This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 7 PM Maliki said he was turning to Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah to secure Baghdad because disappointed with Iraqi security forces

(Getty Images)

 

1915 UK Gen Nixon ordered to prepare attack on Nasiriya and Amara to protect Basra vilayet and

Persian oil concession

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

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

1917 Sir Percy Cox wrote UK Foreign Office Said Baghdad and Basra vilayets should be run

similarly instead of 2 separate provinces 1^st talk of uniting two under UK rule

1918 UK artillery and attack drove rebels out of area outside of Najaf city

1941 UK Mideast cmdr Gen Wavell told War Office military intervention in Iraq not possible and

diplomacy should be used UK Mideast Cmdr Gen Wavell thought Regent of Iraq could be restored to power by strong statement and show of force by Royal Air Force

(Musings On Iraq review Persian Gulf Command, A History of the Second World War In Iran and Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq 1941, The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq review Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq And Syria 1941, The Politics and Strategy of the Second World War)

1972 Soviet PM Kosygin inaugurated Russian company’s production at North Rumaila oil field

Attempt to develop oil outside Iraq Petroleum Company

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Since 1958, From Revolution To Dictatorship)

1980 Iran withdrew all its diplomatic personnel from Iraq

1980 Iran put military on full alert after accusing Iraq of repeated attacks upon its border area

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

1988 Start of 3^rd Anfal campaign focused upon Germian, Sulaymaniya Civilians in area rounded up

and many executed

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

1991 Sec State Baker condemned Iraq crimes against its people but said US would not get involved

1991 US began humanitarian airdrops to Kurds

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

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

1998 IAEA told UN Iraq not carrying out any prohibited nuclear activities at sites it had visited

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

2002 Blair and Bush met Blair pushed going to UN against Iraq Some claimed Blair okayed war with

Iraq at meeting Blair denied that

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Section 3.2 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options, January to April 2002 – “Axis of Evil” to Crawford)

2002 Bush told TV network he’d decided Saddam must go

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)

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

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

(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 US 3^rd Inf Div conducted 2^nd Thunder Run into Baghdad This time stayed in downtown Attacked by Fedayeen Saddam Iraq’s Info Min Mohammed Sahaf denied U.S. forces were in Baghdad

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

2003 US Marines entered east Baghdad

2003 US got intel Saddam in Mansour Baghdad Carried out air raid that killed 18 civilians

2003 Saddam met with Baath leadership Divided Baghdad into 4 sectors each with a commander They made pledge to fight to the death

2003 British took Basra city

(Musings On Iraq review Burning Horizon, British Veteran Accounts Of The Iraq War 2003)

2003 Ayatollah Haeri named Moqtada al-Sadr his representative in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)

2003 Looting reported in Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq review The Fall Of Baghdad)

2003 NY Times reported 4 drums of possible nerve agents found near Karbala Story proved false

2003 Sec Def Rumsfeld opponents within military leaked details of Rumsfeld micromanaging

invasion plans to Seymour Hersh

2004 Mahdi Army seized control of Kut forcing Ukrainian troops to withdraw Ukrainians refused to

evacuate CPA civilians from city during retreat

(Musings On Iraq US Army History Of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 12 Things Fall Apart Apr 2004)

(Musings On Iraq review Revolt On The Tigris, The Al-Sadr Uprising And The Governing Of Iraq)

2004 Mahdi Army attacked Polish patrols in Karbala and fought Spanish troops in Najaf

2004 Sadr claimed he was the military wing of Ayatollah Sistani

2004 Another marine unit arrived to take part in Op Vigilant Resolve 1^st Battle of Fallujah

(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)

2004 Insurgents attacked Hawija Kirkuk

2004 PM Blair called White House over his concern about attacks upon civilians during Fallujah Battle

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

2004 US intel memo said that Sunni areas were a lost cause Sunnis didn’t see themselves having role

in new Iraq US trying to create

(Musings On Iraq review Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency In Iraq)

2004 US report Iraq earned $10.1 bil by manipulating Oil for Food Program from 1997-2002

2004 Bremer and US cmdr in Iraq Gen Sanchez met with Iraqi Governing Council Hassani

condemned Battle of Fallujah Khufaji called for talks with Sadr Allawi dep Awadi said Sadr needed to be confronted Sumaidaie said had to stand firm

