Sadr Calls Off His Followers, What Comes Next In Iraqi Politics?

One day it seems like Iraq is heading towards civil war. The next everything is calm. That’s what happened from August 29-30.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 31 Upon invitation of Barzani Saddam invaded Irbil to attack the PUK

 

Iraq Descends Into Chaos With Open Fighting Between Shiite Parties

(Reuters)

Monday August 29 started off like recent days with Moqtada al-Sadr announcing that that he was abandoning politics another time and his followers marching on the Green Zone even though it already occupied sections of the area already. The security forces fired sound bombs and live ammunition at the crowd and ended up killing at least one Sadrist. Then everything descended into chaos.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 30 US govt report PM Maliki govt full of corruption and human rights abuses

(Getty Images)

Chilcot Inquiry Section 6.5 Planning And Preparation For A Post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, January to March 2003

From January to March 2003 the Blair government was frantically trying to draw up its plans for post-war Iraq. One issue it pushed was getting the United Nations involved which was opposed by the United States. It was also worried that the Americans were not adequately strategizing for the day after the invasion. Third, Prime Minister Tony Blair was not providing the necessary leadership to make an organized effort to tackle the situation. The result was that the U.K. went to war without the resources and ideas for dealing with the post-Saddam situation in Iraq which endangered all its goals

This Day In Iraqi History – Aug 29 SCIRI head Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim killed by Zarqawi in Najaf bombing 125 dead 500 wounded

(CBS News)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 28 Iraq annexed Kuwait as 19th province

(Britannica)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 27 Iraq denied Assyrian massacre which killed 600 people and destroyed 60 villages

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 26 Saddam ordered shelling of Iranian border looking for excuse to invade

(Britannica)

Review All Roads Lead To Baghdad: Army Special Operations Forces in Iraq

 Briscoe, Charles, Finlayson, Kenneth, Jones, Robert, Jr., Walley, Cherilyn, Aaron, A. Dwayne, Mullins, Michael, Schroder, James, All Roads Lead To Baghdad: Army Special Operations Forces in Iraq, Fort Bragg: USASOC History Office, 2007

 

All Roads Lead To Baghdad: Army Special Operations Forces in Iraq is a military history meant to explain the different kinds of special units the U.S. deployed in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the variety of missions they had. It starts off with some of the causes of the Iraq War which gets many things completely wrong which were known when the book was written. Being a military book it doesn’t really deal with any politics besides what the Bush administration said. Also because it was published by the U.S. military it praises its work in Iraq. The story of specific operations are the best part of All Roads Lead To Baghdad. On the other hand, there are many sections on support of units which are not that interesting. Overall that makes the book really up and down.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 25 British invaded Iran from Iraq after Shah refused to expel Germans

Sadrists Try To Pressure Courts To Dismiss Iraq’s Parliament

(NRT)

On August 23 Moqtada al-Sadr tried a new tactic. He sent his followers to protest outside the Supreme Judicial Council in Baghdad. His intent was to pressure the courts to dismiss the parliament so new elections could be held which would hopefully give he and his allies the majority needed to create a new administration. This was despite the courts saying they had no authority to do that. Sadr doesn’t want parliament to vote on the matter because he might be defeated so he’s using the streets again to try to press his point.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 24 Ayatollah Khomeini said Iran would fight until Saddam deposed

(Wikipedia)

Security In Iraq Aug 15-21, 2022

Security Incidents in Iraq went back down to single digits during the third week of August. Pro-Iran groups were back at work but there were very few attacks by the Islamic State.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 23 UK High Commissioner for Iraq Cox led crackdown against anti-UK forces in Baghdad exiling and deporting opposition leaders

(National Portrait Gallery)

Iraq’s Electricity Minister Doesn’t Seem To Know What Self-Sufficiency Means

After signing deal to import electricity from Saudi Arabia Iraq's Electricity Min said Iraq might become self-sufficient in energy in a few years (Al Mada)

The Iraqi government has a history of overpromising and underdelivering. In July Electricity Minister Adil Karim provided the latest example. He said that Iraq might become self-sufficient in electricity by 2025 provided money and natural gas to fuel power plants was provided. He went on to say that Iraq might export energy to the Gulf States and Europe.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 22 Saddam’s son-in-law Hussein Kamil told UN Iraq ended all its WMD programs after Gulf War US and UN didn’t believe him Was telling the truth

