Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead
Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices of Iraqi Refugees
Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama
Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Fighting for Fallujah, A New Dawn for Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Hope Is Not A Plan, The War In Iraq From Inside The Green Zone
Musings On Iraq review Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy
Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement
Musings On Iraq review The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda
Musings On Iraq review Nights in the Pink Motel, An American Strategist’s Pursuit of Peace in Iraq
Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace
Musings On Iraq review The Occupation, War And Resistance In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review The Prisoner in His Palace, Saddam Hussein, His American Guards and What History Leaves Unsaid
Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq, A View from the Ground Up
Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy
Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006
Musings On Iraq review U.S. Marines in Battle, An-Najaf August 2004
Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009
Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008
Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004
Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation IN A Time Of War, January-April 2005
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 17 Innovation In The Face Of War, Summer-Fall 2005
2004
May 28 Iraqi Governing Council agreed upon Iyad Allawi as head of interim govt
Jun 1 Iyad Allawi became interim PM Ghazi Yawere President in transitional Iraqi govt
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004)
Jun 1 CIA Dir Tenet letter to Congress said doubted 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intelligence in
Prague in 2001
Jun 1 CPA signed deal with Kurds INC SCIRI and others to disband their militias Never followed
through with
(Musings On Iraq How The Failure To Deal With Iraq’s Militias Caused The Breakdown Of The Country)
Jun 1 Gen Casey became new Coalition commander in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004)
Jun 2 Survey Iraqis seeing US as liberators went from 88% in Oct 03 to 43% in Apr 04 Want US to
leave 17% Oct 03 to 57% Oct 04
Jun 2 Iranian intel officers arrested in Baghdad plotting attacks
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Jun 2 Iraqi Governing Council convinced UN envoy Brahimi to include them in Allawi’s interim govt
Jun 3 US began extending tours of US units serving in Iraq to maintain troop levels
Jun 3 US forces attacked Mahdi Army at Kufa mosque
Jun 3 KRG hired Barbour Griffith & Rogeres to lobby US govt
Jun 4 George Tenet resigned as director of CIA in part due to failed Iraq intelligence
Jun 4 Pope criticized Bush over Abu Ghraib prison abuse and called for international solution to Iraq
Jun 7 CPA Transition and Integration law banned militias All parties had to list militia members to be
integrated into govt Sadr refused to follow law saying Mahdi Army legitimate resistance movement to US Never implemented
(Musings On Iraq How The Failure To Deal With Iraq’s Militias Caused The Breakdown Of The Country)
Jun 8 UN Resolution 1546 endorsed Iraqi interim govt that would draft new constitution and have it
voted upon by 12/31/05 Set date for return of Iraqi sovereignty Said CPA would end Elections for permanent Iraqi govt would be held from Dec 04-Jan 05 Allowed Coalition forces to remain in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Jun 9 Bush and Blair called for NATO to help in Iraq France rejected call
Jun 10 US gave up hope that NATO forces would be sent to help in Iraq
Jun 14 VP Cheney said Saddam had long standing ties with Al Qaeda
Jun 14 Reports US soldiers and interrogators warned of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Nov and Dec 03
Jun 15 Bush said Zarqawi was best evidence that Saddam had connections to Al Qaeda
Jun 15 Secretary of State Powell said White House stuck with claims of Iraq-Al Qaeda connections
Jun 16 9/11 Commission said it found no operational relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda 1994 bin
Laden asked for Iraq’s help with operations but never heard back 1996 Iraq and Al Qaeda talked about working together in Sudan but nothing came of it
Jun 16 9/11 Commission didn’t believe story that 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intelligence officer
in Prague in 2001
Jun 16 CIA advisor told 9/11 Commission that 1999 indictment that charged Iraq and Al Qaeda agreed
to cooperate in Sudan was later proven false Said that Al Qaeda was suspicious of Saddam’s secular govt In 1990s Ira and Al Qaeda tried to work out non-interference pact and talked about cooperation Was also 1999 CIA report that said if Saddam wanted to attack the US he would use Al Qaeda
Jun 16 Secretary of State Powell said administration stuck by claim of Iraq-Al Qaeda Relationship
Jun 16 White House said 9/11 Commission didn’t contradict administration’s claims Because it never
said Iraq behind 9/11 Said Zarqawi being in Iraq before 03 invasion proved Saddam gave safe haven to Al Qaeda operatives Zarqawi was not part of Al Qaeda before war
Jun 16 General Accounting Office report Pentagon didn’t have good planning or oversight of
reconstruction projects in Iraq leading to cost overruns
Jun 17 PM Allawi promised reprisals against insurgents after suicide bombing of Iraqi
army base
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Jun 17 Bush refuted 9/11 Commission saying that Iraq and Qaeda had ties and that was
why Iraq was a threat
Jun 17 Cheney said 9/11 Commission didn’t look at the overwhelming evidence of
Iraq-Al Qaeda connections Cheney claimed he had intelligence on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties that Commission didn’t Cheney was talking about captured Iraqi documents that had Iraqis with similar names to Al Qaeda members
Jun 18 Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide car bombing Army recruitment center Baghdad killed 35
wounded 145
Jun 18 9/11 Commission spokesman said it found no evidence of cooperation between
Iraq and Al Qaeda
Jun 20 Interim PM Allawi said special commando units would be created Interior Min Naqib used units
to bring in relatives and ex-military into ministry Allawi thought units would be critical to defeating insurgency
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Jun 20 Head of 9/11 Commission said Al Qaeda was closer to Iran and Pakistan than
Iraq
Jun 20 9/11 Commission member said captured Iraqi docs showed 1 Fedayeen Saddam
was an Al Qaeda member Attacked press for claiming Commission report contradicted Bush admin claims on Iraq-Al Qaeda connections
Jun 20 White House claimed 9/11 Comm proved its argument of Al Qaeda-Iraq
ties when Commission said no cooperation
Jun 21 9/11 Commission member claimed captured Iraqi documents showed 3 Fedayeen
Saddam were member of Al Qaeda Said one was an Al Qaeda facilitator in Malaysia in 2000 Story proved untrue Iraqis just had same names as Al Qaeda members
Jun 22 UN audit on reconstruction in Iraq found spending and contracts full of errors and open to
fraud Found State Organization for Marketing Oil had no records on tenders contracts who won bids etc
Jun 22 Report White House claims that Saddam Fedayeen were in Al Qaeda probably
resulted over confusion over their names
Jun 23 Pentagon report said only 6% of Iraqi police had finished training Said ISF
lacked equipment
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jun 23 Report cooperation found between Baathists and jihadist insurgents in Iraq and
international terror networks like Al Qaeda Also two waves of foreign fighters to Iraq one before and one after 2003 invasion
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jun 23 Deputy Defense Secretary Wolfowitz said what was going on in Iraq was not an
insurgency Said it was former regime elements who didn't want to give up
Jun 23 US delivered $1.4 bil in cash to KRG for administration Went unaccounted for
Jun 24 Al Qaeda in Iraq carried out multiple car bombs and attacks on police in Baghdad
