Musings On Iraq In The News

I was interviewed in Iraq In Context on the 15 year anniversary of the Iraq invasion. I was  quoted by Paul Iddon for "Can majoritarian governance work in Iraq?" for Rudaw. I was cited in How Mass Atrocities End: Studies from Guatemala, Burundi, Indonesia, the Sudans, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Iraq by Bridget Conley-Zilkic and Limited Achievements: Obama's Foreign Policy by Z. Laidi.

Baghdad Paid Half Of KRG’s Salaries, Kurdistan Didn’t Contribute Leading To Protests

Protest in Sulaymaniya over salaries (Rudaw)

On March 18, Baghdad announced it would pay the salaries of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) public workers. It sent 317 billion dinars, $267 million to the KRG’s Finance Ministry. The Kurds responded that they needed 900 billion dinars to pay all their obligations, but 590 billion if it was to cover their employees with their pay cuts that were instituted in 2014 due to the region’s financial crisis. The central government covered 53% of that latter amount, and 35% of the full salaries. According to Iraqi officials this was by design with the Kurds responsible for the other half. Irbil has complained that Baghdad did not provide enough funds, and KRG civil servants have said they only got half their wages.

This Day In Iraqi History – Mar 25

1917 British forces defeated by Ottomans at Battle of Mount Hamrin, Diyala

1982 Iraq asked US to stop Israel from sending weapons to Iran US Said it had no

            say in matter

1982 Reagan admin officials warned that if Iran beat Iraq in Iran-Iraq War would

            endanger western interests

1985 US intel reports Iraq used chemical weapons in fighting in southern Iraq

1998 UN Res 1158 extended Oil For Food Program for another 90 days

2002 UK Foreign Sec Jack Straw told Blair no Iraq-Al Qaeda link and Iraq

            not more of a threat now than before 9/11

2002 Straw argued for following legal path against Iraq via U.N. resolutions

2002 CIA report said foreign govt told it Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2002 New Yorker article said Iraq supporting Al Qaeda via Kurdish Ansar al-Islam

2002 Kurds told New Yorker Al Qaeda’s Zawahiri met Saddam in 1992 Also that Iraq

            was sending WMD to Al Qaeda

2003 Information Minister Sahaf began giving press conferences claiming that U.S. was

            losing war

2003 Russian Amb to Iraq provided U.S. invasion plans to Baghdad including

            invasion routes

2003 UK and ISCI reported locals in Basra rose up against Saddam Fedayeen

2003 UK forces reported Iraqi army was firing mortars on civilians in Basra to put

            down anti-govt revolt

2003 British bombed Basra city

2003 British forces secured Um Qasr town in Basra

2003 British government confirmed its first two combat deaths in Iraq invasion

            killed in Basra province

2003 Heavy fighting between US forces and Fedayeen in Najaf during invasion

2003 US paratroops landed in Kurdistan and began working with Peshmerga

2003 US bombed Republican Guard positions south of Baghdad

2003 Retired generals in TV interviews began saying invasion wasn’t going well because

            didn’t have enough troops

2003 Report that Saddam was thinking of using chemical weapons when US forces

            attacked Baghdad

2003 NY Times facility found outside Najaf was not a chemical weapons site

2003 U.S. forces found chemical weapons gear in Nasiriya

2003 UK General recommended govt plan for its forces to stay in Iraq until March 2004

            for postwar operations

2004 UN proposed investigation into abuses of Oil for Food program

2005 State Dept told Congress wanted to reorganize rebuilding funds with more money

            for services and maintenance Didn’t think Iraq could sustain projects

2006 US Amb Khalizad 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

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs said Iraq kept the image it had WMD because helped

            Iraq’s image in Arab world and deterred Israel

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam told his top advisers there were no more

            WMD

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam thought France and Russia would stop war

            in UN If US did attack Iraq’s “warrior spirit” would be victorious

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam thought internal revolt main threat to his

            regime not US invasion

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Russian Amb gave Iraq detailed intel on US

            troops movements and invasion plans

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Saddam thought Iraq winning when war almost over

            and wanted unconditional surrender by US led Coalition

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Tape Powell played during Feb 03 UN speech

            was Republican Guard making sure area met UN inspections not hiding WMD

2007 4,500 tribesmen asked to join Ramadi police

2008 U.S. Seal team arrived in Basra to liaison with Iraqi forces during Charge of

            Knights op against Mahdi Army

2008 Curfew and vehicle ban imposed on Basra as part of Charge of Knights

2008 Mahdi Army seized 5 of 18 districts in Kut in fight against govt forces

2008 Fighting between ISF and Mahdi Army in Nasiriyah

2008 Mahdi Army kidnapped policemen belonging to Badr in Baghdad

2008 Sadrists protested in Samawa, Muthanna against Charge of Knights

2008 Sadr offices in Baghdad called for civil disobedience to protest Charge of Knights

            shut down 6 districts in capital

2008 Mahdi Army fired rockets at Green Zone

2008 Clashes between Mahdi Army and ISF in east Baghdad and between Mahdi

            Army and SIIC

2008 Fighting between Mahdi Army and police in Hillah

2008 Mahdi Army attacked Sistani and 2 Dawa office in Sadr City

2009 Iraqi embassy in Jordan announced program to register former soldiers who wanted

            to return to Iraq

2010 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq released US contractor it kidnapped Issa Salomi

