More Evidence Iraq Reaching Tipping Point With Displaced, Few Want To Return Home

(IOM)

The NGO Reach Initiative found more evidence that Iraq’s displacement crisis may be reaching a tipping point. It did interviews with 1600 displaced (IDPs) households living outside camps in Dohuk, Irbil, Ninewa, Salahaddin and Sulaymaniya. Most the respondents said they had no plans to return to their homes in the next 3 months.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 31

1922 Gertrude Bell wrote King Faisal telling him he was vain and weak

(Musings On Iraq book review of Gertrude Bell And Iraq)

- 1986 Iran started Op Karbala 2 in Haj Umran Advanced deep into Kurdistan in

            retaliation for Iraq air attacks on oil facilities

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1986 Document said chemical and biological agents were being distributed in Irbil to be

            used against Kurds

1996 30,000 Republican Guards began attack upon PUK Captured Irbil city to back

KDP PUK gave orders to flee to hills to escape Iraqi attack upon Irbil

1996 INC camp in Qushtapa, Irbil captured by Iraqi forces 96 INC members killed

1996 Clinton said he was concerned about Iraqi attack on Irbil but US not ready to

            respond Def Sec Perry said US should not get involved in Kurdish civil war

2003 Commander of Guantanamo Bay prison Gen Miller flew to Iraq to advise on

interrogation techniques

2003 Pentagon DefPolicyBoard’s Perle US should have organized Iraqi opposition to

            take over govt after invasion

2004 CIA report Sistani and Sadr’s standing increased by Battle of Najaf PM Allawi’s

            hurt

2005 Rumor of suicide bomber led to stampede of Shiite pilgrims on Tigris Bridge in

            Baghdad leading to over 1,000 dead and wounded

2005 Report draft constitution did not deal with some of major issues in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2005 Albu Mahal Sheikh Mahallawi said his tribe had declared war on Al Qaeda in Iraq in

            western Anbar

2006 Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Baghdad security progressing US forces clearing

areas but Iraqis not holding them Said Iraqi forces could take over security in country in 12-18 months

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2006 Maliki told Iraq Survey Group security problems caused by Baathists and Al Qaeda

            Said problem with Iraqi police was too many former regime members in it

2006 Report Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Reconstruction said 30% of 56 projects inspected

didn't meet standards and some were failures Said US should have started using Iraqi companies for work to speed process and help Iraqi economy

2010 US officially ended combat operations in Iraq

2015 Protest in front of Judicial Council building in Baghdad demanding Chief Justice

            Medhat be dismissed

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Aug 22-28, 2018

(Iraqi News)

Iraq remained relatively quiet during the fourth week of August 2018. Incidents remained within the mean of around 40 per week, while casualties remained extremely low for the second week in a row.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 30

1919 War Min Churchill wrote that half the British forces in Mesopotamia

            should be sent home

(Musings On Iraq article on Churchill’s views on Mesopotamia/Iraq)

1920 War Min Churchill denied Middle East commander Gen Haldane additional

            reinforcements to put down 1920 Revolt

(Musings On Iraq review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1962 KDP bombed Iraq Petroleum Company pipeline

1968 Pres Bakr shut down Iraqi offices of Arab Socialist Union and ended Iraq-Egypt

            union plans

1987 Iraq air raid on Kharg Island Iraq’s main oil terminal 

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1992 Reports that govt arrested Shiites in south and moved them into camps

1996 State Dept attempted to mediate ceasefire between KDP-PUK KDP denied that it

            had any deal with Baghdad

2000 US and Soviets agreed not to send UN inspectors back to Iraq

2002 Blair decided UK strategy would be to get UN to issue resolution that would give

            ultimatum to Iraq on inspectors or else

2003 Iraqi Governing Council announced 17 candidates for first-post Saddam cabinet

2005 US Amb Khalizad said final draft of constitution with edits had not been

            submitted yet Never was

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2006 Bush said if US left Iraq before job done would become terrorist state and

            undermine US leadership

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2006 Report Mahdi Army seized Sunnis in Baghdad hospitals and executed them

Health Min run by Sadrsits Inspector General said investigation into matter found nothing

View the Iraq History Timelines

Iraq Failed To Prepare For Water Crisis

Turkey's Ilisu Dam (Global Water Blog)

