Saturday, March 25, 2023

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

1917 British forces defeated by Ottomans at Battle of Mount Hamrin, Diyala British suffered

1,165 casualties Ottomans withdrew afterward

1920 PM Lloyd George argued in parliament that Basra Baghdad Mosul should be part of

British Mandate Said withdrawing from Mosul would forfeit oil there

(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)

1920 Political officer in Iraq Wilson wrote India Secretary Montagu that if UK imposed

Hashemite rule in Iraq would be a disaster

1982 Iranian Op Fath broke through Iraqi lines in push towards Maysan Iraqi counterattack

failed

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

1982 Iraq asked US to stop Israel from sending weapons to Iran US Said it had no say in

matter

1982 Reagan admin officials warned that if Iran beat Iraq in Iran-Iraq War would endanger

western interests

1985 US intel reports Iraq used chemical weapons in fighting in southern Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Origins Of Iraq’s WMD Programs)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Use Of Chemical Weapons In Iran-Iraq War And Their Western Origin)

(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)

1995 Iraq told UN inspectors it had produced 550lbs of VX but denied weaponizing it to try

to end US complaints and end sanctions Backfired as Security Council decided to continue them

1998 UN Res 1158 extended Oil For Food Program for another 90 days

2002 UK Foreign Sec Jack Straw told Blair no Iraq-Al Qaeda link and Iraq not more of a

threat now than before 9/11 Straw argued for following legal path against Iraq via U.N. resolutions

(Musings On Iraq 2002 British Memo Said Iraq Not A Threat To The West)

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2002 CIA report said foreign govt told it Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger

(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The WMD Mirage, Iraq’s Decade of Deception and America’s False Premise for War)

2002 New Yorker article said Iraq supported Al Qaeda via Kurdish Ansar al-Islam based upon prisoner

held by PUK Kurds told New Yorker Al Qaeda’s Zawahiri met Saddam in 1992 Also that Iraq was sending WMD to Al Qaeda Not true

(Musings On Iraq Why Didn’t Bush Strike Zarqawi And Ansar al-Islam In 2002?)

2003 Information Minister Sahaf began giving press conferences claiming that U.S. was losing war

2003 Russian Amb to Iraq provided U.S. invasion plans to Baghdad including invasion routes

(Musings On Iraq Russia Provided Iraq With Details Of US Plans Right Before Invasion)

2003 UK and ISCI reported locals in Basra rose up against Saddam Fedayeen

2003 UK forces reported Iraqi army was firing mortars on civilians in Basra to put down anti-govt revolt

2003 British bombed Basra city Secured Um Qasr in Basra

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

(Musings On Iraq review Target Basra, The High Octane Story of the Royal Marine Commandos In Iraq)

2003 British government confirmed its first two combat deaths in Iraq invasion in Basra

2003 Marines arrived in Diwanaiya Fought Fedayeen who’d been preparing for US arrival

2003 Heavy fighting between US forces and Fedayeen in Najaf 3rd Inf Div attacked bridge at Kifl in Najaf Used to bring Fedayeen into Najaf 7th Cav Rgt attacked bridge south of Najaf to encircle city

2003 US bombed Republican Guard positions south of Baghdad

2003 Retired US generals in TV interviews began saying invasion wasn’t going well because didn’t have

enough troops

2003 Report that Saddam was thinking of using chemical weapons when US forces attacked Baghdad

2003 NY Times reported facility found outside Najaf was not a chemical weapons site

2003 U.S. forces found chemical weapons gear in Nasiriya

2003 UK General recommended govt plan for its forces to stay in Iraq until March 2004 for postwar

operations

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 8: The Invasion)

2003 Report Council on Foreign Relations est Iraq’s oil industry needed $5-$7 bil in investment for

2 yrs to return to 1977 oil production of 3.5 mil/bar/day Would need another $20 bil to increase production Other experts thought Iraq needed $40-$50 bil over 10 yrs

2004 UN proposed investigation into abuses of Oil for Food program

2005 State Dept told Congress wanted to reorganize rebuilding funds with more money for services and

maintenance Didn’t think Iraq could sustain projects

2006 US Amb Khalilzad told ISCI’s Hakim US opposed to Jaafari remaining as premier Kurdish and

Sunni parties were threatening boycott of govt if Jaafari remained in office

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs said Iraq kept the story it had WMD because helped Iraq’s image in

Arab world and deterred Israel Saddam told his top advisers there were no more WMD

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam thought France and Russia would stop war in UN If US did

attack Thought Iraq’s “warrior spirit” would be victorious

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam thought internal revolt main threat to his regime not US

invasion

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Russian Amb gave Iraq detailed intel on US troops movements and

invasion plans

(Musings On Iraq Russia Provided Iraq With Details Of US Plans Right Before Invasion)

