MUSINGS ON IRAQ: August 2026

Saturday, August 22, 2026

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was quoted in this article “Future of Iraqi air defense in disarray as South Korea deal stalls” by Paul Iddon for Amwaj Media.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 22 Saddam’s son-in-law Hussein Kamal told UN Iraq ended all its WMD programs after Gulf War US and UN didn’t believe him Was telling the truth

1920 TE Lawrence wrote OpEd in Sunday Times Said UK led into trap in Mesopotamia Blamed UK

High Commissioner Wilson for bad administration that disgraced the British empire Said it was worse than Ottomans Said UK was wasting money Asked when problems would end

Review Edmund Ghareeb, The Kurdish Question In Iraq, Syracuse University Press, 1981

Edmund Ghareeb’s The Kurdish Question In Iraq is a bit of an oddity. On the one hand it takes much of what the Baath government said about Arab nationalism and the Kurdish issue in the 1960s and 70s at face value. On the other hand it gives a very good criticism of Mulla Mustafa Barzani and his struggle against the Iraqi government. His thesis is that Barzani’s miscalculations and autocracy led to his downfall.

1916 UK parliamentary inquiry began into defeat at Kut

Arrest of Al-Nujaba Intel Chief Leads To Threats To “Burn Baghdad”

Earlier this week the intelligence chief for Harakat al-Nujaba was arrested. This led to threats of violence which resulted in the government backing down as it always has in these situations.

1915 Gen Townshend given OK by Secretary of State in London to move on Kut

Pro-Iran Resistance Digs In Heels Over Not Disarming

Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi has set September 30 as the deadline for the pro-Iran Resistance to disarm. Several groups have refused and are digging in their heels over the matter.

1921 UK cabinet decided Faisal would be coronated king and then Anglo-Iraq treaty drafted

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

(Musings On Iraq review Imagining The Nation, Nationalism, Sectarianism and Socio-Political Conflict in Iraq)

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 18 Army held victory parade for massacring Assyrians Made Gen Sidqi national hero

1930 UK High Commissioner Humphrys and PM Said signed agreement that RAF was to evacuate 2

bases and those be given to Iraq Iraqi Railways was to be turned over to a corporation Port of Basra was to be run by trust

Iraq’s Oil Exports Pass 1 million barrels a day for 1st time since Iran War Started

For the first time in five months Iraq’s average daily oil exports passed the one million barrel mark. As major fighting has become sporadic between the U.S. and Iran sales have increased.

1920 Ex-Ottoman Iraqi officers asked Shiite clergy for money Were rejected by Sayid Tabikh who

called the officers mercenaries

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 16 KDP founded as alliance between urban intellectuals led by Hamza Abdullah and tribal forces of Mulla Mustafa Barzani

1915 Aziz Ali al-Misri leader of secret Arab society al-Ahd met with UK military intel

officer in Cairo Talked about his idea of Arab revolt in Iraq and Syria that he wanted UK to back Officer turned him down

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 15 King Faisal demanded full power from British

1920 UK PM George wrote that French objected to Faisal becoming king of Iraq George and

French both thought he was weak leader

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

Iran Putting Forward Plans To Maintain Resistance Factions In Iraq

Iran's Quds Force Commander Gen Qaani recently visited Iraq to talk with the Resistance and the ruling Coordination Framework

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has set September 30 as the date for the pro-Iran Resistance factions to disarm. Tehran is attempting to come up with ways to maintain its allies while not causing a conflict with Baghdad.

1921 Referendum finished that picked Faisal as king British fixed results

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 13 UK Foreign Min Balfour said one goal of WWI in Mesopotamia was to gain oil

1918 UK Foreign Min Balfour said one war aim was to secure agreement over Mesopotamia to

secure oil there

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 12 1920 Revolt spread to Fallujah During Saddam era claimed this was start of revolt

1919 Churchill wrote PM Lloyd George saying were too many troops in Mesopotamia that

could crush its finances

(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 U.S. Policy In Post-Saddam Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 11 Iraqi army led by Gen Sidqi attacked Assyrians in 2 villages 315 Assyrians killed

1918 UK Foreign Sec Balfour War in Mesopotamia should be justified by securing water that would

also give it control of oil Balfour’s statement prompted PM Lloyd George to call for UK to seize Ottoman Mosul province

(Musings On Iraq How The Ottoman Province Of Mosul Became Part Of Iraq)

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

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

(Musings On Iraq review U.S. Policy In Post-Saddam Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 10 Treaty of Sevres Began break-up of Ottoman Empire Mesopotamia went to UK

1920 Treaty of Sevres started break-up of Ottoman Empire after WW I Ceded Mesopotamia to UK

Included call for Kurdish state Full protection for Assyrians Turkey rejected treaty and claimed Mosul province citing Madrid armistice

(Musings On Iraq interview with Princeton’s Sara Pursley on Sykes-Picot and creation of Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921)

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

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

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

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 9 1st US airstrikes against ISIS

1914 US consulate report Martial law declared in Baghdad Vilayet would provide 15,000

recruits for war Ottomans called on all Muslims to serve

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 8 Iraqi army executed captured Assyrians Looted villages along with Kurds

1920 TE Lawrence wrote piece for Observer newspaper criticizing UK for trying to block self govt

in Iraq Said UK wasting money and solution was to get rid of chief political officer Wilson and set up a more efficient administration

Review John Glubb, Arabian Adventures, Ten Years of Joyful Service, Cassell, 1978

John Glubb was an English soldier and official in Iraq during the British Mandate. He was proud to serve the empire believing that it developed what he saw as primitive societies. At the same time he had some issues with the way that the Mandate was run. Most of his Arabian Adventure, Ten Years of Joyful Service is his impressions of Iraq’s tribal society which he believed was disappearing.