Badr and Fadhila wrote letter to Maliki saying they supported him during no

            confidence move against him

2012 Iraq Oil Ministry held 4^th auction for 12 oil and gas fields Only 1 winning bid

2013 Sadrists said replacing Maliki only solution to political crisis in Iraq

2013 3 Reports militias killing civilians kidnapping people manning checkpoints with

ISF in Baghdad

2013 Anbar governor escaped car bombing in Ramadi

2014 Ramadi protest leader said Sunni autonomy was way to go and rejected

            armed struggle

2014 Protest in Qadisiyah over lack of services and development

2014 Report Iran funding Asaib Ahl Al-Haq operations in Fallujah and Jurf al-Sakhr

2015 IS held ceremony where Ramadi sheikhs gave it allegiance

2016 Hashd and Federal Police stopped displaced fleeing Sjar Anbar Executed 12 men

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraq’s Parliament Votes To Cancel Overseas And Some Displaced Voting In 2018 Election REVISED

After three tries Iraq’s parliament finally raised a quorum and voted to annual part of the May elections. All overseas votes along with voting in displaced camps in Anbar, Salahaddin, Ninewa, and Diyala were cancelled due to fraud charges. 10% of the ballot boxes would also have a manual recount. If a 25% difference was found with the original results the ballots in the entire province would have to be counted again.  Parties from across the political spectrum and in several different provinces have claimed cheating in the vote. Some of that is due to poor showing, while in other cases there appeared to be real irregularities. Despite this seeming consensus it appeared that the party bosses were not pushing their followers to show up to the National Assembly to take action on the matter. That finally happened. The cancellation and recount could change the election results for some parties. Since most of the major lists finished very closely a possible change in a few seats will likely not have that much of an effect.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 29

1941 Italian planes got into dogfight with British planes over Baghdad

            1 Italian and 2 British planes shot down

1941 British defeated Iraqi forces at Abu Ghraib Turned back at Abu Ghraib canal in

            push on Baghdad 2^nd time

1941 British forces defeated by Iraqi army at Kadhimiya, Baghdad

1941 PM Gaylani told military leadership had fled to Persia leading to his own

            escape there along with Mufti of Jerusalem

1941 German ambassador to Iraq fled Baghdad for Kirkuk fearing British advance

1941 Governor of Baghdad captured by British on trip to Samarra

1948 Battle of Jenin between Jewish and Iraqi forces started 1^st Arab Israeli War

1984 US backed UN resolution condemning Iranian attacks on Persian Gulf shipping

            Didn’t mention Iraq’s attacks

1987 US Asst Dep Sec of Def Armitage said U.S. couldn’t see Iraq defeated in

            Iran-Iraq War

1996 PUK and KDP agreed to extend Kurdish parliament for another year hoping that

            assembly would help end civil war

2002 UK Def Min official Kelly said Blair govt had spun WMD dossier on Iraq

2003 Bush said US found WMD because 2 alleged mobile WMD labs were found

            Inspection found were not labs

2003 Retired CIA and State Dept officials sent memo to Bush saying they questioned

            intel cited by White House for Iraq war

2003 BBC report Blair’s office had sexed up UK dossier on Iraq’s WMD

2003 Elections led to Abdul Rahman Mustafa a Kurd being elected mayor of Kirkuk

2003 Cheney chief of staff Libby told Wash Post reporter asking about Iraq-Niger

            uranium story

2003 Cheney chief of staff Libby asked an undersecretary of state about a former

            ambassador that said Iraq-Niger uranium deal was false

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2004 Report incoming interim PM Allawi had links to CIA and MI6 since 1980s as

            opponent to Saddam

2005 Op Lightning largest joint US-Iraq op so far Aimed at clearing Baghdad of

            insurgents

2005 Report May 2002 US and UK increased air strikes on Iraq using No Fly Zones in

            attempt to provoke Saddam to justify invasion

2007 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq kidnapped 5 Brits from Finance Ministry in Baghdad 4 would be