2010 State of Law threatened lawsuit unless Election Commission made a recount

            of national vote

2010 State of Law members protested in Basra, Najaf, Karbala, Kut calling for recount

2011 ISF blocked all entrances to Tahrir Sq to try to block protests but happened

            anyway

2011 Were protests in Baghdad, Najaf, Diwaniya, Kut and Hillah against corruption

            and lack of services

2011 Was 2^nd protest in Tahrir Sq against reconciliation with former Baathists

2011 Prisoners in Rusafa Prison set up protest camp against poor conditions and

            sectarian warden

2012 VP Hashemi claimed ISF tortured one of his bodyguards to death during

            questioning

2012 Pres Barzani said that Maliki was abusing his powers and not following Irbil

            agreement made after 2010 elections

2012 Pres Talabani called for reconciliation between Kurdish Alliance and Maliki

2012 Displacement Ministry said Europe was deporting Iraqi refugees and wanted that

            to stop

2012 Electricity Ministry said it would stop importing power in summer 2013 as

domestic production increased Didn’t happen

2013 Committee created to come up with laws to meet demands of protesters Never

            happened

2013 Turkey signed trade deal with KRG

2014 Militias held parade in Balad, Salahaddin which local officials tried to deny

2014 IS took over Nibai for one day and then left

2014 IS made call for declaring the caliphate as a trial balloon

2014 Transportation Ministry set up special flights to take ISF members from Mosul

            to homes in Baghdad to avoid attacks along highway

2014 Dozens of Sunni families fled Buhriz, Diyala after being attacked by militias

2015 Officials accused Diyala governor of stealing millions in aid meant for displaced

2015 Gorran presented 3 plans for renewing Pres Barzani’s term

2015 Fight in KRG parliament when KDP members attacked Gorran MPs over Pres

            Barzani

2015 Member of Salahaddin council accused Hashd of kidnapping 125 civilians

            from Dour

2015 US began air strikes on Tikrit Pro-Iran Hashd said they would not take part in op

to re-take city because of US involvement

2015 Hashd accused of blowing up houses and executing 4 civilians in Diyala

2015 2^nd Diyala governor adviser killed blamed on Hashd

View the Iraq History Timelines

PUK Maintains Status Quo Rather Than Deal With Divisions

On March 17, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan met to decide on its new leadership, something that had been put off for five months. Rather than resolve the deep internal divisions within the party it chose to maintain the status quo.

This Day in Iraqi History - Mar 24

1959 Gen Qasim withdrew Iraq from anti-Communist Baghdad Pact

1973 Saddam visited Moscow to push for stronger Iraq-Soviet cooperation

1986 UN condemned Iraq’s use of chemical weapons in Iran-Iraq War

1988 KDP base hit with poison gas in 2^nd Anfal campaign Civilians rounded up and

            men executed by govt forces

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1991 Turkish Pres Ozal met Bush in US and told him an independent Kurdistan in Iraq

            would lead to greater Kurdistan affecting Turkey Syrian Iran

1992 Iraqi army began shelling Kifri as sporadic fighting with Peshmerga continued

1998 French Pres Chirac told PM Blair that sanctions were killing kids in Iraq

2002 Cheney on CNN’s Late Edition called Saddam an evil man that U.S. would deal

            with

2003 US forces reached outside Karbala

2003 US B-52 bombers began attacks on Republican Guard positions south of

            Baghdad

2003 British forces took Basra airport Heavy fighting with Fedayeen led British forces

to withdraw from Basra City

2003 British military told govt local Iraqi militias putting up tough fight in Basra

2003 Red Cross warned of humanitarian emergency in Basra city as water running out

2003 Dow Jones reported no WMD found at suspected facility in Najaf

2003 Iran decided to send in operatives and Badr Brigade to carry out ops against US

            in Iraq

2003 Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei and Pres Khatami recorded talking about sending

