Musings On Iraq review Black Hearts, One Platoon’s Descent Into Madness In Iraq’s Triangle Of Death
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 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 No Time For The Truth, The Haditha Incident And The Search For Justice
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 Patriotic Ayatollahs, Nationalism In Post-Saddam Iraq
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 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 U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 15 – Transformation In A Time Of War, January-April 2005
Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005
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 US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006
2005
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 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
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
Apr 10 Report Iraqi officials couldn’t manage scores of water sewage electrical plants rebuild by US
and turned over to Baghdad
Apr 11 Tens of thousands of Sadrists marched in Baghdad against US occupation
Apr 12 Ayatollah Sistani said Sunnis were not the enemy
Apr 13 UK intel report on global Islamic terrorism Said Iraq war increased threat of international
terrorism and would continue to do that in the long term Said Al Qaeda in Iraq had benefited from the Iraqi jihad Used it to network with other groups
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.3 July 2004 To May 2005)
Apr 16 Report 150 Shiites taken hostage by insurgents in Madain Baghdad Threatened to kill them
if Shiites didn’t leave Army sent but found nothing Sunnis said it was hoax to create sectarian tensions Shiites said killings happened and bodies dumped in Tigris
Apr 19 Report US intel discussed what torture techniques they could use on Iraqi
prisoners in Aug 03 including electrocution
Apr 19 57 bodies found in Tigris river Believed to be Shiites taken hostages and executed by
insurgents in Madain, Baghdad on Apr 16
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
Apr 23 UN Secretary General Annan blamed US and UK for Iraq smuggling under Oil
For Food program in 1990s rather than UN saying two powers didn’t stop Baghdad
Apr 25 Iraq Survey Group responsible for investigating Iraq’s WMD found that Gulf
War and Un sanctions destroyed Iraq’s WMD programs and Saddam didn't try to rebuild them Found no evidence that Iraq’s WMD were sent to Syria
Apr 25 White House spokesman said Iraq Survey Group showed that Saddam wanted
WMD in the future
Apr 28 PM Jaafari’s cabinet approved by parliament Included 32 ministers 5 ministers
and 1 deputy PM were either vacant or temporary pending deal with Sunnis Defense Oil Electricity and Human Rights Ministers not being named
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
Apr 28 US pressured PM Jaafari to name partial cabinet because filing ministers was
taking too long
Apr 28 Insurgents set off 17 car bombs killing 50 and wounding more than 100 to offset news of
new Iraqi govt
Apr 28 SCIRI head Abdul Aziz al-Hakim gave speech threatening to purge the security
forces of former regime members
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Apr 28 MP Mishan al-Jabouri accused Shiites of dividing Iraq and marginalizing Sunnis
Apr 28 Trade Bank of Iraq run by Chalabi’s nephew Urzi announced deal with Card Tech that he
used to work for and founded and partially owned by Chalabi Would set up Visa cards and ATMS
(Musings On Iraq review The Man Who Pushed America To War, The Extraordinary Life, Adventures, and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi)
(Musings On Iraq review Arrows of the Night: Ahmad Chalabi and the Selling of the Iraq War)
Apr 29 Gen Vines issued order for US troops to stop and report any cases of abuse by
Iraqi forces
Apr 30 mass grave with up to 1,500 Kurds killed by Saddam during Anfal campaign
found outside Samawa
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Anfal Campaign And The Destruction Of The Kurdish Opposition)
May 1 Memo leaked that Blair was looking for justification for war in Jul 2002 which
he denied it at the time
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
May 3 PM Jaafari’s cabinet sworn in 2 deputy prime ministers and 7 important ministries
were vacant due to political disputes including Oil and Defense Shiite parties rejected Sunni candidates at last minute
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
May 4 Sadrist cleric in Basra talked about imposing Islamic Law on city including
bombing liquor stores imposed Islamic dress attacked mixed picknickers Said movement didn’t want to be like Iran because most Iranians were corrupt
May 4 Doctors in Basra said Mahdi Army had tried to stop male doctors from serving
female patients Posted pictures of Sadr in hospitals
May 7 Jaafari filled 5 empty ministry spots and 1 Dep PM but Human Rights Minister
turned down job saying appointed only because he was a Sunni
May 8 Battle of Qaim
May 10 Parliament created 55 member constitution drafting committee but only 2 Sunni members
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
May 11 Congress approved $5.3 bil to rebuild Iraqi security forces
May 11 Al Qaeda in Iraq set off 9 car bombs in Baghdad Killed 112 Early step to start civil war in
Iraq
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
May 12 Al Qaeda in Iraq kidnapped Anbar Gov Mahalawi and his son Governor’s body found 3
weeks later
May 15 Secretary of State Rice told Pres Barzani and PM Jaafari they had to include Sunnis in new
govt
May 15 Salah al-Mutlaq said couldn’t unite Iraq without including the Baathists
May 16 US issued order unless US forces directly involved in abuse of Iraqis
should report incident and do nothing else
May 17 Association of Muslim Scholars accused police of being involved in massacres of
Sunni civilians
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
May 17 Report Albu Mahal and Albu Nimr tribes in Qaim, Anbar formed Hamza Forces to
fight Al Qaeda in Iraq Went to Marines in Fallujah asking for help 2 tribes criticized US Op Matador in western Anbar for targeting them when they were fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq
(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 Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
(Musings On Iraq Demise, But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After The Awakening Pt IX: Sheikh Sabah Aziz Of The Albu Mahal)
May 18 Several Iraqi generals said it would take years for US to withdraw from Iraq
because rebuilding Iraqi security forces taking a long time
May 18 Report Only 3 of 81 Iraqi army battalions capable of acting independently
Only 1 of 26 army brigades able to work independently
(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)
May 18 Zaqawi audiotape posted Titled Descendants of Ibn al-Alqami Are Back Alqami Shiite
minister Sunnis believed turned over Baghdad to Mongols in 1258 Zarqawi said Ibn Tarmiya’s words about Shiites applied to today Said Shiites were loyal to Jews and Christians humiliated Muslims in Iraq and wanted to destroy Islam
(Musings On Iraq The Rise And Rebirth Of The Islamic State Interview With Author Michael Weiss)
(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 Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
May 19 Report that US attempt to push ISF into lead in war failing because Iraqi forces
not ready yet
(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)
May 19 Harith al-Dhari head of Association of Muslim Scholars accused Badr of assassinating Sunni
clerics
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
May 20 US 1st Cav Div collected more than 100 abuse cases by Iraqi forces over 6
months including beatings, electrocutions, choking in Baghdad
May 20 US 3rd Inf Div collected 28 cases of abuse by Iraqi units in Baghdad
May 22 Joint US-Iraqi operation started to clear Abu Ghraib in west Baghdad
May 22 Sadr sent delegation to meet Sunni clerics in an attempt to stop sectarian violence
May 23 Sunni MPs accused Badr Brigade of carrying out sectarian killings
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
May 24 SCIRI’s Hammoudi named head of constitutional drafting committee Deadline to finish
document was August 15
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
May 26 PM Jaafari said govt would crackdown on those taking law into their own hands
in response to reports of Shiite death squads
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
May 27 Sheikh Janabi of National Dialogue Council said violence had changed to killing
based upon identity Sunnis getting killed for being Sunni
May 27 Badr militiamen in Wolf commando brigade blamed for sectarian attacks on Sunnis
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation, War And Resistance In Iraq)
May 29 Report May 2002 US and UK increased air strikes on Iraq using No Fly Zones in
attempt to provoke Saddam to justify invasion
May 29 Op Lightning largest joint US-Iraq op so far Aimed at clearing Baghdad of
insurgents
May 30 Cheney said Iraq in “last throes” of an insurgency
May 31 Basra police chief said he had no control of 3/4 of his officers who were loyal to political
parties and militias and were carrying out assassinations Said militias were the real power in the province and they were criminals and bad people 2 main groups were Badr and Mahdi Army
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Jun 3 US held secret talks with insurgents in Balad to try to break them away from
foreign fighters and Al Qaeda in Iraq
Jun 4 New KRG parliament sworn in
Jun 5 State Dept memo Peshmerga arresting hundreds of Arabs and Turkmen in Kirkuk and taking
them to KRG to establish control of city
Jun 6 Blair sent note to Bush Said Iraq could send a moral message about what US and UK wanted
to create in the world Lamented lack of support from international community
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
Jun 6 Report Laith Kubba spokesman for PM Jaafari said US forces would disappear from Iraqi
cities within weeks Didn’t happen
Jun 7 Zarqawi killed by U.S. F-16 jet north of Baquba
Jun 7 National Security Adviser Rice said White House agreed on Iraq policy Privately
Rice working on new one
Jun 8 State Dept spokesman said US no longer determined policy on militias It was now an Iraqi
issue
Jun 9 Pres Talabani and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim of ISCI called on the peshmerga and militias to be
deployed against insurgency
Jun 10 Gen Petraeus told Inter Min Jabr about abuses of Wolf Brigade full of Badr militia Jabr
denied any wrongdoing
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation, War And Resistance In Iraq)
Jun 10 Police commander kidnapped 11 Sunnis from Adhamiya Bodies found 2 days later in Sadr
City
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jun 13 US held 2nd secret talk with insurgents in Balad to try to break them away from
foreign fighters and Al Qaeda in Iraq
Jun 14 Massoud Barzani sworn in as KRG president
Jun 15 Report US recorded Peshmerga arresting hundreds of Arabs and Turkmen in
Kirkuk and putting them in KRG prisons
Jun 16 15 Sunnis added to Constitutional committee 10 more as consultants after largely excluded
when it was formed in May
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Jun 16 Report Tehran cracking down on Zarqawi’s network in Iran
Jun 16 US diplomat in Mosul documented abuses of Interior Ministry’s Wolf Brigade
including torture beatings not releasing prisoners
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation, War And Resistance In Iraq)
Jun 16 Report US declared Tal Afar cleared of insurgents in Oct 04 but had to return in
May 05
Jun 17 Constitutional Committee agreed to expand number of Sunnis from 2 to 17 with another 10
as advisers under heavy US and UK pressure
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Jun 20 UK UN diplomat Ross said he saw 4 ½ yrs of intel on Iraq WMD and it didn’t
support Blair’s argument for war
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Jun 21 PM Jaafari announced $1 bil deal with Iran to build schools hospitals and libraries
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)
Jun 21 US forces saw insurgents fighting other insurgents along Iraq-Syrian border
