Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Review Special Operations in Iraq


Ryan, Mike, Special Operations in Iraq, South Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books, 2004

When you read this book two things immediately come to mind. First, where was the editor? and second, how did this ever get published? As the title suggests, Special Operations in Iraq is about the various Coalition Special Forces that took part in Operation Iraqi Freedom. The problem is there is no organization within many of the chapters, nor how the chapters are arranged, and author Mike Ryan completely failed in covering the large number of Special Forces deployed during the war.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 31


1980 Iranian navy made 2nd raid on Fao oil facilities in Basra
1982 Iran launched Muharram al-Haram attacking Diyala and Maysan Took back 120 sq mi of
Iranian territory 330 sq mi of Iraqi land Led Iraq to call up its reserves
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1995 INC HQ in Salahaddin, Irbil bombed by Iraqi National Accord killing 28 At time Kurds blamed
Baghdad for bombing
1998 Iraq suspended all cooperation with UN weapons inspectors Led Clinton to order military build
up in Gulf
(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)
1998 Pres Clinton signed Iraq Liberation Act opening up $97 mil for opposition parties
2001 ABC withdrew story that Iraq might be behind anthrax letters sent to Wash DC
2002 Blair agreed to offer a division to US for invasion of Iraq
2002 UK energy companies met with govt official complaining business deals being made for
postwar Iraq and they were being left out
2002 Iraqi opposition met in Salahddin Kurdistan Said they were united to remove Saddam Wanted
to end sectarianism Create federal democratic state
2004 US Gen Sattler Unless US and Iraqi forces stopped insurgent intimidation campaign against
Iraqi civilians they couldn’t win
2004 Report US intel est 8,000-12,000 insurgents in Iraq and well financed Was far more than
previously believed
2004 Report US army overrode objections of contracting officers who complained about cost
overruns and non-competitive bids given to Halliburton in Iraq
2005 US report Iranian Revolutionary Guard Iraqi militias and police carrying out assassinations in
Basra IRGC gave assassination orders to Sayid al-Shuhada Iraq Hezbollah Thar Allah Fadhilah Badr and others
2006 ISI’s Furquan Institute for Media Production made its first release
2006 State Dep memo to Sec State Rice said ISF not capable of controlling violence Meant Clear
Hold Build impossible Said Maliki talked about being national leader but was proving sectarian
2006 Iraq spokesman at donor-UN conference in Kuwait said Iraq needed $10 bil for rebuilding over
4-5 yrs Said oil production not high enough to pay for reconstruction
2006 Report US soldier killed in ambush by Iraqi police in Shula earlier in Oct Head of US military
training team said 70% of Iraqi police infiltrated by militias Junior Iraqi police officers talked about militia control of police force in Baghdad neighborhoods
2008 600 Sahwa arrived at Al Furat Iraq Police Training Center in Baghdad to receive basic training
(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki govt integration of Sahwa)
2010 ISI attacked Our Lady of Salvation church in Baghdad Took 100 hostages Goal was publicity
and gain donations 68 killed
2015 Albu Faraj noth of Ramadi attacked by ISF after it was declared freed 3 times
2016 Iraqi forces attacked Gogjali eastern suburb of Mosul

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Security In Iraq Oct 22-28, 2018

(Iraqi News)

After three weeks with a high number of security incidents things finally cooled off during the fourth week of October. One reason might be the increased security for the Arbaeen pilgrimage going on in Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 30


