This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 1 PM Taha Hashemi overthrown in coup by pan-Arab Golden Square officers Regent fled along with leading politicians

(Wikipedia)

 

1922 Leading cleric Mahdi al-Khalisi invited Sunni and Shiite sheikhs to Karbala to come up

with response Wahabi Ikhwan threat to Iraq

(Musings On Iraq review The Shi’is Of Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History – Mar 31 Iraqi Communist Party founded

(Alamy)

 

1934 Iraqi Communist Party founded

(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)

Review The War In The Cradle of The World

Egan, Eleanor Franklin, The War In The Cradle of The World, New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1918

 

Eleanor Franklin Egan was an American journalist who travelled to Mesopotamia to see the British war there during World War I. She left for Japan, sailed across Asia, and then travelled up Mesopotamia to Baghdad. Her The War In The Cradle of the World is more about her trip than the war.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 30 UK Cairo Conference decided on indirect rule in Iraq Faisal would be made king with pro-UK govt allowing British forces to withdraw

(Wikipedia)

 

1921 Cairo Conference decided on indirect rule in Iraq Would make Faisal King of a pro-British

Iraqi govt allowing withdrawal of British forces 

Coordination Framework Moves To Re-Write Iraq’s Election Rules

(The National)

On March 27 Iraq’s parliament voted to amend the Election Law and return to the old system of having each province be its own voting district. This overturned the 2021 amendment that broke up governorates into multiple districts which allowed the emergence of several new parties and led to large defeats for some of the more established ones.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 29 Sayid Salih Jabr became Iraq’s first Shiite PM

(Wikipedia)

 

1946 Iraq-Turkey Friendship Treaty Would cooperate over Tigris and Euphrates security

education communication economies

PM Sudani Claims False Success In Iraq’s Water Policy

(AP)

Prime Minister Sudani recently returned from a trip to Turkey where he claimed a victory. He said that Ankara agreed to increase water flow down the Tigris for one month to try to help its neighbor. That will do little to alleviate Iraq’s chronic problems especially because Baghdad appears to have no water strategy.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 28 2 truck bombs in Tal Afar left 499 casualties Militias and police killed 70 in revenge

(Getty Images)

 

1918 British took Ana

Security In Iraq Mar 15-21, 2023

The Islamic State remains barely active in Iraq. Violence remains at an all-time low in the country. Ramadan is nearing however so that could change.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 27 Saddam said he was going to get a nuclear bomb with help of the Soviets so he could go to war with Israel

(Biography.com)

 

1918 British took Haditha

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 26 Iyad Allawi won 2010 election PM Maliki came in 2nd

(Al Jazeera)

 

1918 Battle of Khan Baghdadi between Ottomans and British started

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 25 Iraq’s Information Min Sahaf began telling media US losing during invasion of Iraq

 

1915 UK PM Asquith said that after WWI UK should get part of Mesopotamia Same time

afraid of imperial overreach Said taking Mesopotamia would cost millions

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 24 Ayatollah Khamenei Pres Khatami decided to send Badr Brigade into Iraq to carry out ops vs US during invasion

(Iran Wire)

 

1915 Gen Nixon made UK cmdr in Mesopotamia Told to hold Basra vilayet and all outlets to

sea

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 23 Nuri al-Said became PM 1st of 9 times Went after opposition Closed newspapers Took control of parliament to assure passage of Anglo-Iraq Treaty

(Wikipedia)

1915 French Amb to UK Cambon suggested that UK and France begin discussions on

dividing Ottoman Empire Would lead to creation of Iraq

Review The Snake Eaters, An Unlikely Band of Brothers and the Battle for the Soul of Iraq

West, Owen, The Snake Eaters, An Unlikely Band of Brothers and the Battle for the Soul of Iraq, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, New Delhi: Free Press, 2012

 

The Snake Eaters, An Unlikely Band of Brothers and the Battle for the Soul of Iraq by Owen West is a very engaging story about a motley crew of U.S. advisors and Iraqi soldiers that turned around an area in Anbar province in 2005-07. All the odds were stacked against them. The Americans were not prepared for their job, they and the Iraqi soldiers they worked with had little support from their superiors, and the locals were antagonistic to the presence of both. Over two years the Iraqis and Americans were able to gain confidence and more importantly trust in each other which eventually won over the residents and forced the insurgents out.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 22 Over 200 civilians killed in US airstrike on building used by IS in west Mosul Abadi govt would launch disinformation campaign denying that it happened

 

1921 UK Cabinet approved Colonial Sec Churchill’s choice of Faisal as new ruler in

Mesopotamia

(Musings On Iraq Churchill In His Own Words On Mesopotamia/Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Churchill’s Folly, How Winston Churchill Created Modern Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied)