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Saddam thought Iraq winning when war almost over and wanted

unconditional surrender by US led Coalition

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Tape Sec State Powell played during Feb 03 UN speech was

Republican Guard making sure area met UN inspections not hiding WMD

(Musings On Iraq review The Saddam Tapes)

2006 Large battle between Mahdi Army and insurgents in Mahmudiya Baghdad 40 dead and

wounded

2007 Report Attacks in Ramadi cut in half 4,500 tribal members asked to join Ramadi police Result of

Awakening 2,500 fighters in Emergency response Units organized by Awakening paid by Interior Min

(Musings On Iraq Demise, But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)

(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 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)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)

2008 U.S. Seal team arrived in Basra to liaison with Iraqi forces during Charge of

            Knights op against Mahdi Army

2008 Curfew and vehicle ban imposed on Basra as part of Charge of Knights PM Maliki said militias

criminals and the local govt responsible for Basra’s problems

2008 Mahdi Army seized 5 of 18 districts in Kut Sadrists marched in Samawa against Charge of Knights

Curfew imposed on those two cities 

2008 Fighting between ISF and Mahdi Army in Nasiriyah and Hillah

2008 Mahdi Army kidnapped policemen belonging to Badr in Baghdad Fought ISF and Badr in 6

neighborhoods Fired rockets at Green Zone Sadr offices called for civil disobedience in city Attacked 2 Dawa and Sistani offices in Sadr City Overran half of the checkpoints around Sadr City 230 police deserted in Shula neighborhood of Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)

2008 US general in charge of Anbar said US hoped rebuilding would begin when security improved but

didn’t happen

2009 Iraqi embassy in Jordan announced program to register former soldiers who wanted

            to return to Iraq

2009 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen testified to Congress Iraq largest rebuilding

effort in history Largely failed US didn’t plan for postwar Iraq Rebuilding was largely ad hoc Responded to situation rather than following a plan Massive waste like large rebuilding projects in Basra and Fallujah without security 1 success rebuilding ISF

(Musings On Iraq Special Inspector General Testifies To Congress)

(Musings On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)

2009 Pentagon created program to revive Iraq’s state owned enterprises Worked with 30 factories

None making a profit

2009 Report US military acknowledged militias won battle of Baghdad and carried sectarian

cleansing with many Sunnis forced out Only 50,000 of 300,000 displaced families 16% returned

(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)

2009 Speaker of Iranian parliament Larijani came to Iraq Pushed Shiite parties to reform United

            Alliance for 2010 elections

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

2010 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq released US contractor it kidnapped Issa Salomi in return for 4 of its

members being freed

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

2010 State of Law threatened lawsuit unless Election Commission made a recount of national vote

2010 State of Law members protested in Basra, Najaf, Karbala, Kut calling for voting recount

2010 Federal Supreme Court ruled that list that formed largest coalition after election had right

            to form govt Allowed PM Maliki to outmaneuver Iyad Allawi who won most seats in election

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

2011 ISF blocked all entrances to Tahrir Sq to try to block protests but happened anyway Were protests

in Baghdad Najaf Diwaniya Kut Hillah against corruption and lack of services

(Musings On Iraq Protests Continue In Iraq)

2011 Was 2nd protest in Tahrir Sq against reconciliation with former Baathists probably organized by

Dawa

2011 37 Dawa officials in PM Maliki’s office found with fake diplomas

2012 VP Hashemi claimed ISF tortured one of his bodyguards to death during questioning

2012 Pres Barzani said that PM Maliki was abusing his powers and not following Irbil agreement made

after 2010 elections

(Musings On Iraq How The No Confidence Move Against Iraq’s Premier Split The Kurdish Parties)

(Musings On Iraq Argument For Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman)

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

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

(Musings On Iraq Is Iraq’s Prime Minister Becoming A Dictator? An Interview With Kirk Sowell Of Inside Iraqi Politics)

(Musings On Iraq Is Iraq’s Prime Minister Maliki More Like Premier Nuri al-Sa’id Than Saddam? An Interview With Historian Phebe Marr)

2012 Pres Talabani called for reconciliation between Kurdish Alliance and PM Maliki

2012 Displacement Ministry said Europe was deporting Iraqi refugees and wanted it to stop

(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)

2012 Electricity Ministry said it would stop importing power in summer 2013 as domestic production

increased Didn’t happen

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Parliament And Cabinet Argue Over Future Electricity Output)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Government Failing Again To Solve Country’s Power Outages)

2013 Committee created to come up with laws to meet demands of protesters Never happened

(Musings On Iraq Understanding Iraq’s Protest Movements, An Interview With Kirk Sowell, Editor of Inside Iraqi Politics)