(JB Russell)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 21 Faisal coronated as 1st king of Iraq

(Wikimedia)

 

1916 UK parliamentary inquiry began into defeat at Kut

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Role of the Military In Politics, A case study of Iraq to 1941)

(Musings On Iraq review Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930)

(Musings On Iraq review Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies)

(Musings On Iraq review A History of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Empires of the Sand, The Struggle For Mastery In The Middle East 1789-1923)

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

1965 Col Fakhry retired and 318 officers arrested for being in an underground political

group linked to Communists

(Musings On Iraq review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

(Musings On Iraq A History Of The Iraqi Communist Party Interview With Univ of East Anglia’s Johan Franzen)

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad Meant to rally support for regime

1996 US Asst Sec of State for Nera Eastern Affairs Pelletraeu told Barzani to talk with Talabani to try to

stop fighting Barzani said US had to talk to Iran and stop it from interfering in Kurdistan

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

privately work on war plans while publicly denying it

(Musings On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review Plan of Attack: The Definitive Account Of The Decision To Invade Iraq)

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 A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)

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

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Anfal Campaign And The Destruction Of The Kurdish Opposition)

2006 Sheikh Abu Risha’s Anbar Emergency Council declared war on Al Qaeda in Iraq in Ramadi Drew

fighters from tribes Jaish al-Haq Numan Brigade 1920 Revolution Brigades

(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)

(Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq)

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq destroyed new Jazeera police station in Ramadi with suicide car bomb Killed head

of Albu Jassim tribe who aligned with US and provided tribesmen for Ramadi police Beheaded him and left body in desert

(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)

(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

(Musings On Iraq review Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq review The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)

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

(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)

2007 Report 3 attempts to replace PM Maliki including from ISCI within his own Dawa and from Allawi

            U.S. trying to prop up his govt

2008 Report Iraq’s 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 NY Times Finds Iraq Spends Even Less Of Its Budget)

2008 Report US commanders started telling Sahwa in north Iraq program ending and they had to get jobs

because govt wouldn’t integrate them

(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)

2008 Report Gen Petraeus said Maliki govt purposely not integrating Sahwa Defense Ministry officials

talked about arresting Sahwa by end of 2008

2008 Captured ISI member said group running out of money Could carry out operations but no major

attacks Few foreign fighters coming

2010 Kurdish MP said Peshmerga would remain in disputed areas until Article 140 implemented

Said constitutionally legal for them to stay

2010 KRG made series of demands of Maliki govt Wanted revenue sharing law Oil law Wanted

KRG laws to trump federal laws in disagreements over KRG oil contracts In return Kurds said they would support 2^nd term for PM Maliki

2010 100s protested in Dhi Qar over lack of electricity Clashed with police

2012 Report Maliki govt not agreed to pay oil companies in KRG 2010 Baghdad-KRG came to agreement

over KRG exporting oil Baghdad agreed to pay oil companies in KRG Dep PM Shahristani and Oil Min Luaibi not agreed to that Apr 2012 KRG stopped exports over budget dispute Aug KRG restarted exports

2013 Report MP on parliament integrity comm said around $9 bil/yr laundered Said 10% of govt contracts

payoffs to officials who then laundered money MP said top officials in Baghdad and provinces involved Made fake govt deals Then laundered money to send it out of Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Corruption In Iraq An Interview With Stuart Bowen Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Trouble Fighting Corruption Interview With Vincent Foulk Former US Anti-Graft Official)

2013 Report ISF unable to stop ISI’s Soldiers’ Harvest Security worsened after PM Maliki ordered ISF

raid on Hawija protest site Afterward insurgents took Suleiman Beq During op to free town Kurdish brigade of 4^th Div refused orders Cmdr and 600 soldiers of brigade referred to court martial ISF only able to regain control of Suleiman Beq by making deal with insurgents and local leaders Aug Foreign Min Zebaari asked US for military aid Since 07 PM Maliki made loyalists cmdr in ISF 1 was Gen Ghanam Commanded brigade in 6^th Div in Abu Ghraib Criticized for heavy handed tactics Made cmdr of 2^nd Div in Ninewa and also criticized for tactics Made cmdr 17^th Div in southern Baghdad/Babil Jul resigned Source said 17^th Div investigated because troops were going AWOL because of Ghanam’s leadership Afterward Defense Min said it gave amnesty for any AWOL soldiers from 17^th Div 10% of ISF ghost workers Jul Defense Min replaced head of Anbar Ops Command for refusing to arrest protest leaders