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Jun 21 Sen Hagel told Bush he should listen to outside voices on Iraq policy
Jun 22 US Iraq Commander Gen Casey wrote memo on prisoner abuse by ISF Ordered US forces
to stop any abuses they saw
Jun 23 15 Sunnis and 1 Sabean added to constitutional drafting committee and 10 more Sunnis as
advisers
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
Jun 23 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Def Sec Rumsfeld insurgency hadn’t changed It had Said still
had support but it wouldn’t increase Said support for Iraqi govt growing
(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 U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
Jun 26 Rumsfeld said US conducting secret talks to try to split Iraqis from foreign insurgents
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Jun 28 Bush gave speech at Fort Bragg saying war in Iraq was about fighting terrorism, creating
democracy, advancing freedom in Middle East Rejected timetable for withdrawal Said when Iraqi forces stood up US forces would stand down meaning withdraw
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To
The Sectarian War of 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
(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 The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
Jul 1 Insurgents killed senior aide to Sistani in Baghdad Car bomb hit PM Jaafari’s offices Mortars
shut down power station that cut water supply to much of Baghdad
Jul 3 Al Qaeda in Iraq kidnapped Egyptian ambassador to Iraq Egypt would not send another
ambassador until 2009
Jul 4 US found 170 prisoners at secret prison in Baghdad run by Interior Min
Were told to leave it alone by commanders
Jul 5 Zarqawi announced Umar Brigades Would assassinate Badr members and Shiite
civilians in Baghdad and Anbar
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
Jul 5 Insurgents attacked diplomatic convoys of Bahrain and Pakistan Led Pakistan to withdraw
ambassador
Jul 6 Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed it executed Egyptian ambassador to Iraq Ihab al-Sharif Egypt would
not send another ambassador until 2009
Jul 7 Iraq and Iran’s Defense Ministries signed military cooperation agreement
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)
Jul 7 Report Human Rights Ministry said Iraqi forces carried out random arrests not
using warrants torturing and abusing prisoners Ministry official said Iraqi forces carrying out extra judicial killings and govt doing nothing about it
Jul 7 Report $8.8 bil went missing in Iraqi ministries during CPA period 03-05
(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)
Jul 7 Report 2003 after invasion Iraq exported around $10 bil worth of oil Christian aid said $5 bil of
that was unaccounted for Audit of Jaafari govt said it might have misappropriated oil revenues Didn’t put oil revenues into right bank accounts
Jul 8 Iraq constitutional committee started its work
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Jul 9 Al Qaeda’s 2nd in command Zawahiri Iraq strategy letter to Zarqawi Wanted to
expel US from Iraq Declare an emirate that would develop into the caliphate Extend jihad to neighboring countries Attack Israel Zawahiri also wanted Zarqawi to include more Iraqis in Al Qaeda in Iraq to not alienate the population Zawahiri also told Zarqawi that continued attacks upon Muslim civilians could cost heart and minds and support
(Musings On Iraq Tracking Al Qaeda in Iraq’s Zarqawi Interview With Ex-CIA Analyst Nada Bakos)
(Musings On Iraq The Rise And Rebirth Of The Islamic State Interview With Author Michael Weiss)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review ISIS The State of Terror)
Jul 12 Zarqawi responded to Maqdisi who criticized Al Qaeda in Iraq’s tactics of attacking
civilians and Shiites and suicide bombings Zarqawi said more important to attack Shiites than non-Muslims Accused Shiites of starting sectarian violence Cited Abu Abdullah al-Muhajir who supported suicide missions
(Musings On Iraq The Rise And Rebirth Of The Islamic State Interview With Author Michael Weiss)
(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 Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jul 13 25 additional Sunnis to Constitutional committee finally approved 1 month after nominated and
1 month before deadline to finish draft constitution
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Jul 13 Retiring Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Feith said US made mistakes in Iraq
war and denied others Said US didn’t train enough Kurds and Iraqi exiles to help with security before 03 invasion Said US officials were reluctant to end the CPA early in 2003 Said US military not the Pentagon determined size of invasion force US army officers refuted that saying Pentagon curtailed troop deployments before and after invasion
Jul 16 Musayib Babil suicide truck bomb left 250 casualties
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jul 17 Iraqi court filed charges against Saddam for executing people in Dujail in 1982
Jul 17 Shiite MP Khuzai said time to bring back militias because Interior and Defense
Ministries had failed to stop terrorism
Jul 17 Iraq-Iran deal signed for $1 bil line of credit to buy Iranian products
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)
Jul 17 Report Bush signed and then rescinded order to provide covert aid to candidates
in Iraq’s 2005 Jan elections due to Congressional opposition
Jul 17 Congressional Budget Office reported military and reconstruction spending on
Iraq cost U.S. $218.2 bil 03-05
Jul 18 Ayatollah Sistani said violence in Iraq reaching level of a genocidal war
Jul 18 Meeting on Iraq reconstruction in Jordan said that US rebuilding program failed to
provide basic services like water electricity sanitation
Jul 18 Weekly Standard article claimed Iraq considered bin Laden an intelligence asset
in 92 and worked together in terrorist plots Included conspiracy theory that Iraq behind 1993 bombing of World Trade Center
(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)
Jul 19 US complained to Iran about supplying EFPs to militias State Dept cable said Natl Sec Adv
Rubaie knew Iran sending EFPs to Iraq
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Jul 19 2 Sunni members of constitutional committee Issa and Obeidi assassinated
Sunni delegation suspended work afterward
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
Jul 19 Iraq-Iran signed deal for Iraq to export 150,000 bar/day of oil to Iranian refinery
in Abadan and send refined products back to Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)
Jul 20 State Dept cable Iran Rev Guard Quds Force smuggling weapons into Iraq and directing
attacks upon Coalition Said ISCI received $100 mil from Iran in 2005 $45 mil of which went to Badr
(Musings On Iraq Analysis Of Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq Interview With RAND’s Alireza Nader)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)
Jul 21 Pentagon said half of 93,800 Iraqi police had finished basic training and were not
ready for duty yet
(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 interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(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)
Jul 21 Insurgents kidnapped 2 Algerian diplomats in Baghdad
Jul 24 Allawi’s Iraqiya threaten to boycott constitutional commission because it wasn’t
taking seriously the concerns of Sunni delegation
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
Jul 25 New US Amb Khalilzad said security was his top priority
Jul 25 Sunni members of constitutional committee ended boycott after member assassinated
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
Jul 26 US Army interrogators testified that dogs sleep deprivation and nudity all used on
prisoners held at Abu Ghraib
Jul 27 Saddam’s trial ended
(Musings On Iraq review The Prisoner in His Palace, Saddam Hussein, His American Guards and What History Leaves Unsaid)
Aug 1 Battle of Haditha began
Aug 1 Oil Minister Uloom announced gas cooking gas and kerosene rationing to ease
to help with shortages
Aug 1 Constitution commission said it was deadlocked because didn’t have authority
to make major decisions
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
Aug 1 Ex-CIA officer claimed spring 01 received intelligence that Iraq had ended its
uranium enrichment program years ago
Aug 3 Integrity Commission investigated a number of corrupt deals made by Allawi’s Def Min One
deal was with Poland’s Bumar that included helicopters that turned out to be 28 yrs old Another deal was for ammunition which cost four times more than it was worth
(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)
Aug 3 Report Defense Min lacked capacity to pay supply recruit and replace personnel and carry
out promotions or deliver spare parts
Aug 4 Report large shipment of EFPs captured in northern Iraq coming from Iran
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 5 US said that EFPs were being shipped from Iran into Iraq to attack American forces
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 6 PM Maliki created committee to implement Article 140 of constitution that would hold
referendum on future of Kirkuk Never completed its work
Aug 7 Protest in Samawa over lack of jobs, water and electricity turned into a riot
outside governor’s office Broken up by police
Aug 8 Saddam fired his entire legal team at his trial
Aug 8 Constitutional committee ended its work Negotiations over final draft began
within leadership council of committee Shiite and Kurdish members of constitution committee made more changes to constitution with Sunnis often excluded
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Aug 9 Baghdad city council chief Makkia of SCIRI led group of Badr militiamen to oust Baghdad
mayor Tamimi and installed himself in office
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Aug 9 Defense Secretary Rumsfeld said that weapons were being smuggled from Iran into
Iraq Most senior US official to accuse Tehran of arming groups in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 9 Suicide car bomb hit US convoy in Baghdad killing 7 and wounding more than 90
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Aug 11 SCIRI’s Hakim announced idea for southern federal region in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
(Musings On Iraq history of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)
Aug 11 SCIRI held march in Najaf calling for a federal region in southern Iraq Had
posters of Ayatollah Khomeini
Aug 11 Salah al-Mutalq said SCIRI’s call for a southern region would turn Iraq over to Iran
Aug 11 Dawa rejected SCIRI’s call for a southern federal region in Iraq
Aug 11 Bush said US had to stay the course in Iraq Said free democratic Iraq in center of
Middle East would be blow to terrorism
(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 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)
Aug 11 Board of Supreme Audit found $1.27 bil in waste and fraud in Defense Min contracts
Deals made without bids or approval from PM’s office Ministry didn’t keep records of deals Were paid upfront in cash Went through middlemen instead of buying directly from companies 43 of 89 contracts went to Nair Jumaili who didn’t appear in contracts He got $759 mil Most of the contracts were not for real deals but just to steal money Deals were brokered by Ziad Qattan who had no experience with weapons deals He signed deal with company with no military experience to provide equipment for Rapid Deployment units Company owned by secretary of VP and adviser to Defense Minister
(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)
Aug 13 4 tribes fought Al Qaeda in Iraq in Ramadi in pitched battle inside city Started when Al
Qaeda in Iraq demanded city’s Shiites leave Tribes posted flyers saying they would not allow Zarqawi to turn city into another Fallujah and said that Zarqawi had lost his way
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Aug 13 Al Qaeda in Iraq posted flyers in Ramadi saying it would kill clerics who urged
People to vote in up coming elections
Aug 13 Al Qaeda in Iraq declared those who supported constitution apostates and they could be
killed