Baquba Fallujah Ramadi and Mosul killing 92 wounding 285 Took over police station and city hall in Baquba and held city center for 6 hours
Jun 24 Sadr announced unilateral ceasefire with US in Sadr City
Jun 25 Iraqi National Congress turned over captured Iraqi intelligence files to Americans
showing in mid-90s Iraqi intelligence and bin Laden met Iraqis agreed to air bin Laden’s anti-Saudi tapes but request for joint operations against Riyadh went unanswered by Iraqis
Jun 28 CPA disbanded, Iraqi sovereignty returned to interim govt led by Premier Allawi
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
Jun 28 US created Multi National Security Transition Command Iraq to train Iraqi forces
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jun 28 Ayatollah Sistani fatwa said no guarantee US process would create constitutional
Convention that represented the Iraqi people
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq review Patriotic Ayatollahs, Nationalism In Post-Saddam Iraq)
Jun 29 New PM Allawi announced Saddam and 11 others would face trial for their crimes
under Saddam’s govt
Jul 1 CIA official said agency was constantly told to re-do assessments saying no
Iraq-Al Qaeda connection by White House after 9/11
Jul 1 Saddam and 11 senior Baathists appeared in court for first time
(Musings On Iraq review The Prisoner in His Palace, Saddam Hussein, His American Guards and What History Leaves Unsaid)
Jul 3 US military review of 2003 invasion found that logistics were lacking and
military intelligence was largely useless
Jul 4 Report Gen Eaton in charge of training ISF said no progress in almost a year of developing Iraqi forces
(Musings On Iraq Special Inspector General For Iraq Reconstruction’s Hard Lessons Chapter 12 Reconstructing Iraqi Security Forces)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jul 5 Allawi govt announced amnesty for insurgents
Jul 5 Report Zarqawi’s bombing moved him from the margins to the center of the
Insurgency
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jul 6 Cabinet gave PM Allawi emergency powers to declare state of emergency national curfew restrict
movement appoint military governors seize assets Allawi only declared a few curfews
Jul 6 Report in 2000 CIA started program to contact relatives of Iraqi WMD scientists
living in the west to collect intelligence Relatives said no WMD programs Reports were not included in reports nor passed on to White House
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
(Musings On Iraq How The CIA Ignored Hard Evidence That Iraq No Longer Had Any WMD Programs In 2002)
Jul 6 PM Blair told Parliament that he didn’t know what happened to Iraq’s WMD Said they
could have been hidden or destroyed
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Jul 6 Car bomb at US-Iraqi National Guard post in Samarra Led to 450 of 500 Iraqi guardsmen to quit
Jul 7 Senate Intelligence Committee issued report on US pre-Iraq war intelligence Found
major judgements in Oct 02 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq’s WMD and nuke program were overstated and generally not supported Found US intel claim Iraq had WMD and programs larger than before Gulf War were overstated Said US had evidence Iraq buying dual use equipment Uncertain Iraq had destroyed its WMD stocks after Gulf War Said US intel didn’t have much good info on Iraq’s WMD and nuke programs after UN inspections ended in 1998 Said US intel suffered from group think Assumed Iraq had WMD Assumed everything it did was to expand those programs Said that all of CIA’s claim’s about Iraq renewed nuclear program were wrong and weak to begin with Found CIA was justified to claim Iraq might have cooperated with Al Qaeda and offered bin Laden safehaven based upon pre-war intelligence reports
(Musings On Iraq Iraq One Of The Worst Intelligence Failures In US History)
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Created An Iraqi Nuclear Threat In 2002)
(Musings On Iraq review The WMD Mirage, Iraq’s Decade of Deception and America’s False Premise for War)
Jul 7 Gen Casey told Bush 70% of Fallujah Brigade had joined insurgency
Jul 8 Al Qaeda in Iraq beheaded Bulgarian civilians Georgi Lazov and Ivaylo Kepov
Jul 8 US and Iraqi officials said decision to stop 1st Battle of Fallujah was wrong
and city was now controlled by insurgents
Jul 8 US and Iraqi intelligence reports said Zarqawi was using Fallujah as a base
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Jul 9 Ex-INC member Mohammed al-Zubaidi claimed INC embellished stories of defectors
about Iraq’s WMD INC denied story
Jul 9 Bush said everyone believed Iraq had stocks of WMD and Saddam wanted those
WMD programs
(Musings On Iraq Iraq One Of The Worst Intelligence Failures In US History)
Jul 14 Insurgents assassinated Ninewa Governor Kashmoula
Jul 14 Blair said he expected Iraq’s WMD to be found
Jul 14 Butler Report said UK intel on Iraq WMD based upon worst case scenarios and exaggerated
alleged stockpiles Said UK intel on Iraq WMD was “seriously flawed” Found UK intel had no evidence of Iraq-Al Qaeda cooperation
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Jul 14 Fmr US Army dep chief of staff Gen Keane testified to Congress that US didn’t expect insurgency
because Iraqi exiles said Americans would be welcomed for invading
Jul 15 UN head inspector Blix accused Blair of misleading public on Iraq threat
before invasion
Jul 15 Report in 2003 UK intel found Zarqawi setting up cells in Baghdad
Jul 18 Insurgents offered $285,000 reward for anyone that could kill PM Allawi
Jul 19 Carnegie pre-2002 US intel on Iraq WMD generally good 02-03 reporting became more
certain beyond evidence Bush admin misrepresented threat posed by Iraq WMD and nuke program UN inspectors proved accurate that Iraq didn’t have WMD or nuke programs nor stocks
(Musings On Iraq Iraq One Of The Worst Intelligence Failures In US History)
(Musings On Iraq UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)
Jul 20 Filipino driver kidnapped by insurgents Was released after Philippines withdrew
its 51 soldiers from Iraq
Jul 20 Blair defended Iraq war to parliament saying caveats should have been included
in UK dossier on Iraq WMD
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Jul 20 Def Min Shaalan said Iran had an extensive presence in Iraq and Iranian spies had penetrated the
state
Jul 22 Pentagon report acknowledge abuse of Iraqi prisoners including sexual and
physical assault and deaths
Jul 22 9/11 report 1994 or 95 Al Qaeda and Iraqi officials met Al Qaeda asked for aid
and training camps Iraq didn’t reply Al Qaeda worked with Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan
Jul 23 Ayatollah Sistani spoke against attacks on Christian churches
(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)
Jul 24 Zalmay Khalilzad became new US ambassador to Iraq Wanted to defeat
insurgency not withdraw which was existing plan
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jul 24 500 marched in Sulaymaniya demanding an independent Kurdistan
Jul 26 Defense Min Shaalan said Iran was Iraq’s main enemy
Jul 28 68 killed in suicide car bomb on police center Baquba Diyala
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jul 30 Secretary of State Powell in Iraq said US worried about Iran’s influence in
southern Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Jul 31 US arrested Sadrist Sheikh Hasnawi in Karbala Mahdi Army kidnapped police
in Najaf in response
Aug 1 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed 6 churches in Baghdad and Mosul 12 killed 71
wounded
Aug 2 Marines just given control of Najaf came under attack 1st time by Mahdi Army in city as passed near
Sadr’s house Led to attacks by Mahdi Army in Baghdad, Kuwat, Nasiriya, Amara, Basra
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
Aug 2 Al Qaeda in Iraq War Minister Abu Masri executed Turkish civilian Murat Yuce
Aug 3 Sadr ordered his followers to seize Najaf shrine and attack Coalition forces in south
starting 2nd Battle of Najaf
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 3 Mahdi Army kidnapped 18 police demanding release of their militiamen in return
for freeing officers