2014 IS and Mujahadeen Army fought in Garma Anbar 4 IS members killed by Naqshibandi in Jalawla

Diyala

(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

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

Babil demanding reform

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

2015 Report US announced Haji Mutazz IS commander in charge of military ops in Iraq killed in

drone strike near Mosul

(Musings On Iraq Islamic State’s Second In Command Killed For 3^rd Time In Iraq)

2015 Fmr Trade Min Sudani convicted on 3 corruption charges $4-$8 bil missing from ministry

Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil for old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Corruption In Iraq An Interview With Stuart Bowen Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Trouble Fighting Corruption Interview With Vincent Foulk Former US Anti-Graft Official)

2015 Report Est $300-$350 bil stolen from Iraq since 03 Finance Min Zebari said bloated salaries

cost $3 bil/mo PM Abadi said 1 official had 900 bodyguards Head of parliament’s integrity comm said it sent 500 corruption cases for investigation in 2014 but most dropped PM Abadi’s office said it has no power over judiciary and therefore can’t reform it

2016 Tribal council in Anbar blamed Hashd for burning houses and orchards east of Ramadi and in

            Albu Shihad and another town

2016 Report Peshmerga Min said it would not withdraw from disputed areas after defeat of IS Said

needed territory for defense

2018 Report 2006 Turkey began building Dam Started filling dam Jun 2018 Turkey told Iraq about

construction during entire time 2017 Turkey’s Water Min met with Iraq’s Water Min 4 times in 2017 Iraqi group went to Turkish dam in Dec 2017 Drastically cut water supply to Iraq Govt did nothing during entire process

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Failed To Prepare For Water Crisis)

2018 Report Abadi govt asked US for exemption from Iran sanctions US couldn’t do much to

enforce sanctions Neither could Iraq because had no real control of border Iraq had major energy contracts with Iran 

2018 Iran said it would restart electricity exports to Iraq Stopped because Iraq wasn’t paying its

bills

2018 PM Abadi directive cancelled order by Dep head of Hashd Abu Muhandis who told Hashd to

leave liberated cities Abadi said Hashd units couldn’t move without coordination of Joint Ops Command and commander in chief

2019 Deputy head of Hashd Commission Abu Muhandis said US behind attack on Balad Air Base Said

US helped Israeli drones fly from Azerbaijan to hit Iraq

(Musings on Iraq Pro-Iran Hashd Brigades And Now Israeli Strikes Making A Joke Of PM Abdul Mahdi’s Claims Iraq Neutral In Regional Conflicts)

2020 Protesters burn govt office in Basra City after assassinations of activists there

(Musings On Iraq Ebb And Flow Of Protests In Iraq)

2020 Protest activist assassinated in Baghdad as part of intimidation campaign vs demonstrators

(Musings On Iraq UN Report On Violence Against Iraqi Protesters)

(Musings On Iraq United Nations Faults Iraq For Failing To Protect Protesters)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 20 Iran-Iraq War ended

(BBC)

1924 Umma Party formed Mostly made up of lawyers

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)

(Musings On Iraq review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)

1987 Dawa set off car bomb in Baghdad killing 20

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Lowy Institution’s Shanahan on history of the Dawa Party)

(Musings On Iraq review The Shi’ite Movement in Iraq)

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 interview with author Tom Cooper 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)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents)

1990 Iraq withdrew from last piece of Iranian territory taken during Iran-Iraq War Meant to secure

            east front

1991 Barzani left Baghdad effectively ending autonomy talks with Baghdad

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

failed Said WMD docs had been discovered at Hussein Kamil’s farm Blamed him for hiding materials form inspectors

(Musings On Iraq UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)

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

(Musings On Iraq review America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy)

(Musings On Iraq review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)

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 False story

(Musings On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The

Sectarian War of 2006)