2004 Bremer and Special Envoy Blackwill agreed US goal was to return Iraqi sovereignty not take

Fallujah

(Musings On Iraq review No True Glory, A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah)

2005 Talabani sworn in as Iraq president and named Jaafari as new premier Ended interim govt under

PM Allawi

(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)

2006 3 suicide bombers detonated in Buratha mosque Baghdad Attempted to assassinate ISCI MP

Saghir suspected of running Badr death squads 85 killed 160 wounded

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

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

2006 Court papers showed Bush authorized leak of information on Iraq-Niger uranium story to

support administration

2006 Prosecutor claimed Cheney Chief of Staff Libby’s leaks to press were part of campaign to

discredit fmr Amb Wilson over Iraq-Niger story

(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)

2007 Islamic Army said it had tried working with ISI but failed Blamed ISI for killing anyone that

didn’t follow it

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

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)

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

2008 Sadr said Mahdi Army would not disarm after demand by PM Maliki and threat to exclude him

from 2009 provincial elections Then said would consider it if Ayatollah Sistani and Iranian clerics suggested it

2008 Iran officially backed PM Maliki’s Charge of Knights Supported Mahdi Army during fighting

and then negotiated ceasefire

2009 Obama flew to Baghdad and met PM Maliki and Pres Talabani Said lots of political progress but

still issues in Iraq

2009 Report Schools falling apart across Iraq Wasit councilman said most money for schools stolen

by officials and contractors Principal in Baghdad said other principals kept money for themselves Education Min said it was Saddam’s fault

2010 Sadrist referendum on who movement wanted as new premier picked Jaafari after national vote

(Musings On Iraq The Sadrists Try To Have Their Say On Iraq’s Next Prime Minister)

2011 Report Oil companies running into problems working in Iraq with political disputes red tape

logistical problems lack of infrastructure

2011 Def Sec Gates met with PM Maliki Dep PM Mutlaq Pres Talabani Pres Barzani to lobby Iraq to

allow US troops to stay in Iraq past Dec withdrawal date

(Musings On Iraq U.S. Steps Up Efforts To Let Troops Stay In Iraq Past Withdrawal Date)

(Musings On Iraq review Duty, Memoirs of a Secretary At War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from

George W. Bush to Barack Obama)

2012 Kurdish Alliance said committee put together to work out problems with PM Maliki

2012 Dep PM Shahristani complained about KRG oil contracts saying they were unrealistic

(Musings On Iraq Kurds May Be Fighting Losing Battle With Iraq’s Central Government Over Oil Exports)

2012 Report Integrity Comm member said Basra had wasted $20.6 mil from 09-11

2013 Cabinet said it was going to amend Accountability and Justice Law to meet demands of

protesters

2013 PM Maliki said early elections should be considered to solve political stalemate in country

2013 KRG PM Nechirvan Barzani said PM Maliki was violating constitution and consensus politics

with dispute over budget

2013 Report claimed soldiers in army brigade were told to vote for PM Maliki in elections

2013 Report Chilcot Inquiry found UK intel told Blair early 02 Iraq had little WMD and Libya greater

threat Said threat came from Iraqi scientists with know how Found after PM Blair met Bush in Apr 02 decided to join Iraq war He pushed MI6 to find info to justify war Intel officials said Blair wanted stronger argument vs Iraq than WMD MI6 was against war Mar 02 intel report said Iraq couldn’t build a nuclear bomb with sanctions

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

2014 PM Maliki told National Alliance he was turning to militias for security because frustrated with

ISF’s performance Got backing for Popular Defense Brigades Made up of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah Given control of Baghdad belts

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

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

2014 PM Maliki told National Alliance there was a Sunni-Turkish conspiracy against Shiites and Iran

Said Syria was blocking this conspiracy and if Syria fell Iraq would be next

2014 Naqshibandi leader and son killed by ISIS in Hamrin, Diyala ISIS had been kidnapping

Naqshibandi members in Diyala

(Musings On Iraq Infighting Between Iraq Insurgent Groups)

(Musings On Iraq Precarious Relationship Between The Islamic State of Iraq And The Baathist Naqshibandi)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Resurgent Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)