Basra is currently facing a growing water crisis. 17,000 people have been hit by colic and diarrhea, and there are warnings that cholera might break out. The cause of this problems are two-fold. One is increasingly salinity moving north up the Shatt al-Arab waterway from the Persian Gulf. Second is the reduction of water coming down the Tigris River from the north due to a new Turkish dam. The dam project started over a decade ago yet the Iraqi government failed to make adequate preparations for it, and is now paying the price.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 29

1922 Turkish troops testing border with Iraq attacked Rania in Sulaymaniya

1987 Iraq attacked 2 Iranian merchant ships 40 ships hit by both Iran and Iraq in next 2

            weeks

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1988 Bazi Gorge in Kurdistan attacked by Iraqi forces with chemical weapons

            killing around 3,000 Kurds during Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1996 Iraqi National Accord discovered impending Iraqi attack on Kurdistan and KDP

            had made deal with Saddam

2002 Bush signed Iraq: Goals, Objectives, Strategy that said US would use all means to

            remove Saddam

2002 Bush and Blair talked about tough UN resolution on Iraq disarmament and how

            Saddam wouldn't comply leading to conflict

2002 Cheney spoke at Veterans of Korea War about Iraq threat Said Iraqis would

            welcome US invasion with joy

2002 UK Foreign Office paper said rebuilding Iraq would be a long and costly affair

2002 IAEA spokesman in London Times no evidence Iraq rebuilding nuclear facilities

            Would be easy to find by spy satellites

2002 Chirac said France opposed unilateral and pre-emptive action by U.S. against Iraq

2003 SCIRI head Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim killed in Najaf Imam Ali shrine car bombing

by Zarqawi 125 killed 500 wounded Bomb driven by Yassin Jarrad father of Zarqawi’s second wife

2007 Sadr announced freeze of Mahdi Army after fighting with Badr in Karbala

2007 Petraeus wrote about Anbar Awakening and Sahwa and how they improved

            security in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on Sahwa)

2008 PM Maliki in confrontation with KRG warned that if Peshmerga operated outside

            of Kurdistan they would be breaking the law

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki dispute with Kurds over disputed areas)

2017 Anbar council elected Halbusi new governor after finally dismissing Governor

            Rawi on corruption after 3 tries

2017 Kirkuk council voted to be included in Kurdistan independence referendum

            Condemned by Arab and Turkmen politicians

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Deadlines Begin To Form New Iraq Govt But Parties Still Talking

(Al Mada)

Now that the manual recount of Iraq’s May election has been completed and certified, President Fuad Masum called for the newly elected parliament to have it first session on Monday September 3, 2018. The assembly is to elect a speaker and his deputies, then a new president, and then the new executive is to call for the largest bloc to form a government all within 45 days. The problem is the winning parties are not ready to form a new administration yet.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 28

1948 Jews forbidden to work in banking or foreign currency transactions after

            creation of Israel

1984 Senate Foreign Relations report said US and Soviet Union both backing Iraq

            in Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1990 Kuwait formally annexed as 19^th province of Iraq

1990 Egypt’s Pres Mubarak attempted to mediate between Iraq and Kuwait

1990 Saddam allowed western women and children hostages captured during Kuwait

            invasion to go home

1996 US provided info to UN that Iraq smuggling oil in violation of sanctions

1996 PUK and KDP restarted US brokered peace talks to try to end civil war

2002 Def Policy Board’s Ken Adelman WallStJournal OpEd Said Saddam worse threat

            than Al Qaeda

2004 Iraqi insurgents kidnapped 2 French reporters Gave Paris 48 hrs to end ban on

            schoolgirls wearing headscarves

2005 Draft Iraq constitution presented to parliament but more changes made to it

            afterward

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2006 Dep PM Salah said Iraqi parties agreed on oil revenue sharing with money being

distributed to provinces based upon population and needs Still no agreement over signing oil contracts or making major decisions

2006 ISF raid in Diwaniya led to major gun battle with Mahdi Army and other militias

Captured Iraqi soldiers were executed in a public square More than 40 killed and 90 wounded US military said Diwaniya battle was a major victory for the ISF but was actually ended by political deal with Sadr

2006 Report around 100 Iraqi soldiers from 10^th Division in Maysan refused to deploy to

Baghdad for Operation Together Forward II Not 1^st time ISF units had refused to leave their home base