1918 British forces took Shirqat from Ottomans
1918 Armistice of Mudros signed between British and Ottomans 6th Army surrendered to British
Ended WWI in Mesopotamia
1918 British officials in Baghdad told London to create central council of chiefs of Southern
Kurdistan
1936 Hikmat Sulaiman became premier of Iraq leading to 1st govt with pan-Arabists out of power
Sulaiman was hoping that new govt would lead to liberal reforms but General Sidqi wanted to maintain status quo General won and most of Sulaiman’s followers left govt
1936 Sulaiman govt banished former PM Hashimi, Rashid al-Gaylani and Nuri al-Said
1980 Saddam predicted Iran-Iraq War would only last 6-12 months
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1990 Meeting of Bush advisers on Kuwait National Security Adviser Scowcroft said US policy at
fork in road Could continue defense or go on offense against Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait Joint Chiefs head Gen Powell said Gen Schwarzkopf asked for troops for offensive operations against Iraq in Kuwait Defense Secretary Cheney said offensive action against Iraq should be on the table
1990 Bush decided to double number of US troops in Saudi Arabia
1992 Kurds allowed PKK to retreat further into Kurdistan on condition they stopped military
operations against Turks
1997 Tariq Aziz claimed surveillance planes used by inspectors were working for US intelligence
Threatened to shoot them down CIA was using planes to spy on Iraq
(Musings On Iraq article on how US used UN inspectors to spy on Iraq)
2002 Cheney told head UN Inspector Blix that inspections couldn't last forever and US was ready to
discredit them anyway to disarm Iraq
(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)
2003 Cheney said Iraq had WMD
2003 Dep Sec of Def Wolfowitz said because US had missed so much of Iraq’s WMD program in
1991 it might have exaggerated them in 2003
2003 Report White House pushed Pentagon to speed up training of Iraqi forces
2003 US Natl Intel Est on Iraq said Iraqis not foreigners behind most of insurgency and local
grievances including US occupation were fueling violence
2005 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report said US had no policy for staffing reconstruction of Iraq
Said lack of planning by US plagued rebuilding
2005 Report Italian press believed SISMI intel agency forged docs claiming Iraq-Niger uranium deal
and shared them with US and UK
(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2005 Report PUK build dozens of houses in Kirkuk City and moving Kurds in Said to reverse
Saddam’s Arbization program
2006 Militias killed 17 Sunni police near British run training center in Basra
2006 SecState Rice aide told her little chance for US success in Iraq Another said Iraq heading
towards genocidal violence Rice talked about giving up reconciliation in Iraq and just worrying about stability
2012 Election Commission called for provincial elections on 4/20/13 that excluded Kirkuk and KRG
2015 PM Abadi went to Dawa meeting to answer critics of his reforms

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Monday, October 29, 2018

Review Oil and Democracy in Iraq


Review Springbord, Robert Editor, Oil and Democracy in Iraq, London, Berkeley, Beirut, Middle: Saqi, 2007


Oil and Democracy in Iraq is now a dated book. It begun as a result of a commission formed by the British Department for International Development in 2003 to help plan for the future of Iraq’s petroleum industry. It was later revised and published in 2007. In 2009, Iraq held a series of auctions and signed the majority of its deals with international oil companies (IOCs) making this book moot. A reader needs to understand what happened after the book came out to value it and see the roads not taken by Iraq. Without that knowledge this book would be of little use today.

This Day In Iraqi News - Oct 29


1936 Planes dropped flyers over Baghdad demanding PM Yasin Hashemi’s resignation as
troops marched on capital in coup led by Sulaiman and Gen Sidqi PM Hashemi asked for King Ghazi’s support When didn't get it offered his resignation Parliament building bombed in coup Def Min Askari was assassinated by Gen Bakr Sidqi coup plotters Nuri al-Said Yasin Hashemi Rashid Ali al-Gaylani all fled Iraq fearing assassination after coup 1st coup in Iraq
1980 2 Iraqi Tu-22 bombers shot down ending Baghdad’s bombing campaign of Iranian cities
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1990 UN Security Council said overtures to Iraq had failed and talked about alternatives but came up
with nothing
1990 Bush said US wouldn’t rule out use of force against Iraq for Kuwait invasion
1997 Tariq Aziz said no Americans would be allowed as inspectors accusing them of being spies and
trying to overthrow Saddam
1997 IAEA suspended all its work in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)
2002 Gen Franks briefed Bush on war plans again
2003 Bush said he supported Bremer’s plan for Iraq but that it could be sped up
2004 CIA report said that Iraqi elections would likely lead to opposition from Sunni Arab govts
(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2004 1st Lancet report on Iraqi casualties claimed 100,000 civilians died since invasion mostly due to
Coalition 1st Lancet gained huge publicity but was mostly discredited by experts but not in
            media
(Musings On Iraq article Major Flaws in Lancet Report Pt 1)
(Musings On Iraq article Major Flaws in Lancet Report Pt 11)
(Musings On Iraq article New Study Refutes Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mark Van Der Laan on Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Michael Spagat on Lancet reports)
2004 Al Qaeda in Iraq beheaded Japanese civilian Shosei Koda
2004 Report US forces reached Al Qaqaa site during 03 invasion then left and site looted of high
grade explosives
2005 Rumsfeld disagreed with Rice’s Clear Hold Build strategy Said Iraqis were ones that needed to
stand and fight and not rely on US troops
(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2006 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report US didn’t track hundreds of thousands of weapons it
bought for ISF and didn’t provide spare parts maintenance personnel training manuals 14,331 assault rifles sub machine guns and pistols went missing
2008 US turned over Wasit to Iraqi control 13th of 18th province to do so
(Musings On Iraq article on Wasit handover)
2015 VP Maliki said PM Abadi removing Vice Presidents was illegal
2017 Pres Barzani said he would step down and defended independence referendum KDP followers
attacked press and opposition politicians and burned their offices Stormed KRG parliament building
(Musings On Iraq article on Pres Barzani’s resignation)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was quoted by Paul Iddon in "What will a new Iraq-Turkey border-crossing mean for KRG?" in Rudaw and in "Turkey-KRG relations one year after Kurdish independence vote" in Ahval.

