Review New Babylonians, A History Of Jews In Modern Iraq

Bashkin, Orit, New Babylonians, A History Of Jews In Modern Iraq, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2012

 

New Babylonians, A History Of Jews In Modern Iraq by Orit Bashkin is an outstanding book about how Jews attempted to become citizens of Iraq and then how the state turned against them. She argues that Jews adopted Arab language, culture and the politics of the day. Things changed after World War II as the government and Arab nationalist groups began equating Jews with Zionism and persecuted the community leading to the majority to leave for Israel. Bashkin did a huge amount of research into Iraqi papers, journals and writers of the time which gives his book a great deal of depth as she covers territory that has not been discussed by others.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 30 UK political officer Sir Wilson set up plebiscite that would only support UK rule in Iraq

 

1915 Ottomans attacked retreating UK forces from Ctesiphon/Salman Pak at Um at Tubul

Forced UK to retreat further south UK suffered 37 dead 218 missing 218 wounded 520 taken prisoner along with 2 ships Turks had 748 casualties

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 29 PM Abdul Mahdi resigned under pressure from Ayatollah Sistani over killing protesters

 

1914 Gen Barrett and Sir Percy Cox asked that UK occupation of Basra be announced as

permanent believing it would sway Arabs to UK side Request turned down

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

Norwegian Refugee Council Reports Climate Crisis In Iraq Getting Worse

Farmer in Baaj, Ninewa looking at what used to be farmland (Norwegian Refugee Council)

Iraq’s environmental crisis continues to worsen with no end in sight. The Norwegian Refugee Council just released a new report which provides more details on the situation.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 28 Safavids captured Baghdad Tortured and killed Sunnis Destroyed Sunnis mosques and shrines

 

1623 Safavids took Baghdad after son of governor betrayed him Tortured and killed Sunnis and

destroyed Sunni mosques and shrines

Security In Iraq Nov 15-21, 2023

Iraqi security news during the third week of November was dominated by pro-Iran groups and American retaliation as there were no incidents by the Islamic State.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 27 Iran destroyed much of Iraq’s oil infrastructure in south ending its ability to export from Persian Gulf

(Getty Images)

 

1914 London told Gen Barrett wasn’t time to seize Baghdad vilayet but that Qurna, Basra

should be taken

(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 - Nov 26 1920 Revolt ended vs British Mandate in Iraq

 

1914 Gen Barrow in India was against further advances by British in Mesopotamia Did want to

seize Qurna, Basra

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 25 Report Pres Trump asked PM Abadi twice for Iraq’s oil in return for invading Iraq

(AFP)

 

1638 Ottomans laid siege to Baghdad for 3^rd time

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 24 Colonial Sec Churchill said when King Faisal could pay for his govt he could decide the future of Iraq Until then UK was in control

 

1915 UK decided to retreat from Ctesiphon/Salman Pak due to heavy casualties

Review Iraq, Guide To Law And Policy

Mallat, Chibli, Iraq, Guide To Law And Policy, Austin, Boston, Chicago, New York, The Netherlands: Wolters Kluwer, 2009

 

Iraq, Guide To Law And Policy by Chibli Mallat is not your usual release. It follows the format of an American law book. It has primary sources like the Iraqi constitution and the Transitional Administrative law, short articles and U.S. government and international reports covering topics from Iraqi law to its economy to the security situation under the U.S. occupation. Those are followed by notes and questions by the author and other legal scholars. It’s probably best used as a reference source to give background to research into Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 23 Military govt formed under PM Mahmoud to put down 1952 Intifada protests against monarchy and UK

 

1914 Sir Percy Cox issued statement in Arabic that British had occupied Basra and UK was

at war with Ottomans and had no ill will towards locals

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

US Finally Retaliates Against Pro-Iran Groups In Iraq

(US Air Force)

Starting in October pro-Iran groups have been attacking Iraqi bases that house American troops to show that they stand with the Palestinians and against the Biden Administration’s backing of Israel. That escalated in November as ballistic missiles were employed for the first time leading to U.S. casualties. Washington responded with strikes on Hashd groups in Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 22 1952 Intifada started against Regent of Iraq

 

1914 Looting started in Basra city after it fell to British UK appointed governor of vilayet

Iraq’s Rainy Season Unlikely To Dissipate Drought

(Al Masalah)

Iraq is in the midst of its rainy season with sporadic flooding. Those that might hope this will be relief from the multi-year drought will be disappointed.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 21 King Faisal asked for full Iraqi independence from UK

(Wikipedia)

 

1914 UK troops entered Basra after Ottomans abandoned city

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

Security In Iraq Nov 8-14, 2023

The Islamic State is back to work in Iraq in November but still at a very low level. Pro-Iran groups are far more active carrying out regular attacks upon U.S. forces to protest the Gaza War.