Aug 14 US Amb Khalilzad accused of Iran of attempting to subvert Iraq after US forces
seized EFPs in south Iraq
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 14 Kurds marched in Irbil Kirkuk Dohuk Sulaymaniya calling for Kurdish self
determination control of Kirkuk and disputed areas
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Aug 15 One week extension was given to Iraq’s constitutional committee to finish work
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Aug 18 Police report listed 18 Sunnis arrested in Baghdad 6 weeks later their bodies were
found along Iranian border shot in head and showing signs of torture
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 18 Anbar governor and other Sunni leaders fired upon in Ramadi during meeting over
constitutional referendum
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
Aug 19 Al Qaeda in Iraq unsuccessfully fired rockets at two U.S. ships docked in an
Israeli port from Jordan Al Qaeda and Abdallah Azzam Brigades took responsibility
Aug 19 3 Islamic Party members kidnapped by gunmen in Mosul putting up flyers to
vote in constitutional referendum
Aug 20 Report Islamic Party talked with insurgents to try to ensure large turnout in
constitutional referendum
Aug 20 Report Shiite parties took over police in Basra Carried out assassinations of
ex-Baathists Sunni leaders and rival Shiites
Aug 20 Report Peshmerga ran 5 prisons and carrying out mass arrests of Sunnis Turkmen and
minorities in Mosul
Aug 21 Interior Minister Jabr said that stories of Iran supplying weapons to Iraqi militias
were exaggerated
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 21 Islamic Party leader Tariq Hashemi said constitution would not stop violence in
Iraq because most politicians not recognized by public
Aug 21 Isam al-Rawi of Muslim Scholars Association advocated US withdrawal
reforming security forces amnesty for Baathists talks with insurgency
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Aug 22 Incomplete draft constitution presented to parliament Given another extension
to finish draft
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Aug 22 Report Abu Mustafa Sheibani running arms for Iranian Revolutionary Guard to
Shiite militias in Iraq including EFPs
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 22 Board of Supreme Audit report leaked to press about corruption in defense spending Found
nearly half of $1.27 bil spent on defense in 1st 8 months of Allawi govt went missing Allawi’s office and Defense Ministry gave no bid contracts to middlemen who were paid up front in cash and never delivered items
(Musings On Iraq Ziad Qatan, Allawi Govt Defense Official Wanted For Corruption Extradited By
Jordan)
(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 review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Aug 23 Sunni members of constitutional committee said they rejected draft Said
committee didn’t create consensus on draft Members of Allawi’s Iraqi National Accord also voiced concerns about draft
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
Aug 23 US embassy report said Gen Casey’s plan for handing off security to Iraq had no
chance of succeeding and argued for counterinsurgency strategy to defeat insurgency instead
(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)
Aug 24 Report EFP attacks upon US forces showed Iranian and Hezbollah arming militias
in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Aug 24 Police took away 36 Sunnis from Hurriya, Baghdad tortured, killed them and
dumped their bodies along Iranian border Iraqi judge blamed Volcano Brigade commander for murders but nothing done to him
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 24 Sadrists tried to re-open office in Najaf Badr tried to stop them Led to 2 days of fighting 100
killed Sadr office burned down
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Aug 25 Constitutional committee given 3rd extension to finish work
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Aug 25 Dir of Ops Iraq and Afghanistan Gen Lute said militias were not under Baghdad’s command
Were an obstacle to peace and govt had to eventually deal with them
Aug 28 Draft Iraq constitution presented to parliament Approved by govt without consensus of
drafting committee More changes made to it afterward
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Aug 30 US Ambassador to Iraq Khalilzad said final draft of constitution with edits had not
been submitted It never was
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
Aug 31 Rumor of suicide bomber led to stampede of Shiite pilgrims on Tigris Bridge in Baghdad
leading to over 1,000 dead and wounded
Aug 31 Report draft constitution did not deal with some of major issues in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Aug 31 Albu Mahal Sheikh Mahallawi said his tribe had declared war on Al Qaeda in Iraq in
western Anbar
(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 Anbar Before And After The Awakening Pt IX: Sheikh Sabah Aziz Of The Albu Mahal)
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
Aug 31 Red Team set up by Ambassador Khalilzad and General Casey in July made its report Aimed
at creating counterinsurgency strategy to come to victory in 3 years Said current strategy of turning over security to Iraqis would allow Coalition to withdraw but ISF couldn't defeat the insurgency Called for ink spot counterinsurgency plan Didn’t ask for more troops
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review Nights in the Pink Motel, An American Strategist’s Pursuit of Peace in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
Sep 1 Operation Restoring Rights started to clear Tal Afar
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 17 Innovation In The Face Of War, Summer-Fall 2005)
Sep 1 Jordan’s PM Badran said it was time for Arab countries to open up to Iraq
Sep 7 Report Al Qaeda in Iraq controlled Qaim in Anbar Made alliance with local tribe to run town
Sep 8 Former Secretary of State Powell said some US analysts pre-03 knew intelligence
on Iraq was bad but didn’t say anything Said he never saw any evidence linking Iraq to 9/11 Said US made mistake of not imposing its will upon Iraq right after invasion
Sep 11 Report 70% of Iraqi detainees picked up by US released for lack of evidence or being a
threat 1000s of innocent Iraqis being held in US detention facilities for months before getting released US mass arrests causing widespread resentment against Americans
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
Sep 12 Kissinger OpEd Wash Post Said victory over insurgency only way for US to leave
Iraq Kissinger later told Bush Cheney and Chief of Staff Hadley same message at White House
Sep 14 Al Qaeda in Iraq set off 12 car bombs in Baghdad 167 killed Almost 600 wounded
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Sep 14 Zarqawi declared war on Shiites in response to U.S. offensive in Tal Afar
(Musings On Iraq Tracking Al Qaeda in Iraq’s Zarqawi Interview With Ex-CIA Analyst Nada Bakos)
(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 Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
Sep 17 SAS arrested Mahdi Army commander in Basra Fartusi Led to retaliation by militia
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
Sep 18 Iraq draft constitution presented to UN Hussein Shahristani of United Iraqi Alliance read
draft to parliament without giving members opportunity to vote or debate it
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Sep 18 UK General Brims reported 12 car bombs in Baghdad weekly casualties up 122% after
Zarqawi declared war on Shiites
(Musings On Iraq Tracking Al Qaeda in Iraq’s Zarqawi Interview With Ex-CIA Analyst Nada Bakos)
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
Sep 18 UK arrested 2 Sadrist clerics in Basra city for involvement bombings of UK forces
Led to confrontation
Sep 19 2 SAS arrested by Basra police at checkpoint after firefight killed 1 Iraqi police Wounded 2
Iraqi soldiers SAS surveilling head of Basra Serious Crimes Unit for various crimes SAS were beaten Had photos released to media Accused of being spies Led to rioting outside UK base in Basra Governor chief of police Interior Min ordered SAS released but ignored UK negotiations failed SAS raided police station but soldiers not there Found them in house run by police and Mahdi Army and freed Operation resulted in 6 hour gun battle with Basra police 4-9 killed and 44 wounded Led to major re-evaluation of UK policy in Basra
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Task Force Black, The Explosive True Story Of The SAS And the Secret War In Iraq)
Sep 19 Report Most of $1bil arms deals with Poland and Pakistan under PM Allawi stolen Were no bid contracts with money paid upfront Bought helicopters and armored cars that were in operable Overpaid for guns
(Musings On Iraq Ziad Qatan, Allawi Govt Defense Official Wanted For Corruption Extradited By
Jordan)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(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 General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on Iraq’s fight with corruption)
(Musings On Iraq interview with former anti-corruption official Vincent Foulk)
Sep 19 Bremer denied knowing Ziad Qatan who he asked to stay on as procurement
officer at Defense Minister when Allawi became interim PM Qatan involved in $1.2 bil in missing funds in Defense Ministry contracts
(Musings On Iraq Ziad Qatan, Allawi Govt Defense Official Wanted For Corruption Extradited By
Jordan)
Sep 19 UK official warned that Coalition strategy not working Said Coalition goals were to stick to
timetable for constitution referendum and 2005 elections for sovereign Iraqi govt Was based upon idea that insurgency could be contained and Sunnis won over by promise to withdraw in 2006 Official warned counterinsurgency policy not working and Coalition lacked resources to achieve its goal and may not withdraw until 2008
Sep 19 Frm police adv Steele memo to Sec Def Rumsfeld Said ISCI and Badr trying to take control
of elite Interior Min units Protected death squads Extorted prisoners Were corrupt Recruiting only Shiites into commandos Warned could start civil war
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq U.S. Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 16 – Going West, April-August 2005)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Sep 20 After SAS officers arrested by Iraqi police in Basra leading to day long stand off and raid UK
press said Blair’s Iraq policy failing
Sep 20 Basra Gov Waeli said UK acted like terrorists after raid on Iraqi police station to rescue
captured soldiers Wanted apology from UK and compensation and UK general fired
Sep 21 Anti-occupation demonstration by police in Basra City after Sep 19 battle between UK
troops and police and Mahdi Army
Sep 21 Basra council voted for non-cooperation with British forces in province until compensation
paid for casualties in Sep 19 battle between UK troops and police and Mahdi Army
Sep 21 Sec State Powell wrote PM Blair saying Coalition facing strategic failure and perhaps defeat
in Iraq Could withdraw in 2006 and hand over responsibilities to Iraqi govt not up to task or change strategy by reaching out to Sunnis Finding Sunnis willing to reconcile Continue to fight insurgency Integrate military and political operations Back new Iraqi govt and then withdraw
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
Sep 22 Bush said upcoming elections for parliament and constitution would mean more
violence in Iraq Said that if US withdrew Iraq could become a terrorist safe haven
(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)
Sep 22 Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Iraq could be breaking up
Sep 22 Report insurgent clearing Baghdad of Shiites increasing especially in Dora,
Amiriyah, Ghaziliya, Sadiya
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Sep 22 UK official said Sadr wanted to talk about southern Iraq UK said it wouldn’t negotiate
because Mahdi Army working with Iran and Hezbollah to attack British troops in Basra Sadr said still interested because wanted follower released London recommended talks
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Sep 25 Ayatollah Sistani condemned violence in Iraq