            killed Ransomed 5^th Op planned by Iranian Revolutionary Guards

2007 Ex-insurgents in Amiriya Baghdad told US they were going to attack ISI and

            needed help Gen Petraeus said he would support them Became Sahwa

2008 US Amb to Iraq Crocker said ISI near defeat

2008 Interior Min fired 7500 police for corruption ghost officers negligence

2009 Video emerged of Trade Min Sudani and brothers drinking with prostitutes

            talking about Maliki Sudani from Dawa

2010 Sadrists said they would not allow dictatorship or autocracy to return to Iraq

            referring to Maliki

2011 Iraqiya nominee for Def Min Obeidi escaped sticky bomb attempt on his life

            in Mosul

2012 Basra council called for province to become federal region

2012 Maliki held cabinet meeting in Mosul to try to undermine no confidence vote

            against him Kurds boycotted meeting

2012 Iraqi court found Hezbollah operative Daquq innocent of terrorism charges Was

            liaison between Iran Hezbollah and militias

2012 Shahristani denied that he ordered stop of fuel deliveries to KRG even though he

            did

2014 Mutahidun Arabiya and Nationalists formed Union of National Forces list

2016 After he was dismissed by parliament Ninewa Gov Nujafi refused to leave office

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraq Parliament Failed At Quorum Again To Discuss Election Fraud While Committee Formed To Look Into Charges

The May elections in Iraq continued to face more controversy. Parliament failed for a second time to hold a session to discuss fraud charges, political parties continued to complain about the results and protest, while the cabinet formed a committee to look into the problems, and the courts told the Election Commission it had to listen to all the appeals over the results.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 28

1941 British forces captured Khan Nuqta fort on march from Fallujah to

            Baghdad

1941 British troops moved from Basra to Baghdad take Ur

1941 British forces attacked Abu Ghraib canal but turned back by Iraqis

1941 British intel spread rumor to Iraqi military that 100 tanks heading to Baghdad

            Led PM Gaylani to flee

1941 3^rd shipment of German military supplies arrived in Mosul Never used

1941 Iraq Chiefs of Staff decided to withdraw to Kirkuk to avoid British attack on

            Baghdad PM Gayalni joined them

1968 Communist uprising began in southern Marshes

1981 Dawa blew up an ammo and fuel dump at Baghdad Airport

1990 Arab summit in Baghdad Saddam spoke about freeing the Palestinians

(Musings On Iraq article on Saddam’s motivation for threatening Israel before the Kuwait invasion)

1990 Arab summit Saddam accused Kuwait of breaking OPEC quotas driving down

oil prices costing Iraq $14 bil called Kuwait’s oil policy an act of war against Iraq

1990 At Arab summit Saddam personally warned Sheikh Sabah he was being

manipulated in US conspiracy against Iraq Demanded $27 bil in compensation from Kuwait

1990 Arab summit backed Iraq’s right to protect itself from any Israeli

            attack

1990 PLO chief Arafat said Saddam was bringing new leadership to pan-Arab

            cause

2003 Blair said he still believed Iraq had WMD

2003 DepDef Sec Wolfowitz said threat of Iraq came from its WMD and links to

terrorists Said no one expected finding Iraq’s WMD would be easy because so good at hiding them