            forces to 5 Iraq cities to incite anti-US violence

2003 Arab League voted 21-1 demanding U.S. and UK forces withdraw from Iraq

2003 Putin called Bush and said there would be great suffering during war Bush said

            everything would be under control

2003 Tariq Aziz gave presser saying US was after Iraq’s oil

2004 Ex-White House counterterrorism chief Clarke told 9/11 Commission Iraq not

            behind 1993 World Trade Center bombing

2008 PM Maliki launched Charge of Knights against Mahdi Army in Basra He arrived in

            Basra to oversee operation

2009 Sahwa commander in Salahaddin said that Ansar al-Sunna and ISI had

            created new alliance

2010 Maliki announced new anti-corruption campaign

2011 Riot at Rusafa prison over overcrowding

2012 Baghdad and Irbil agreed to increased joint patrols in Diyala

2013 Naqshibandi sent group to Ramadi protest site to try to push it towards

            violence against govt

2014 After Burhiz, Kirkuk retaken from IS Hashd killed at least 2 civilians and

            burned homes

2016 Most ruling parties refused to send candidates for technocratic cabinet to Abadi

2016 Supreme Council suspended its ministers in govt

2016 Head of IS Military Council Anbari killed

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq, Mar 15-21, 2018

During the third week of March attacks remained within the yearly mean, but casualties were up due to a series of bold attacks by the Islamic State plus a Turkish incursion into northern Irbil against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). There are growing signs that the militants are rebuilding five months after they made the transition from a conventional armed force to a terrorist/insurgent group.

This Day In Iraqi History – Mar 23

1923 UK Iraq commission final report said British would not withdraw from Iraq

            Would lead to collapse of King Faisal and humiliation for British

1930 Nuri al-Said became PM, would hold office 8 times Went after opposition

            silenced press controlled parliament became favorite of British

(Musings On Iraq interview with Historian Phebe Marr comparing PM Said with PM Maliki)

1970 Communist leader in Baghdad Khadri found shot in street Baathists suspected

1974 Soviet Defense Minister Grechko arrived in Iraq to try to find compromise with

            Kurds Iran and US told Barzani not to make any deals

1975 Mustafa Barzani and around 100,000 KDP members left Iraq for Iran ending

            Kurdish revolt

1981 Iran said it would not accept ceasefire with Iraq as long as Saddam was in power

1985 Iran ended Op Badr failed attempt to attack Basra city Iraq 10-12,000 casualties

Iran 15,000

1988 PUK base in Sulaymaniya attacked in 2^nd Anfal Campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1991 Sadoun Hammadi, a Shiite became premier as Saddam tried to appease Shiites

            while putting down uprising after Gulf War

1997 Memo told Iraqi officials to hide material, documents, equipment from U.N.

            weapons inspectors

2002 Joint Chiefs did paper drill running through Iraq invasion plan

2003 British commandos took control of Um Qasr port while heaving fighting

            continues in the town in Basra

2003 US attacked Nasiriya Heavy fighting led 29 marines killed

2003 US B-52 bombers carried out raids on Baghdad Iraqi govt claimed 106 civilians

            killed

2003 British Tornado jet is accidently shot down by US patriot missile killing 2 crewmen

2003 US soldier Jessica Lynch taken prisoner by Iraqi forces during invasion when her

            supply convoy attacked

2003 32 Apache helicopters sent on raid to destroy Reb Guard units in Karbala Turned

            back by Iraqi fire

2003 US forces reached outside Najaf Claimed they found WMD facility Story proved

            false

2003 CENTCOM commander Gen Franks said no doubt Iraq had WMD

2003 White House said no question Iraq had WMD and that they would be found

2003 Intel agents leaked to press they felt pressured by White House to come up with

            intel to justify Iraq war

2004 Fmr Def Sec Cohen said head of Al Qaeda Sudan chemical plant met with

            Iraq chemical weapons scientist in 90s

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Russian amb gave detailed info to Iraq on US

            invasion force and plans

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Confirmed Iraq and bin Laden met in Feb 1995

            to talk about cooperation Iraq agreed to air bin Laden’s anti-Saudi tapes

2007 US House of Reps voted to set deadline for US withdrawal by 8/31/08

2007 Iran captured 15 UK Marines in Basra and offered to trade them for release of

            Asaib Ahl Al-Haq leader Qais Khazali

2007 IS attempted assassination of Dep PM Zubaie

2008 Mahdi Army in Sadr City started firing rockets into Green Zone

2011 National Reconciliation Commission claimed 5 insurgent groups agreed to

            put down arms and join political process

2012 ISI broke 19 of its men out of Kirkuk prison

2015 Hashd looted and destroyed 8 houses in Sadiya, Diyala Adviser to Diyala

            governor killed blamed on Hashd

View the Iraqi History Timelines