2013 Turkey signed trade deal with KRG

(Musings On Iraq review Turkey, the US and Iraq)

2014 Militias held parade in Balad, Salahaddin which local officials tried to deny

2014 ISIS took over Nibai for one day and then left

2014 ISIS made call for declaring the caliphate as a trial balloon

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

2014 Transportation Ministry set up special flights to take ISF members from Mosul to homes in

Baghdad to avoid insurgent attacks along highway

2014 Report Dozens of Sunni families fled Buhriz, Diyala Was taken over 1 day by ISIS Then ISF shelled

town Next day police and militias showed up Burned 3 mosques

2015 Officials accused Diyala governor of stealing millions in aid meant for displaced

(Musings On Iraq Number Of Displaced In Iraq Passes 3 Million Mark)

2015 Gorran presented 3 plans for renewing Pres Barzani’s term

2015 Fight in KRG parliament when KDP members attacked Gorran MPs over Pres Barzani

2015 Member of Salahaddin council accused Hashd of kidnapping 125 civilians from Dour Later raised to

300 people Kataib Hezbollah blamed

(Musings On Iraq Divisions Over Iraq War Exposed In Victory In Tikrit)

(Musings On Iraq Crimes And Misdemeanors Of Kataib Hezbollah During War Vs ISIS Interview With Free Lance Journalist Jonathan Lee Krohn)

(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)

2015 US began air strikes on Tikrit Pro-Iran Hashd said they would not take part in op to re-take city

because of US involvement

2015 Hashd accused of blowing up house and executing 3 civilians in Diyala

2015 2nd adviser to Diyala governor killed Blamed on Hashd

2015 Ninewa Gov Nujafi set up training camp in Ninewa for militia Kurds provided land Turks

provided trainers Baghdad paid fighters

2017 KRG PM Barzani said Kurdish referendum on independence would happen in 2017

(Musings On Iraq review The Great Betrayal, How America Abandoned The Kurds And Lost The Middle East)

2017 US admitted it carried out airstrike in Mosul day house hit and over 200 civilians killed Civil

Defense force said it pulled 136 bodies from rubble and thought another 150 still buried in building

(Musings On Iraq Mosul Campaign Day 160, March 25, 2017)

2017 Golden Div Gen Saadi said Coalition airstrike responsible for destroying building in West

Mosul where civilians killed Defense Min opened investigation into bombing Iraqi general said car bomb responsible for casualties Civil Defense force said no sign of a car bomb

2017 Report Trump asked Pentagon to rethink rules of engagement for airstrikes in Iraq to make

them easier to approve

(Musings On Iraq review Airpower in the War Against ISIS)

(Musings On Iraq review Degrade And Destroy, The Inside Story Of The War Against the Islamic State, From Barack Obama To Donald Trump)

2018 Turkey made false claim it was launching military operation in Sinjar to force PKK to leave which it

agreed to do

(Musings On Iraq Turkey Bluffs Its Way Into Getting PKK To Withdraw From Iraq’s Sinjar)

(Musings On Iraq review Turkey, the US and Iraq)

2018 KRG said it would adjust how it paid govt workers if PM Abadi continued to send monthly budget payments Police attacked protesters in Sulaymaniya complaining about not getting paid

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Paid Half Of KRG’s Salaries, Kurdistan Didn’t Contribute Leading To

Protests)

2018 PUK official in south Kirkuk province said no security forces in villages south of Kirkuk city and under IS control Anbar councilmen said roads in west Anbar unsafe IS based in desert region along Syrian border

2020 Kataib Hezbollah told its fighters to prepare for more attacks upon US targets in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)

2021 Rab Allah held parade in Baghdad with 40-50 vehicles and weapons against PM Kazemi and

devaluation of dinar Threatened to cut off Kazemi’s ear Part of Kataib Hezbollah

(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)

2021 Report Sallyport had $2 bil contract with Pentagon to service Balad Air Base since 2014 Fuel

trucks to base were being attacked by Hashd Advisers to company Mantid Intl suggested deal with Iraqi company connected to PM Abadi and Dawa Sallyport signed another fuel deal with company run by Balad base commander and National Sec Adv Fayad who got Hashd to stop attacks on trucks Sallyport said Balad cmdr stole over $1 mil in equipment from base Sallyport signed another deal with company connected to Maliki

(Musings On Iraq PM Maliki Accused Of Taking Kickbacks On Defense Contract)

(Musings On Iraq US Company Paid Off PM Maliki To Service And Rob Iraqi Military Base)

(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)

2021 Warrant issued for fmr Babil Gov Abadi for falsifying docs on land grants meant for martyr

families and Saddam era political prisoners Mar 2020 sentenced to 7 yrs in prison for forging ID papers but never sent to jail

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