2003 CIA-DIA report said that 2 trailers found during invasion were mobile WMD labs

            Denied Iraqi claims trailers were for weather balloons

2003 CIA held conference call with reporters to brief them on WMD mobile labs report

2003 DIA inspection team in Iraq sent memo to Washington 2 trailers not mobile

            WMD labs

2004 Iraqi Governing Council agreed upon Iyad Allawi as head of interim govt

2007 Report on US-Iran meeting US demanded Tehran stop supporting militias

2008 Sadr called for weekly protests against security agreement with US

2008 Fmr White House press sec McClellan’s book said White House shaped war

            debate so force only option vs Iraq Said that Iraq war was not necessary

2009 Protest in Tal Afar to make it independent of Ninewa Complained about

            Gov Nujafi and neglect

2009 Report Asaib Ahl Al-Haq demanded release of its members from jail and to run

            in elections in return for releasing 5 Brits it kidnapped

2009 Maliki said he gave up with outreach to Saudis Said futile and made Iraq look

            weak

2009 Last British troops withdrew from Iraq

2011 Protests and clashes in Ramadi after raid killed police chief ISF said he was

            linked to ISI Residents complained about army raids

2011 ISF raided protest organization HQ in Baghdad arresting 11 activists

2011 Report Maliki turning to Asaib Ahl Al-Haq to counter Sadrists in Baghdad and

            southern Iraq

2012 KRG PM Barzani compared Maliki to Saddam claiming Kurds were being

            expelled from Diyala and Kirkuk

2012 Meeting in Irbil with Speaker Nujafi Allawi Sadr spokesman and Kurds over

            no confidence vote against Maliki

2013 Security ops against ISI in Anbar Ninewa Diyala Salahaddin Babil Baghdad

2014 ISIS killed 8 Naqshibandi fighters in Baiji

2014 Peshmerga Min punished Peshmerga who protested not getting paid in

            Sulaymaniya

2014 Iraqi intelligence received report on neighborhoods in Mosul ISIS would attack

            in June

2015 New U.N. resolution to try to crackdown on IS smuggling of antiquities from Iraq

            and Syria

2015 Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander killed near Ramadi

2015 Reinforcements arrived to try to take back Ramadi Wouldn’t happen until Feb

2016

2016 PM Abadi approved parliament’s dismissal of Ninewa Gov Nujafi

2017 Attack on final section of Mosul under IS control began

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was cited by Ibrahim al-Marashi in "Iraq elections: The curious case of the Communist-Sadrist alliance" for Middle East Eye.

Review M1A1 in Iraqi Service

Review SABOT Publications, M1A1 in Iraqi Service, Warmachines 04 Photo reference book, St. Charles: SABOT Publications, 2017

Iraq’s 2014-17 war against the Islamic State gained international attention. It was inevitable that this conflict would raise interest in Iraq’s military as well. That explains the publication of SABOT’s M1A1 in Iraqi Service. The book is for modelers and tank aficionados, and consists of 65 pages of color photos and illustrations of M1A1 Abrams tanks of Iraq’s 9^th Division and the Special Division Tank Regiment, although there appears to be one photo of an Abrams with the Hashd al-Shaabi because the unit insignia have been removed, and there are large Shiite flags flying from it.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 27

