This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 2

1914 Ottomans signed alliance with Germany that would bring Mesopotamia into WW1

1924 Yasin al-Hashemi became 2^nd PM of Iraq Was ordered to organize elections for an assembly to draft a

constitution

1933 Iraqis met with French again Told Assyrians couldn’t stay in Syria Assyrians had been disarmed

voluntarily Only 415 had gone to Syria Were another 350 on border on Iraqi side Iraqis asked whether Assyrians would be given back weapons when returned but French said nothing

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

(Musings On Iraq book review State and Society in Iraq)

1968 Iraq announced it would seek better ties with Soviet Union and China

1983 Iraqi forces retreated 15 mi south of Mehran Iran back to Iraqi border Iraq launched

counterattack stopping Iranian Op Wa al-Fajr 3 Iranian forces dug in around Mehran

1986 Saddam offered peace agreement to Iran Was rejected by Tehran

1988 Iraq bombed Oshnaviyah, Iran with mustard gas wounding 2,680 people

(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 Saddam invaded Kuwait originally claiming there was a coup and emir called on Iraq for help Saddam

then changed justification for invasion by saying an opposition govt had overthrown Sabah family and asked for help

1990 Iraq said it would only be in Kuwait for days-weeks until Provisional Free Kuwait Govt asked it to

leave

1990 Iraq accused Kuwait of being involved in foreign and Zionist plots

1990 Most of Arab world did not report on Iraq’s Kuwait invasion until 2 days later

1990 Kuwait’s ruling Sabah family tipped off about invasion US flew them to Bahrain and then Saudi

Arabia Called for resistance against the Iraqis

1990 Iraq could not find any credible Kuwaitis to establish a provisional govt to run country for it

1990 Iraq banned foreign travel for its nationals

1990 Bush NSC meeting focused on how Iraq invasion of Kuwait would allow Baghdad to control oil

market Wondered if Iraq would invade Saudi Arabia to seize its oil Made no decision on what overall policy to take Decided to go to UN gain international support impose sanctions

1990 Natl Sec Adv Scowcroft talked to Bush said he wanted to address next NSC meeting and express

steadfastly that US would not allow Kuwait invasion to stand Bush agreed Discussed using force to expel Iraq from Kuwait

1990 NSC’s Near East Dir Haas drafted memo on using sanctions and military options to deal with Iraq’s

invasion of Kuwait 

1990 Bush met PM Thatcher who said Kuwait invasion couldn't stand and troops had to be sent to Middle

East Bush agreed Thatcher said that if Iraq’s aggression was allowed to stand no small country could ever feel safe

1990 US stopped loan guarantees to Iraq due to Kuwait invasion Froze Iraqi and Kuwait assets in US

1990 Bush told reporters he was not thinking of using force in response to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait

1990 Joint Chiefs chairman Gen Powell told Gen Schwarkopf he thought US would go to war over Saudi

Arabia but not Kuwait

1990 UN Resolution 660 demanded Iraq’s immediate withdrawal from Kuwait Said Iraq and Kuwait had to

use talks to resolve problems

1990 Joint US-USSR statement condemned Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait

(Musings On Iraq book review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)

1992 Kuwait and Saudi officials argued that Iraq should be divided along ethnosectarian lines to stop threat

of country to Persian Gulf

2002 DIA report on debate over aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy DIA sided with CIA that tubes were for

centrifuges Said matched 1950s German centrifuge design

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2004 Marines just given control of Najaf came under attack 1^st time by Mahdi Army in city as passed near

Sadr’s house Led to attacks by Mahdi Army in Baghdad, Kuwat, Nasiriya, Amara, Basra

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2004 Al Qaeda in Iraq War Min Abu Masri executed Turkish civilian Murat Yuce

2007 Saudis told Sec State Rice and Def Sec Gates that they were not funding Iraqi insurgency Said

wouldn’t support Iraqi govt Said Iraq was a threat because terrorists could come from there into Saudi Arabia

(Musings On Iraq article on Saudi role in insurgency)

2008 Report on wave of female suicide bombers in Iraq Most had family member killed or arrested and

wanted revenge or maintain family honor Main target Sahwa and Iraqi forces

(Musings On Iraq article on female suicide bombers)

2011 Car bomb at Holy Family Syriac Church in Kirkuk 2 other car bombs defused at other churches in city

2012 Turkey’s Foreign Min Davotoglu visited Kirkuk City which Iraq’s Foreign Ministry called interference

in Iraqi affairs

2015 Protests in Seysaib in Irbil and Dhi Qar Babil and Najaf over lack of services

2018 Protesters blocked road to West Qurna 1 oil field in Basra Gave govt 48 hours to answer their demands

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