Aug 4 Mahdi Army shot down US helicopter in Sadr City Police chief there led celebration for its
downing
Aug 4 Sec State Powell told UK Foreign Sec Straw that security in Sunni areas of Iraq was worse than
thought Said insurgency was an indigenous movement with good intel to adapt to situation on the ground
Aug 5 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey issued first military campaign plan for Iraq since
2003 invasion Said US had to confront insurgency Build Iraqi forces Persuade Sunnis to give up insurgency Rebuild country
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Nights in the Pink Motel, An American Strategist’s Pursuit of Peace in Iraq on writing campaign plan for Gen Casey)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
Aug 5 Sadr called for his followers to rise up against the US occupation
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
Aug 5 Mahdi Army attacked main police station in Najaf city and US forces in Baghdad
starting 2nd Battle of Najaf
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 5 Anbar governor resigned after his son was kidnapped by insurgents
Aug 6 After 2 days of fighting in Najaf US claimed it killed 300 Mahdi Army fighters
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 6 Report US intelligence officers were involved in Abu Ghraib prison abuse
Aug 7 PM Allawi issues amnesty for insurgents with no blood on their hands
Aug 8 Arrest warrant for murder issued for one of Saddam’s lawyers
Aug 8 Arrest warrant for Ahmed Chalabi for counterfeiting dinars and nephew Salim Chalabi for
murder of Fin Min official
(Musings On Iraq review Arrows of the Night: Ahmad Chalabi and the Selling of the Iraq War)
Aug 8 Mahdi Army attacked UK troops at National Guard HQ in Shatt al-Arab Basra Ambushed relief force
Iraqi police joined militia to attack UK
Aug 9 PM Allawi, Iraq’s Defense Minister, US generals had meeting Decided 2nd Najaf
battle had to end quick over concerns shrine might be damaged
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 10 UK Op Hammersmith moved against Mahdi Army in Amara, Maysan breaking up
militia for the rest of the summer
Aug 11 Allawi govt announced ceasefire in 2nd Battle of Najaf to open talks with Sadr
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
Aug 12 US forces surrounded Mahdi Army in Imam Ali shrine and Najaf cemetery 2nd
Battle of Najaf
Aug 12 Fighting between Iraqi and US forces vs Mahdi Army killed 68 civilians in Kut Wasit
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 12 Washington Post review of its pre-war Iraq coverage said it ran many articles
questioning Bush administration case for invasion but didn’t get on front page as pro-war articles did
Aug 13 Allawi govt announced 2nd ceasefire with Mahdi Army to hold talks with Sadr
to end 2nd Battle for Najaf Was still heavy fighting
Aug 13 Militia kidnapped a British journalist and demanded US withdraw from Najaf
during 2nd battle for city Sadr gained his release
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 15 Peace talks between Allawi govt and Sadr broke down over ending 2nd Battle of
Najaf
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
Aug 17 Allawi govt offered amnesty and role in govt to Sadr in return for ceasefire in 2nd
Battle of Najaf
Aug 17 NSC meeting discussed US attacking Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf and possibly
killing Sadr
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
Aug 18 Iraq Survey Group head Kay testified to Congress Iraq Survey Group was
responsible for finding Iraq’s WMD after invasion Kay blamed National Security Adviser Rice and National Security Council for not checking WMD intel before war
Aug 19 PM Allawi wrote Bush saying Iraq was more dangerous and unstable than a
year ago
Aug 19 Allawi govt called for Sadr to disband Mahdi Army and leave Najaf shrine
during 2nd Battle of Najaf
Aug 19 Sistani’s office said it was open to Sadr’s offer to turn over keys to Najaf shrine
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 19 Iraq Survey Group head Kay was rebuked by NSC staffer for criticizing NSC to
Congress on WMD Kay responded that Rice was more interested in being Bush’s friend than being National Security Adviser
Aug 20 PM Allawi called for Sadr to give up Imam Ali shrine in Najaf or face US-Iraq
assault 2nd Battle of Najaf
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
Aug 24 Panel found Rumsfeld’s orders on interrogations contributed to abuse of
prisoners in Iraq Panel said U.S. underestimated need for prisons in postwar Iraq then didn’t attempted to solve the problem leading to overcrowding Contradicted White House claim that Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal was act of a few bad prison guards Said abuse was not part of an intelligence gathering operation
Aug 25 US army investigation blamed morally corrupt soldiers and contractors and poor
leadership for Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal Found intelligence officers played leading role in scandal
Aug 25 Ayatollah Sistani said he would return from medical treatment in England to Iraq
to try to end 2nd Battle of Najaf
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 26 US halted military operations in 2nd Battle of Najaf to allow negotiations to end fighting
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Aug 26 Mahdi Army attacked Sistani supporters in Kufa killing 20
Aug 26 CPA democracy official Diamond wrote memo to Sec State Rice on problems with Iraq Said US had
to follow through with disarming militias US should not seek military bases because would fulfill Iraqi fears Should talk about withdrawal instead of open ended US occupation Should move away from Iraqi exiles Rice never replied
Aug 27 Sistani returned from London to Najaf Arranged ceasefire with Sadr to end 2nd
Battle of Najaf
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Aug 27 Sadr said “puppet police” couldn't protect Imam Ali shrine in Najaf and Mahdi
Army still in control of it
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
Aug 28 Iraqi insurgents kidnapped 2 French reporters Gave Paris 48 hrs to end ban on
schoolgirls wearing headscarves
Aug 31 CIA report Ayatollah Sistani and Sadr’s standing increased by 2nd Battle of
Najaf PM Allawi’s hurt
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq review Battle For The City Of The Dead)
(Musings On Iraq review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)
Sep 1 Mass grave discovered Hatra with hundreds of Kurdish bodies killed during
Anfal in 1980s
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Anfal Campaign And The Destruction Of The Kurdish Opposition)
Sep 2 2 Americans Jack Henlsey and Eugene Armstrong and Briton Kenneth Bigley
kidnapped by Zarqawi in Baghdad
Sep 4 US op to clear Tal Afar began to secure it before Jan 05 elections
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
Sep 5 Start of 2 days of protests in Najaf against Mahdi Army telling them to leave city
Sep 7 Number of US troops killed in Iraq reached 1,000 647 of those were after invasion ended
Sep 9 Deputy National Security Adviser Hadley said White House had to come up with
measurements to determine success in Iraq Ended with 140
Sep 9 Army inquiry found CIA hid up to 100 ghost detainees in Iraqi prisons in
Baghdad
Sep 9 Major fighting broke out between US forces and insurgents in Tal Afar 57
insurgents killed along with 27 civilians and another 70 wounded
Sep 9 Turkmen claimed 50,000 fled Tal Afar due to fighting Turksh media claimed Kurds
were replacing Turkmen in town Turkmen politicians claimed Iraqi National Guard were mostly Kurdish and carrying out ethnic cleansing in Tal Afar
Sep 9 US made deal with local leaders in Samarra to start reconstruction projects and
return city council to office
Sep 11 Zarqawi recording condemned Muslims who were not supporting jihad in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Sep 12 PM Allawi said Saddam’s trial would go ahead despite rising violence
Sep 13 Report US forces routinely tortured and abused prisoners in Mosul
Sep 13 Al Qaeda in Iraq beheaded Turkish civilian Durmus Kumdereli
Sep 14 Al Qaeda in Iraq car bomb hit Baghdad police station Killed 59 wounded almost
100
Sep 14 State Dept announced new reconstruction strategy moving money from water health and electricity