1917 UK Col Clayton worried Sykes-Picot would create opposition by Sharif of

            Mecca against UK taking Baghdad

1941 Operation Regulta began British forces marched north from Basra to

Kut and onto Baghdad

1941 British forces moved from Fallujah to cut Baghdad-Mosul road and railway

1941 PM Gaylani told Italians he was disappointed with Axis assistance

1947 Month after returning to Iraq Mustafa Barzani started another revolt against govt

1991 Kurdish parties threatened to go back to fighting if deal not reached with Baghdad

            over autonomy

1993 UN Resolution 833 set Iraq-Kuwait border

1995 PUK and KDP met to maintain Kurdish parliament during civil war

2003 Rumsfeld said Iraq might have destroyed its WMD right before war but they

            would be found

2003 Preliminary report sent to Washington said 2 captured trailers were not mobile

            WMD labs as first thought

2003 Cleric at Fallujah mosque praised 1^st serious attack on US troops 2 soldiers killed

            9 injured at checkpoint

2003 Outgoing ORHA head Garner told Bush and Rumsfeld Iraq making progress and

            US would be out of country in weeks

2003 New UN Rep to Iraq deMello said that the sooner Iraqis had power the better

2004 Sadr agreed to deal to end fighting US forces in Najaf and other southern cities

2005 Badr militiamen in Wolf commando brigade blamed for sectarian attacks

            on Sunnis

2005 Sheikh Janabi of National Dialogue Council said violence had changed to killing

            based upon identity Sunnis getting killed for being Sunni

2008 Maliki issued arrest warrants for new party in Diyala made up of Sahwa Part of

            crackdown on Sunni in province

2008 Fmr Under Sec of Def Feith criticized Bush for switching goal of Iraq war from

            threat of Saddam to spreading democracy

2009 US Army Chief of Staff Gen Casey said US could be fighting in Iraq for next 10

yrs

2009 Iraq signed 2 year deal with IMF for $7 bil to help with budget deficit

2011 Anbar council rejected protest calls to make province federal region

2011 Protest in Baghdad over lack of services demanded release of prisoners

2012 Pres Barzani said KDP and PUK peshmerga would be united by end of year Still

            hasn't happened

2012 Kurdish Coalition said hadn’t decided on no confidence vote against Maliki 

2013 13 ISI car bombs in Baghdad killed 36 wounded 147

2013 Sadr gave Maliki 24 hrs to have ISF clear Asaib Ahl Al-Haq from streets of

            Baghdad

2014 New op in Jurf al-Sakhr, Babil four days after declared freed

2014 Protest in Nasiriya over lack of electricity and services

2014 Report Iran pushing PUK to support 3^rd term for Maliki

2015 Iranian Foreign Min denied Iranian troops fighting in Baiji said only advisers

2015 Fmr MP Othman said 2,822 Peshmerga killed fighting IS since June 2014

2015 Report Army and Hashd ordered to shut bridge to displaced trying to flee Anbar

            into Baghdad

2016 Sadrists protest in Baghdad Police fired tear gas to break them up Demos

            in Babil Karbala Basra Dhi Qar Muthanna too

2016 Kataib Hezbollah stopped large group of displaced fleeing Sjar Anbar abducted

            73 men not seen afterward

2017 Iranian Revolutionary Guard general killed advising Hashd around Baaj western

            Ninewa

2017 Toronto Star printed story by Der Spiegel author providing more information on

            abuses by Rapid Reaction unit during Mosul battle

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review The Ba’thification of Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s Totalitarianism

Review Faust, Aaron, The Ba’thification of Iraq, Saddam Hussein’sTotalitarianism, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2015

The Ba’thification of Iraq, Saddam Hussein’s Totalitarianism starts off with a dramatic story of a bicycle repairman in Wasit province who shot his son for deserting the army during the Iran-Iraq War. The man wrote to the Baath office for deserters asking to be pardoned for his crime. The secretary of the office passed his request all the way to Saddam Hussein who not only amnestied him, but gave him a commendation and entered his account into the official records of the war. The point of Aaron Faust’s book is to explain why people like this lowly laborer would kill his own child for a dictatorship like the one in Iraq. Was it because people loved Saddam as thousands of letters and speeches proclaimed each year, were they loyal to the regime, or was it because they were terrified into submission as writers such as Kanan Makiya wrote about? What Faust argues is that the Baath Party and Saddam created an all encompassing system, which offered rewards and punishments and attempted to control every facet of Iraqi life from marriage to where people lived to their education to their jobs and future. Under such a system the vast majority had to comply to ensure their livelihood and that of their families.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 26

