This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 8 After US soldiers complained about not having adequate equipment Def Sec Rumsfeld said you go to war with the army you have

 

1985 Saudis announced attempt to end the Iran-Iraq War through dialogue with Tehran

(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)

 

1998 Inspectors went to Defense Min in Baghdad Were initially blocked but then allowed in and found

nothing Clinton admin hoped this would lead to a crisis to justify military strike over Iraq’s intransigence over inspections

2002 Iraq admitted that it was close to building a nuclear bomb but was abandoned a long time ago

(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Created An Iraqi Nuclear Threat In 2002)

2002 During war gaming for invasion Gen Abizaid CENTCOM cmdr Gen Frank’s deputy brought up

lack of postwar plans Nothing done

2002 Gen Thurman and Gen McKiernan went to Gen Franks and asked for more troops for Iraq invasion

2002 Saddam changed defensive plan Set up concentric circles around Baghdad for Republican Guard Some commanders objected but silenced by Qusay Plan had no details on how it was to work Different divisions couldn’t coordinate out of fear of coup Regular army presented its defensive plan for rest of Iraq Saddam never approved it

2004 In Kuwait after being questioned about lack of up to date equipment for US troops in Iraq

Def Sec Rumsfeld said “You go to war with the army you have”

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

Sectarian War of 2006)

2004 2 US contractors assassinated in Baghdad Signed deal with Defense Min for $24.7 mil but

money sent to Lebanese middleman instead Went to Iraq to discuss deal with U.S. forces and killed

2004 Report Pres Yawar said Iran pouring money into Iraq to influence Jan 05 election to set up a

theocracy

(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)

2004 Jordan’s King Abdullah claimed 1 mil Iranians had entered Iraq to vote in Jan 05 election

2005 Bin Laden’s Pakistani biographer quoted in Osama bin Laden I Know book said bin Laden

hated Saddam

2005 Army Corps of Engineers Gen McCoy said US never intended to fully rebuild Iraq Bush

originally said US was going to give Iraq best infrastructure in Middle East

2005 Report KDP attacked 7 Kurdistan Islamic Union buildings before election 4 killed 21 wounded

2006 NSC meeting to review Iraq strategy Sec State Rice said if Iraqis didn’t want to protect their

own people why should US do it Bush challenged Rice on what she wanted to do Rice said if Iraqis wanted to fight a civil war US couldn’t stop them Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace said US forces could not stand by during Iraq civil war Bush told NSC that US couldn’t wait for Iraqis to do more US had to act to reduce violence Bush said stakes too high to gamble on Iraqis controlling sectarian violence on their

own

(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)

(Musings On Iraq Inside The Surge An Interview With Prof Peter Mansoor Former Executive Officer To Gen Petraeus)

(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)

2006 Bush told congressional leaders US needed new way forward in Iraq Wanted new tactics but

goal was still winning

2006 Def Sec Rumsfeld memo to Bush and VP Cheney said US should accelerate transition to Iraqi

control

2006 Fred Kagan at Amer Enterprise Inst began 3 day planning session to come up with alternative

strategy for Iraq which included ex-Gen Keane Would lay down some of the main ideas of the Surge

2006 Report Iraq Study Group found that Saudis were financing insurgency Much of it came

through religious donations Some money went to Sunni politicians and figures who then distributed it to militants Other money went directly to insurgency Saudis denied any money was going to Iraq but then set up monitoring group under US pressure to crackdown on religious donations

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

2009 4 ISI car bombs at Finance Justice Foreign Ministries in Baghdad killing 127 wounded 448 3^rd

mass casualty bombing in Baghdad US and Interior Min warned Baghdad Ops Cmd in morning of an impending car bomb PM Maliki blamed Baathists and Syria

(Musings On Iraq Terrorists Strike Baghdad With Massive Bombings For Third Time)

(Musings On Iraq Islamist Terrorists Return To Sectarian Attacks)

(Musings On Iraq Incompetence Of the Iraqi Security Forces Before the December 8 Baghdad Bombings?)