Sep 26 NSC report on Iraq Security better but insurgents adapting Not enough US troops
PM Jaafari not doing well
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Sep 26 Report Constitution created more problems than solved US got 15 Sunnis added to committee
Pushed for quick passage because wanted to withdraw in 2006 Drafting constitution became political battle rather than reconciliation Sunnis excluded when group of Shiites and Kurds took over draft Made most decisions in private without sharing with other members Sunnis refused to sign draft Ad hoc group sent constitution for approval anyway Constitution didn’t resolve controversial issues
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Sep 27 UK official met with Sadrist in Basra Claimed Mahdi Army not attacking British forces
Wanted followers released UK said follower admitted to attacks on UK forces and wouldn’t release him Sadrists threatened future attacks if follower not released
Sep 29 NYTimes reporter Miller told grand jury VP Cheney’s chief of staff Libby told her
fmr Amb Wilson’s wife was a CIA agent Was retaliation for Wilson challenging White House over Iraq-Niger uranium story
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)
Sep 29 Gen Abizaid and Gen Casey told Congress number of Iraq army battalions that
could operate independently dropped from 3 to 1
Sep 29 Balad bombing killed 95
Sep 30 UK Defense and Foreign Offices assessment of Sep 19 Basra fighting Said challenged UK
policy in south Said political parties and militias greatest threat and UK had few options to deal with them Suggested Baghdad crackdown on south Replace Basra police chief Accelerate UK withdrawal
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
Oct 1 Marines launched Op Iron Fist aimed at Qaim border region of Anbar
Oct 2 Parliament ruled no vote on constitution would be based upon actual voters not
registered ones to diminish Sunni ballots against document Sunni politicians complained about change saying it would make it harder to reject draft constitution
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
Oct 2 Pres Talabani asked PM Jaafari to step down Complained Shiites were
dominating govt Accused United Iraqi Alliance of not giving Kurds govt positions, neglecting ministries run by Kurds and not dealing with Kirkuk
Oct 2 CENTCOM commander Gen Abizaid told Congress he was optimistic about Iraq
war
Oct 2 US commander in Iraq Gen Casey told Congress 1/3 of 119 Iraqi army battalions
could operate with some US aid
Oct 3 Report Saudi Foreign Min Faisal told Council on Foreign Relations that Iran was sending in
people to Iraq and creating militias Said US was handing Iraq over to Iran Interior Min Jabr replied that Faisal was a camel riding Bedouin
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Oct 5 Parliament changed decision from actual voters back to registered ones for no
vote on constitution
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
Oct 5 Suicide bomber hit mosque in Hilla, Babil killing 27 wounding 87
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Oct 5 UK Amb to Iraq accused Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah of providing EFPs to
attack UK troops in Basra Said attacks carried out by breakaway units from Sadr’s Mahdi Army
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Oct 5 UK Def Intel Chief report after trip to Iraq Said security worse despite political progress Said if
strategy not changed situation would not allow UK withdrawal
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
Oct 6 Bush said there was no peace in Iraq without victory and that US would win At
time US had no strategy to win war
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
(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 What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
Oct 6 Blair said new explosive devices being used in Iraq pointed to Hezbollah or
Iranian involvement Was talking about EFPs
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Oct 11 US agreement created committee to amend new constitution after it was passed to get Sunni
support Amendments never happened
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Oct 12 Sunni parties agreed to draft constitution
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Oct 12 Report Iraqi 1st Brigade 6th Division was carrying out sectarian raids and attacks on Sunnis
in WBaghdad
Oct 12 UK paper said draft constitution put off major issues that would risk a weak Iraqi govt
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Oct 15 Constitution approved in Referendum 66% voter turnout 70% of Sunnis voted against it
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq’s Future, How Corruption, Incompetence and Sectarianism Have Undermined Democracy)
Oct 19 Saddam’s trial started and pled his innocence
Oct 19 Rice told Senate about Clear Hold Build counterinsurgency plan for Iraq Was not
discussed with US military beforehand
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq 2006 Clear Hold Build: An Iraq Strategy That Wasn’t A Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq review State of Denial, Bush At War, Part III)
Oct 19 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey US Iraq Amb Khalilzad later asked Rice what Clear Hold
Build was and why not consulted
Oct 19 Rumsfeld complained to Rice that he did not back Clear Hold Build and he
was not consulted about it
Oct 20 One of Saddam’s lawyers kidnapped and killed
Oct 23 Islamic Army got in gun battle with Al Qaeda in Iraq in Taji north Baghdad over the
latter killing members of the Islamic Army
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Oct 24 Palestine Hotel and Sheraton Ishtar Hotel in Baghdad hit by truck bombs
Oct 25 Results of Constitutional referendum announced 79% voted for constitution Anbar and
Salahaddin overwhelmingly voted no 55% of Ninewa voted no Overall 70% of Sunnis rejected it
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq How Faults With Iraq’s Constitution Undermines The Country, Interview with Constitutional Scholar Zaid Al-Ali)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
Oct 25 Death toll for Americans in Iraq reached 2,000
Oct 25 Iraq Body Count est 26,690-30,051 Iraqi civilians police died since 03 invasion
Oct 25 Bush speech said US strategy in Iraq was Clear Hold Build Def Sec Rumsfeld tried to have it
removed because Sec State Rice came up with plan without consulting with Pentagon
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq 2006 Clear Hold Build: An Iraq Strategy That Wasn’t A Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq review State of Denial, Bush At War, Part III)
Oct 25 Chalabi claimed Supreme Contracts Comm he headed ended 98% of corruption in big govt
contracts
Oct 26 Report CIA review of Zarqawi’s visit to Baghdad in May 02 based upon interviews
with Saddam era Iraqi officials said that Zarqawi probably didn’t have protection of Iraqi govt Bush administration originally claimed Zarqawi given safe haven by Saddam and said that was proof of Iraq-Al Qaeda cooperation
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
Oct 27 Baghdad insurgent leader told Guardian he supported voting on Constitution and
opposed Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Oct 28 Bush speech said Iraq central front in war on terror against Al Qaeda and US
would have complete victory
(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 What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Oct 28 Cheney chief of staff Libby indicted on obstruction perjury false statements for
retaliating vs Fmr Amb Wilson by leaking to press that his wife was a CIA agent in retaliation for Wilson opposing Iraq-Niger uranium deal White House promoted
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Oct 29 Rumsfeld disagreed with Rice’s Clear Hold Build strategy Said Iraqis were ones that needed
to stand and fight and not rely on US troops
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq 2006 Clear Hold Build: An Iraq Strategy That Wasn’t A Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq review State of Denial, Bush At War, Part III)
Oct 30 US military issued new campaign plan Based upon Aug 04 plan Focused upon withdrawing
US troops to prevent Iraqi dependency Reconcile with Sunnis Turn over security to ISF
(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 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Oct 30 Natl Sec Adv Rubaie wrote US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey and Amb Khalilzad Said Iraq should
participate in writing campaign strategy Criticized plan saying it was just holding off insurgency to allow US withdrawal Said US should focus on protecting Iraqi population and create secure areas with ISF
Oct 30 Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction report said US had no policy for
staffing reconstruction of Iraq Said lack of planning plagued rebuilding
Oct 30 Italian press speculated that intelligence agency SISMI forged documents claiming
Iraq-Niger uranium deal and shared them with US and UK intelligence
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Oct 30 Report PUK built dozens of houses in Kirkuk City and moving Kurds in Said
to reverse Saddam’s Arabization program
Oct 31 US report Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Iraqi militias and police carrying out assassinations
in Basra Sayid al-Shuhada, Iraq Hezbollah, Thar Allah, Fadhilah, Badr Brigade and others all took assassination orders from Iranians
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Nov 1 Bush and Blair agreed Sunni outreach before Dec election main priority
Nov 3 Human Rights Watch report on systematic abuse of prisoners by 82nd Airborne Div in Anbar
Nov 3 Report Italian intelligence agency SISMI told US in January 03 that Iraq-Niger uranium deal
documents were fakes
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Nov 5 US-Iraqi Op Steel Curtain started to clear Qaim Anbar Started in Karabila that was cleared
in Oct 05 but insurgents moved back in right afterward
Nov 6 Report Feb 2002 DIA said Al Qaeda captive Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi was misleading in
statements about Iraq-Al Qaeda cooperation Libi would continue to be source for administration statements about Iraq-Al Qaeda ties
Nov 6 Report Informer Rocco Martino provided fake documents claiming Iraq tried to buy uranium
from Niger to Italian intelligence agency SISMI that then passed along story to US and UK British still claimed they had independent sources of Iraq uranium deal after documents and story were discredited
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Nov 8 Another one of Saddam’s lawyers was killed in an ambush
Nov 9 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed 3 western hotels in Amman, Jordan hitting wedding
parties Led to widespread condemnation of Zarqawi by Jordanians
Nov 9 Haditha massacre After Marine killed by IED his unit entered 2 houses they thought were taking fire
from Killed 24 Iraqi civilians Investigation botched
(Musings On Iraq review Meltdown in Haditha, The Killing of 24 Iraqi Civilians by U.S. Marines and the Failure of Military Justice)
(Musings On Iraq review No Time For The Truth, The Haditha Incident And The Search For Justice)
Nov 10 Al Qaeda in Iraq took responsibility for hotel bombings in Jordan Later realized
attacks cost it public support and tried to justify them by claiming they were targeting Israelis and Americans and would never attack Jordanian public
Nov 10 National Security Adviser Hadley denied that White House manipulated Iraq intel
before 2003 invasion
Nov 10 Marine report on Haditha massacre Claimed an IED and then attack left 8 insurgents
dead No mention of the Marines killing civilians
Nov 11 Bush announced US Iraq strategy was clear hold build Didn't tell military beforehand and
not actual policy
(Musings On Iraq 2006 Clear Hold Build: An Iraq Strategy That Wasn’t A Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review State of Denial, Bush At War, Part III)
Nov 11 Sec of State Rice arrived in Mosul to announce first US Provincial Reconstruction Team
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)
Nov 12 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey told Rumsfeld Iraq might take 9-13 yrs