1941 2^nd trainload of German military aid arrived from Syria Stored in Mosul

            but never used

1941 12 Italian planes landed in Kirkuk from Syria to operate under Germans

            Immediately attacked British forces in Anbar

1941 Mussolini met with German military attache and expressed concern about Iraq

            Asked whether Belin would give substantive or symbolic support to Iraq

1941 Mussolini told German military attache Iraq could turn tide in Mediterranean

            Attache said Berlin serious about Iraq

1964 Pres Arif established Joint Presidency Council with Egypt in failed attempt to

            unite 2 countries under pan-Arabism

2002 During trip to France Bush said he had no Iraq war plans

2004 NYTimes said some of its reporting on Iraq before war was questionable and not

            sufficiently vetted

2005 PM Jaafari said govt would crackdown on those taking law into their own hands

            in response to reports of Shiite death squads

2006 Pentagon report to Congress on Iraq said insurgency had not started civil war

            Said violence only in 4 provinces Said insurgency would decline in early 2007

2006 Sec State Rice said 48 US govt workers signed up to work in Iraq Gen Casey said

            not enough Rice told him he was out of line

2006 Report Maliki wanted to increase number of Iraqi forces from 250,000 to 325,000

            by end of year Was trying to purge militias from Iraqi forces

2006 Report Maliki wanted Iraqi forces to control all of Iraq’s provinces except Baghdad

            and Anbar by end of 2006

2008 US military reported attacks in Iraq at lowest level since May 2004

2008 Iraq brokered deal to have quicker release of Iraqi prisoners Year later Iraq

            would complain about releases increasing terrorism

2008 ISI elements that that fled Mosul during govt crackdown began attacking Yazidis

            in Sinjar

2009 Integrity Comm head attacked Maliki for allowing Trade Min Sudani to resign

            Said it helped him escape questioning for corruption

2011 Inter Min Explosive head Gen Jabri released after arrested for involvement in

            buying fake bomb detectors

2011 ISI killed Accountability & Justice Comm head Ali al-Lami in east Mosul

2011 Sadr told BBC that his militia was attacking US forces as they were withdrawing        from Iraq

2011 Sadrists held rally in Baghdad against US occupation

2015 IS executed Iraqi soldiers from Sadr City in Fallujah Hung him from bridge

            Hashd used it to justify attacking city in July

2015 Report over 400 buildings in Dour district in Tikrit destroyed by Hashd after

            city freed

2016 Abadi called on reform protests to stop due to Fallujah operation

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq

Review Ballard, John, from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq, Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2010

from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq by John Ballard attempts to take the long view of the conflict between the United States and Iraq starting with the Gulf War through the sanctions to the 2003 invasion and Iraq War. This seems a natural history as the Gulf War was when Washington first came into conflict with Baghdad, and Saddam Hussein remaining in power afterward set the stage for the following decades. The main drawback is that Ballard is a military historian so the big political issues such as whether the 2003 war was justified and its impact are never adequately dealt with.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 25

1940 Iraq For Min Said said England and France should grant Syria and

            Palestine Independence to counter Axis propaganda

1941 Hitler Order 30 Germany would support Arabs against British especially in Iraq

1948 Iraqi forces took Geulim and reached Kfar Yona and Ein Vered 1^st Arab-

Israeli War

1983 7,000 Turkish troops moved 18 mi into Kurdistan to attack PKK bases Iraq and

            Turkey had agreement to allow cross border ops vs Kurds

1988 Iraq using chemical weapons pushed Iran out of Shalmache bridgehead in

            Basra

1999 Clinton Natl Sec Adv Berger met with 7 Iraqi opposition parties receiving US

            funds Told them president wanted Saddam removed by end of his term

2003 5,000 Iraqis protested outside Green Zone demanding a new govt security

            salaries for soldiers

2003 CPA order 5 created DeBaathification Council Would be run by Ahmed Chalabi

2003 Inspection team examined 2 captured trailers Immediately found they were not

            mobile WMD labs as originally thought

2003 Kirkuk council elected 6 members then arrested by US for alleged Baathist

            ties

2007 Ret Gen Keane told VP Cheney Surge needed to be sustained until 2008

2008 Report insurgents fled to Tikrit and Ramadi during Mother of Two Springs

            operation in Mosul

2008 Mayor of Mosul escaped 4th bombing attempt on his life in 10 days

2008 USAmb Crocker said ISI had been severely disrupted in Iraq

2008 US and ISF conduct weapons searches in Sadr City Arrested 200 Mahdi Army

            militiamen in Amil and Baya

2008 Report Sadrists paid $300 for anyone that attacked British forces in Basra Money

            came from Iran

2009 Maliki accepted resignation of Trade Min Sudani charged with corruption

2011 Iraq ranked 2^nd to last in Global Peace Index

2011 Dep PM Shahristani said Iraq could not defend itself after US withdrawal at

            end of year

2012 Dawa held march in Baghdad to support Maliki during no confidence drive

            against him

2012 Baghdad said that all Kurdish oil deals with Turkey had to be approved by the

            central govt

2013 Mutahidun accused Maliki of backing militias with government money

2014 Anbar Operations Command claimed 90% of Ramadi freed ISIS still occupied

            major parts of city

2014 Anbar Operations Command said 40 attempts to take Fallujah from Jan-May

            2014 and all failed

2014 Sadrists threatened to go into opposition if Maliki got 3^rd term as PM

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraq’s Election Fraud Controversy

