This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 4

1920 All of Upper Euphrates modern day Anbar was under British control during

            1920 Revolt

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1980 Lack of progress in Iran invasion led Iraq to announce unilateral ceasefire

            only 2 weeks into war Iran didn’t comply

1982 Sec of State Shultz and Soviet For Min Gromyko met and agreed Iran-Iraq

            War should end as soon as possible

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Hosni Mubarak said Iraq and Israel had secret meetings in 1987 and 1989 facilitated

            by US academic Laurie Mylroie

(Musings On Iraq article on Mylroie’s Iraq conspiracy theories)

1997 PUK accused Turkey of arming KDP in return for help against PKK

1999 UN Res 1266 allowed Iraq to export $3.04 bil in oil under Oil for Food Program

2002 Unclassified version of CIA’s report on Iraq’s WMD released by White House

Dropped most of the reservations in original Said were disputes within intelligence community over Iraq’s nuke program Said most believed aluminum tubes were for centrifuges Others for rockets

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2002 CIA told NSC to remove reference to Iraq trying to buy uranium from Niger from

            Bush speech

2002 CIA’s National Intel Officer told Senate Intel Comm he questioned Iraq-Africa

            uranium story in British dossier

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

2002 UK Foreign Office legal adv Sir Wood said that U.N. needed to act on Iraq to

            give legal justification for war otherwise British forces could be sued

2002 Intel officials complained to press that White House pressured them on reports

            on Iraq

2002 Report Institute for Science and International Technology, Lawrence Livermore

            Lab said didn’t believe aluminum tubes for centrifuges

2002 Report claimed White House ignored contradictory views on Iraq Pushed US intel

            to come up with more on Iraq

2003 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Sanchez said insurgency had evolved and gotten deadlier

2003 Last day CPA paid ex-Iraqi soldiers turned into violent demonstrations in Baghdad

            and other cities 3 killed by US and British troops

2004 Car Bombs in Baghdad’s Green Zone and Mosul killed 21 Wounded 90

2004 CIA review found no connection between Saddam and Zarqawi as White House

            claimed

2006 Report US military said Mahdi Army running death squds out of hospitals and

Baghdad morgue Murdered patients Using ambulances to move men weapons hostages around Sadr Health Min Shammari said he welcomed any investigation into his ministry 

2006 US military said bomb attacks in Baghdad had reached all time high

2006 Report British forces in south found no evidence of Iranian weapons crossing into

            Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

2007 NatlSecAdv Rubaie told Pentagon officials Maliki opposed to Sahwa plan

            and wanted to control them

2014 IS threatened to kill US aid worker Peter Kassig because of US air strikes

2017 Iran’s President Rouhani said his country would not support the division of Iraq

            Said Kurds made wrong decision to hold independence referendum

2017 Turkey’s President Erdogan said that Kurdish referendum was illegal

2017 Central Bank of Iraq said it would ease easing financial restrictions imposed on

            Kurdistan day before over independence referendum

View the Iraq History Timelines

Iraq’s Parliament Throws Out Rules And Convention To Elect President And Name Premier Designate

Pres Salah, Speaker Halbusi, PM Designate Mahdi (Al Masalah)

October 2, 2018 Iraq took a big step towards forming a new government five months after elections. First, Barham Salah, who recently rejoined the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) was elected the country’s new president. He immediately named Adel Abdul Mahdi as his pick to be the next prime minister. This is the first time since 2005 a Dawa member will not be holding the top office. Mahdi was selected by Moqtada al-Sadr and had the backing of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Mahdi now has 30 days to form a cabinet. The selection of these two candidates broke rules and precedent.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 3

1920 Gertrude Bell called mujtahids a group of popes standing in the way of

British plans Claimed Shiites were problem in Iraq Said Sunnis should rule Iraq because Shiites would impose a religions state That was why Mosul province had to be included in Iraq to add more Sunnis Said that British were looking for Iraqi to be new ruler but couldn’t find one so had to pick a son of the Sharif of Mecca

(Musings On Iraq book review of Gertrude Bell And Iraq)