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

Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

2003 UN said bombing of its Baghdad offices wouldn't stop reconstruction of Iraq UN would withdraw most

of its staff afteward

2003 Bremer told Iraqi Governing Council they had to act quicker to rebuild country and give public

confidence

2003 Report Claim up to 3,000 Saudis had gone to Iraq to fight U.S.

(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)

2003 Gen Sanchez email to CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid Went over pros and cons of going after Sadr

Sanchez believed would increase violence and he wasn’t an imminent threat Sanchez dealing with Zarqawi bombing of UN and didn’t want 2^nd front vs Mahdi Army

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

(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)

(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

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

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 carried out mass arrests of Sunnis Turkmen and minorities in

Mosul

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

2007 Report Mahdi Army fighters said they’d gone to Lebanon to train with Hezbollah Sadr said there was

a formal alliance between the two groups

(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)

2007 Protest in Baghdad’s Ghazilyia against Sahwa there Ghazailya Guardians Said they were former

insurgents

2008 As part of Maliki-Pres Barzani deal Peshmerga began withdrawing from Qara Tappa and Jalawla in

Diyala after Baghdad sent in army and demanded them to withdraw from disputed area

(Musings On Iraq Khanaqin Deal Off?)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

2008 Report PM Maliki opposed to Sahwa Accused them of being ISI Army considering Nov

deadline to arrest Sahwa that had not been integrated In Diyala committee set up to integrate 24,000 Sahwa but dissolved and then restarted US said hardly any Sahwa had been given jobs in govt recently

(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)

2008 Dep head of parliament’s migration committee said PM Maliki bringing back refugees from Egypt

was a PR move Criticized govt for providing no security for returning refugees/displaced especially in Baghdad where demographics had changed

2008 Son of Accordance Front leader arrested for planting IED in Baghdad aimed at returning displaced

Shiites Leader’s other son arrested Nov 07 for explosives

2008 Report Oil Min signed technical support contract with Chinese National Petroleum Company

for Ahdab field in Wasit Re-worked 1997 contract 1^st foreign oil deal since 03

(Musings On Iraq Was The Iraq War About Oil?)

2008 Report ISC Diyala police chief fired 4000 police tied to Sahwa Replaced with ISCI members Feb 08

Sahwa protested against chief Diyala govt rejected chief when he was appointed Jan 07 by Interior Min Bolani Chief accused of sectarian attacks ISC Diyala gov wanted chief removed and supported sahwa

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

2012 Parliament’s oil committee said politicians pressuring Electricity Min to sign deals with Turkish

companies not capable of finishing projects

2013 State of Law accused Saudi intel of being behind recent bombings in Iraq Said Foreign Min was

covering it up Claimed Qatar Jordan Turkey Saudis conspiring against Iraq and Syria ISI behind bombings

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

(Musings On Iraq Crisis Over Iraq’s Kurdish Presidency Favors Barzani)

2017 Report KRG had $10-$12 bil debt Hadn’t paid govt workers and Peshmerga for months

Offered to postpone KRG independence referendum if got financial help from Baghdad

2018 Protests in Muthanna and West Qurna 1 oil field in Basra over services and jobs

2018 Iraq signed deal with Turkey to import 300mw of electricity for Mosul To upgrade power

stations Build electricity towers

2019 Israeli PM Netanyahu hinted that Israel behind attacks on Iraqi bases Talked about Iran’s growing

presence in Iraq

(Musings on Iraq Pro-Iran Hashd Brigades And Now Israeli Strikes Making A Joke Of PM Abdul Mahdi’s Claims Iraq Neutral In Regional Conflicts)

2020 KRG closed NRT media office in Irbil NRT office in Dohuk raided for covering protests

(Musings On Iraq Protests In Iraq’s Kurdistan Over Economic Conditions And Mismanagement)

2020 3 protest activists escaped assassination attempt in Babil

(Musings On Iraq While PM Kazemi Visits Trump Pro-Iran Groups Target US And Kill Protesters To Embarrass Govt)

(Musings On Iraq Ebb And Flow Of Protests In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq UN Report On Violence Against Iraqi Protesters)

(Musings On Iraq United Nations Faults Iraq For Failing To Protect Protesters)

2020 Shammar tribe in Diyala said it opposed IS families returning to homes

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 19 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed UN HQ in Baghdad 23 killed including UN Rep de Mello

(BBC)

 