2007 PM Maliki headed forces to arrest Sadrists in Karbala after fire fight with Badr

Brigade

2008 In dispute with PM Maliki over disputed area of Khanaqin Diyala Peshmerga

            Minister said his forces were better than the ISF who couldn’t challenge them

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki dispute with Kurds over disputed areas)

2011 Suicide bombing on Um al-Qura mosque Baghdad during Ramadan killed 28

2011 Iraq’s cabinet submitted draft of new oil law Never passed

2015 Protests in Salahaddin Basra, Najaf Karbala Babil Dhi Qar Wasit Diyala Maysan

            for reform

2017 Court upheld dismissal of Anbar Gov Rawi on corruption after escaping charges

            2 other times

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 27

1920 British forced to withdraw from Shatra during 1920 Revolt British were

            able to retake Baquba from tribes

(Musings On Iraq review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1933 Iraqi govt sent letter to British newspaper claiming only a few Assyrian villages had

been emptied of people Baghdad had returned all stolen goods No truth to reports villages had been burned Was propaganda effort to cover up massacre of 600 Assyrians and 60 villages having been looted and destroyed

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

1934 Ali Aiyubi became premier of Iraq, would hold office 3 times

1992 Report US funneled in counterfeit dinars into Iraq to try to undermine economy

            and Saddam

1995 PKK attacked KDP as it was blocking its operations along Turkish border PUK

            Iran and Syria gave aid to PKK

1995 KDP accused Badr and Iranian Revolutionary Guard of involvement in PKK

            offensive

1996 PUK attacked KDP in Kurdistan Forced KDP out of most of its territory PUK

            backed by Iran

2002 Cheney gave speech calling Saddam a threat that needed a pre-emptive strike to

            remove him

2002 Hosni Mubarak said that Arab League opposed invasion of Iraq

2003 White House considered asking Congress for additional $3 bil for reconstruction

            in Iraq on top of previous $2.5 bil

2003 Oxfam started withdrawing from Iraq after terrorist bombings against aid groups

            by Zarqawi 4^th aid group to do so

2003 ORHA oil team met with 3 Oil Min director generals Said US not in Iraq to take its

oil Picked top positions within ministry Agreed needed to up oil production and refined products

2004 Sistani returned from London to Najaf Arranged ceasefire with Sadr to end Battle of

Najaf Mahdi Army were to turn in weapons but not be arrested Didn’t give up arms

2004 Sadr said “puppet police” couldn't protect Imam Ali shrine in Najaf and

            Mahdi Army still in control of it

2006 Maliki told CNN violence was going down in Iraq no civil war but reconciliation

            MP Mutlaq said no democracy developing because of violence

2006 National reconciliation meeting ended with 700 sheikhs Talked about creating

            committees to negotiate with insurgency

2006 US Gen Thurman said Operation Together Forward II was reducing violence in

            Baghdad

2006 Khalis Diyala 22 shot in café Judge’s home raided brother killed IED at market

killed 6 Part of sectarian fighting between militias and insurgents for control of province

2007 Mahdi Army got into gunfight with ISF run by Badr Brigade in Karbala shrine

led to more than 50 dead 280 wounded

2017 Tal Afar liberated by Iraqi forces

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was quoted by Paul Iddon in "Arabization hels no one, but hurts Kirkuk most" for Rudaw.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 26

1920 War Min Churchill wrote PM George that he thought reinforcemetns would

            lead to victory in 1920 Revolt

(Musings On Iraq review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1922 King Faisal apologized to British Iraq High Commissioner Cox for Anti-British

            remark made at a party

1968 Mullah Barzani had his two ministers resign from Bakr govt because Baath was

            backing Jalal Talabani

1980 After Saddam visited Khanaqin Diyala Iraqi army started shelling Iranian border

            Was looking for excuse to justify invasion

1981 85 POWs exchanged between Iraq and Iran in Cyprus 2^nd prisoner exchange of Iran-

            Iraq War

1987 Iraq demanded UN arms embargo on Iran for not accepting ceasefire deal and

            threatened new air strikes

1987 U.S. signed 5 year trade agreement with Iraq mostly for farm products One of

            main forms of support US provided Iraq during Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1988 End of 5^th Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1992 US, UK, France started Operation Southern Watch creating southern no fly zone over