(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 When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

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

Security In Iraq Mar 8-14, 2023

The Islamic State is at its nadir in Iraq. The group is barely active anymore and no longer has an impact upon the country.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 21 Shock and Awe bombing campaign started during 2003 invasion of Iraq

(Creative Commons)

 

1920 Iraq political officer Wilson wrote India Secretary Montague Said no connection

between Iraq and Syria and would reject rule by Faisal who’d been declared king of both before overthrown by France Said Iraq should have its own govt

What Does The Literature Say About Why The U.S. Invaded Iraq? Selected Review Of Books On The Iraq War

It’s been 20 years since the United States invaded Iraq but many still seem to be unsure about why exactly President George Bush made the decision. That’s because the Bush administration never had a meeting where all the pros and cons of overthrowing Saddam Hussein were discussed. That means scholars don’t even know when the president decided to go to war. Was it after 9/11? Was it in 2002 when the White House began its public relations campaign to convince the American public to go to war? Was it in 2003 after U.N. weapons inspectors failed to find any weapons of mass destruction? These issues have led to a wide range of books on the Iraq War. This is a review of some of the literature on the topic.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 20 Start of 2003 invasion of Iraq

(Reuters)

 

1933 Rashid al-Gaylani became PM 1^st of 3 times Included opposition Ikha Party who got Yasin

al-Hashemi as Finance Min and Hikmat Sulaiman as Interior Min

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 19 Bush ordered attack on farm in Baghdad hoping to kill Saddam as opening blow in Iraq invasion

(Wikipedia)

 

1914 Ottomans agreed to merger of Turkish Petroleum Company that was to get oil concession in Mosul

vilayet with Anglo-Persian Oil Company

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 18 4 pro-Najaf Hashd units asked to join Defense Min to protest pro-Iran groups control of Hashd Commission

(Rudaw)

 

1914 US consulate in Baghdad reported Ottomans had reconciled with Sayid Talib and Sheikh

Ajaimi of Montafiq Confederation They had de facto control of Basra vilayet

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 17 Yasin al-Hashemi became PM 2nd time Was widely feared that he wanted to become dictator of Iraq

(Wikipedia)

 

1639 Treaty of Zuhab ended Ottoman-Safavid War and gave Ottomans most of Mesopotamia

(Musings On Iraq review An Analysis of Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq)

Review Al-Hussein, Iraqi Indigenous Conventional Arms Projects, 1980-2003

Altobchi, Ali, with Cooper, Tom & Fontanellaz, Adrien, Al-Hussein, Iraqi Indigenous Conventional Arms Projects, 1980-2003, Warwick: Helion & Company, 2022

 

Al-Hussein, Iraqi Indigenous Conventional Arms Projects, 1980-2003 by Ali Altobchi with Tom Cooper and Adrien Fontanellaz is about how Saddam Hussein attempted to build an indigenous defense industry for Iraq. Baghdad was able to develop some weapons like long range missiles but otherwise it remained almost completely dependent upon foreign technology and know how to arm itself.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 16 Saddam ordered WMD attack upon Halabja accusing residents of helping Iran 5,000 killed

(Bas News)

 

1917 UK War Cabinet created Mesopotamia administration committee to decide on form of

govt in captured areas

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

Iraq Passes 3 Yr Draft Budget Which Has Major Issues

(AP)

Iraq’s cabinet passed a new draft budget that raises serious questions about the country’s finances. For the first time, the budget is for three years which may not work given the up and down history of the oil dependent economy. It also includes a huge deficit something previous government’s have struggled to deal with.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 15 Ayatollah Khomeini called on Iraqis to rise up and overthrow Saddam

(Wikipedia)

1915 Viceroy of India wrote UK interests were protecting Persian oil concession which meant Basra

vilayet should be controlled by UK while Baghdad vilayet should be ceded by Turkey and given native administration under UK influence

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

Sudani Govt Sends Budget Payments To Kurds To Keep Ruling Coalition Together

(Reuters)

The Sudani government decided to send around 400 billion dinars to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). This was despite a Supreme Court ruling that Baghdad could not transfer any money to the regional government.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 14 Operation to free Tikrit stalled due to high Hashd casualties

(Tehran Times)

 

1921 Colonial Sec Churchill wrote PM Lloyd George Said making Faisal king of Iraq best

chance for UK to save money in Iraq

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

Security In Iraq Mar 1-7, 2023

The start of March was another reminder that the Islamic State is in its death throes in Iraq. It remains barely active in the country.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 13 Barzani officially ended his revolt after Shah of Iran cut off aid