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Nov 13 US forces found 173 prisoners in secret prison in Baghdad run by Interior Min Dep Dir of
Intel from Badr Prisoners tortured Interior Min Jabr later denied any torture US investigation later found since July 05 Dep Dir of Intel illegally arresting torturing and killing civilians
(Musings On Iraq How The World Found Out That Iraq Still Tortured People)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Nov 13 18 Sunni men found handcuffed blindfolded and shot in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Nov 14 Pentagon’s inspector general said it was investigating Deputy Secretary of
Defense for Policy Feith’s office that looked into Iraq-Al Qaeda ties to see whether it conducted any illegal intelligence activities
Nov 15 PM Jaafari admitted that prisoners found by US forces at secret prison in Baghdad were
tortured Interior Ministry Gen Kamal claimed abuse done by inexperienced police and would lead to reform within ministry Secret prison was actually one of many run by Badr Interior Ministry forces throughout Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq How The World Found Out That Iraq Still Tortured People)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Nov 15 28 Sunni men found shot in head in Jasan Diyala near Iranian border
Nov 15 US-Iraq Op Steel Curtain to clear Qaim Anbar ended
Nov 16 Sunni MP Falluji accused Iraqi forces of carrying out sectarian extra judicial killings
Nov 16 Cheney said people that claimed US lied about causes of Iraq war undermined the troops
Nov 16 White House rebutted NYTimes editorial that questioned pre-war WMD argument for
Iraq war
Nov 16 US-Iraq Op Steel Curtain to clear Qaim Anbar ended
Nov 17 US Embassy said militias and sectarian actors should not run Iraqi security forces
or any ministries
Nov 17 Head of central criminal court in Baghdad Samarrie told NYTimes said special
Inter Min forces didn't need arrest warrants or file court papers
Nov 17 Congressman Murtha introduced resolution to withdraw US troops from Iraq
saying war going badly
Nov 17 Report detailed how INC defector Haideri spread false stories about Iraq
WMD to media and a White House paper
Nov 17 Report Inter Min Jabr said that secret prison in Baghdad with 173 prisoners many of which
were tortured found by US forces and run by Badr unit was being exaggerated because no one was beheaded or killed
(Musings On Iraq How The World Found Out That Iraq Still Tortured People)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Nov 18 House Republicans attacked Democrats for trying to cut and run in Iraq by
backing withdrawal US policy was withdrawal
Nov 18 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed Shiite mosque in Khanaqin, Diyala 74 dead
(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)
Nov 18 Study 90-96% of insurgency were Iraqis only 4-10% foreign fighters
Nov 19 Bush described US strategy “As Iraqis stand up we will stand down” Was a withdrawal
strategy which Bush didn’t understand
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Days Of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House)
Nov 19 2 days of insurgent attacks upon Shiites left 324 civilians dead and wounded
Nov 20 Report on how US relied upon Iraqi defector CURVEBALL for intel on Iraq’s
WMD when they were warned he was unreliable
(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claim That Iraq Had WMD)
(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)
(Musings On Iraq Story of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)
(Musings On Iraq review Curveball, Spies, Lies, And The Con Man Who Caused A War)
Nov 22 Wall St Journal OpEd repeated story that 9/11 hijacker Atta might have met Iraqi
intel agent in Prague in 2001 Story disproved in 2002
Nov 28 Dep Human Rights Min Usayran and Gen Samarriae told Knight Ridder Iraqi
forces torturing and abusing prisoners
Nov 28 Arrest warrant for police’s Volcano Brigade commander Gen Gharwai Never given
to Interior Min to carry out
Nov 28 Anbar Gov Alwani hosted meeting of US forces and sheikhs interested in working with
Americans against insurgents Led to creation of Anbar security council of sheikhs religious leaders and former soldiers
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Nov 29 Rumsfeld told press “insurgent” should no longer be used when reporting on Iraq
because they didn’t believe in anything He then explained that they stood for overthrowing the Iraqi system and creating a caliphate Rumsfeld said US forces didn't have to report abuse and torture by Iraqi forces Joint Chiefs head General Pace then used insurgent when describing security in Iraq and said US forces absolutely had responsibility to report any abuses by Iraqi forces
Nov 29 Report Badr infiltrated Interior Ministry Mahdi Army regular police Both carrying
out murders torture and abuse Interior Ministry Inspector General quoted as saying police carrying out extrajudicial killings Interior Ministry intelligence chief Kamal said there was abuse going on but was not official policy of the Ministry
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(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)
Nov 29 KRG held ceremony for DNO to start drilling for oil at field in Zakho
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Nov 29 Fmr Saudi Information Min Hujailan editorial said Saudis backed Iraq during Iran-Iraq War
to protect Arab world from Iran Now feared that Arab Iraq was disappearing due to Iran
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Nov 30 Aide to PM Jaafari wanted to know whether KRG singing oil deal with DNO
constitutional
Nov 30 White House released National Strategy for Victory in Iraq Lacked substance on
what new strategy was
Nov 30 Bush speech announced new National Strategy for Victory in Iraq Said goal was to
train Iraqi forces to take over the war New US strategy was actually a withdrawal plan not one to win war
(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 What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Nov 30 Pentagon contracted Lincoln Group to place pro-US stories in Arab media
Dec 1 Kurdistan Islamic Union sent letter to Dohuk govt saying they wanted security for
planned KDP demonstrations at their offices
Dec 1 Report KRG signed deal with Norway’s DNO in 2004 to drill for oil Was 1st post-invasion
contract KRG PM Barzani said Baghdad would never control Kurdistan’s resources
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Dec 2 Rumsfeld told CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid and US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey CIA found
insurgents infiltrating Iraqi army in Anbar
Dec 2 Gen Dempsey in charge of US training mission for ISF said 100 Iraqi army battalions 33
operating on own 40 in the lead Said 27 Federal Police battalions on duty Major problem was police were recruited locally and many were from militias
(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 Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Dec 4 Report 1500 suspects arrested around Ramadi in last five months all Iraqis not
foreigners like White House claimed
Dec 5 Amb Khalilzad said he’d been authorized by Bush to start talks with Iran to get its help in
Iraq
Dec 5 Report US forces trying new Clear Hold Build strategy in Husaiba, Anbar Iraqis
seemed disorganized leaving US to do most things
Dec 6 KDP followers attacked four offices of Kurdistan Islamic Union in Dohuk Killed
2 wounded dozens for party withdrawing from Kurdish list KDP Dohuk governor claimed Islamic Union’s ideology led to attacks and he couldn’t stop them Beforehand Islamic Union called KDP admin in Dohuk corrupt and said election would be struggle between Muslims and nonbelievers KDP attacked Islamic Union for helping Arabs against Kurds
Dec 7 KDP backers attacked PUK offices in Dohuk Zakho Amedia Shaklaca Kadash Sedarash
Akre 3 killed including a KDP candidate KDP followers set PUK office in Dohuk on fire wounding 21
Dec 7 Nov DNO said it would start drilling for oil in KRG Dec found oil Signed deal in 04 1 of 1st
foreign companies to sign oil deal with KRG
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Dec 7 Report US struggled to train ISF Most thought ISF in poor condition Pentagon said 3 out of
115 ISF units were capable of operating on their own Was later lowered to just 1 unit Around 1/3 of Army units could operate with US aid 2/3 0f army and ½ of police needed more manpower and supplies to operate ½ of police were incapable of operating with no US aid Wasn’t until mid-04 that US began serious effort to train ISF Criticized because only focused on numbers and not quality Mid-04 US began embedding units with ISF Militias were operating in ISF units Ran death squads and kidnappings
Dec 7 Report Nov US found 173 abused prisoners in secret Interior Min prison in Baghdad Were
reports throughout 05 about ISF abuses Def Sec Rumsfeld questioned whether US should do anything about it
Dec 8 Bin Laden’s Pakistani biographer quoted in Osama bin Laden I Know book saying
bin Laden hated Saddam
Dec 8 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
Dec 8 Report KDP attacked 7 Kurdistan Islamic Union buildings before election 4 killed 21 wounded
Dec 9 Report Al Qaeda’s Libi’s intel about Iraq-Al Qaeda ties that proved false was acquired
while he was being tortured by Egyptians Feb 02 DIA said they were skeptical of his intel while he was in Egypt Libi was highest level Al Qaeda member held by US at time Made statements about Iraq-Al Qaeda ties while in US custody but gave most detailed reports while in Egypt Those were later used by Bush administration in its case for war
Dec 9 United Iraqi Alliance breaking up into factions after elections Complaints that it hadn’t
presented a vision for Iraq because not using qualified people
Dec 10 Report Badr formed as military wing of SCIRI in 1983 Fought on Iranian side in Iran-Iraq
War After 91 uprising Iran decided Badr couldn’t overthrow Saddam Turned it into covert military and intel group Conducted covert ops in Iraq After invasion Badr moved into Diyala and Wasit Badr cmdr declared himself mayor of Kut which became main Badr base in Iraq Badr collected intel on Baathists insurgents Sunni clerics Assoc of Muslim Scholars Sunni parties Iraqi intel services US Became Badr Org Said it wasn’t militia anymore but was 04 started moving men into ISF which was opposed by Allawi govt Allawi’s Def Min lobbied US to disarm Badr Didn’t because saw Badr as ally against insurgency Under PM Jaafari Badr took over Interior Min Ran commando brigades
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Dec 11 Report French intel told CIA several times in 2002 that no evidence to support Iraq-
Niger uranium story
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Dec 11 Sunni sheikhs and clerics in Salahaddin and Baghdad said they would not boycott
the Dec 15 elections like they did in January
Dec 11 National Dialogue Council’s Salah al-Mutlaq called for US to bring back Saddam
era police and soldiers as long as they didn’t have blood on their hands
Dec 11 Report Sunnis connected to insurgency said US withdrawal not stop fighting Said civil war
would breakout Islamic Army Mujahadeen Army 1920 Revolution Brigades joined together
Dec 12 DIA report Insurgents recruiting networking training in prisons Could be
more dangerous after release
Dec 12 Rumsfeld told US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey and US Iraq Amb Khalilzad insurgents
networking in Iraqi jails
Dec 12 Report early 05 Islamist insurgents met with Al Qaeda in Iraq asking for a joint
command Al Qaeda in Iraq said no wanting control
Dec 12 2nd meeting of Anbar Gov Alwani sheikhs and US Focused upon how to secure
province Decided creating police would be foundation of effort
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
Dec 12 Anbar security council met with Gen Casey and Def Min Dulaimi Council rejected
Al Qaeda in Iraq agreed to work with Baghdad and US Agreed to recruiting tribesmen into ISF
Dec 13 US negotiated ceasefire started with insurgents before Dec 15 parliamentary
elections
Dec 13 Border police seized Iranian tanker truck full of fake ballots for Dec election Driver
claimed other trucks had come across from Iran with ballots