All Musings On Iraq and citations.

Review Target Basra, The High-Octane Story of the Royal Marine Commandos In Iraq


Review Rossiter, Mike, Target Basra, The High-Octane Story of the Royal Marine Commandos In Iraq, London, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Johannesburg: Bantam Press, 2008

Target Basra focuses upon the 40 and 42 Commando of the 3rd Commando Brigade that were deployed to Basra province during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. They were two small units of Royal Marines whose task grew from seizing oil facilities along the Persian Gulf to entering Basra city and governing two towns after the invasion was over. The book is fast paced and describes how the British forces went from small tasks to huge responsibilities that they were never planned for.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 28


1913 Secret Ahd Association of Ottoman officers formed Included many Iraqis that would
become leaders and prime ministers under monarchy such as Nuri al-Said Yasin Hashemi Jamil Midfai and others Called for Arab autonomy
1980 Fighting ended in Khorrmahshahr with Iraqis in control Iraq lost 2,000 dead 6,000 wounded
Iran lost 1,500 dead Iraq lost so many troops gave up assault on Abadan and decided to surround city instead
1980 Iranian navy made raids on Fao oil facilities in Basra
1987 Soviet diplomat Vorontsov made another trip to Iran and Iraq to try to negotiate end to war
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
2003 Bush speech said Iraq frontline of war on terror and would take time to win
2003 Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen Pace said US had to return sovereignty as soon
as possible and get Iraqis to run things
2003 Powell said security number one priority in postwar Iraq otherwise nothing else would matter
2005 Bush speech said Iraq central front in war on terror against Al Qaeda and US would have
complete victory
(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2005 Cheney chief of staff Libby indicted on obstruction perjury false statements for retaliating vs
FmrAmb Wilson over Iraq-Niger deal
(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2006 ISI launched first chlorine bomb
2006 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report US hadn’t trained enough Def and Interior Min personnel
to handle logistics Didn’t think ISF would be ready to handle own logistics by Jan 08 deadline it set
2008 Report Maliki tried to set up Tribal Support Council in Khanaqin Diyala Maliki tried to assert
federal control over district run by Kurds for months
(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki and Khanaqin District)
2016 KRG PM Barzani replaced 4 Gorran ministers with 4 KDP politicians in dispute over Pres
Barzani’s term

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Iraq Starts Following US Sanctions On Iran

(iStock)

Both former Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi and new Premier Adel Abdul Mahdi said they did not agree with U.S. sanctions on Iran. Abadi sent a delegation to Washington to try to get some exemptions, but the White House was firm. As a result, the Oil Ministry announced that it will no longer be trucking petroleum to Iran.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 27