After every election in Iraq parties claim there was cheating. Some of this is due to actual fraud that took place, but others are simply upset with their poor showing. This year seems more serious as a variety of parties are threatening lawsuits, boycotts and demonstrations, along with the prime minister and United Nations asking the Election Commission to take these charges seriously.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 24

1922 Cleric Khalisi informed southern tribes British were trying to get their

            way in new Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1941 Mufti of Jerusalem told Italians Arab revolt hinged on Iraq and it needed more

            support

1980 Iraq backed failed coup vs Khomeini in Iran

1982 Iran’s Op Beit al-Moqaddas ended with Iraqi forces pushed back to Iran-Iraq

border in Khuzistan province 12,000-15,000 Iraqis captured Iran regained 2077 sq mi of Iranian land

1982 Israeli press reported US sent arms to Egypt which were then sold to Iraq

1990 US National Security Council deputies meeting told that US still sharing

            intelligence with Iraq

1999 Sec State Albright met with 7 Iraqi opposition groups receiving US funds Said US

            would provide them nonlethal aid

2002 Rumsfeld issued order to Joint Chiefs to begin Phase Four postwar planning

            for Iraq

2004 Bush said US would stay the course in Iraq and move towards returning

            sovereignty and creating democracy in Iraq

2005 SCIRI’s Hammoudi named head of constitutional drafting committee

2006 Joint Chiefs intel report said insurgency enduring despite political progress and

            growth of ISF

2006 Report police and army full of militias insurgents and criminals carrying out

            abuses and sectarian violence

2006 Report US officials and military apologized for former Inter Min Jabr from ISCI

            and Badr saying they weren’t responsible for police abuses

2006 Maliki said he wanted to reign in militias and demobilize them Went to Najaf to

            try to get Ayatollah Sistani to make statements against militias

2006 Iraqi Army’s 16^th Brigade in charge of Dora south Baghdad ran death squads and

            assassinations in conjunction with insurgents Killed its own commander

2007 Sheikh Issawi assassinated and funeral hit by suicide bomber in Anbar

leading to parts of his tribe to join fight against ISI in Fallujah

2009 Hashemi resigned as head of Islamic Party

2011 Anbar councilman blamed Syria for allowing insurgents to cross its

            border into Iraq

2011 Trade Min Sudani accused of wasting $245 mil while in office

2011 Report US forces coming under increased attacks as withdrawal date at end of

            year approached

2011 US Def Sec Gates went to Iraq to lobby for US troop presence past end of year

2012 KRG PM Barzani said that if Baghdad cut off fuel deliveries KRG would

            export oil independently

2012 Sadr asked National Alliance to replace Maliki

2013 Integrity Comm said it was opening investigation into buying fake bomb

            detectors Went nowhere

2013 Clash at Ramadi protest site between those for and against turning Anbar

            into federal region

2013 Imam at Mosul protest site argued for making Ninewa federal region

2013 Sadrist killed fighting in Syria had funeral attended by movement members    

            showing Sadr’s participation in Syria war

2015 Iranian Ground Forces commander said Iranian military moved 40km into

            Diyala to protect border from IS

2015 KRG claimed it met its oil export quota set in 2015 budget and therefore

            should receive it full monthly payment from Baghdad

2015 US Def Sec Carter questioned Iraqis’ will to fight after Ramadi fell to IS

2017 Interior Min announced investigation into abuses by Iraqi forces during Mosul

            campaign in response to Der Spiegel article Nothing came of it

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq, May 15-21, 2018

The third week of May saw another record low in violence. There were only 38 incidents reported, which surpassed the previous low of 40 in the first week of April. Unfortunately, that dip did not mean a decrease in casualties. After a super violent March, it appears that the Islamic State is back to regrouping.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 23

