Wednesday, November 11, 2026

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 11 League of Nations announced the British mandate in Iraq


1914 Ottomans declared war on England and France

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

KRG Elects New Speaker of Parliament Increasing KDP-PUK Divide


  

On November 4 the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was able to elect a new speaker of parliament two years after elections in Kurdistan. This angered the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) which announced it was withdrawing from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

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


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

Iraq

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

(Musings On Iraq review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

(Musings On Iraq A History Of The Iraqi Communist Party Interview With Univ of East Anglia’s Johan Franzen)

Monday, November 9, 2026

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 9 US Marines killed 24 civilians in Haditha after Marine killed by IED


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

city

Sunday, November 8, 2026

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 8 Ruling coalition admitted pro-Iran Resistance faction tried to kill PM Kazemi


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

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

Saturday, November 7, 2026

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


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

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

Friday, November 6, 2026

Review Mar Eshai Shimun XXIII, The Assyrian Tragedy, Mar Shimun Memorial Foundation, 2010


  

Mar Shimun was the spiritual leader of the Assyrian community from 1920 to 1975. He wrote this short pamphlet to raise awareness about the 1933 massacre of Assyrians in northern Iraq. This was an early stain on the new country that would mark a trend of political violence. The book mostly consists of excerpts from people discussing the event.

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


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

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

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

Thursday, November 5, 2026

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


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

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

Wednesday, November 4, 2026

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


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

Shatt al-Arab waterway

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

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


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

Peninsula before Ottomans joined WWI

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

Monday, November 2, 2026

Islamic State Appears To Be Shoring Up Its Camps In Iraq


  

October saw an increase in Islamic State activity in Iraq but it was still at inconsequential levels. The goal appeared to be protecting its bases in Kirkuk.

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


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

            were pro-British

Sunday, November 1, 2026

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


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

            city

Saturday, October 31, 2026

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 31 Iraq suspended cooperation with UN weapons inspectors


1914 India ordered 6th Div to seize Faw and clear Turks out of Shatt al-Arab before WWI

started

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

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

Friday, October 30, 2026

Review Mokhtar Lamani and Bessma Momani, editors, From Desolation To Reconstruction, Iraq’s Troubled Journey, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2010


  

From Desolation To Reconstruction, Iraq’s Troubled Journey was the result of work at the Canadian Center for International Governance Innovation. It is an anthology of different authors focusing upon issues Iraq faced during the U.S. occupation such as the Kurdish question, foreign debt, federalism, and the U.S. attempt to spread democracy in the Middle East. Like any collection the chapters vary widely in quality and many of them are out of date because they are suggesting solutions to problems in 2009. Despite the inconsistencies there are some interesting selections.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 30 Armistice of Mudros ended WWI in Iraq as Ottomans surrendered


1918 Armistice of Mudros signed between British and Ottomans 6th Army in Mesopotamia

surrendered to UK Ended WWI in Iraq UK wasn’t able to seize Mosul province and its oil before end of war

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

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

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

Thursday, October 29, 2026

Pro-Iran Resistance Continue To Launch Drones From Iraq Into Saudi Arabia


  

In mid-October there was news that pro-Iran Resistance factions were continuing to send drones into Saudi Arabia worrying the Zaidi government about relations with its neighbor.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 29 Hikmat Sulaiman and Gen Sidqi led 1st coup in Iraq overthrowing PM Hashemi


867 Riot by Turkish soldiers in Abbasid capital Samarra against two top advisers Wasif and

            Bugha over salaries Wasif beheaded

(Musings On Iraq review when baghdad ruled the muslim world, the rise and fall of islam’s

greatest dynasty)

Wednesday, October 28, 2026

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 28 Iraqi Forces massacred protesters in Karbala Over 800 casualties


1913 Secret Al-Ahd Association of Ottoman officers formed Included many Iraqis that would

become leaders and prime ministers under monarchy such as Nuri al-Said Yasin Hashemi Jamil Midfai and others Called for Arab autonomy

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 11 League of Nations announced the British mandate in Iraq

1914 Ottomans declared war on England and France