1982 Saddam ordered increase in attacks upon Iranian cities 3 SCUD missiles fired at Dezful
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1984 Iraq restored diplomatic relations with US which ended in Oct 1967
1992 Report before Gulf War Bush admin approved sale of computers and software to Iraq that were
used on missile and supergun programs
1992 Opposition meeting in Salahaddin, Kurdistan called for democratic and federal Iraq Made INC
umbrella organization with ethnosectarian quotas
(Musings On Iraq article on 1992 Salahaddin meeting)
(Musings On Iraq article on 1992 Salahaddin conference)
1992 PUK KDP PKK signed ceasefire after PUK and KDP helped Turks attack PKK
(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
2002 US intel complained to press Pentagon using own intel on Iraq and relying upon INC too
much
2003 Bremer returned to DC to discuss his long term plan for Iraq which White House had turned
against
2003 Rumsfeld told Bremer of plan to return Iraq sovereignty by Apr 04 Bremer said needed new
Iraqi govt and constitution 1st
2003 Bush at NSC meeting said US had to stay the course in Iraq Gen Abizaid said US had to bring
back ex-Iraqi soldiers to rebuild army Bremer said too risky Natl Sec Adv Rice Iraq insurgency desperate and not going to succeed
2003 Zarqawi bombed Red Cross HQ and 4 police stations in Baghdad Sixth attack foiled 35 dead
and 244 injured at start of Ramadan
2003 Saddam called on insurgents to attack Iraqi security forces rather than U.S. led coalition
2003 U.S. military blamed foreign fighters for spate of Baghdad bombings Day before denied foreign
fighters important in capital Said insurgents were paying 10 times as much for people to carry out attacks against US forces
2003 UnderSecDef Feith provided evidence of Iraq-Al Qaeda ties his office had collected to Senate
Intel Comm Feith told comm Iraqi govt knew Zarqawi entered Iraq in 2002
2003 Bush told press that violence in Iraq desperate act and sign that US was making progress
2004 Report number of IEDs being planted in Iraq went from 500 per months in May and June 04 to
1,000 by Oct 04
2005 Baghdad insurgent leader told Guardian he supported voting on Constitution and opposed Al
Qaeda in Iraq
2011 Salahaddin council voted to start process to become a federal region Maliki blocked move
2015 60 members of State of Law sent letter to Abadi demanding answers about his reforms
organized by Maliki

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Friday, October 26, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 26


1920 UK High Commissioner Sir Cox formed Iraqi provisional govt after 1920 Revolt led
British to give up direct rule Abd Naqib of Baghdad was premier Had 21 ministers 12 with no portfolios Naqib opposed giving any ministries to Shiites
(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)
1920 UK High Commissioner Sir Cox said Basra province showed no support for Mandate
Merchants in province just wanted to maintain status quo Mid-Euphrates sheikhs and landlords the same Baghdad and Mosul provinces want to have role in govt Intellectuals were nationalists
1952 Baghdad Pharmacy Collee strike over exams Turned into riot that spread to other
            cities 
1978 Pres Assad signed National Charter of Joint Action to counter Israel-Egypt peace treaty while
visiting Baghdad
1980 Iraq fired missiles at Dezful, Iran for 2nd day
1980 Most of the Iranian forces driven out of Khorramshahr Gave Iraq control of Shatt al-Arab
1980 Soviet news agency accused Iraq of aligning with US in Iran-Iraq War
1980 Iran objected to Iraq abrogating 1975 Algiers Agreement in letter to U.N. Said Iran still
following it Iraq broke it
1984 Tariq Aziz told Sec of State Shultz Iraq ready to resume full diplomatic relations with US after
17 yr break
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1989 Sec of State Baker memo said that ties with Iraq important to shape Middle East politics
2001 After anthrax letters sent to Wash DC ABC reported anthrax trademark of Iraq’s WMD
program
2001 Czech Interior Ministry told press 9/11 hijacker Atta met Iraqi intel officer in Prague
2003 DepDefSec Wolfowitz arrived in Baghdad and met with Chalabi who warned him insurgents
knew he was in the country
2003 Baghdad’s Rashid Hotel hit by rocket while Dep Sec of Def Wolfowitz staying there 16 killed
18 wounded
2003 US military said were not many foreign fighters in Baghdad
2003 Iraq Survey Group found aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were not for centrifuges Pentagon
replied group had not finished its analysis
2003 Report CIA interviewed head of Iraq’s centrifuge program who said Iraq ended centrifuge work
after Gulf War and tubes had nothing to do with it CIA claimed head of Iraq’s centrifuge program was not telling truth about aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy
(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)
2004 PM Allawi blamed US for deaths of 49 army recruits killed in Diyala by Zarqawi
2005 Report CIA review said Zarqawi visited Baghdad May 02 but probably didn’t have protection of
Iraqi govt Review of Zarqawi’s trip based upon interviews with Saddam era Iraqi officials Bush admin originally claimed Zarqawi was given safe haven by Saddam and said sign of Iraq-Al Qaeda cooperation
2006 Maliki interview refuted US timetable for Iraq Said ISF could take over security in 6 months
not 12-18 US set out Said he didn’t agree to timetable Said he met with Sadr and they agreed greatest threat to Iraq was Al Qaeda in Iraq and Baathists not militias
2008 US Special Forces raided ISI camp in Syria used to ferry foreign fighters into Iraq captured
huge amount of documents
2017 Iraqi forces renewed west Anbar op This time aimed at liberating Qaim along Syrian border
2017 More clashes between Iraqi forces and Peshmerga in Fish Khabur and Altun Kupri in Ninewa