1941 German planes attacked British forces in Fallujah Iraqi artillery shelled

            Town

1941 UK Mid-East cmdr Gen Wavell and Indian cmdr Gen Auchinlek met in Basra

            Decided to send forces to Baghdad and more to be sent from India to Iraq

1969 Pres Bakr offered self-determination to Kurds

1982 Iraq invoked Arab League 1950 defense agreement to get military aid from

            members Got nothing League divided over war

1988 Iraq launched offensive to re-capture all of its lost territory from Iran

1988 Towns in Balisan Valley, Sulamaniya hit by chemical weapons in 5^th Anfal

            campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1991 For third time Kurds attacked police station in Zakho

2002 During trip to Germany Bush said he had no Iraq war plans

2003 Bush said he supported Bremer’s political plan for Iraq

2003 CPA Order 2 disbanded Iraqi military

2003 Congress asked CIA to look into its pre-war intel on WMD after none found

2004 Sadr’s brother in law Riyadh Nouri arrested

2005 Sunni MPs accused Badr Brigade of carrying out sectarian killings

2007 Dep PM Zubaie wounded by suicide bomber

2008 Clerics denied Sistani issued fatwa allowing attacks on U.S. forces

2010 ISF blamed U.S. releasing prisoners for increase in violence In 2008 Maliki had

            negotiated quicker release of prisoners by US

2011 Adviser to Diyala governor arrested by Maliki to intimidate province to not

            move towards federal region

2012 Iraq hosted nuclear talks between Iran and six countries

2013 Al Qaeda’s Zawahiri said that Baghdadi was wrong for declaring ISIS without

            asking permission first

2013 Mutahidun accused Maliki of supporting militias and targeting civilians

2013 Sheikh Hayes said Ramadi protesters had 2 days to turn over those who killed

            5 soldiers

2013 State of Law offered SIIC control of 3 southern provinces in return for control of

            Basra SIIC turned down offer

2014 Babil Operations Command claimed Jurf al-Sakhr freed from IS Would not be

            liberated until Oct 2014

2014 Gorran accused PUK of cheating in Sulaymaniya vote

2014 KRG said it sold 1^st tanker of independent oil exports Oil Ministry filed legal

            papers over sale

2015 Report Iranians operating rockets, artillery and drones in Baiji operation

2016 Final campaign to liberate Fallujah started Five weeks later city would be freed

2017 Der Spiegel article on abuse and torture by Rapid Reaction Division unit during

Mosul campaign Unit denied story released video of its victims denying that they had been abused Attacked author

2017 Joint Operations Command claimed Der Spiegal story of abuse during Mosul

campaign made up and if any torture had taken place magazine was partly responsible

2017 Hashd freed Qairawan subdistrict of Sinjar Ninewa

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Sadr-Communist Alliance And Iraq’s 2018 Elections Interview With Benedict Robin

The results of the 2018 parliamentary elections in Iraq were a shock to many. Seemingly out of nowhere the Sairoon list made of the Sadrists and the Iraqi Communist Party won the most seats. To have an Islamist religious figure align with a secular leftist was another twist. The two actually aligned several years beforehand during the annual protests that hit the country. To help explain Sairoon and its victory is University of Edinburgh PhD student Benedict Robin. He can be followed on Twitter @Benrobinz.

(Reuters)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 22

1919 Sheikh Mohmoud Barzanji started rebellion against British in

            Sulaymaniya

1941 Iraq attempt to recapture Fallujah failed

(Musings On Iraq article on 1941 Battle of Fallujah)

1941 Regent of Iraq along with Nuri al-Said arrived at British base at Habaniya, Anbar

            Said sent letter to Iraqi commander in Ramadi who agreed to switch sides

1948 Iraqi army defeated in Battle of Gesher and retreated to West Bank in 1^st Arab-

            Israeli War

1975 PUK formed when Maosit Komala led by Nirshurwan Mustafa social

            democratic Bezutnawa led by Ali Askari and KDP’s Talabani joined

1979 Start of 9 days of protests in Iraq led by Dawa

1982 Iran broke through Iraqi defenses around Khorramshahr Took 22,000 Iraqi

            prisoners

1984 Reagan briefed on study that said there should be a military embargo on both

            Iran and Iraq Reagan agreed to policy

1986 US Amb to Iraq asked Eximbank to open up new lines of credit to Iraq to help

            it through Iran-Iraq War

2003 UN Res 1483 made US and England occupying powers of Iraq and ended

sanctions on Iraq Also created Development Fund for Iraq to help pay for rebuilding using oil revenue