to security
(Musings On Iraq Rebuilding Iraq’s Electrical Network In A Warzone 2003-2005)
Sep 15 Around 1000 protested in Najaf demanding that Sadr and his aides leave the city
Sep 15 Gen Chiarelli said that US would clear militias from Sadr City Didn’t happen
Sep 16 UN Secretary General Annan told BBC that US invasion of Iraq was illegal
Sep 16 July National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq leaked to press Best case Iraq would
remain unstable Worse Iraq would break out into civil war
Sep 16 US launched Op Hurricane to root out Zarqawi group from Ramadi
Sep 17 UK raid on Sadr office in Basra city found 15 tons of weapons and ammunition
leading to temporary halt in Mahdi Army ops
Sep 17 Draft of Iraq Survey Group report said Saddam wanted to produce WMD but had no
stocks or programs Said only WMD Iraq had were poisons for assassinations by Iraqi intelligence
Sep 18 Zarqawi front group Jihad and Unification video aired on Al Jazeera saying it
had kidnapped 2 Americans and a Briton in Baghdad Demanded release of Iraqi women prisoners Were only 2 being held both WMD scientists
Sep 19 Sadr faction said it kidnapped 15 Iraqi National Guardsmen Threatened to kill them
if Sadr aide not released by US Sadrists denounced kidnapping
Sep 19 Blair said Iraq was center of global war on terror
Sep 20 Sadr faction released 15 Iraqi National Guardsmen they kidnapped
Sep 20 US and Iraqi forces raided Sadr’s office in Najaf arresting two aides
Sep 20 Zarqawi aired video of beheading American Eugene Armstrong kidnapped in
Baghdad
Sep 21 Head of Fallujah Shura Council Janabi said that city didn’t need Zarqawi to defend
it Differentiated between resistance that was against occupation and Zarqawi who led terrorists Said that resistance wasn’t about killing innocent Iraqis and Zarqawi had harmed the insurgency and cost it support
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Sep 22 US civilian Jack Hensley beheaded by Zarqawi Body dumped in Baghdad
Sep 22 2 suicide car bombs in Baghdad killed 21 wounded 150
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Sep 22 Gun battle in Samarra led US forces to seal off city
Sep 23 Allawi visited White House asking for more reconstruction money and bringing
back old army units
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Sep 24 Bush and Blair talked about staying course in Iraq and Allawi needing a
professional staff
Sep 24 Report Defense Science Board review found US didn’t have enough troops
to stabilize Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Sep 24 US forces claimed Tal Afar cleared of insurgents
Sep 26 US arrested Gen Najm head of Iraqi National Guard in Diyala for ties to insurgency
Sep 27 Secretary of State Powell said US forces would retake Fallujah to ensure January 05
elections
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Sep 28 PM Allawi told Al Arabiya TV that govt had waited long enough on Fallujah and
Iraqi forces would help take the city
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Sep 28 US troops started operation to clear Samarra of insurgents before Jan 05 election
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
Sep 28 Blair said intelligence on Iraq’s WMD was wrong but getting rid of Saddam
was right
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Sep 28 Report Jan 03 Natl Intel Council issued 2 reports saying US invasion of Iraq
would increase support for Islamism and could lead to insurgency
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Sep 29 Briton Kenneth Bigley beheaded by Zarqawi
Sep 30 Iraq Survey Group final report said Saddam considered Iran existential threat to Iraq Thought only
way to deter Tehran was WMD
(Musings On Iraq Was Iraq An Imminent Threat To The West?)
Sep 30 Iraq Survey Group report said aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for rockets not
centrifuges
(Musings On Iraq How A Contested Aluminum Tubes Story Became The Basis For War With Iraq)
Sep 30 UK intel report said Sunnis did not believe in politics because didn’t gain anything Said majority of
Sunnis supported insurgency Felt loss of power fear of Shiite rule and Iranian influence United by opposition to occupation Sunnis believed armed struggle rather than politics could achieve their goals
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.3 July 2004 To May 2005)
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency In Iraq)
Oct 1 Start of Operation Baton Rouge to clear Samara of insurgents before Jan 2005 elections
Oct 2 Bush said Zarqawi travelled to Iraq before 03 invasion Killed USAID official
Foley in Jordan Said that proved Iraq was a threat because it had WMD and was connected to terrorist networks like Zarqawi’s
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
Oct 2 Hundreds of Kurds marched in Kirkuk city demanding independent Kurdistan
and Kirkuk as its capital
Oct 3 Report aluminum tubes were one of the main arguments US had Iraq restarted nuke
program but was always contested Senior White House officials claimed Rice knew about differences over tubes Administration overstated argument for tubes
(Musings On Iraq How A Contested Aluminum Tubes Story Became The Basis For War With Iraq)
Oct 4 Car Bombs in Baghdad’s Green Zone and Mosul killed 21 Wounded 90
Oct 4 CIA review found no connection between Saddam and Zarqawi as White House claimed
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
Oct 5 Bremer said US never had enough troops in Iraq while he was running the CPA
Said military thought troop levels fine
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Oct 6 Iraq Survey Group report said Iraq’s WMD destroyed in 1991 Said no plans to
revive programs when US invaded in 2003 Said Saddam wanted to restart WMD programs after sanctions ended Said Iraq tried to tell west it didn’t have WMD while also hinting that it still did to deter Iran WMD was aimed at Iran Said Iraq issued 1,300 oil vouchers under Oil For Food Program that netted $11 bil in illegal funds from 1990-2003 Russian oil companies Lukoil Gazprom Zarbuezhneft Signeft Rosneft Tatneft got 30% of oil vouchers
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Against The World, Saddam, America, And The Post-Cold War Order)
Oct 6 Bush said Iraq didn’t have WMD stocks US intel thought but invasion still right
because Saddam wanted them
Oct 6 Fallujah leaders offered to create joint security force for city made up of Iraqi
National Guardsmen and locals US and Allawi govt rejected offer
Oct 7 Powell said Iraq Survey Group initial report proved Iraq wanted WMD and that
it was a threat
Oct 7 Blair claimed Iraq Survey Group report proved that Saddam wanted WMD
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Oct 7 Sadr offered to disarm Mahdi Army as part of peace deal with Allawi govt
Wasn’t serious
Oct 8 Presidential debate Bush said Iraq invasion absolutely right Iraq was trying to end sanctions and
rebuild WMD programs
Oct 8 Rice said Iraq Survey Group proved Iraq wanted WMD and therefore was a threat
Oct 8 Family of British hostage Ken Bigley said he had been killed by insurgents
Oct 9 US and Sadr agreed to ceasefire after weeks of fighting in Sadr City
Oct 11 Mahdi Army began turning over heavy weapons to US forces as part of peace deal with Allawi govt
Didn’t last
Oct 11 IAEA warned that nuclear materials had been looted in Iraq after invasion
Oct 12 4 Sadr leaders including Qais Khazali and Hadi al-Darraji were refusing to follow ceasefire ending
2nd Battle of Najaf
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq New Challenges to Sadr’s Leadership)
Oct 12 Ayatollah Sistani fatwa called on followers to register to vote Aides to set up offices to help people
with process
Oct 13 Blair told parliament that Iraq Study Group proved Saddam wanted WMD and violated UN
resolutions
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Oct 13 Mass grave with hundreds of Kurds killed by Saddam in 1987-88 discovered in Hatra Ninewa
Oct 13 PM Allawi said that if Fallujah didn't turn over Zarqawi would be major operation to take city
City council refused to do so Zarqawi wasn’t in Fallujah
(Musings On Iraq Was Zarqawi In Fallujah During The 2nd Battle For The City?)