1921 UK cabinet decided Faisal would be coronated king and then Anglo-Iraq treaty drafted

(Musings On Iraq review Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930)

(Musings On Iraq review Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Empires of the Sand, The Struggle For Mastery In The Middle East 1789-1923)

1922 Iraqi Renaissance Party formed 1 of 1^st in country Rejected UK Mandate and Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1958 Ibrahim Ahmed asked Deputy PM Arif if United Democratic Party of Kurdistan could

publish a newspaper Was turned down

1969 Army burned to death all the Kurdish residents of Dakan

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

1988 UN Res 619 created military observation group to watch Iran-Iraq border to make sure ceasefire

followed

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

1990 Saddam said he would release foreign nationals if US withdrew from Saudi Arabia

1991 After PKK attack in Turkey it launched incursion into Kurdistan

1996 PUK accused KDP of working with Baghdad KDP accused PUK of working with Iran during civil

war

(Musings On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)

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

over 100

(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

(Musings On Iraq review The Terrorists of Iraq, Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraqi Insurgency 2003-2014)

(Musings On Iraq review Black Flags, The Rise Of ISIS)

2003 Bremer asked Washington if he could arrest Sadr Rumsfeld said no fearing would provoke more

violence

(Musings On Iraq review Squandered Victory, The American Occupation And the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)

(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

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

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

WMD 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 from Jordan at 2 US ships docked in Israeli port

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

referendum

2007 US general accused Iran of training Shiite militias in Iraq to attack US forces Said 50 Iranian

Rev Guard members in South Baghdad Last 3 months found 217 weapons in 4 provinces suspected of coming from Iran Said most going to Mahdi Army

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)

(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)

2008 Iraq signed agreement to import fuel from Iran

2008 Fmr Iranian official said Iran and Hezbollah trained Iraqis in Basra Maysan Najaf Baghdad Said

Iranian intelligence and Quds Force angry that some Iraqis they supported under Saddam were no longer under their influence

2009 3 ISI car bombs in Baghdad Hit Finance & Foreign Mins & Rashid Hotel Killed 101 Wounded 565 PM

Maliki blamed Baathists & Syria even though it was ISI Iraq withdrew its Syrian ambassador day after Maliki had visited Damascus 1^st of 3 mass casualty bombings ISI would carry out in Baghdad during the year

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

2010 Report 2007 est $1-$2 bil/yr stolen from Baiji Refinery Up to 70% of output stolen 2010

down to around 5% Director of refinery got death threats Had to move to Jordan and run plant by phone Corrupt officials tried to get director arrested Director said political parties interfered with refinery

2010 Natural Resource Min Hawrami said KRG would be producing 1 mil/bar/day in oil by 2014

Said KRG would join Nabucco natural gas pipeline and export gas to Europe Neither happened Said no oil had been smuggled to Iran KRG had been smuggling oil to Iran since 1990s

2011 Report Sadr rejected calls for Pres Assad to step down Said Syrian stood against US Said he

supported Arab Spring in Tunisia and Egypt but Syria was different

2013 Head of State of Law in Basra said bombing of Um Qasr port was to cover up corrupt deal

involving sugar imports by Trade Min Said ISF were involved

2014 IS posted video of beheading of journalist James Foley part of video series A Message To America

in response to Obama’s decision to bomb IS

(Musings On Iraq review ISIS The State of Terror)

2015 IS and Naqshibandi fought in Hawija Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

2015 Report IS was making $11 mil/month from Ninewa before took Mosul in Jun 2014 Charged

taxes on petroleum products sent from Baiji refinery to Ninewa Taxed cement companies Got salaries of 300 contractors in Mosul Doctors power generator owners paid protection money

2016 Report Jul Khalidiya Island in Anbar freed by Hashd Looted and burned homes Executed

people accused of being IS sympathizers

2017 Report Investigation into abuses in Mosul found Rapid Reaction Div beat and abused

civilians Verified Der Spiegel article about abuses which Abadi govt and ISF attacked

(Musings On Iraq on Der Spiegel article on abuses by Rapid Reaction Division during Mosul battle)

(Musings On Iraq Human Rights Watch called for investigation into Der Spiegel article)

(Musings On Iraq ABC News had follow up to Der Spiegel article on abuses by Rapid Reaction Division during Mosul battle)