2003 Bremer told Bush Iraq needed new constitution then elections then sovereignty

            returned

2003 CPA and official from Sec Def Rumsfeld’s office drafted CPA Order 2 to

            disband Iraq’s military

2003 Bremer told Bush about CPA’s plan to disband Iraqi military

2003 Story CIA started internal review of its pre-war Iraq intelligence

2004 Neocon supporters of INC’s Chalabi told NatlSecAdv Rice that US needed to

stop harassing him Came after US forces raided Chalabi’s house claiming he had passed intel to Iran

2004 INC met with Nat Sec Adv Rice complaining US had abandoned Chalabi

2005 Joint US-Iraqi operation started to clear Abu Ghraib in west Baghdad

2005 Sadr sent delegation to meet Sunni clerics in an attempt to stop sectarian violence

2006 Bush said Iraq at a turning point and heading in right direction towards democracy

            Said Maliki govt turning point for Middle East

2006 Report US failure to adequately plan for Iraqi police led to militia and criminal

            take over 2004 US military took over police training and still inadequate

2006 Report audit found 5,000 Iraqi police had criminal records including taking part

            in insurgency

2006 Report pre-war Bush admin thought Iraqi police not an issue and rejected Justice

            Dept plan to use 1000s of police advisers

2006 US initially hoped Basra police would be early success because back on duty in 03

            and no insurgency but quickly taken over by gangs political parties militias

2006 Politicians appointed police chiefs in Basra who hired friends relatives tribesmen

            Came to be dominated by Badr and Mahdi Army

2006 Report Basra police carrying out sectarian violence and enforcing religious rules

            of militias Demanding kickbacks to join force Helping smugglers

2006 Summer 05 Basra police chief Gen Sawadi said he didn’t trust his own force and

            couldn’t control them

2006 Report Inter Min tried to reform Basra police but failed Started with Internal

            Affairs which turned into crime ring Trials failed against corrupt officers

2006 Mar 04 Gen Eaton put in charge of US military training program for Iraqi police

            Budget cut 20% Said showed not priority in Washington

2006 Gen Petraeus took over US military training program for Iraqi police in summer

            05 and claimed carried out meaningful reforms

2006 Gen Petraeus also militarized Iraqi police with combat training and military

            equipment

2006 Report British Gen Mackay warned that unless Coalition regulated Iraqi police

            commandos would become personal army for Interior Minister

2006 Report Fmr Inter Min Nakib warned Rumsfeld in April 05 that Shiite parties

            were going to take over police commandos with their militias

2006 Report 2005 when ISCI Jabr made Interior Min had Badr take over police and

            commandos

2006 Report US military played down sectarian killings and abuses by Iraqi police

            commandos

2006 Report Inter Min Jabr denied any abuses by police and blamed other ministries

2006 Report corruption endemic in Iraq Transportation Min bought planes 2 for $3 mil

            each that should have been less than $1 mil

2006 Defense Min made $1 bil in questionable arms purchases Interior Min had at least

            1100 ghost employes costing $1.3 mil a month

2006 Report of 3000 corruption cases only 780 went to court only few dozen got

            verdict

2006 Of 40 corruption cases against high ranking Iraqi officials only 1 got verdict for

            Interior Ministry official

2011 Red Cross interviewed people tortured by ISF at Camp Honor in Baghdad

2013 Pres Barzani attacked PYD for arresting KDP affiliated group in Syria

2014 KRG provincial election results released Gorran won most seats in Sulaymaniya

2014 Oil Ministry warned potential buyers not to buy 1^st shipment of independent KRG

oil

2014 Mutahidun and Sadrists rejected 3^rd term for Maliki

2015 Joint Chiefs Head Gen Dempsey said would take 3 years or more to defeat IS

2016 Abadi announced start of attack upon Fallujah

View the Iraq History Timelines