(Musings On Iraq More Reports Of Insurgent In-Fighting In Iraq)

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

2015 Cabinet said Hashd part of ISF and under premier as commander in chief

2015 Report Sunni tribes blamed for some of the looting in Tikrit after city freed

2015 Report MP from Albu Ajeel tribe said looting and burning in Albu Ajeel and Dour Salahaddin

were done out of revenge for Camp Speicher massacre

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

(Musings On Iraq Human Rights Watch Finds Iraq Government Forces Destroyed Tikrit Area After Its Recapture)

2015 Report 09 Hill new US amb to Iraq Had little knowledge of Mideast and Iraq US Iraq cmdr

Gen Odierno complained Hill did not keep contact with Iraqis Hill told staff meeting he didn’t like Iraq

2015 Report 2010 election PM Maliki came in 2^nd Claimed voting fraud Claimed Mujahdeen e-

Khalq tampered with voting computers Got recount Maliki advisor said he needed 2 seats to be biggest list either through recount or deBaathification otherwise PM would be blamed for losing Iraq for Shiites Maliki got Supreme Court to reinterpret constitution so largest bloc could be formed after vote US cmdr Gen Odierno said US shouldn’t pick winners just make sure process followed Odierno didn’t think winner Allawi could put together govt but had right to try Amb Hill said Iraq not ready for democracy and strongman like Maliki needed Iran got Shiite parties to unite behind Maliki US did nothing Iran pushed Syria to drop support for Allawi Used Hezbollah to pressure Sadr Iran backed Talabani as president VP Biden told Maliki US was behind his 2^nd term and Allawi had to accept defeat Obama admin wanted new Iraqi govt before US midterm elections and backing Maliki way to do that Allawi’s Iraqiya afraid if Maliki got 2^nd term he would go after them and he did charging VP Hashemi and Finance Min Issawi with terrorism

2016 Committee set up to handle cabinet reform said most ruling parties rejected changes

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

(Musings On Iraq Complaints About Iraq PM Abadi Undermine His Cabinet Reshuffle)

2017 Report Rosneft agreed to pay KRG $1 bil in advance to buy KRG oil from 2017-19 KRG

desperate for cash due to oil and budget dispute with Baghdad Would increase KRG’s debts

2017 Report IS released video of Ninewa sheikhs giving it allegiance Included Hamadi brother of

Ninewa Governor

2018 People started two days of sit in protests in central Basra over lack of services corruption and

jobs

2018 MP on parliament’s displacement committee said displaced only getting 10% of money meant for them Rest stolen by officials

(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)

2018 Report Turks moved 25km into KRG to fight PKK

2019 Report IS based in Mount Qarachogh in Makhmour dist of Ninewa Charging taxes and

extorting money from locals

(Musings On Iraq Can The Islamic State Make A Comeback In Iraq Part 1? Interview With Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Michael Knights)

(Musings On Iraq Can The Islamic State Make A Comeback In Iraq Part 2? Interview With Il Foglio’s Daniele Raineri)

2019 Report Peshmerga said 250 IS members settled in Hamrin Mts Came from Syria

2020 Report Iraq had no plan to deal with financial crisis Earned $2.989 bil in Mar from oil Needed

$9 bil/mo Needed $4 bil/mo for govt salaries/pensions Can cut spending or borrow money Will start with borrowing from Central Bank of Iraq’s foreign reserves Asked for $2 bil from World Bank Basra Oil Company asked oil companies to cut budgets by 30% as long as didn’t reduce production Asked to delay paying them for 6 months

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Asks World Bank For Help During Financial Crisis)

2020 Shiite parties met at Badr Amiri’s house Picked intelligence chief Mustafa al-Kazemi

to be next PM candidate

2021 Report Rab Allah that threatened to cut ears off PM Kazemi part of Kataib Hezbollah Oct

2020 attacked KDP office in Baghdad Nov attacked massage parlors in Baghdad

2021 Report Quds Force Cmdr Gen Qani told Hashd leaders to stop attacks on US in Iraq Wanted to

revive nuclear deal Factions didn’t listen

2021 Joint Ops Command investigation into killing of protesters in Dhi Qar in Feb released 7 police

officers arrested as a result Said regimental commander should be sent to court

(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