This Day In Iraqi History Nov 20 Pres Arif put down Baathist revolt

 

1914 Arab tribes told British forces Ottomans had abandoned Basra British forces set out to

take city

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 19 Sir Percy Cox met with Iraqi officials and Ibn Saud to draw border between Iraq and what would become Saudi Arabia

(GeoCurrents)

 

1914 British troops took Fort Zain, Basra Ottomans retreated to Basra city

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

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was quoted in this article "Will Israel-Hamas war in Gaza drag Iraq back into quagmire of Conflict?" in the Arab News and in "Future of US troops in Iraq at risk amid Israel-Hamas war?" in The New Region. 

View all of Musing On Iraq's appearances

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 18 Ottoman Sultan Soleiman conquered Baghdad from Safavids

(Leemage/Corbis)

 

1534 Ottoman Sultan Suleiman I conquered Baghdad from Safavids

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 17 In Iran Ayatollah Hakim announced creation of Supreme Assembly for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq

 

1914 British attacked Sahil, Basra backed by 4 gunships and won Ottomans lost 1,500-2,000

casualties British 489

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

Review Fighting for Fallujah, A New Dawn for Iraq

Ballard, John, Fighting for Fallujah, A New Dawn for Iraq, Westport, London: Praeger Security International, 2006

 

Fighting for Fallujah, a New Dawn for Iraq is a military history of the two battles for the Iraqi city by John Ballard. It covers how Fallujah became a center of resistance to the U.S. occupation, then the American attempt to pacify it and concludes with the rebuilding effort. It is heavy on details about the U.S. military units involved. The author veers off course sometimes but it is still a good blow by blow account of the struggle for Fallujah.

This Day In Iraqi History – Nov 16 UK political officer Wilson claimed Iraqis wanted British rule

(Wikipedia)

1914 British forces attacked Ottomans in Fort Zain, Basra

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

Sadr Calls For Boycott Of Iraq’s Dec Election

(AFP)

 

On November 13 Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers to boycott the December provincial elections. The idea is that if his sizeable movement does not participate it will delegitimize the vote. That might lead to a delay in the balloting.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 15 During WWI UK held victory parade in Baghdad Commander Gen Maude drank contaminated milk at ceremony and died 3 days later

 

1914 Ottomans attacked British at Saihan, Basra Forced to retreat British lost 62 casualties Turks

126

ExxonMobil Latest Major Oil Company To Leave Iraq

At the start of November it was announced that ExxonMobil finalized an agreement to exit Iraq. This is the latest major oil corporation to do so because of the country’s difficult business environment.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 14 British army ordered to seize Basra vilayet WWI

 

1914 Sheikh of Islam called for jihad against British and French during WWI Call was repeated in

all Sunni mosques in Mosul, Baghdad and Basra vilayets

Security In Iraq Nov 1-7, 2023

The Islamic State made two rare appearances during the opening of November. Pro-Iran groups were far more active however as they escalate their confrontation with the United States.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 13 PM Sadoun shot himself over criticism of his govt Said he couldn’t live being seen as a puppet to the British

(Wikipedia)

 

1939 PM Sadoun shot himself due to criticism he faced over his performance Suicide note said he

couldn’t live being seen as a puppet of the British

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 12 Baath National Guard went on rampage in Baghdad after party leader Saadi expelled Saadi’s followers in air force bombed presidential palace

(Wikipedia)

 

1914 British forces in Faw launched reconnaissance in force near Saihan, Basra

(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 - Nov 11 League of Nations announced the British mandate in Iraq

 

1914 Ottomans declared war on England and France

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 10 Irbil Agreement led to PM Maliki’s 2nd term Allawi to head new strategic council Deal never implemented

 

1958 Iraqi Communist Party issued plan for Kurdistan saying it supported Kurdish self-govt within

Iraq

(Musings On Iraq review A People’s History Of Iraq, The Iraqi Communist Party, Workers’ Movements, and the Left 1924-2004)

(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 Operation Hotel California, The Clandestine War Inside Iraq

Tucker, Mike Faddis, Charles, Operation Hotel California, The Clandestine War Inside Iraq, Guilford: The Lyons Press, 2009