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Dec 13 NSC drafted 10 guidelines for putting together new permanent Iraqi govt
Included competent ministers not connected to Iran or Syria
Dec 14 Bush admitted that U.S. used faulty intelligence on Iraq but said war still justified
to remove Saddam
Dec 14 Kurdistan Islamic Union candidate said KDP was attacking party for withdrawing
from Kurdish list
Dec 14 UK intel report said insurgency entrenched in Sunni communities Long term attacks going
up in Iraq Sunni Arab nationalism driving force If new Iraqi govt could deal with Sunni alienation could help isolate rejectionist jihadists
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006)
Dec 14 Report Referendum on constitution divided insurgency Islamic Army supported taking part
and would stop attacks Insurgents in Ramadi threatened death to anyone that voted Al Qaeda in Iraq said would carry out attacks during election
Dec 15 Iraq held elections for a permanent parliament Some insurgent groups provided
security to make sure Sunnis could vote 75% voter participation Highest of 3 elections in 2005
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Dec 15 Secular candidate in Basra said afraid Shiite religious parties would use their
militias and police to carry out fraud during election
Dec 15 Police in Najaf drove through city calling on people to vote for the United Iraqi Alliance
Dec 15 Badr tore down election posters of rivals in Basra Maysan Muthanna Burned Allawi’s office
in Samawa Threatened rivals Removed ballots for Allawi in Basra and Amara Stuffed ballot boxes with votes for United Iraqi Alliance
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Dec 18 Bush national speech said Iraqi elections were a turning point for democracy in
Middle East and US withdrawal would show US lack of resolve US strategy was withdrawal
(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 review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
Dec 18 Allawi’s Iraqiya filed more than 60 complaints of voting violations including
members of security forces supporting United Iraqi Alliance
Dec 19 Adnan al-Dulaimi of Iraqi Accordance Front called for revote at polling stations
where violations were registered
Dec 19 Salah al-Mutlaq of National Dialogue Front claimed there was voter fraud
Dec 19 Amb Khalilzad said couldn’t have sectarian Badr member run Interior Ministry
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation, War And Resistance In Iraq)
Dec 19 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey said if US didn’t withdraw would increase Iraqi dependency Said
had to withdraw to win
(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 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Dec 20 Sunni leaders including Tariq Hashemi met with US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey Expressed anger
at election result Couldn’t accept fact Sunnis minority Claimed massive voter fraud by Shiites
Dec 21 Iraq Election Commission reported 10.9 mil of 15.6 mil voters participated in Dec
15 elections Anbar vote went from 1% in Jan to 32% in Oct to 55% in Dec
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Dec 21 Commandos from 1st Commando brigade based in Samarra said most of the unit was
from Mahdi Army and didn’t respect their commander only Sadr
Dec 21 NSC presented 10 goals for new Iraqi govt to Bush Including competent ministers fighting
corruption
Dec 21 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Bush Sunnis were disappointed in Dec 2005 election results
Could lead to increased violence
Dec 21 Report US negotiated ceasefire with insurgents for Dec election
Dec 22 Iraqi Islamic Party National Dialogue Front Iraqiya threatened to boycott new
parliament Called elections fraudulent Demanded new vote
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Dec 22 Report Dec election 55% turnout in Anbar Jan election only 1% voted Oct referendum on
constitution only 32% voted Insurgents split over Dec voting Some provided security for polling stations Some clerics called for people to vote Zarqawi threatened anyone that participated
Dec 23 IMF approved $685 mil loan for Iraq
Dec 23 Bush said 2 US brigades would be withdrawn from 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 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Dec 24 National Security Advisor Rubaie met with Ayatollah Sistani Said Sistani rejected calls for
revote due to complaints and violations Rubaie said Iraq would re-arrest Baathist officials just released by US
Dec 24 Iraq court barred 90 candidates from election for Baathist ties
(Musings On Iraq The Baathist Purge In Post-Saddam Iraq, A Short History Of DeBaathification)
Dec 25 Report US mismanaged developing Iraq’s electricity network Installed 26 natural gas
turbines at 7 plants when Iraq didn’t have gas or infrastructure to support them
(Musings On Iraq Rebuilding Iraq’s Electrical Network In A Warzone 2003-2005)
Dec 27 Al Qaeda in Iraq fired 2 rockets from south Lebanon into Israel Zarqawi said he did it to
fulfill promise to bin Laden to attack Israel
Dec 27 Report 10,000 Peshmerga integrated into army Said they were still peshmerga and still
took orders from Kurdish cmdrs Said they were willing to fight Arabs Officer rejected 150 Arab soldiers joining his unit 2nd Div 90% Kurds 3000 soldiers in Irbil Kurds 4th Brigade in Mosul all Kurds Brigade in Sulaymaniya all Kurds Battalion in Kirkuk 60% Kurd
Dec 28 UN endorsed December elections for a permanent Iraqi parliament
Dec 29 Zarqawi took responsibility for rocket attack on Israel Said he was fulfilling
promise to bin Laden
Dec 29 US military found 3 more secret prisons run by militias within the Interior
Ministry where torture used
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Dec 30 Oil Min Uloom put on leave after opposing govt plan to increase prices on gas and
cooking oil Replaced by Dep PM Chalabi
Dec 30 South Korea’s parliament okayed plan to withdraw 1/3 of its forces from Iraq Korea
had 3rd largest Coalition force in Iraq
Dec 31 Report Fuel crisis growing in Iraq Huge lines at Baghdad gas stations Baiji refinery shut down
after insurgent threats Pipeline to Dora refinery blown up by insurgents
2006
Jan 1 UK Gen Houghton said that US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey wanted to emphasize fighting
insurgency while withdrawing US troops Houghton didn’t think that was plan to defeat insurgents
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jan 1 1920 Rev Brigade leader in Ramadi Latif and more than a dozen sheikhs and notables formed
Anbar People’s Comm Wanted to take over Anbar govt and police force Signed up 671 police recruits Islamic Party that ran Anbar threatened by committee Worked with PM Maliki VP Hashemi Anbar Gov Alwani to create competing tribal council
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
Jan 2 Iraq’s Dec 2005 export average of 1.1 million barrels a day of oil was lowest since
2003 invasion
Jan 2 USAID report on development projects outlined civil war Iraq Said tribes were
turning in rivals as insurgents to govt South Iraq controlled by militias and religious groups curtailing people’s freedoms imposing dress codes bombing liquor stores etc Said Iraqi govt had no real control of country police ineffective criminals had free reign and working with militias and insurgents
Jan 2 Saudi King Abdullah told US officials that US Saudis Saddam agreed to fight Iran in
1980s but now US was presenting Iraq on a golden platter to Iran
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jan 3 US was able to start recruiting tribesmen into Ramadi dist police
Jan 5 Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide car bomb in Ramadi killed 70 tribal recruits for police organized by
Anbar People’s Committee
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
Jan 5 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Bush US on verge of success in Iraq Said US might be able to
cancel deployment of 4 army brigades and 1 Marine regiment
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
Jan 7 Report US held talks with insurgents inside and outside Iraq since fall
2005 Not much progress said to have been made
Jan 7 Report insurgents expressing complaints and splits with Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Jan 8 Bush admin meetings said US was on strategic defensive in Iraq
Jan 8 More than half sheikhs on Anbar People’s Comm which was attempt by Ramadi sheikhs and
1920 Rev Brigade to join Anbar politics assassinated by Al Qaeda in Iraq Many of the survivors quit committee
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
Jan 9 Foreign Minister Zebari told Amb Khalilzad Ayatollah Sistani and Iran’s Gen
Suleimani would likely pick next candidate for premier after 05 vote
(Musings On Iraq Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Commander General Suleimani And His Role In Iraq, An Interview With The New Yorker’s Dexter Filkins)
Jan 10 Dec 05 oil production avg 1.9 mil/bar/day Was down from Jan 03 when produced 2.3
mil/bar/day Analysts didn’t think industry would make any real increase for 2-3 yrs April 03-Jan 06 290 attacks on energy sector
Jan 11 Supreme Council head Hakim ruled out any substantive changes to Iraqi
constitution Blamed US and Sunni parties for insurgency claiming they encouraged terrorism
(Musings On Iraq history of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)
Jan 11 Spanish police broke up recruiting network that raised money and sent fighters to
Iraq in coordination with Al Qaeda in Iraq
Jan 12 UK Embassy in Iraq argued for high level talks with Sadrists to push them towards greater
political engagement and role in new Iraqi govt
Jan 12 Gen Peterson head of US training mission said that 200,000 Iraqi police would
finish courses by end of 2006 in what was dubbed Year of the Police
(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 War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jan 12 Report Albu Mahal tribe in Qaim west Anbar turned on Al Qaeda in Iraq and formed Desert
Protection Force to fight it
(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 Anbar Before And After The Awakening Pt IX: Sheikh Sabah Aziz Of The Albu Mahal)
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Jan 12 Report Islamic Army said in Oct it got into gun battle with Al Qaeda in Iraq in Taji Baghdad
Fighting lasted for days Al Qaeda in Iraq has fought Islamic Army Mohammed’s Army in Anbar Babil Salaahddin Sep 05 sheikh in Baghdad asked govt help to drive out Al Qaeda in Iraq Was assassinated as a result 2005 elections split insurgency over whether Sunnis should vote or not Al Qaeda in Iraq opposed both elections
Jan 13 Report after US forces handed over Saddam palace in Tikrit in Nov 2005 Iraqi forces
and Salahaddin officials looted facilities
Jan 15 UK Gen Houghton said US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey returned from US and got backing for his
plan to transition to Iraqi control and withdraw US troops Houghton said transition to Iraqi control highlighted all the problems in the country
(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 18 – Defeated By Democracy, Winter 2005-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Jan 15 Al Qaeda in Iraq created Mujahedeen Shura Council to try to cooperate with other
insurgent groups Shura Council was in part created due to Al Qaeda’s suggestion Zarqawi include more Iraqis in his jihad Said it was start of Islamic state
(Musings On Iraq Tracking Al Qaeda in Iraq’s Zarqawi Interview With Ex-CIA Analyst Nada Bakos)
(Musings On Iraq How The Islamic State’s Caliphate In Iraq Was Originally Ignored)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jan 15 Sheikh Fahadawi of Albu Fahd in Ramadi met with PM Jaafari Amb Khalilzad Gen Casey
Anbar Gov Alwani Convinced PM to allow Iraqi police to recruit local tribesmen
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Jan 15 US announced more than 2000 military police would work with Iraqi police in the
field as advisers during Year of the Police
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
Jan 15 Report $18.6 bil US approved for reconstruction in 2003 would be spent by end of