(Musings On Iraq Toronto Star added more to story about abuses by Rapid Reaction Division during Mosul battle)

(Musings On Iraq reactions to Der Spiegel article on abuses by Rapid Reaction Division during Mosul battle)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Joint Operations Command attacked Der Spiegel article on abuses by Rapid Reaction Division during Mosul battle)

2017 Operation to free Tal Afar Ninewa began

(Musings On Iraq Start Of The Tal Afar Battle)

2018 Protest in Qadisiya over services

2014 ISF Hashd and Tribal Hashd attacked Tikrit again Were turned back by IS

2019 Balad Air Base in Salahddin hit by apparent Israeli strike targeting pro-Iran Hashd

(Musings on Iraq Pro-Iran Hashd Brigades And Now Israeli Strikes Making A Joke Of PM Abdul Mahdi’s Claims Iraq Neutral In Regional Conflicts)

2019 Kataib Hezbollah got Anbar Operations Command head removed Claimed he was

helping Israel and CIA

2020 KDP security forces raided media offices in Dohuk and Irbil for covering protests

2020 Protest activist in Dhi Qar escaped assassination attempt Female activist and another activist

and his wife assassinated in Basra in intimidation campaign vs demonstrators

(Musings On Iraq While PM Kazemi Visits Trump Pro-Iran Groups Target US And Kill Protesters To Embarrass Govt)

(Musings On Iraq Ebb And Flow Of Protests In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq UN Report On Violence Against Iraqi Protesters)

(Musings On Iraq United Nations Faults Iraq For Failing To Protect Protesters)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review ‘Iraq, 1900 To 1950, A Political, Social, and Economic History

Longrigg, Stephen, ‘Iraq, 1900 To 1950, A Political, Social, and Economic History, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1956

 

Iraq, 1900 to 1950, A Political, Social, and Economic History by Stephen Longrigg is one of the early histories of the country in English. Longrigg first entered Iraq in 1915 during World War I as a British officer and then lived there for the next 16 years as an adviser to the government and then as an official of the Iraq Petroleum Company. The book argues that Iraq was constantly developing after its backwardness under the Ottomans. Its real theme was supporting British imperialism and oligarchic rule in the country.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 18 Army held victory parade for massacring Assyrians Made Gen Sidqi national hero

 

1933 Iraqi army held victory parade and given award by Prince Ghazi for massacring Assyrians

in north Total 60 villages looted and destroyed Around 600 killed

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

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies)

1982 Iraq fired 27 SCUD missiles at Kharg Island Iran’s major oil port with little to no effect

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

1990 Iraq said foreign nationals in Iraq and Kuwait would be sent to strategic locations to

be human shields

1990 UN Resolution 664 demanded Iraq release foreign nationals it held

2003 Bremer told Rumsfeld gave order not to arrest Sadr to try to avoid further violence

(Musings On Iraq review Squandered Victory, The American Occupation And the Bungled Effort to Bring Democracy to Iraq)

2003 Gen Fry Dep Chief of UK Def Staff said that Iraqis had grown tired of Coalition

Said Shiite leaders warned that people could start turning on Coalition Said rebuilding ISF political development and providing services in southern Iraq was stalled

2003 Sunni-Shiite comm formed in Baghdad Agreed Shiites would return Sunni mosques seized Sunnis

would lead Shiites and Shiites lead Sunnis in prayers Sermons would share same political themes

(Musings On Iraq review The Triumph of the Martyrs, A Reporter’s Journey into Occupied Iraq)

2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay testified to Congress Blamed Rice and NSC for not checking WMD intel

before war

(Musings On Iraq Iraq One Of The Worst Intelligence Failures In US History)

2005 Police report listed 18 Sunnis arrested in Baghdad 6 weeks later their bodies found along Iranian

border Showed torture

(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)

(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)

2005 Anbar governor and other Sunni leaders fired upon in Ramadi during meeting over constitutional

referendum

(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)

2006 Report 2 Iraqi army divisions in Anbar short 5,000 troops Soldiers not getting paid Defense Min could

not supply them

2008 Georgia withdrew its 1800 troops from Iraq Had deployed them in 2003 Lost 5 soldiers

2008 Report 2 Sahwa units in Diyala complained members arrested Offices closed PM Maliki said he

wouldn’t integrate Sahwa that were former insurgents Maliki aide said Sahwa were unacceptable Only 23,000 Sahwa had been accepted in ISF so far