 

Operation Hotel California, The Clandestine War Inside Iraq is based upon the recollections of a CIA officer who was sent into Iraqi Kurdistan in 2002 to prepare for the U.S. invasion. There are short parts by the two authors Mike Tucker and Charles Faddis but the vast majority of the book are long transcripts of the agent recollecting his experiences. The CIA agent loved working with the Kurds and felt like they accomplished a lot but he was very critical of Turkey, the CIA leadership and the Bush administration who he blames for all kinds of problems with the invasion and the postwar chaos.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 9 US Marines massacred 24 civilians in Haditha in retaliation for IED that killed a Marine

1914 With English attack on Basra coming locals went to Shiite clergy asking for help to defend

city

Another Study Of Climate Change Induced Displacement In Iraq

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has started tracking Iraqis displaced by climate change. They have found the phenomena is increasing with each passing month. The group tried to deduce the main causes of this new dilemma Iraq is facing.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 8 British forces took Karbala one of centers of 1920 Revolt

(Wikishia)

 

1914 British troops after landing at Faw Peninsula Basra captured Ottoman Faw Fort

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

Iraq Reaches New Annual High In Oil Exports And Revenue In October

Iraq vastly increased its oil exports in October 2024 to reach an annual high in revenue. This was despite the continued closure of the Turkish pipeline.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 7 2nd 2nd Battle of Fallujah began

 

1914 British troops started march from the port of Faw to the city of Basra

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

Islamic State Disappearing In Iraq While Pro-Iran Groups Return To The Field

 

October was marked by two major trends. First, the Islamic State continued to fade from Iraq. Second, pro-Iran groups restarted attacks upon U.S. targets due to the war in Gaza.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 6 Iraq used mustard gas 1st time in Iran-Iraq War

(Wilson Center)

 

1914 British troops landed at Faw, Basra starting war against Ottomans in Mesopotamia

(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)

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 5 Saddam sentenced to death for 1982 Dujail massacre

(Britannica)

 

1914 England and France declared war on Ottoman Empire Would lead Mesopotamia into WWI

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 4 Abdul Mahdi govt cut Internet to stop organizing protests while ISF arrested activists in night raids in Baghdad

 

1913 Constantinople Protocol set new border between Ottomans and Persia Ottomans kept

Shatt al-Arab waterway

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 3 UK attacked Ottoman forces in Basra before Ottomans joined WWI

(National Army Museum)

 

1914 UK troops arrived at mouth of Shatt al-Arab while warship bombarded Ottoman fort on Faw

Peninsula before Ottomans joined WWI

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

Review The Iraqi Revolution Of 1958, The Old Social Classes Revisited

Fernea, Robert & Louis, Wm. Roger, The Iraqi Revolution Of 1958, The Old Social Classes Revisited, London, New York: I.B. Tauris, 1991

 

Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq is one of the most famous and thorough books on Iraqi History. It covers the emergence of the Iraqi state and society from British colonialism to the 1960s. This release The Iraqi Revolution Of 1958, The Old Social Classes Revisited came out of a conference in 1991 where papers were submitted to discuss what led to the 1958 coup in Iraq and its aftermath using Batatu’s work as the basis for their analysis. It is remarkable because every chapter is interesting something that is usually challenging to find in an anthology. The authors cover a variety of issues from British, American and Soviet policy towards the monarchy before its overthrow to the coup’s connections to other political movements in the Middle East to tribes and the development of Iraqi politics and culture. Some are straight forward histories while others are more theoretical. Each provides a very interesting look at how Iraq was transformed during this important period.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 2 British forces told to seize Mosul after WWI armistice signed

 

1915 Ottoman police in Baghdad city began arresting notable Jews and Christians Believed they

            were pro-British

Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy

(The Cradle)

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) set upon a policy of developing and exporting its own oil in the hopes that it would help promote the region’s independence. It seemed like its plans were working as it got major energy companies to sign deals and opened its own independent pipeline to Turkey. Then things fell apart as the KRG wasn’t able to export as much petroleum as it hoped, govt into increasing arguments with Baghdad and accrued a huge debt in the process. Today, it finds itself largely dependent upon the federal government for money the exact opposite of where it saw itself twenty years ago.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 1 Churchill govt advised to remove PM Gaylani for contacts with Nazis and Italy

(Wikipedia)

 

1918 Ottoman cmdr in Mosul vilayet asked British to retreat to Qayara and not threaten Mosul

            city