2006 Foreign govts provided only fraction of what they promised Japan pledged $5 bil in reconstruction funds in 2003 Delivered less than 50% of that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait pledged $1 bil and gave less than 10% Spain England S Korea UAE Italy Canada owed more than $100 mil each for their 2003 promises
Jan 16 Sheikh Fahadawi of Albu Fahd in Ramadi assassinated by Al Qaeda in Iraq for
talking with Americans
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Jan 18 Al Qaeda in Iraq killed Sheikh Mohammed Sadiq al-Battah in Baghdad Head of
Albu Chlaib tribe in Anbar
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Jan 20 December 2005 election results announced United Iraqi Alliance 128 seats Kurds 53
Accordance Front 44 Iraqiya 25 National Dialogue Front 11 Islamist Kurds 5 Reconciliation and Liberation bloc 3 Risayloun 2 Mithal Alusi 1 Turkmen 1 Christians 1 Yazidis 1
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jan 20 Al Qaeda in Iraq said Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi had become emir of new
Mujahedeen Shura Council
Jan 20 US Ambassador Khalilzad held meeting with Iyad Allawi and Fadhila head Jabiri
Khalilzad promised Jabiri presidency if he broke with United Iraqi Alliance and backed Allawi Sunnis and Kurds Allawi later told his Iraqiya he wanted to get Jabiri to back him for prime ministership
Jan 20 Report Allaw’s Def Min ran front companies Made cash payments Bought equipment never
delivered Had rest houses for army cmdrs Cmdrs stole salaries of soldiers US couldn’t verify what happened to $8.8 bil given to Iraqi ministries under CPA and Allawi
(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 21 KDP and PUK made new power sharing agreement splitting up posts in KRG
Jan 21 Report Iran moved in their men and allies into south Iraq right after 2003 invasion Set up
military political diplomatic economic humanitarian forces Used front companies Tried to move into southern Iraqi economy Backed mosques and universities Wanted to bog down US occupation
Jan 22 Report 34,131 attacks in 2005 up from 26,496 in 2004 Car bombs went from 420
in 2004 to 873 in 2005 IEDs went from 5,607 in 2004 to 10,953 in 2005
Jan 23 Report Iraqis going to Jordan jumped from 200-250/day from 2004-05 to 1,100/day
in Jan 06 as people were fleeing violence
Jan 23 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed Sheikh Kharbite’s house in Ramadi of Albu Khalifa tribe
and member of Anbar security council
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Jan 24 Report Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction found disputes lack of staff and
rules caused huge delays completing projects
Jan 25 Report US wanted to make Iraqi army light infantry force of 10 divisions to tackle
insurgency and not threaten neighbors Meant given no artillery or heavy weapons besides 77 T-72 tanks Were concerns light force would not deter Iran
Jan 26 Al Qaeda sent letter to Ansar al-Sunnah suggested it merge with Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jan 27 Report shifting US reconstruction money to security meant 60% of water and 125
electricity projects would not be finished
Jan 28 Aglus Sunnah wal Jammah joined Mujahadeen Shura Council
Jan 29 Al Qaeda in Iraq sent 2nd letter to Ansar al-Sunnah saying it sent representative to
Iraq to work out issues with Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jan 29 Sharia Committee for the Army of the Followers of the Sunnah and the
Collective joined Mujahedeen Shura Council Its emir was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
Jan 29 Report after US made deal with sheikhs in Ramadi against Al Qaeda in Iraq in mid-
Jan 3 sheikhs assassinated leading tribes to retaliate against AQI National Security Adviser Rubaie quoted that Al Qaeda in Iraq feuding with Islamic Army and Mujahedeen Army 3 Islamist insurgent groups once aligned with AQI broken with it
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Jan 31 US Emb-military report situation in 6 of Iraq’s 18 provinces serious 1 critical Said
militias infiltrating security forces in Basra Lots of gangs smuggling assassinations there
Feb 1 Saddam refused to appear in court claiming new judge was biased against him
Feb 4 Report Authorities investigating MP Mishan al-Jabouri and his son’s involvement in funding
insurgency Both fled to Syria Jabouri’s bloc won 3 seats in parliament in Dec 05
Feb 5 Report MP Mishan Jabouri charged with stealing millions of dollars for contract
to protect Iraqi pipeline from Baiji refinery and Kirkuk and fled to Syria
Feb 5 Al Qaeda in Iraq defeated 1920 Rev Brigade in Ramadi Forced Brigade leader Latif who’d
tried to join Anbar politics to go into hiding
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
Feb 6 US Iraq Amb Khalilzad said US talking to Iraqi insurgents in Anbar Syria Jordan
Anbar Sheikh Fahadawi assassinated for taking part in talks
Feb 6 Soldiers arrested Sunni mayor of Mahmudiya with warrant from ex-mayor who’d been
arrested by US Mayor never seen again
Feb 8 Senate Foreign Relations Committee told oil electricity water sewage all below
pre-war levels in Iraq
Feb 8 Assoc of Muslim Scholars said organized campaign by govt to follow Persian strategy to
have militias occupy Baghdad and force out Sunnis
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Feb 10 Report 1920 Revolution Brigades Amman Brigades Mujahadeen Army working to
expel Al Qaeda in Iraq from Ramadi after it killed head of Albu Fahad tribe Sheikh Miklif
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Feb 10 Former CIA National Intelligence officer for Near East Pillar said intel on Iraq was cherry
picked by White House to justify war
Feb 11 Sadr threatened to withdraw from United Iraqi Alliance if list didn’t support
Jaafari as premier
Feb 11 Former head of US training mission for Iraqi army Gen Eaton said effort set back
by initial poor planning that didn't prioritize creating new Iraqi forces
(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 U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Feb 12 Jaafari won re-nomination of United Iraqi Alliance for premiership with support
of Sadr
Feb 12 Pres Talabani said Kurdish list refused demands to exclude Allawi’s Iraqiya from
govt coming from Sadr
Feb 12 Vote within United Iraqi alliance for next PM Supreme Council’s Abdul-Mahdi got 63 votes
Dawa’s Jaafari 64 votes
Feb 14 US military ordered investigation into Marines executing Iraqi civilians in Haditha
(Musings On Iraq Review No Time For The Truth, The Haditha Incident And The Search For Justice)
Feb 15 Study Iraqi insurgency dominated by few large groups Sunni identity became basis for
armed groups Had no program for future of Iraq Rejected politics and believed they could win
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency In Iraq)
Feb 16 Secretary of State Rice told Senate committee oil production and electricity below
prewar levels in Iraq Told Senate initial problems with rebuilding Iraqi security forces fixed and as Iraqi forces stood up US forces would do less
Feb 16 Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld told House committee US was not in Iraq to do
nation building that was up to Iraqis to do
Feb 21 PBS Frontline show “The Insurgency” said Iraqi insurgency expanded and Islamists
replaced former regime members as leaders
Feb 22 Zarqawi bombed Askari shrine in Samarra Was done by a Tunisian and 4 Saudis
in Al Qaeda in Iraq Tunisian bomber was later captured in June 2006 and explained the attack
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
(Musings On Iraq review Insurgent Iraq, Al Zarqawi and the New Generation)
Feb 22 Al Qaeda in Iraq blamed Baghdad and Shiite militias for Samarra bombing to
Incite attacks on Sunnis
Feb 22 Other insurgent groups blamed Baghdad for Samarra bombing and claimed govt
was allowing attacks on Sunni mosques
Feb 22 US immediately received intelligence Zarqawi was behind the bombing
Feb 22 25 Sunni mosques in Samarra and 27 in Baghdad attacked 3 imams killed 1
kidnapped after Samarra bombing
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Feb 22 Sadr called on his parliamentarians to meet on vote to ask U.S. forces to leave
Iraq
Feb 22 US report Sadr gave orders to kill Wahabis in east Baghdad in retaliation for
Samarra bombing Meant Sunnis
Feb 22 Sadr offices spread rumor that US military vehicles were seen around Samarra
shrine before bombing to lay blame on US
Feb 22 Iran blamed US for Samarra bombing
Feb 22 SCIRI head Hakim blamed US for Samarra bombing claiming it gave aid to
insurgents Claimed US criticism of Shiite death squads provoked militants
Feb 22 SCIRI head Hakim blamed US for Samarra bombing claiming it gave aid to
insurgents
Feb 23 Iraqi govt ordered curfew in Baghdad Salahaddin Diyala Babil after Samarra bombing
Feb 23 US report Sadr changed order to kill all Sunnis in east Baghdad Were to be
taken to Sadr City to be executed instead Iraqi army and police assisting Mahdi Army to kill Sunnis in east Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Feb 23 Insurgents stopped vehicles in Baquba and executed 47 people who were heading
to protest against Samarra bombing
Feb 23 Sunnis withdrew from talks with United Iraqi Alliance over new govt saying
authorities were not preventing revenge attacks after Samarra bombing
Feb 23 Secretary General of Iraqi National Dialogue Front Hayan said revenge attacks
after Samarra bombing were how a civil war started
Feb 23 Association of Muslim Scholars said 168 Sunni mosques attacked 10 imams
killed 15 abducted after Samarra bombing
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Feb 23 Interior Ministry said 18 Sunnis mosques in Baghdad attacked 1 imam killed 1
kidnapped
Feb 23 US spokesman told press no civil war in Iraq No bodies in streets Iraqi govt was confident
and capable ISF were calming the streets Exact opposite happening
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Feb 23 Sec State Rice said it was unfair to Iraqis to continually talk about civil war
Feb 24 US Iraq cmdr Casey outlined ways civil war could jeopardize US goals in Iraq Told
subordinates to take extra measures to control tensions especially in Baghdad
Feb 26 Al Qaeda in Iraq assassinated Gen Saab Manfi Mohammed al-Rawi of Albu Rawi
Member of Anbar security council
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Feb 27 Amb Khalilzad announced new draft oil law as a major accomplishment Was never passed
Feb 28 Prosecution presented Saddam’s order to executed 148 people in Dujail in 1982 at
his trial
Feb 28 Report US warned about growing insurgency mid-03 and was largely Iraqi not
foreigners Largely ignored by Bush admin
Feb 28 DIA Dir Gen Maples told Senate Armed Services Committee as long as Sunnis
were disenfranchised insurgency would continue
Mar 3 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey claimed only 350 civilians killed since Feb Samarra bombing and
that crisis had passed It hadn’t Baghdad morgue recorded 1,300 deaths during same period Interior Min 1,077 deaths
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Mar 5 Gen Pace Joint Chiefs head said Iraq was not heading towards civil war
Mar 5 After head of Nuaim tribe and sheikh from Jabour tribe killed Hawija sheikhs decided to fight
Al Qaeda in Iraq
Mar 6 Basra police surrounded 5 US govt workers Had to be rescued by security
contractors
Mar 6 Iraq NGO report to US said over 700 Shiite families fled neighborhoods in
Baghdad after Askari shrine bombing
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Mar 7 Anbar Revolutionaries said they’d killed 20 Al Qaeda in Iraq foreign fighters and 33 Iraqi
ones Said goal was to get rid of Zarqawi
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Mar 7 Report ISI killed head of Najm tribe and his son Killed top sheikh who headed Fallujah City
Council Killed head of Jabour tribe Feb 06 more than 300 sheiks politicians clerics security officials community leaders in Hawija Kirkuk declared war on ISI
Mar 8 Police kidnapped and killed 50 Sunnis from security company in west Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Mar 10 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Bush attacks in Iraq lower than during 2nd Battle of Fallujah
and 2nd Battle of Najaf Casey downplayed civil war throughout spring
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Mar 12 6 car bombs in Shiite areas in Baghdad killed 58 wounded 200