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Oct 14 Insurgents suicide bombers penetrated Green Zone killed 5 wounded 18
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Oct 14 US forces began encircling Fallujah and sending reinforcements to Ramadi Wanted to clear Fallujah
before Jan 05 election
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Oct 14 Report Iraq’s Intel chief Shahwani said 18 of his agents had been killed in last month 10 at the
hands of Badr at behest of Iran Rest were killed by Al Qaeda in Iraq who he said was getting money from Iran
Oct 15 US put Zarqawi on its terrorist list
Oct 15 Cheney said Iraq could have given WMD to terrorists
Oct 16 Attacks upon 5 churches
Oct 17 Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda Tawhid wal Jihad became Al Qaeda
in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)
(Musings On Iraq The Rise And Rebirth Of The Islamic State Interview With Author Michael Weiss)
Oct 17 Heavy fighting in east and south Fallujah between US forces and insurgents US wanted to clear
city before Jan 05 election
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Oct 18 US cmdr in Mosul sent warning that city could fall to insurgents at any moment unless US took
immediate action
Oct 19 Head of aid group Care was kidnapped in Baghdad Later killed by insurgents
Oct 19 Iraq conspiracy theorist Mylroie wrote OpEd in NY Sun that Saddam was training foreigners to
carry out terrorist attacks and working with Islamic groups
(Musings On Iraq Laurie Mylroie’s Convoluted Iraq-Terrorism Conspiracy Theory)
(Musings On Iraq Laurie Mylroie’s Iraq Conspiracy Theory Was Debunked By Captured Baath Documents)
Oct 19 PM Allawi got US to free insurgent leader Sheikh Jumaili in attempt to split militants in Fallujah
against Zarqawi Failed
Oct 20 Report Jan 03 Natl Intel Council warned building democracy in Iraq would be long difficult and
turbulent Warned that overthrow of Saddam could lead to ethnosectarian rivalries and power grabs in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(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 Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
Oct 20 Transparency International ranked Iraq one of most corrupt countries in world
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Oct 21 US soldier found guilty of abuse in Abu Ghraib prison scandal given 8 yrs in prison
Oct 22 Sistani aide Safi in Friday sermon said voting in 2005 elections was a religious duty
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Oct 22 Report Around 20 families most exiles like the Majids who were cousins of Saddam
were financing the insurgency
Oct 23 Al Qaeda in Iraq dressed as police took 49 Iraqi soldiers off bus and executed them in Diyala
Oct 25 Report top contracting official at US Army Corps of Engineers questioned Halliburton’s no-bid
Iraq contracts
Oct 25 Report 380 tons of high grade explosives looted from Al Qaqaa site
Oct 25 Kurds marched in Kirkuk demanding Kurdish control of city
Oct 25 Iraq Election Comm Regulation 03/2004 said parties associated or financed by armed forces or
militias couldn’t register to run in elections Never enforced
Oct 26 PM Allawi blamed US for deaths of 49 army recruits killed in Diyala by Zarqawi
Oct 27 Report number of IEDs being planted in Iraq went from 500 per months in May
and June 04 to 1,000 by Oct 04
Oct 29 Report US forces reached Al Qaqaa site during 03 invasion then left and site looted of high grade
explosives
Oct 29 Al Qaeda in Iraq beheaded Japanese civilian Shosei Koda
Oct 29 CIA report said that Iraqi elections would likely lead to opposition from Sunni Arab govts
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Oct 29 US cmdr in Mosul briefed US cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey Said city was near collapse
Oct 29 1st Lancet report on Iraqi casualties claimed 100,000 civilians died since invasion mostly
due to Coalition Report gained huge publicity but was mostly discredited by experts but not in media
(Musings On Iraq Comparing Surveys of Iraqi Deaths During The War)
(Musings On Iraq Major Flaws With The Lancet Reports On Iraqi Deaths Part I)
(Musings On Iraq Major Flaws With The Lancet Reports On Iraqi Deaths Part II)
(Musings On Iraq New Survey On Estimated Deaths In Iraq Refutes Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mark Van Der Laan on Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Michael Spagat on Lancet reports)
Oct 31 US Gen Sattler unless US and Iraqi forces couldn’t stop insurgent intimidation campaign against
Iraqi civilians they couldn’t win
Oct 31 Report US intel estimated 8,000-12,000 insurgents in Iraq and well financed Was far more than
previously believed
Oct 31 Report US army overrode objections of contracting officers who complained about cost overruns and
non-competitive bids given to Halliburton in Iraq Army leadership said US would be in trouble if it stopped Halliburton contracts
Nov 2 Association of Muslim Scholars said if Fallujah attacked it would call for national
civil disobedience and boycott of January 2005 elections
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Nov 2 Harith al-Dhari head of Association of Muslim Scholars said kidnapping by insurgents was just like
taking prisoners of war and killing them was justified
Nov 6 Fallujah police collapsed after night attack by insurgents
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Nov 7 2nd Battle of Fallujah started US wanted to clear city before Jan 05 election
(Musings On Iraq review Fighting for Fallujah, a New Dawn for Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 14 Fighting To The Elections, August-December 2004)
Nov 7 PM Allawi declared martial law for 2 months Ordered curfew in Fallujah and closed Baghdad
international airport
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Nov 8 2 Marine regiments started attack in 2nd Battle of Fallujah clearing northern section of city Zarqawi
and head of Mujahadeen Shura Council Janabi fled
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Fighting for Fallujah, a New Dawn for Iraq)
Nov 8 Sadr issued statement calling on Iraqi forces to not take part in the 2nd Battle of
Fallujah Association of Muslim Scholars also condemned the battle
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Nov 8 Battle of Mosul began
Nov 8 Rumsfeld said most of Iraq stable with violence only in 4 of 18 provinces
Nov 9 Marines cleared Jolan neighborhood 2nd Battle of Fallujah
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Nov 9 Insurgents seized 66% of Mosul’s police stations
Nov 9 Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew from interim govt due to 2nd Battle of Fallujah
Industry Min Hasani refused to quit and was expelled from party
Nov 10 Ayatollah Sistani called for a peaceful resolution of 2nd Battle of Fallujah
Expulsion of foreign fighters Return of govt forces
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Nov 10 Zarqawi and other insurgent group attacked Mosul ISF collapsed in 24 hrs Took control of 80% of
city Insurgents retook Tal Afar
Nov 11 Insurgents attacked police stations across Ramadi causing collapse of force
Nov 11 Zarqawi arrived in Ramadi after leaving Fallujah during 2nd battle
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Nov 11 Al Qaeda in Iraq seized 14 police stations all the bridges and established temporary control of Mosul