2009 PM Maliki dismissed Baghdad security chief Gen Qanbar and called for Interior Min Bolani to

resign after Baghdad bombings Dawa tried to blame Bolani for attacks

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Bombings Set Off Political Bickering Amongst Iraqi Elites)

2009 Parliament demanded to question Interior Defense National Security ministers head of Iraqi

intelligence head of Baghdad Ops Cmd and PM Maliki over Baghdad bombings Maliki refused saying would only help his enemies

2009 Chilcot Inquiry MI6 analyst Hollow said claim Iraq could launch WMD in 45 min came from

Iraqi officer that heard it from a taxi cab driver Said MI6 had questions about info used in Sep 03 dossier on Iraq but Downing St pushed for it to be used

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

2009 Chilcot Inquiry UK Joint Intel Com chief Scarlett said Iraq had no missiles that could reach

Israel and none that could carry WMD as Blair govt claimed He rejected claim Iraq could launched WMD in 45 mins

2009 Chilcot Inquiry Sir Ehrman fmr dir intl sec at Foreign Office said intel on Iraq WMD always

questionable UK thought Iraq still working on WMD in 2002 but intel was poor

2010 Report Sadr sent delegation to reconcile with Asaib Ahl Al-Haq Didn’t work

2011 Allawi said he was ready to reconcile with PM Maliki if he renounced earlier attacks upon

Iraqiya Invited Maliki and Pres Talabani to conference in January to discuss future of govt

(Musings On Iraq Premier Maliki Lashes Out At His Political Rivals In The Iraqi National Movement)

2013 Sheikh Hayes blamed Ramadi protests for death of his nephew Gave 48 hr deadline to end protests or

he would put an end to them using force

2014 Report Dep head of Khorasani Brgiade said Iranians were operating artillery in support of

Hashd in Iraq

2015 Dana Gas Crescent Petroleum Pearl Petroleum said KRG still owed them more than $11 bil

Filed lawsuit vs KRG in 2016 over matter 2015 UK court ordered KRG to pay Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum $1.98 bil KRG didn’t pay

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

2015 Report Number of foreign fighters going to Iraq and Syria doubled last yr to around 27-31,000

Came from 86 countries

2015 Report PM Abadi started reform program without consulting with other parties Thought could

exploit protests and Ayatollah Sistani support to go after rivals and improve his position but united them against him Nov parliament voted that all his reforms had to get approval beforehand

2015 Peshmerga and Hashd fought in Tuz Kharmato Salahaddin Peshmerga accused Hashd of burning

buildings and attacking KDP and PUK HQ Arabs and Shiite Turkmen said Peshmerga tried to kick them out of district and annex it to KRG

2016 Report IS killed 3 Naqshibandi leaders in Hawija Kirkuk because refused to pledge loyalty

2019 Dozens of protesters freed by ISF in Baghdad Said they were kidnapped by

Kataib Hezbollah on Dec 6 Activist assassinated in Karbala Activist kidnapped in Baghdad Activist wounded in sticky bomb in Qadisiya Activist escaped assassination in Maysan Protest in Diyala

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Forces Kidnapping Protesters As Part Of Intimidation Campaign)

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

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

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

2019 Pro-Iran Hashd fired rockets at Baghdad Military Airport wounding 6 Counter Terror Service

members

2020 8 protesters killed by police in Sulaymaniya Protesting services jobs paying govt salaries

2020 KRG limited Internet to try to stop organizing protests in Sulaymaniya

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

2021 PM Kazemi visited Basra after motorcycle bomb Accused death squad who was targeting intel

officer investigating group

2021 Report Iraq looked to diversify electricity imports because Iran often cut supply with no

warning Talked with Saudi Arabia Turkey Jordan Kuwait 2019 made initial deal with Gulf States Not completed Finalized deal with Jordan in 2020 but not connected

2021 Sadr called for dissolution of unruly Hashd forces Aimed at his political rivals

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