1932 Iraq gained independence from Britain

1968 Soviet Union called for negotiations between Baghdad and KDP rebels

1978 Ayatollah Khomeini left Najaf for Paris after Baghdad demanded he reject politics

            in deal made with Shah of Iran

1980 Iraq Foreign Minister Hamadi presented Iraq’s case to UN claiming it acted in self-

            defense in Iran-Iraq War

1980 Khomeini speech said goal of war was to punish the Baath and rejected negotiations

            to end it

1980 Iraq began bombing Tehran

1982 Sudan said it would send troops to help Iraq in Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1996 Iraq admitted to UN inspectors that it hid part of its missile program and then

            secretly destroyed them in March 92

2002 Bush signed executive order to train 5,000 Iraqi exiles to help with invasion

2002 US planes dropped flyers over Iraq telling them not to fight Americans

2002 Report US using No Fly Zones to practice attacking Iraq

2003 Bush said interim report by Iraq Survey Group justified invasion because found

            WMD programs

2003 Natl Sec Adv Rice US went to war with Iraq because most likely place terrorists could

            get WMD

2003 CBS/New York Times poll found 53% of respondents in US thought Iraq war a

            mistake

2003 Report aluminum tubes were one of the main arguments US had Iraq restarted nuke

program but was always contested Senior White House officials claimed Rice knew about differences over tubes Administration overstated argument for tubes

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2006 Report Albu Mahal tribe fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq in Qaim

2006 Interior Min Bolani ordered commander 8^th Natl Police Bgd and unit suspended

Officer arrested for suspected involvement in kidnapping of 26 workers in Amil Baghdad 10/1/06 10 later found dead

2006 US military said 50-70 foreign fighters enter Iraq each month Jan-Sep 06 US-ISF

captured 630 foreign fighters Total number of foreign fighters in Iraq est 800-2,000 Most from Saudi Arabia Egypt Syria

2006 Car bomb on Industry Min motorcade in Baghdad killed 14 wounded 75

2014 Australia authorized air strikes against IS and Special Forces to be sent to Iraq

2017 Former Iraq President Talabani died

2017 Central Bank of Iraq said it would halt all foreign currency transfer to KRG and

            stop selling dollars to four Kurdish banks

2017 Parliament said it would not work with 4 telecommunications companies with

contracts in Kurdistan

2017 Parliament threatened to take away immunity for Kurdish MPs that voted in the

            referendum

2017 Kurdish MPs were either blocked or boycotted the parliamentary session

2017 Report Irbil and Baghdad in secret talks to try to defuse tensions after referendum

2017 Turkey offered to mediate between Irbil and Baghdad to end crisis over

            referendum

2017 Pres Masum’s office announced that Kirkuk Governor Karim would stay in office

            until his court challenge over his dismissal was heard

View the Iraq History Timelines

Security In Iraq Sep 22-28, 2018

(Iraqi News)

Violence continues to ebb and flow in Iraq. In the middle of September there was a temporary increase in security incidents and casualties. That all went back down to a very low casualty count and incidents returning to the norm during the fourth week of the month.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 2

1918 UK War Office told commander in Mespotamia to seize as many oil

            producing areas as possible

1980 Iraq launched counterattack on Iraq’s northern bridgehead at Penjwin 1^st of the war

1981 Iran bombed 4 hydroelectric power plants in Iraq

1982 Day 2 Iranian Op Muslim ibn Aqil between Qasr e-Shirin and Sumer in center Iraq

used tear gas 1^st time to try to turn back Iranian human wave attacks Saddam went to front to urge on troops because Iranian attack could threaten Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1989 US NSDD26 said U.S. would try to improve relations with Iraq