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Thursday, October 25, 2018

Lasting Lessons From “The Anbar Awakening” Interview with Carter Malkasian, Author of Illusions of Victory


The conventional American wisdom on the Anbar Awakening was that it was a turning point in the war in Iraq. When a few tribes in central Anbar decided to rise up against the insurgency in 2006 it eventually expanded across the province, and was duplicated by the Americans during the Surge in 2007. It was such a success that the U.S. attempted to replicate it in Afghanistan. In effect this became a mythos of a tribal revolt. It held such sway that when the insurgency made a return in Iraq in 2014 with the Islamic State there were people in the U.S. calling for arming the tribes. Carter Malkasian attempted to upend that entire narrative in his book Illusions of Victory: The Anbar Awakening and the Rise of the Islamic State. Malkasian argued that the Awakening was actually a fleeting success as shown by its quick disillusion in 2007, and its inability to maintain security in Anbar, which allowed the return of IS a few years later. This is an interview with Malkasian about his ideas on the Awakening and U.S. intervention.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 25


1922 Gertrude Bell wrote that King Faisal was trying to create his own party but was being played by politicians
(Musings On Iraq book review of Gertrude Bell And Iraq)
1937 Nuri al-Said’s son told him to return from exile in Egypt after made contact with pan-Arab
Golden Square officers
1980 Iraq fired missiles at Dezful, Iran
1983 Iran claimed Iraqi troops destroyed Kurdish town of Penjwin
1984 Iranian troops recaptured Mehran, Iran ending Op Dawn 7
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
2000 Congress authorized increase in support for Iraqi opposition groups to $25 mil in 2001 $18 mil
would got to INC
2002 VP Cheney met with Russian For Min Told him countries that sided with US in war would get
preferential treatment in contracts afterward
2003 Iraqi prisoners were stripped, handcuffed and piled in pyramid on top of each other by US
jailers in Abu Ghraib
2004 Report top contracting official at US Army Corps of Engineers questioned Halliburton’s no-bid
Iraq contracts
2004 Report 380 tons of high grade explosives looted from Al Qaqaa nuclear site
2004 Kurds marched in Kirkuk demanding Kurdish control of city
2005 Results of Constitutional referendum announced 79% voted for constitution Anbar and
Salahaddin overwhelmingly voted no
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
2005 Death toll for Americans in Iraq reached 2,000 since 03 invasion
2005 Iraq Body Count est 26,690-30,051 Iraqi civilians and police died since 03 invasion
2006 Bush speech Iraq challenge of our time Knew people weren’t happy with Iraq war and neither
was he Bush speech said US winning in Iraq Bush said he didn’t believe in timetables for Iraq but Gen Casey and Amb Khalilzad issued a timetable the day before Said they were benchmarks and not a timetable At time he thought strategy failing and working on new one
(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2006 CNN poll found 34% supported Bush on Iraq, 64% disapproved
2006 Maliki criticized US timetable for his govt Said no one had right to impose deadlines on Iraqi
govt Said timetable was created for US consumption before Nov elections Amb halilzad said Maliki agreed to idea of a timetable
2006 U.S. and ISF raided Mahdi Army areas in east Baghdad Maliki complained about raids saying
the wouldn’t happen again
2006 Report British military wanted to withdraw from Iraq withina  year British officials told US
that British military near breaking point with long deployments to Iraq
2006 Special Insp Gen for Iraq Recon audit found some US reconstruction contracts had 55%
overhead costs Main reason was long delay between singing contracts, assembling teams and actual work starting US wrote poor contracts bad to no oversight needless delays poor practices
2006 Report US raid in Washash Baghdad found Mahdi Army papers listing 65 houses that had
Sunni families in them replaced by Shiites Also draft of threats to Sunnis to drive them out
2006 Report Feb 05 Gen Casey said US would transfer security to ISF by end of 05 Jun 06 Casey
sent plan to White House sying that US troops would start withdrawing by Sep 06 and have 50% out by Dec 07 Oct 24 Casey said that ISF would take over security in 12-15 months
2009 ISI bombed Justice & Municipalities Ministries in Baghdad 155 dead 721 wounded Maliki
blamed Baathists but was ISI