(Bas News)

1910 Ottoman army defeated Montafiq tribal confederation in present day Maysan province

for rejecting taxes

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 12 Colonial Sec Churchill began Cairo Conference to determine future of Mesopotamia

(Wikipedia)

1914 UK sent ultimatum to Ottomans If they wanted to increase tariffs had to allow merger

of Turkish Petroleum Company that was going to get oil concession in Mosul vilayet with Anglo-Persian Oil Company 1^st sign UK wanted to control Mesopotamian oil

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 11 British captured Baghdad WWI

(Wikipedia)

 

1917 British army captured Baghdad Led to widespread looting

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 10 Barzani wrote letter to Sec State Kissinger reminding him of Nixon’s promise of aid Barzani said Kurds being destroyed by Iraqi govt Kissinger didn’t reply

(Bas News)

 

865 Abu Ahmad’s army from Samarra reached gates of Baghdad to overthrow Abbasid Caliph

Mutasim

Review Rise Of The Vulcans, The History of Bush’s War Cabinet

Mann, James, Rise Of The Vulcans, The History of Bush’s War Cabinet, New York: Viking, 2004

 

James Mann’s Rise Of The Vulcans, The History of Bush’s War Cabinet is about six individuals, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Armitage who helped shape U.S. foreign policy after the Cold War. Mann gives a biography of each to explain how their experiences shaped their world views and then how they attempted to follow them while serving in government. Those ideas helped explain why they were all for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 9 Russian price war with Saudi Arabia led to collapse in oil prices leading to economic crisis for Iraq the most oil dependent country in world

(Modern Diplomacy)

 

1916 British retreated from Dujail after failed attack on Ottomans

Iraq’s Oil Exports and Revenues Stabilize in Feb 2023

Iraq’s oil exports barely changed between January and February 2023. Sales have been the same for more than a year now while prices have stabilized after the shock of the Russian invasion of Ukraine wore off.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 8 International Women’s Day Iraqi women at university in 1970s

 

(Musings On Iraq Interview Iraqi Women Before And After The 2003 Invasion, Interview With Prof Nadje Al-Ali Univ of London)

(Musings On Iraq Review Iraqi Women, Untold Stories from 1948 to the Present)

1916 Battle of Dujaila British attack on Ottomans failed British lost 3,474 casualties Turks

1,235 Was defeat in British effort to relieve siege at Kut

Political Payback Continues As Sudani Govt Issues Warrant For Iraq’s Ex-Finance Minister

(Wikipedia)

On March 4, 20 warrants were issued for the $2.5 billion stolen from the Iraqi government. That included former Finance Minister Ali Allawi, the director of Prime Minister Kazemi’s office, his personal secretary, and his political advisor. The irony is that Allawi was one of the first to publicly announce the case. This is the latest example of the Sudani administration using this offense to go after its political enemies.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 7 Fighting broke out in Mosul between Communists who supported Gen Qasim and his opponents Mosul cmdr announced coup

(Wikipedia)

 

1916 British forces attacked Ottomans at the Dujaila Redoubt

Violence Drops In Iraq For The 2nd Month

Violence in Iraq has been down in the new year. Incidents have remained in single digits each week and the Islamic State is barely active anymore. There were 3 attacks by pro-Iran groups that wanted to let the world know that they are still around even though operations are no longer their priority.

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 6 Shah and Bakr govt signed agreement on Shatt al-Arab waterway Iran cut off aid to Barzani and his revolt collapsed

(Wikimedia Commons)

 

1922 King Faisal threatened to end Anglo-Iraq treaty talks if term mandate wasn’t dropped

from Iraq

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

This Day In Iraqi History – Mar 5 Sec Def Cheney said US would not be able to hold Gulf War coalition together if it marched on Baghdad and overthrew Saddam

(Getty Images)

 

1917 British forces started march on Baghdad from Kut

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 4 1991 Revolt spread to Kurdistan

 

1935 Jamil al-Midfai became PM 2^nd out of 5 times Was considered aligned with King Ghazi

and fmr PM Ayubi Jawadat Ikha Party kept up support for Mid-Euphrates tribal revolt that spread to Diyala

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 3 Charges dropped against Sadrist Dep Health Min Zamili and head of Health Min protection force for running death squads Killings Sunnis in hospitals Stealing money Sadrists intimidated witnesses and judges

(CBS)

 

1914 US consulate reported Ottomans reconciled with Sayid Talib who’d pushed for

autonomy in Basra vilayet

This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 2 1991 uprising spread to Nasiriya, Dhi Qar

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 UK attacked Nukhaila Turned back by tribesmen Turned into route