            Iraq

1994 Iraqi Vanguard for National Salvation took responsibility for car bomb in Baghdad

1998 UN inspector Ritter quit after his anti-concealment unit was disbanded at request of

Clinton admin Ritter claimed from Nov 97-August 98 Clinton admin had tried to block inspectors work 7 times and came from top of White House staff Ritter’s claims about Clinton convinced many on UN Security Council US manipulating inspectors for its own aims

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 Cheney speech at Veterans of Foreign War Called Iraq a mortal threat to US Said no

doubt Iraq had WMD and that it was good at deceiving weapons inspectors Said Iraqi defectors like Hussein Kamal proved Iraq had renewed its nuke program Hussein Kamal defected in 1995 Said Iraq ended nuke program and killed 1996 so couldn’t know what Iraq doing in 2001 Argued UN inspectors would fail in Iraq Cheney gave speech because felt losing argument within administration over Iraq war

2002 Powell argued that US had to go through UN to deal with Iraq at National Security

            Council

2003 Report US left thousands of munitions dumps all over Iraq which were looted by

            insurgents and militias

2003 Bremer said Iraq could not pay for its own reconstruction and U.S. would have to put

up several billion dollars to do it CPA could not meet Iraq’s electricity needs until summer of 2004

2003 US launched Op Ivy Needle to hunt down criminals and Baathists in Salahaddin

2003 DepSecState Armitage said US might consider a multinational force under UN to

            help with security after rejecting UN role

2003 Humanitarian aid groups announced pulling out workers from Iraq after terrorist

            attacks

2004 US halted military operations in 2^nd Battle of Najaf to allow negotiations to end

            fighting

2004 Mahdi Army attacked Sistani supporters in Kufa killing 20

2006 National conference of Sunni sheikhs backed Maliki govt condemned violence

            called for people to participate in politics

2008 Kurds in Kahanqin Diyala protested arrival of Iraqi forces leading them to

            withdraw

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki dispute with Kurds over Khanaqin)

2015 Pres Masum implied that some of Abadi’s reforms were unconstitutional

View the Iraq History Timelines

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 25

1920 British gave limited self-rule in Najaf to try to stop 1920 Revolt there

1920 UK Cmdr Gen Haldane wrote that almost all the tribes north of Diyala had joined

            the revolt and was afraid it was spreading to Kirkuk and Irbil

(Musings On Iraq review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1922 British High Commissioner for Iraq Cox demanded apology from King Faisal

            for anti-Mandate comment at his party

1941 British forces in Basra and Diyala invaded Iran where Shah refused to expel Germans

            spreading Axis propaganda

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

1988 Villages in Dohuk hit by chemical weapons in 6^th Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1990 UN Resolution 665 strengthened economic sanctions on Iraq for Kuwait invasion

2002 James Baker OpEd in New York Times said US needed UN resolution that Iraq

submit to inspections anytime Said US needed to be explicit that if Iraq avoided the inspections US would invade and change the govt

2003 Funeral in Najaf turned into anti-American demonstration

2004 US army investigation blamed morally corrupt soldiers and contractors poor

leadership for Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal Found intelligence officers played leading role in Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal

2004 Ayatollah Sistani said he would return from medical treatment in England to Iraq

            to try to end 2^nd Battle of Najaf

2005 Constitutional committee given 3^rd extension to finish work

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2006 Iraqis looted base exited by British in Maysan before Iraqi forces could take it over

2006 Head of Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dhari said he was willing to meet

            with Ayatollah Sistani to talk about ending national crisis

2008 Electricity Min announced that power production had reached same level as 2002

before US invasion Only 50% of demand was being met though due to huge increase in usage after 2003 Later turned out Ministry included power provided from Iran and Turkey

(Musings On Iraq article on Electricity Min announcement)

2010 ISI coordinated attacks in Mosul Kirkuk Tikrit Dujail Baquba Muqtadiya Ramadi

            Fallujah Karbala Kut Basra Baghdad

2016 Iraqi forces freed Qayara Ninewa

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Gertrude Bell And Iraq, A Life and Legacy

Edited by Collins, Paul and Tripp, Charles, Gertrude Bell And Iraq, A Life and Legacy, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017