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Security In Iraq Oct 15-21, 2018

(Iraqi News)

Incidents have been higher in October than previous months. This has been due to continued Islamic State rebuilding in central Iraq, and the group returning to Anbar and Baghdad. Turkey continues to hit the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Kurdistan as well every week.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 24


1978 Pres Assad visited Baghdad 1st time to talk about unifying Iraq and Syria Issued
unification declaration
1980 Iraq took city center in Khorramshahr and declared it taken Fighting continued for four more
days
1984 US Info Service reopened office in Baghdad Closed since 1958 in first step to reestablish formal
relations between US & Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1997 KDP launched offensive against PUK ending last ceasefire in civil war
(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
2002 Pentagon’s Policy Counterterrorism Group briefed Rumsfeld on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties
2002 Rumsfeld told press Policy Counterterrorism Group was not an intel unit
2002 Intel officials complained to press that Pentagon politicizing intel on Iraq
2003 US secured $13 bil in aid and loans from allies for Iraq at Madrid conference
2003 Maysan police chief assassinated by a local political faction
2005 Palestine Hotel and Sheraton Ishtar Hotel in Baghdad hit by truck bombs
2006 US Cmdr Gen Casey and Amb Khalilzad announced new timetable for US goals in Iraq Said ISF should
take over security in 12-18 months Govt had to demobilize and integrate Shiite militias, Draft bill to divide oil revenues End deBaathification Hold provincial elections Revise constitute Set no date for wen goals had to be achieved or any consequences for not meeting them
2014 Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr finally cleared after a dozen attempts All civilians forced out of city and
not allowed to return

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Tuesday, October 23, 2018

Official Results Announced for Iraq’s Kurdistan, Big Win For KDP

(AFP)

The Election Commission finally announced the official results of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) balloting. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) won a big victory, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) recovered from its embarrassing finish in 2013, while some of the opposition parties are claiming fraud.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 23


1918 Battle of Shirqat started as British forces moved north from Baghdad to seize Mosul
province and its oil before war ended  
(Musings On Iraq article on how Mosul province became part of Iraq)
1973 Baghdad ordered its units home in 1973 Arab-Israeli War
1977 Ayatollah Khomeini’s son Mustafa died in exile in Najaf Iranian secret police believed to be
behind it
1980 US said Iran’s national integrity was threatened by Iraq Pres Carter was trying to get US
hostages released by Iran
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1991 Baghdad imposed economic embargo on Kurdistan in retaliation for clashes with
            Peshmerga
1996 PUK and KDP signed ceasefire brokered by US, UK and Turkey
(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
1997 UN Resolution 1134 said that Iraq had to fully comply with weapons inspectors and
condemned non-cooperation Were splits within UN security council over continued weapons inspections
2002 US and UK submitted draft UN resolution for new inspections in Iraq
2003 Madrid Conf began with 76 countries to garner international aid for Iraq Germany Russia
France offered nothing having opposed war
2003 US guards at Abu Ghraib prison photographed an Iraqi prisoner with a leash on and other
abuses
2004 Al Qaeda in Iraq dressed as police took 49 Iraqi soldiers off bus and executed them in Diyala
2005 Islamic Army got in gun battle with Al Qaeda in Iraq in Taji north Baghdad over the latter
killing members of the Islamic Army
2006 Report UN recorded 1.6 mil refugees 1.5 mil displaced 40,000 Iraqis arriving in Syria per month
365,000 new refugees since Samarra bombing in Feb 06

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Monday, October 22, 2018

Oil Minister Reverses Transfer Of 9 Companies To National Oil Company He Will Head


