This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 3

1914 Start of Battle of Qurna between British and Ottoman British attacked but beaten back

1967 Arif govt issued new press law restricting freedom of the media

1996 Iran admitted to Iraq smuggling oil through its territory violating UN sanctions and promised

action against it

1999 UN Res 1280 extended Oil for Food program

2001 Blair told Bush he was not opposed to removing Saddam

2002 Iraq officials cooperated with UN inspectors at surprise search of one of Saddam’s Baghdad

palaces

2004 3 members of Ansar al-Islam arrested for planning to assassinate PM Allawi

2004 Bush called speech writer Gerson saying he wanted to change US foreign policy to promoting

democracy Iraq at forefront

2006 Report doctor at Baghdad hospital said staff had been infiltrated by Mahdi Army Patients were

mysteriously dying and then records lost or changed Thought they were being murdered and orders were coming from Sadr controlled Health Min

2006 Report Rumsfeld memo said that US strategy in Iraq not working and needed new one Said

administration had to lower public expectations of what US could do in Iraq Was frustrated with Iraqis Said Iraq needed to do more Laid out plans for either withdrawing troops or redeploying them within Iraq Said US should think of setting benchmarks for Iraq Went against public statements of US govt against withdrawals and benchmarks

2008 Presidential Council passed Status of Forces Agreement with US setting withdrawal date for

US forces 12/31/11

2008 Baghdad-Irbil oil talks broke down KRG refused to cancel its oil contracts and demnded share

of oil revenues Oil Min Shahristani refused

(Musings On Iraq article on break down of Baghdad-KRG oil talks)

2011 Maliki accused Turkey of meddling in Iraqi affairs as relations deteriorate between two

countries 

View the Iraq History Timelines