Gertrude Bell And Iraq, A Life And Legacy was the result of a conference held in 2013. Eleven authors turned their presentations into chapters for the book. A variety of topics were covered from Bell’s trips through the Middle East and her interest in archeology, to her place in women’s history, to her contributions in forming the Iraqi state, to her legacy in preserving Iraqi history. Due to the breadth of topics covered Gertrude Bell And Iraq is up and down with some chapters providing interesting insights into Bell’s life, while others are purely for specialists.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 24

1922 On anniversary of King Faisal’s coronation opposition gave him a petition

calling for an assembly to draft a constitution, elections for a parliament, and independence for Iraq

1922 UK High Commissioner for Iraq Sir Percy Cox met by anti-British slogans being

chanted outside the palace During celebration Haras Party leader Basir gave anti-British speech Cox demanded King punish perpetrators

1986 Ayatollah Khomeini said Iran had to fight until victory and Saddam deposed

1988 Iran and Iraq started peace talks in Geneva to officially end Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1988 Start of 6^th and final Anfal campaign focused upon destroying KDP bases

            in Dohuk KDP HQ attacked

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1990 PLO Foreign Minister Qaddumi said PLO supported Iraq against colonialists

1995 UK intel report said Iraq had hidden much of its nuke program destroyed its

            SCUDs didn’t have hidden chemical stockpile

1998 US Intel said Iraq was connected to Al Qaeda chemical plant Clinton admin

            bombed in Sudan

2000 Iraq rejected new UN inspectors and Resolution 1284

2003 Ayatollah Hakim wounded in bombing at his Najaf office Some blamed Sadr for

            attack in growing inter-Shiite rivalry

2003 Bremer admitted US not doing a good job securing Iraq’s borders

2004 Panel found Rumsfeld’s orders on interrogations contributed to abuse of prisoners in

Iraq Found that U.S. underestimated need for prisons in postwar Iraq then didn’t attempt to solve the problem Contradicted White House claim that Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal was act of a few prison guards Found Abu Ghraib prison abuse was not part of an intelligence gathering operation

2005 Report EFP attacks upon US forces showed Iranian and Hezbollah arming militias

            in Iraq

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

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2005 Police took away 36 Sunnis from Hurriya Baghdad tortured killed them and dumped

bodies along Iranian border Judge blamed Volcano Brigade commander but nothing done to him

2006 Maliki banned TV channels from showing bloodshed caused by the war

2007 Natl Intel Estimate on Iraq said security improving unevenly No reconciliation

2008 Maliki broke deal with Kurds and moved ISF into Khanaqin east Diyala Kurds

            organized demonstrations in response

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s pressuring Kurds in Diyala)

2009 Sadrists ISCI Jaafari announced creation of National Alliance

2015 Sadr said his followers should join Friday protests in Baghdad on Aug 28

2015 Sit in protests in Basra ended when govt promised to meet their demands

            Were not met

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Aug 15-21, 2018

(Iraqi News)

While the number of incidents has remained relatively stable for the last four months, the third week of August 2018 had one of the lowest casualty counts in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 23

1922 King Faisal struck by appendicitis with no PM or govt UK High

Commissioner Cox ruled until king returned Cox deported and exiled opposition leaders banned opposition parties and papers Silenced opposition and Shiite leaders

1924 American Consul in Iraq said King Faisal had no popular support and many were

            openly opposed to him

1952 Communist led strike at Basra port over pay Broken up by police Started year of

            protests called the Intifada

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1962 Govt census in Jazeera listed 120,000 Kurds as aliens during Kurdish revolt

1988 UN said that Iraq used poison gas in attack on Oshnaviyeh Iran on Aug 2 that

            wounded around 2,600 civilians 7^th time UN documented use of WMD by Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1990 Saddam appeared on state TV with western hostages in Iraq Told them they were

            being held to prevent war

1996 Barzani said KDP stopped PUK offensive captured or killed 400 PUK Peshmerga

2003 CPA created Dep of Border Enforcement but gave it little money to control Iraq’s

            borders

2003 Turkmen protested in Kirkuk city over Turkmen being killed Turned violent 3

            killed 15-20 wounded

2005 US embassy report said Gen Casey’s plan for handing off security to Iraq had no

            chance of succeeding and argued for counterinsurgency to defeat insurgency

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee said they rejected draft Said

            committee didn’t create consensus on draft

2005 Members of Allawi’s Iraqi National Accord also voiced concerns over draft

            constitution

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2008 Report 2 Mahdi Army men said Hezbollah training the militia in Lebanon