Only 200 of 5,000 police in city fought
Nov 12 Marines attacked southern Fallujah 2nd Battle of Fallujah
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
Nov 12 Sec of State Powell told Bush and Blair weren’t enough ground forces in Iraq to secure country
Nov 14 Insurgents kidnapped wounded police from Mosul hospital and dismembered them Led to ½ of
city’s police to quit All but one police station in city fell to militants US and ISF began op to retake city
Nov 14 Iraqi police commandos sent into Mosul to recapture police stations
Nov 14 Report Seven UN officials accused of getting kickbacks from Iraq under Oil for Food Program
UN official told his staff not to investigate corruption
Nov 15 Heavy gun battles broke out in Baquba Diyala between insurgents and US forces
Nov 16 Major fighting in 2nd Battle of Fallujah said to be over
(Musings On Iraq review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Fighting for Fallujah, a New Dawn for Iraq)
Nov 19 US raided Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad Was HQ for Association of Muslim Scholars
Nov 19 Association of Muslim Scholars announced Sunni boycott of Jan 05 elections
claiming results would be fake and non-representative
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation IN A Time Of War, January-April 2005)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
Nov 19 US Gen Smith dep cmdr CENTCOM said insurgents were carrying out effective
intimidation campaign before Jan 05 elections
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation IN A Time Of War, January-April 2005)
Nov 21 Iraq Election Commission announced vote for transitional assembly to draft
constitution would happen 1/30/05 Provincial councils would be elected on same day
Nov 22 Report US army intel said Iranian intel working in every major city with large Shiite population
Iran moved Badr into Iraq after invasion Oct 04 head of National Intel agency accused Badr of killing 10 agents Iran also sent in Hezbollah members into Iraq to carry out attacks Were said to be 800 Lebanese operating in Iraq Backed Sadr and Mahdi Army Apr 03 US started tracking money and weapons from Iran to Sadr Apr 03 Ayatollah Jannati secretary gen of Iran’s Council of Guardians called on Iraqis to attack US forces and drive them out of Iraq Jul 03 four Iranian intel agents arrested in Salahaddin Quds Force set up HQ in Mehran Iran to run Iraq ops
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Nov 24 Powell told Bush not enough US troops in Iraq to secure country
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Nov 24 Report US portrayed Zarqawi and foreigners leading Battle of Fallujah but
leaders were local Iraqis
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
Nov 25 Defense Science Board report Iraq invasion given jihadists around the world a
cause and supported their narrative
Nov 27 Report 1/3 of property Hallliburton contracted to manage in Iraq lost
Nov 29 Bush told NSC January 2005 Iraqi election had to happen on time
Nov 30 Report War mismanagement sanctions destroyed Iraq’s health care system
Dec 1 KDP and PUK announced Kurdistan Coalition for Jan 2005 elections
Dec 1 US announced it would increase troops from 138,000 to 150,000 for Jan 2005 elections
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Dec 1 Report Army warned Dec 03 that military-CIA Task Force 121 searching for WMD abused Iraq
prisoners
Dec 3 3 members of Ansar al-Islam arrested for planning to assassinate PM Allawi
Dec 3 Bush called speech writer Gerson saying he wanted to change US foreign policy to promoting
democracy Iraq at forefront
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
Dec 4 PM Allawi attacked while visiting Imam Ali shrine in Najaf
Dec 5 Suicide car bomb hit police station at main gate to Green Zone killed 7 wounded 50
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Dec 7 Number of US troops killed in combat in Iraq reached 1000 after soldier shot in Baghdad
Dec 7 Report Nov 04 CIA said security deteriorating Iraqi govt had to assert authority and rebuild economy
Dec 8 In Kuwait after being questioned about lack of up to date equipment for US troops
in Iraq Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said “You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time”
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
Dec 8 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
Dec 8 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)
Dec 8 Jordan’s King Abdullah claimed 1 mil Iranians had entered Iraq to vote in Jan 05 election
Dec 9 22 parties including Dawa SCIRI Sadrists INC announced formation of United Iraqi Alliance
for Jan 2005 elections Ayatollah Sistani helped form list to ensure Shiite rule
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq Interview with Lowy Institution’s Shanahan on history of the Dawa Party)
(Musings On Iraq review The Shi’ite Movement in Iraq)
Dec 9 Iraqi Islamic Party submitted 275 candidates for Jan 2005 elections Would be
only major Sunni party to participate due to call for a boycott
Dec 9 Bush told families his govt was getting the best equipment for US troops in Iraq
after Defense Secretary Rumsfeld downplayed complaints by American soldiers heading for combat
Dec 9 Al Qaeda in Iraq statement said Shiites were supporting crusaders in Iraq Called
Ayatollah Sistani a collaborator Attacked Iraqi forces fighting in Fallujah Said that Kurds and Christians were working with the Shiites and called Iraqi Islamic Party hypocrites
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Dec 9 UK intel report Iran supported resistance to occupation of Iraq no hard evidence Iran behind attacks
but likely was Said Iran backed elections while also violence of Iraqi militias
(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.3 July 2004 To May 2005)
Dec 13 PM Allawi blamed CPA disbanding military for rise in violence in Iraq
Dec 13 Allawi govt claimed 9/11 hijacker Atta was trained by Abu Nidal in Baghdad in 2001 Proved false
Dec 14 Bush gave former CIA Director Tenet former CPA head Bremer and former CENTCOM commander
Gen Franks Presidential Medal of Freedom
Dec 15 Zarqawi bombing in Karbala killed 7 and wounded aide to Ayatollah Sistani
Dec 16 US Iraq commander Gen Casey US needed to train Iraqi forces and create effective Iraqi
intelligence services
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Dec 16 Major Shiite parties agreed to United Iraqi Alliance for 2005 elections
Dec 16 Ayatollah Sistani answered question from follower saying he gave his blessing to the United Iraqi
Alliance but he also supported all Iraqi political parties Sistani had helped create the UIA behind the scenes wanting to ensure Shiite rule
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Dec 16 Report Defense Min Shaalan said United Iraqi Alliance an Iranian list Said Iran wanted an Islamic
dictatorship in Iraq led by clerics to defeat democracy Allawi govt was trying to create
Dec 17 Bush briefed by DIA that insurgency was robust and strong and could lead to civil war without
reconciliation Said Syria financing militants
Dec 19 Suicide bomber in Karbala killed 14 and wounded 30 and car bomb in Najaf killed 48 wounded
90
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Dec 19 30 insurgents attacked members of Election Commission on Haifa St Baghdad Dragged them