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Mar 12 U.S. soldiers gang raped 14 yr old Iraqi girl in Mahmudiya and then killed her family
Musings On Iraq review Black Hearts, One Platoon’s Descent Into Madness In Iraq’s Triangle Of Death
Mar 12 US began Op Scales of Justice to try to control violence in Baghdad US cmdrs complained
they didn’t have enough troops to carry out new operation because of withdrawals US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey said that was the point of drawdown for US to do less
(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 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Mar 13 Bush said Iraqi forces would take over most security jobs by end of 2006 and that
way forward would continue to be difficult
(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)
Mar 14 Iraqi police found 87 bodies dumped in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Mar 14 Report May-Jun 03 British worried of strategic failure in Iraq due to US mistakes
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Mar 15 Iraq Study Group began creating alternative Iraq strategy for Bush admin
Mar 15 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey created task force to look into sectarian violence and come up with
targets to bring it down
Mar 16 New Iraqi parliament seated after Dec 05 elections
Mar 18 NSC report Iraqi army largely rebuilt but attacks not decreasing War stalemated
PM Jaafari incompetent
Mar 18 Gen Casey and Marine Expeditionary Force I Cmdr Gen Zilmer agreed Ramadi
would be main focus of Anbar campaign
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Mar 19 NY Times OpEd Gen Eaton who commanded US training effort for Iraqi forces
until 2004 said Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld failed to build Coalition in Iraq and ignored advice of military
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Mar 19 Iyad Allawi said Iraq was in civil war no matter what others said
Mar 20 Bush talked about successful counterinsurgency in Tal Afar by US Claimed
showed US strategy working Tal Afar successful counterinsurgency by US unit stationed there and not part of larger US strategy in Iraq
(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 Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
Mar 20 Report 2002 Iraq’s Foreign Min Sabri agreed to work with US Told US intel
Iraq had no biological weapons Had cache of chemical weapons Said Saddam wanted a nuclear bomb
Mar 21 Blair said that Iraq war was part of the struggle between spreading democracy
vs violence in world
Mar 21 Bush said there was sectarian fighting in Iraq but it was not a civil war after
Allawi said it was
Mar 21 Insurgents took police station and courthouse in Baghdad Killed 17 police Freed 20 prisoners
200 insurgents from different groups took Muqdadiya police station Executed 19 police Freed 33 prisoners
Mar 21 Report insurgents infiltrating back into Tal Afar after successful
counterinsurgency program by 3rd Armored Cavalry Reg ended and unit left
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 17 Innovation In The Face Of War, Summer-Fall 2005)
Mar 21 CIA report Insurgency undermining political and economic development
in Iraq Said even if Sunnis given larger role in Iraq govt Al Qaeda in Iraq would
not stop attacks
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Mar 21 US and Iraqi officials estimated 200 bodies found in Baghdad last 2 wks Triple normal rate
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Mar 22 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Def Sec Rumsfeld civil war not imminent nor inevitable Casey
played down civil war throughout spring
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Mar 23 Report on captured Iraq docs Russian amb gave detailed info to Iraq on US
invasion force and plans Confirmed Iraq and bin Laden met in Feb 1995 to talk about cooperation Iraq agreed to air bin Laden’s anti-Saudi tapes
(Musings On Iraq Russia Provided Iraq With Details Of US Plans Right Before Invasion)
Mar 24 Review of captured Iraqi documents and interviews with Baathist leadership showed reason
Saddam wanted WMD and was unwilling to admit that he’d destroyed them after Gulf War Was because he thought they deterred Iran which he saw as existential threat Saddam also believed US wouldn’t invade in 2003
(Musings On Iraq Was Iraq An Imminent Threat To The West?)
Mar 25 US Amb Khalilzad told ISCI’s Hakim US opposed to Jaafari remaining as premier
Kurdish and Sunni parties were threatening boycott of govt if Jaafari remained in office
Mar 25 Report on captured Iraqi docs said Iraq kept the story it had WMD because helped Iraq’s
image in Arab world and deterred Israel Saddam told his top advisers there were no more WMD Saddam thought France and Russia would stop war in UN If US did attack Iraq’s “warrior spirit” would be victorious Saddam thought internal revolt main threat to his regime not US invasion Russian Amb gave Iraq detailed intel on US troops movements and invasion plans Saddam thought Iraq winning when war almost over and wanted unconditional surrender by US led Coalition Tape Powell played during Feb 03 UN speech was Republican Guard making sure area met UN inspections not hiding WMD
(Musings On Iraq Russia Provided Iraq With Details Of US Plans Right Before Invasion)
(Musings On Iraq review The Saddam Tapes)
Mar 25 Large battle between Mahdi Army and insurgents in Mahmudiya Baghdad 40 dead and
wounded
Mar 26 US-Iraqi special forces raid killed 16 Mahdi Army militiamen in Adhamiya Baghdad Sadrists
removed weapons Rearranged bodies to look like they’d been killed during prayers Spread photos on Internet Led to US and Iraqi investigations that halted US raids on Mahdi Army
Mar 28 Anbar Revenge Brigade claimed it killed 4 Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders and a member of Ansar
al-Sunna
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Mar 29 US intel report said 1707 Sunni and Shiite families moved in Baghdad after
Samarra bombing Mahdi Army kidnapping and executing people
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Mar 30 Report Albu Mahal went from insurgency to fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq after objected to
Islamic law being imposed Tribe entered into months of fighting with Salmani and Karabila tribes allied with Al Qaeda in Iraq in WAnbar Qaim dist Tribe expelled Went to US formed Desert Protectors Got help to have tribesmen join Iraqi army
(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 Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After The Awakening Pt IX: Sheikh Sabah Aziz Of The Albu Mahal)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Mar 31 100 insurgents attacked Muqtadiya police headquarters killing 19 police and
freed 33 prisoners
Apr 2 PM Jaafari said he would integrate militias into security forces to control them
Apr 2 Secretary of State Rice UK Foreign Secretary Straw told PM Jaafari he didn’t have
support and should step down Jaafari said no
Apr 2 US military reported 1313 Iraqi civilians killed in sectarian murders in March
2006 173 killed in suicide bombings as civil war took off after Feb Samarra bombing
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Apr 2 US Amb Khalilzad said militias should be disarmed Iraqi officials said that would
create more violence PM Jaafari said he would integrate militias into security forces to control them
Apr 2 Former CENTCOM commander Gen Zinni on Meet the Press said Iraq failure of
strategic planning by US
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Losing Iraq, Inside The Post War Reconstruction Fiasco)
(Musings On Iraq review Plan of Attack: The Definitive Account Of The Decision To Invade
Iraq)
Apr 4 Report Interior Ministry refused to deploy any police trained by US-UK mission in
last 3 months because didn’t control recruits
Apr 5 Iraqi parties chose Dawa’s Nouri al-Maliki to be new PM over keeping PM Jaafari
Apr 6 Court documents showed that Cheney told aide to leak intelligence on Iraq trying
to buy uranium from Niger to press to discredit former Ambassador Wilson
Apr 6 Prosecutor claimed Cheney’s Chief of Staff Libby’s leaks to press were part of
campaign to discredit former Ambassador Wilson over Iraq-Niger story
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)
Apr 7 3 suicide bombers detonate in Buratha mosque Baghdad attempting to assassinate ISCI MP
Saghir suspected of running Badr death squads 85 killed 160 wounded
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Apr 7 Court papers showed Bush authorized leak of information on Iraq-Niger uranium
story to support administration Prosecutor claimed Cheney Chief of Staff Libby’s leaks to press were part of campaign to discredit fmr Amb Wilson over Iraq-Niger story
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Apr 8 Iraqi general said country in a civil war
Apr 9 Babil police chief said if US troops left province would be civil war next day Said
police not strong enough to intervene between warring militias
Apr 9 Gen Newbold wrote in Time problems in Iraq due to “casualness and swagger” by
Bush administration
Apr 10 Report US failed to provide police trainers as called for to rebuild Iraqi police after 03
invasion CPA pushed number of new police not quality and Interior Ministry lacked capacity to deal with them US officials withdrawn from Interior Ministry which facilitated Badr’s take over of ministry
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Apr 12 Gen Batiste former commander 1st Inf Div became fourth former general to call
for Rumsfeld to resign over Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Apr 13 Gen Swannack former commander 82nd Airborne Div became 5th retired general to
call for Rumsfeld to resign over Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Apr 13 VP Hashemi’s brother Mahmoud assassinated in Baghdad
Apr 14 US Amb to Iraq Khalilzad said militias were bigger problem than insurgents due
to sectarian violence
Apr 14 Iraqi general said militias would not put down their weapons as long as ISF
couldn’t provide security
Apr 16 Report Iranian Revolutionary Guard set up camp in Diyala to train militias
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Apr 16 CIA report Karbala police chief made deals with Sadr to attack US forces Chief
gave Mahdi Army police IDs to get through checkpoints to attack US forces
Apr 16 GAO report US worried Iraq didn’t have money and know how to run 8,000
reconstruction projects As of June 2005 $52 mil of $200 mil completed large scale water projects not working or below capacity due to looting lack of power no trained Iraqi staff $13.5 mil Karkh sewage treatment plant in Baghdad not operating $32 mil garbage landfill in south Baghdad not operating after manage killed 40-60% of purified water never used in Baghdad because of leaks in system
Apr 16 SAS raid in Baghdad arrested insurgent that would help lead to death of Al Qaeda in Iraq
head Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
(Musings On Iraq review Task Force Black, The Explosive True Story Of The SAS And the Secret War In Iraq)
Apr 17 Ret Gen Newbold former Director of Ops at Joint Chiefs wrote Time OpEd saying
Iraq war unnecessary
Apr 17 Over 100 insurgents attacked 12 US and Iraqi positions from west Ramadi to
Khaldiiya at 1pm Led by Al Qaeda in Iraq cmdr Abu Khattab
Apr 18 Report CPA plan to disarm and integrate militias never funded and followed through with
Apr 18 Interior Min forces believed to be from Badr surrounded Adhamiya dist Baghdad When
tried to enter were expelled by force
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Apr 19 NGO Survey found 19,548 kidnappings from Jan to April 2006
Apr 19 KRG parliament proposed creating Natural Resource Ministry to run region’s oil industry
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Apr 20 PM Jaafari stepped down from office Was under pressure from Sadr Kurds and
US Jaafari originally said he would not give up position but then agreed to after Ayatollah Sistani told him to
Apr 21 United Iraqi Alliance nominated Dawa’s Nouri al-Maliki as new PM Mahmoud Mashadani
of Accordance Front would become Speaker of Parliament
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