(Musings On Iraq article on Iranian and Hezbollah training of Iraqi militias)

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2015 Police opened fire on demonstrations in Babil wounding 4

View the Iraq History Timelines 

When The Shah and Nixon Manipulated The Kurds

(National Archives)

In 1976 part of the secret Senate Intelligence Committee’s Pike report was leaked to the Village Voice. The Pike Committee was put together in 1975 to investigate the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Security Agency. It included information on how the Nixon Administration began supporting the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to help the Shah pressure Iraq over a border dispute. Once that issue was resolved the U.S. and Iran abandoned the Kurds whose rebellion was crushed.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 22

1973 Sheikh Jabir al-Sabah visited Iraq and again offered to talk about Iraq-Kuwait

            border dispute Iraq demanded 2 islands from Kuwait which it refused

1991 Bush announced no fly zone over southern Iraq to stop Saddam offensive

            to clear out southern marshes

1995 UN interviewed Hussein Kamal former Industry Min and Saddam’s son-in-law that

defected to Jordan Kamal said Iraq hid its WMD and nuke programs from inspectors but all programs ended after Gulf War US and UN didn’t believe Kamal’s claim that Iraq had ended its programs Were convince Iraq would always hide WMD

1996 Massoud Barzani wrote Saddam asking for help to fight PUK and their Iranian

            backers in Irbil Tariq Aziz released letter

2003 Bush said Iraq war had transformed to one against Baathists and Al Qaeda

2003 Australian intel officer testified to parliament no pre-war evidence of Iraq-Al Qaeda

ties and Iraq’s WMD contained Said US flooded with disinformation by anti-Saddam Iraqis before war

2005 Incomplete draft constitution presented to parliament Given another extension

            to finish draft

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2005 Report Abu Mustafa Sheibani running arms for Iranian Revolutionary Guard to

            Shiite militias in Iraq including EFPs

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

2005 Board of Supreme Audit report leaked to press Nearly half of $1.27 bil spent by Def

Min disappeared in 1^st 8 months of Allawi govt Found Allawi’s office and Def Min gave no bid defense contracts to middlemen paid up front in cash

2014 ISF and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq raided mosque in Diyala and killed worshippers

2015 Gunmen in military uniforms attacked sit in protesters in Basra Police did nothing

2015 Riot police broke up protests in Hillah beating them Used water hoses

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 21

1921 King Faisal’s coronation Started negotiations over Anglo-Iraq treaty

1950 Nuri al-Said threatened to revoke license of transport company if didn’t fill quota

            of shipping 500 Jews out of Iraq per day

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

2002 Bush told press he had patience on Iraq and was thinking of all the options

2003 Sec State Powell asked UN Security Council to pass resolution encouraging foreign

            countries to provide troops for Iraq

2003 Ali Hassan al-Majid “Chemical Ali” captured by US forces

2005 Interior Minister Jabr said that stories of Iran supplying weapons to Iraqi militias

            were exaggerated

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

2005 Islamic Party leader Tariq Hashemi said constitution would not stop violence in

            Iraq because most politicians not recognized by public

2005 Isam al-Rawi of Muslim Scholars Association advocated US withdrawal

            reforming security forces amnesty for Baathists talks with insurgency

2006 2^nd trial started for Saddam accused of genocide during Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq killed Sheikh Ataymi of Albu Jassim in Anbar who aligned with

            US and provided tribesmen for Ramadi police

2006 Bush said Saddam had relations with Zarqawi Disputed by CIA who said no ties

            between two

2007 ISI killed Sheikh Alayawia of Abu Jassim tribe of Ramadi for supporting govt

2007 ISI blew up new police station in Jazeera, Anbar

2008 Report Finance Min counted all money appropriated in budget as spent when little

of it actually was Govt claimed it spent 57% of the 2008 budget by Aug when only 18% had been used

(Musings On Iraq article on inability of Iraqi govt to spend budget)

2015 Protests in Baghdad Maysan Dhi Qar Wasit Diyala Basra Kirkuk Qadisiyah

Salahaddin Najaf Karbala Babil Diwainiya demanding reform

2015 Police attacked reporters from 3 TV stations trying to cover day’s protests

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was quoted by Paul Iddon in "What effect will a Hashd drawdown have on Nineveh?" for Rudaw, and mentioned by Josie Ensor, "Isil still has up to 30,000 members in Syria and Iraq, UN report finds" for The Telegraph.