from car and shot them in street
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation IN A Time Of War, January-April 2005)
Dec 20 Bush said he expected violence to increase before Jan 05 elections
Dec 21 Ansar al-Sunna suicide bomber in Iraqi army uniform blew himself up inside US Mosul base Killed
21 including 14 US soldiers Wounded 75 Led to mistrust of Iraqi army by US afterward
Dec 21 Insurgents released 2 French reporters they kidnapped 4 months ago
Dec 21 Center for Strategic and Intl Studies report Iraqi forces wouldn’t be ready to
operate independently until late 2006 at best
Dec 22 Kurdistan Referendum Movement presented petition with 1.7 mil signatures to UN calling for
referendum on Kurdish independence
Dec 23 Fallujah was reopened to displaced to return after 2nd battle for city
Dec 23 UK intel did review of its 2002 reporting on Iraq’s WMD and said its assessments were all
wrong
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Dec 23 UK intel report 2005 elections would happen on time Assassinations and intimidation would likely
increase beforehand Hardline Sunnis would reject any new govt and continue with insurgency
Dec 24 Rumsfeld told troops in Iraq insurgency could be defeated
Dec 27 Al Jazeera aired bin Laden tape calling Zarqawi the prince of Al Qaeda in Iraq Bin Laden said focus
of the Islamic world was war against US in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)
(Musings On Iraq The Rise And Rebirth Of The Islamic State Interview With Author Michael Weiss)
Dec 27 Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew from January 2005 election saying violence made vote impossible
Dec 28 Bin Laden online statement praised Zarqawi giving him allegiance
(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)
(Musings On Iraq The Rise And Rebirth Of The Islamic State Interview With Author Michael Weiss)
Dec 28 Report Islamic Party said it was withdrawing from Jan 05 election over lack of security Called for 6
month postponement Would take part in election as only major Sunni party
Dec 31 Report Jordan’s Foreign Min Mulqi said Iraq’s Jan 05 election could either produce a new govt that
reflected Iraq’s Arab identity or a Shiite religious regime influenced by Iran
2005
Jan 2 Jordanian Foreign Min Mulqi said Sunnis were majority in Iraq
Jan 4 Report US considered embedding US advisors within Iraqi units to speed their
development
Jan 4 Insurgents assassinated Baghdad Governor Haidari
Jan 5 State Dept report said Iraqi security forces were ineffective in most of
country due to insurgent attacks
Jan 7 Insurgents attacked power lines in Salahaddin that caused brief national blackout
Jan 10 Bush said that U.S. would stick with January 30 election date for Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
Jan 10 Ukraine announced it would withdraw its 1650 troops from Iraq after 8 soldiers
killed in bombing
Jan 10 Zarqawi’s forces assassinated Baghdad’s deputy police chief and his son
Jan 12 Zarqawi killed 2 senior aides to Ayatollah Sistani in Karbala and Baghdad
Jan 13 US National Intelligence Council Iraq became new terrorist training ground in
world replacing Afghanistan
Jan 13 Former Secretary of State Baker said US occupation of Iraq undermined US
support for war and made US look imperialist in Middle East
Jan 13 Ayatollah Sistani representative assassinated in Baghdad
Jan 14 Shell signed deal to study Kirkuk oil field Did it for free to try to get into Iraq oil business
Jan 18 Bishop of Syrian Catholic Church in Mosul kidnapped
Jan 20 Zarqawi statement Declared victory in 2nd Battle of Fallujah even though US won Said US losses in
fighting would result in Bush rethinking Iraq strategy Claimed 800 Israelis took part in 2nd Battle of Fallujah Said 80% of ISF in Fallujah were Shiites and rest Kurds Said he was aligned with bin Laden Called for boycott of Jan 05 elections
Jan 21 Knight Ridder analysis Violence in Iraq increased after every US benchmark
such as capture of Saddam handing over sovereignty etc
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jan 22 Report $300 mil for arms deal for Iraqi army went missing after put on plane for
Lebanon INC’s Chalabi accused Defense Min Shaalan of stealing the $300 mil Shaalan threatened to arrest Chalabi for the charge
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 17 Innovation In The Face Of War, Summer-Fall 2005)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Jan 23 Zarqawi called candidates in Jan 05 election demi-idols Said those who voted were
apostates and could be killed Claimed elections US plot to empower Shiites
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation IN A Time Of War, January-April 2005)
Jan 25 Bush admin said it would ask Congress for another $80 bil for Iraq and
Afghanistan wars Before invasion White House said Iraq would cost $50 bil and most of that would be paid for by Iraqi oil
Jan 25 Human Rights Watch report arbitrary arrests torture abuse threats corruption in
Iraqi justice system
Jan 26 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said US and Iraqi forces killing more insurgents and
taking fight to Sunni areas Casey said Iraqis couldn’t secure Iraq yet but could protect election stations
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
Jan 26 Report Human Rights Watch said prisoners routinely tortured in jails Threatened into paying bribes Said Allawi govt either supported torture or didn’t care
Jan 26 Insurgent umbrella group announced campaign to disrupt that year’s elections
Jan 27 Insurgents blew up school in Baghdad going to be used as polling station in Jan 05 vote Videotaped
execution of Iraqiya candidate Meant to intimidate voters
Jan 29 RAND Corp Iraq became center for jihadist cause and cause of terrorism in rest
of world
Jan 29 Human Rights Watch US Abu Ghraib prison scandal became recruitment tool for
terrorists
Jan 30 Elections held for parliament to draft new Iraqi constitution Sunnis boycotted
vote Led to only 58% voter turnout Iraqis also voted for provincial councils
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation IN A Time Of War, January-April 2005)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jan 30 KRG parliamentary elections held KDP and PUK ran unified list Won 104 of 111 seats
Jan 30 Informal Kurdish independence referendum held in KRG Kirkuk Mosul Khanaqin 98% voted for
independence
Jan 30 Saudis claimed 5 mil Iranians voted in election for United Iraqi Alliance Said didn’t believe Shiites
majority in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jan 30 Report RAND terrorism expert said Iraq invasion increased jihadist threat around world Said US lost
war of ideas with Iraq War Said Bush admin didn’t plan for effects of invasion Said foreign fighters in Iraq would return home and spread jihadist ideas to other countries
Jan 31 Assyrians in Ninewa’s Bashiqa and Bartella were told they could have an extra
day of voting after ballots ran out on Jan 30 Ballots were delivered to towns but they were not allowed to vote Led to demonstration which was broken up by Kurdish security
Feb 1 Report US analysts believed Jan 05 elections could erode support for insurgency
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Feb 2 Assyrians in Ninewa Plains accused Kurds of stopping them from voting in Jan 30
election