Outgoing Oil Minister Jabar al-Luabi cancelled his order from October 18 to transfer nine state owned oil and service companies to the new Iraq National Oil Company that he now heads. The move raised the ire of Prime Minister Designate Adel Abdul Mahdi who issued a statement on his Facebook page that Prime Minister Haidar Abadi and President Barham Salah had to stop any unconstitutional and illegal appointments and orders as the Abadi government came to an end. An Iraqi official told Iraq Oil Report this was aimed at Luabi. He then reversed his order.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 22


1965 Gen Nasser said he supported Iraqi govt against Mustafa Barzani’s Kurdish rebellion
1980 Iraqi forces surrounded and began siege of Abadan Iran
1981 UN backed Islamic Conference Organization’s attempt to end Iran-Iraq War
1983 Iranian Op Wa al-Farj 4 reached Penjwin Kurdistan Iraqi counterattack pushed Iranians back
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1991 Baghdad told Kurdish workers that if they wanted to keep their jobs they had to move to govt
controlled areas of Kurdistan due to clashes with Peshmerga
2004 Sistani aide Safi in Friday sermon said voting in 2005 elections was a religious duty
2006 Report criticized Lancet report that est 400,000-800,000 Iraqis deaths since 2003 Lancet
claimed 40 consecutive households were questioned within one day Public health researcher Hicks didn’t think that possible One Lancet author Roberts said 80% of deaths recorded had a death certificate and that deaths had been underreported Report criticized for main street bias only surveying main streets where violence more likely Lancet author Burnham said off streets were included Then said he actually didn’t know how survey was conducted Lancet author Roberts said some of the raw data was destroyed to protect people’s safety Also said that findings could easily be replicated by other studies
(Musings On Iraq article Major Flaws in Lancet Report Pt 1)
(Musings On Iraq article Major Flaws in Lancet Report Pt 11)
(Musings On Iraq article New Study Refutes Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mark Van Der Laan on Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Michael Spagat on Lancet reports)
2006 Report US in talks with Islamic Army in Amman
2006 Fmr Finance Min Allawi said $750-$800mil in defense spending under PM Allawi stolen Ziad
Cattan head of military procurement convicted in absentia for stealing from defense deals
2010 Wikileaks released thousands of classified US reports on Iraq

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Sunday, October 21, 2018

This Day in Iraqi History - Oct 21


1980 Iraqi forces reached city center in Khorramshahr, Iran
1980 Taha Yassin Ramadan head of Baath Popular Army said Khuzistan oil was Iraq’s until Iran
opened negotiations to end war
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1991 Iraq told UN weapons inspectors it had program to build a nuclear bomb
(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)
1992 Peshmerga helped Turkish troops fight PKK in northern Kurdistan
1996 PUK backed by Iran recaptured most of territory it lost to KDP except Irbil
2000 Izzat al-Duri attended Arab summit saying Iraq believed only jihad could save Palestinians in
latest conflict with Israel
2000 King Hussein called for end of sanctions on Iraq at Arab summit
2002 Report Czech Pres Havel told White House 9/11 terrorist Atta did not meet with Iraq
intelligence in Prague
2004 US soldier found guilty of abuse in Abu Ghraib prison scandal given 8 yrs in prison
2006 ISF and US forces patrolling Amara to enforce ceasefire between Mahdi Army and Badr
Suweira Mahdi Army and Badr clashed Mahdi Army blamed for bombing ISCI office in Hamza al-Sharqi
2006 Inter Min Bolani met with Sadr in Najaf to try to get him to reign in Mahdi Army
2006 Insurgents started two days of attacks on police base in Baquba Up to 80 police killed
2007 Maliki complained to US about Oct 20 US raid into Sadr City and wanted investigation into
US abuses in Iraq
2008 ISF raided head of Sahwa in Buhriz Diyala Arrested spokesman for Diyala Sahwa and beat him
Was part of PM Maliki crackdown on Diyala Sahwa
(Musings On Iraq article on raids and arrests of Diyala Sahwa)
2010 Maliki went to Turkey to try to help his attempt to form new govt
2011 US announced it would withdraw its force from Iraq on Dec 31
2011 Obama told Maliki not getting stay behind US forces in Iraq was ok because US
            would still have influence
2014 New operation to try to clear Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr started after Sep attempt failed
2016 Iraqi forces freed Bartella Ninewa

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Saturday, October 20, 2018

PM Designate Mahdi Did Not Like Oil Minister’s Action On Iraq National Oil Company