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)

(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)

(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)

2008 Suicide bomber dressed as a women killed deputy head of Adhamiya Baghdad sahwa 20 wounded

Part of ISI campaign vs sahwa

(Musings On Iraq Behind The Revival Of The Islamic State in Iraq, Interview With Naval War College Prof Craig Whiteside)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

2008 PM Maliki sent Special Forces to Diyala govt building Got into gun battle with governor’s guards

Killed governor’s secretary and wounded 4 guards Arrested Sunni councilman Beat deputy governor Stole SUVs that belonged to council Got into 2^nd gun battle on way out that killed 4 police Arrested president of Diyala Univ Councilman and president accused of killings US helicopters sent to check on situation were fired upon by ISF Special forces had to call ground forces cmdr to get police to back off Afterward Maliki denied he was behind operation and ordered investigation Nothing happened

2009 PM Maliki told US officials he didn’t want sectarian alliance in 2010 election because

would lead Iraq towards being like Lebanon and parties would be backed by foreign powers

2009 Report US Cmdr Gen Odierno said more Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members would be released PM

Maliki promised all Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members would be freed Said made deal with group to stop attacks in exchange for prisoners being let go Said Asaib Ahl Al-Haq had truce with US Part of deal to get 5 kidnapped Brits released Maliki also wanted to use Asaib Ahl Al-Haq vs Sadr

(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

2010 Report Abu Dura Mahdi Army leader called the Shiite Zarqawi returned to Baghdad from

Iran Now commander of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq in Sadr City Went back to carry out attacks

2011 Electricity Min Ani resigned over continued power shortages

2012 Report US sanctioned Elaf Bank for helping Iran smuggle oil Iran used Iraqi banks to escape US

sanctions and get dollars US didn’t think Iraq enforcing punishments for breaking sanctions Central Bank of Iraq said Elaf could buy dollars at bank’s auctions Obama admin said it wouldn’t punish Iraq for breaking Iran sanctions

2013 Mutahidun list said Maliki govt carried out military campaign vs Sunnis in Baghdad Diyala

Salahaddin

2015 IS second in command Abu Muslim al-Turkmani killed by US drone strike in Mosul

2015 KRG parliament finance comm said over $800 mil in oil revenue missing since Jul Said

Natural Resource Min didn’t put money in Finance Min bank account as it should have

2015 Report Maliki said Mosul fell to conspiracy between Turkey and Kurds Part of

recriminations over fall of city Investigation said Maliki didn’t understand situation in Mosul in 2014 because appointed incompetent and corrupt military commanders

2015 PM Abadi cut number of advisers in ministries Cabinet said it would retire 80 director

generals and 18 deputy ministers Part of reform program Really about cutting costs during financial crisis

(Musings On Iraq A Review Of Iraq Premier Abadi’s Reform Program Interview With Reidar Visser)

2016 North Oil Company resumed sending oil to Turkey via KRG pipeline Stopped 5 months ago

New Oil Minister confirmed with backing of Kurds Part of US-Baghdad-KRG deal

2016 Local official said Hashd burned and looting 40- homes and govt offices and mosques in

Khalidiya Anbar

2017 Kirkuk Gov Karim rejected court order to remove Kurdish flag from government buildings in province

2017 Report US Embassy official said 1400 ISF killed 7000 wounded in Mosul battle

2018 Dep head of Hashd Abu Muhandis ordered Hashd out of liberated cities after demands made

by Sunni politicians for it to withdraw Said no new offices or bases would be opened in certain areas Said Hashd were to have no ties to political parties or religious institutions Not enforced

2020 KRG security forces arrested protest activist in Dohuk as part of crackdown on demonstrations

(Musings On Iraq Protests In Iraq’s Kurdistan Over Economic Conditions And Mismanagement)

2020 Report 2010 govt laid out Al-Faw port project Never finished Aug Transportation Min said it

would sign contract with Korean company to resume project Kuwait and Iran opposed project

2020 KRG Finance Min said KRG would have $138.8 mil budget deficit even if got monthly

payments from Baghdad KRG made around $614 mil Needed $753 mil just to cover govt salaries

View the Iraq History Timelines