Feb 2 Bush said US in Iraq to create a democracy that could defend itself and was not
a threat to its neighbors
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
Feb 3 UK intel report on insurgency Said it threatened new Iraq Military campaign not
containing insurgency Politics could bring in some insurgents but not most Foreign jihadists were a small minority of insurgency but carried out some of the biggest attacks Insurgents were not unified Sunni hearts and minds were being lost due to lack of law and order slow reconstruction few jobs poor quality of life
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.3 July 2004 To May 2005)
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency In Iraq)
Feb 4 Early election results had United Iraqi Alliance 44% Kurds 18% Iraqiya 12% of vote
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Feb 5 Dep Natl Sec Adv Hadley said White House had B- for developing Iraq policy D- for
executing it
Feb 7 Insurgents complained to Newsweek that Zarqawi was trying to hijack insurgency
and opposed his attacks upon Iraqi civilians
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Feb 10 NSC staffer Zelikow told Rice Iraq failed state stuck in violence
Feb 12 Report Makhmour mayor said that district used to be 80% Arab but they were forced out and
was now 80% Kurd Said Kurds were going to reclaim more territory
Feb 13 Early election results showed that Shiite United Iraqi Alliance got 140 of 275
seats in parliament missing majority it wanted
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Feb 13 Provisional election results from January vote released United Iraqi Alliance
48%, Kurdish Alliance 26%, Iraqiya 14%, Others 12%, voter turnout 58%
Feb 17 Report Iraqi Natl Guard and Peshmerga commander in charge of Kurdish Natl Guard units in
Ninewa said that Arabs needed to be treated roughly and with force otherwise they would rise up Kurdish soldiers said they didn’t trust Arab soldiers and would not take orders from their Arab officers
Feb 18 Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bombers hit Shiite pilgrims in Kadhimiya
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Feb 22 Dawa’s Ibrahim Jaafari became United Iraqi Alliance candidate for PM
following January elections
Feb 22 5 Zarqawi suicide bombers in Baghdad Killed 39 Wounded 150 people celebrating Ashura
Feb 28 Annual State Department human rights report accused Iraqi security forces of
rape torture and illegal arrests
Feb 28 Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide truck bomb on police and National Guard recruits in Hillah killed 127 Was
deadliest incident since 03 invasion
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Mar 1 Report State Dept issued report on human rights abuses under PM Allawi Said rape torture illegal
detention took place Police in Basra killed 10 Baathists Corruption problem at every level of govt
Mar 3 Kurds said parties had agreed on PUK’s Jalal Talabani being Iraq’s president and
Dawa’s Ibrahim al-Jaafari PM in new govt
Mar 4 Italian Mil Intel freed kidnapped Italian journalist US shot at their car killing Italian Gen Italy said it
would withdraw its 3,000 troops as a result
Mar 10 Kurds and United Iraqi Alliance agreed on new govt based upon deal to resolve
future of Kirkuk and PUK’s Talabani becoming Iraq’s president
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
Mar 13 Deputy Industry Ministry Araji said there was systematic looting of factories
and weapons sites after 03 invasion
Mar 14 Netherlands withdrew its 160 troops from Iraq
Mar 15 Mahdi Army attacked co-ed Basra Univ engineering student picnic Beat female student and stripped
her She later committed suicide 2 male students shot Led to protests vs Sadrists
Mar 15 Report leaked that Halliburton overcharged US for fuel imports to Iraq by more
than $108 mil
Mar 15 Italy announced it would withdraw its approximate 3,000 troops from Iraq
Mar 15 Ukraine withdrew 130 of its soldiers from Iraq
Mar 16 New parliament met for 1st time month after Jan election results certified 1st step in forming new govt
Mar 20 Defense Secretary Rumsfeld appeared on two Sunday talk shows and blamed
Turkey for not allowing 4th Infantry Division to deploy there for invasion for violence in Iraq Rumsfeld claimed if 4th Infantry Division had invaded northern Iraq there would have been fewer Baathists to join the insurgency Rumsfeld also said that CENTCOM commander Gen Franks didn’t want more troops in Iraq after the invasion
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Mar 21 State Dept’s Jeffrey told Bush Allawi trying to drag out govt formation process and
he should stop because was not going to retain premiership
Mar 25 State Dept told Congress wanted to reorganize rebuilding funds with more money
for services and maintenance Didn’t think Iraq could sustain projects
Mar 31 Silbermann-Robb report issued Called US pre-war intel on Iraq one of largest
intelligence failures in US history US intel data on Iraq was worthless and analysis wrong US lacked significant new intel on Iraq WMD so relied on Gulf War and 90s UN inspections and extrapolated from them US relied upon Iraqi defectors that were lying and ignored problems with their stories US relied upon satellite photos that showed nothing substantive US intel claimed Iraq made WMD advances that were technically impossible US intel ignored reports that Iraq no longer had any WMD UN inspectors disproved most of US case against Iraq’s WMD but were ignored CIA had little on Iraq’s nuke program outside of aluminum tubes but became basis for Oct 02 National Intel Est Tubes Iraq tried to buy were for rockets not centrifuges Example of misinterpretation by US intel Tubes was a technical assessment which CIA failed at Went with assumptions rather than facts CIA never looked at Iraqi rockets to see whether they fit aluminum tubes CIA and DIA created theory on tubes that rejected all criticism British and Australian intelligence didn’t believe aluminum tubes were for centrifuges
(Musings On Iraq How A Contested Aluminum Tubes Story Became The Basis For War With Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iraq One Of The Worst Intelligence Failures In US History)
(Musings On Iraq review The WMD Mirage, Iraq’s Decade of Deception and America’s False Premise for War)
Mar 31 RAND study showed post-war planning for Iraq was inadequate and never
considered security of Iraqi public
Apr 1 Report White House and CIA leadership created environment where only threat of
Iraq WMD reports were acceptable
Apr 2 Al Qaeda launched suicide attack on Abu Ghraib prison starting battle for town
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Apr 3 Hajjm al-Hassani interim Industry Min and former member of Iraqi Islamic Party nominated as speaker of new parliament 3 months after election
Apr 4 Outgoing Inter Min Naqib warned US if SCIRI got Inter Min would fill it
with Badr militiamen which it did
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke former Interior Min adviser on how militias took over Iraqi police)
Apr 6 Talabani named president of Iraq, Mahdi and Yawar vice presidents in 1st post-03
Iraqi govt
Apr 7 PUK’s Jalal Talabani sworn in as Iraq president and named Dawa’s Ibrahim Jaafari
as new PM Ended interim govt under PM Allawi
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