Oil Minister Luabi (Reuters)
October 18 out going Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luabi transferred nine-state owned oil and service companies to the new National Oil Company (INOC) that he is heading. While this was part of the plan for the new oil business, the timing, a week before a new government is to be announced raised the ire of Prime Minister designate Adel Abdul Mahdi.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 20


1980 US said Iraq invasion of Iran threatened security in Gulf and land should not be seized
by force
1983 Iranian Op Wa al-Fajr 4 seized 15 villages in Kurdistan
1984 Iraq held elections to prove legitimacy of Saddam Was 40% quota for Shiite deputies
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
1991 Report Saddam was arming PKK to fight Turkey
2000 British Foreign Office said wanted to offer end of sanctions to return inspectors but didn’t
think US would agree
2002 Czech Intel told US no evidence 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraq intelligence in Prague
2004 Report Jan 03 Natl Intel Council warned building democracy in Iraq would be long difficult
and turbulent Council warned that overthrowing Saddam could lead to ethnosectarian rivalries and power grabs in Iraq
2004 Transparency International ranked Iraq one of most corrupt countries in world
2005 One of Saddam’s lawyers kidnapped and killed
2006 Mahdi Army Badr and officials from PM Maliki’s office worked out ceasefire to end fighting in
Amara 10 police 15 militiamen killed 160 wounded
2007 US Special Forces raid into Sadr City hunting Special Groups led to huge firefight
2010 KRG Natural Resource Min Hawrami said Kurds were ready to send 60 bil cubic meters of
natural gas to Turkey
2015 Baiji town finally cleared of IS
2016 PM Abadi announced govt would not allow human rights violations during Mosul campaign
and investigative committee created to look into any
2017 Fighting broke out between Iraqi forces and Peshmerga in Altun Kupri Kirkuk as Kurds
worried federal forces were going to march on Irbil
(Musings On Iraq article on Kurds withdrawal from disputed areas)

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Friday, October 19, 2018

Iraq Starts Reviving National Oil Company


On October 18 Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luabi announced that nine-state owned companies involved with the petroleum industry would be transferred to the new National Oil Company. This is part of the government’s plan to make the Oil Ministry into a strategic planning body, while the National Oil Company would be involved with implementation and day to day operations.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 19


1948 All Jewish govt workers fired after creation of Israel
1958 Gen Bakr forced to retire after Col Arif lost power struggle with Gen Qasim within govt
1980 Saddam speech said Iraq couldn’t win war because outnumbered by Iran
1983 Iranian Op Wa al-Fajr 4 began to take Penjwin Valley from KDPI and cut supply line to Iraqis
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)
2003 Powell said US had found evidence of Iraq’s WMD programs and that Saddam always wanted
nuclear weapons
2004 Head of aid group Care was kidnapped in Baghdad Later killed by insurgents
2004 Iraq conspiracy theorist Mylroie wrote OpEd in NY Sun that Iraq was training foreigners to
carry out terrorist attacks and working with Islamic groups
(Musings On Iraq article on Mylroie’s Iraq conspiracy theories)
2004 PM Allawi got US to free insurgent leader Sheikh Jumaili in attempt to split
            militants in Fallujah against Zarqawi Failed
2005 Saddam’s trial started and pled his innocence
2005 Rice told Senate about Clear Hold Build counterinsurgency plan for Iraq Was not
            discussed with US military beforehand
2005 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey US Iraq Amb Khalizad later asked Rice what Clear Hold
            Build was and why not consulted
2005 Rumsfeld complained to Rice that he did not back Clear Hold Build and he
            was not consulted about it
(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2006 IED killed Amara police chief from Badr Police arrested brother of suspected bomber from
Mahdi Army 2 days of fighting started
2006 Mahdi Army stormed 3 police stations manned by Badr in Amara
2006 US military spokesman said Op Together Forward II failed to reduce violence in Baghdad Said
attacks up 22% since start of Ramadan US forces returned to Dora after it was touted as first area cleared during operation
2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey US Amb Khalzad gave press conference saying Op Together Forward
II in Baghdad working
2006 Report over 20 militias operating in Baghdad Mahdi Army splintering
2006 Report police unit blamed for killing 26 Sunnis at food factor in Baghdad’s Amil Unit was
            suspended
2013 IS held parade in southern Fallujah

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