Displacement In Iraq Drops Below 2 Million

(IOM)

The number of displaced in Iraq continued to decline. The total finally dipped below 2 million in July 2018. At the same time, the rate of people going home has been slowing down. That means the country could be heading towards a tipping point where this process largely ends.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 20

1974 Iraq deployed 84,000 troops and 20,000 Kurdish militia to fight KDP

1987 Dawa set off car bomb in Baghdad killing 20

1988 Ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War announced 350 UN peacekeepers deployed along

            border

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones 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)

1990 NSD 45 signed saying U.S. would get withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait restore

            Kuwaiti govt restore security of Gulf protect U.S. citizens in Kuwait and Iraq

1991 Barzani left Baghdad effectively ending autonomy balks with Baghdad

1995 Iraq admitted to UN inspectors that its crash program to build a nuclear bomb

            failed

1996 PUK attacked KDP positions in Sulaymaniya with Iranian artillery and helicopter

            support

1997 Iraq agreed to allow Iranian pilgrims to go to Najaf and Karbala as way to get

            around UN sanctions

2002 Rumsfeld said Al Qaeda operatives were in Iraq and that US needed to launch

            pre-emptive strike because couldn't wait for Iraq to get stronger

2002 UnderSecDef Feith’s intel group met with CIA to discuss Iraq-Al Qaeda ties

Complained CIA didn’t believe Iraq involved in 9/11 Brought up story that 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intel in Prague in 2001

2003 Bush at NSC meeting said US had to re-evaluate enemy in Iraq after Zarqawi

            bombed UN in Baghdad

2003 UN said bombing of its Baghdad offices wouldnt stop reconstruction of Iraq

            UN would withdraw most of its staff

2004 PM Allawi called for Sadr to give up Imam Ali shrine in Najaf or face US-Iraq

            assault

2005 Report Islamic Party talked with insurgents to try to ensure large turnout in

            constitutional referendum

2005 Report Shiite parties took over police in Basra Carried out assassinations of

ex-Baathists Sunni leaders and rival Shiites

2005 Report Peshmerga ran 5 prisons and carrying out mass arrests of Sunnis Turkmen and

            minorities in Mosul

2007 ISCI governor of Muthanna assassinated by Sadrists Sadr-Hakim rivalry

2011 On ISI’s 5^th anniv released video with message that it was going to Syria

2012 US warned that oil companies signing deals with Kurds without Baghdad’s

            approval were taking risks

2015 Pres Barzani’s term expired but he refused to leave office

2017 Operation to free Tal Afar began

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 19

1921 UK cabinet decided Feisal would be coronated king and then Anglo-Iraq

            treaty drafted

1984 France agreed to refinance $1.4 bil in debts Iraq owed France biggest western backer of Iraq

1996 PUK accused KDP of working with Baghdad KDP accused PUK of working

            with Iran during civil war

2003 Zarqawi bombed UN headquarters in Baghdad killed 23 including UN Rep de

            Mello and injured over 100

2004 PM Allawi wrote Bush saying Iraq was more dangerous and unstable than a year

            ago

2004 Allawi govt called for Sadr to disband Mahdi Army and leave Najaf shrine

2004 Sistani’s office said it was open to Sadr’s offer to turn over keys to Najaf shrine

2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay was rebuked by NSC staffer for criticizing NSC

            to Congress on WMD

2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay said Rice more interested in being Bush’s friend

            than being National Security Adviser

2005 Al Qaeda in Iraq unsuccessful fired rockets on 2 US ships docked in Israeli port

            from Jordan

2005 3 Islamic Party members kidnapped by gunmen in Mosul putting up flyers to

            vote in constitutional referendum

2009 ISI set off 3 car bombs in Baghdad hitting Finance and Foreign Ministries and Rashid

Hotel killing 101 and wounding 565 PM Maliki blamed Baathists and Syria for Baghdad bombings even though it was ISI

2009 Iraq withdrew its ambassador to Damascus to protest Baghdad bombings

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s response to Fall 09 bombings)

2014 IS posted video of beheading of journalist James Foley 

View the Iraq History Timelines