1992 UN Res 778 authorized Iraq oil revenues to be deposited in UN controlled bank

            until sanctions lifted

2002 Summary of main points Natl Intel Estimate released Said Iraq rebuilding nuke and

            WMD programs

2002 Iraq called UK’s weapons dossier propaganda and lies

2002 Bush appeared with Democrats and Republicans calling on Congress to pass

            use of force resolution on Iraq

2002 Bush said that Iraq had WMD stocks rebuilding programs Working on nuclear

            programs

2002 NYT article quoted Defense Policy Board’s Richard Perle that CIA was anti-INC

            and it provided best intel on Iraq

2002 CIA Dir Tenet told Senate CIA had no sources inside Iraq since 1990s

2002 CIA Dep Dir McLaughlin told Senate British had stretched story that Iraq tried to buy

uranium from Africa Said low chance Iraq would use WMD Would only use them if attacked Said low chance Iraq would use terrorists against US unless America attacked Iraq 

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

2003 Iraq Survey Group head Kay briefed Congress on interim report Found no Iraqi

WMD but evidence of WMD programs No nuclear program No mobile WMD labs Said Saddam never gave up ambitions to have WMD Iraq’s WMD stocks looked like they were destroyed in 1990s after Gulf War Said secret WMD programs were hidden in Iraqi intelligence services for assassinations Said Iraq had produced banned missile types

2003 CIA Dir Tenet and Deputy Dir McLaughlin reluctant to accept Kay’s findings

Argued over WMD stocks being destroyed aluminum tubes and mobile WMD labs

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2003 White House called CIA asking why finding no WMD could’ve been buried in

            Kay’s report instead of being first  

2003 Kay testimony led White House to change message from Iraq had WMD stocks to

            WMD programs being the threat that justified war

2003 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Sanchez said insurgency had evolved and gotten more

            deadly

2003 NatSecAdv Rice created Iraq Stabilization Group to help run postwar Iraq without

consulting with rest of govt Bush had given Pentagon control of postwar Iraq so NSC’s Iraq Stabilization Group had no authority

2004 Bush said Zarqawi travelled to Iraq before 03 invasion Killed USAID official

Foley in Jordan Said that proved Iraq was a threat because it had WMD and was connected to terrorist networks like Zarqawi’s

2004 Hundreds of Kurds marched in Kirkuk city demanding independent Kurdistan

            and Kirkuk as its capital

2005 Parliament ruled no vote on constitution would be based upon actual voters not

registered ones to diminish Sunni ballots against document Sunni politicians complained that change in how votes counted would make it harder to reject draft constitution

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2005 CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid told Congress he was optimistic about Iraq war

2005 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey told Congress 1/3 of 119 Iraqi army battalions could

            operate with some US aid

2005 Pres Talabani asked PM Jaafari to step down Complained Shiites were dominating

govt Accued United Iraqi Alliance of not giving Kurds govt positions neglecting ministries run by Kurds not dealing with Kirkuk

2007 NatlSecAdv Rubaie told SecState Rice US had to tell Sunni politicians they couldn’t

play politics and violence at same time Said Maliki would take care of Sadr and Mahdi Army

2015 Protests in Baghdad Babil Karbala Najaf Qadisiyah Muthanna Dhi Qar Wasit

            Maysan Basra Diyala demanding reform

2017 PM Abadi said he would not talk to KRG unless it cancelled referendum results

2017 Abadi govt announced foreigners in Kurdistan could fly out of country via Baghdad

            even if didn’t have federal visa

2017 Joint Iran-Iraq military drill started along KRG border in response to independence

            referendum

2017 PUK’s Hero Ibrahim Ahmed said that Kurds were paying the price for the wrong

decision to hold independence referendum

2017 Gorran called for new Kurdish leadership council to be disbanded Said that

            referendum had created another political crisis for KRG

View the Iraq History Timelines

Kurds Vote For Parliament Amongst Low Turnout And Fraud Charges

(NRT)

Kurdistan’s election for its regional parliament took place on September 30 with some major glitches. Most notably, there was very low turnout and charges of cheating.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 1

1920 Sir Percy Cox landed in Basra as new British high commissioner of Iraq

            Was told to prepare for Iraqi independence

1922 UK Air Marshall Sir Salmond named military commander in Iraq

1967 Law No. 123 gave Iraqi National Oil Company more power and right to develop

            north Rumaila oil field

1968 Govt and KDP started fighting once again

1972 U.S. opened Interests Section in Baghdad after diplomatic relations were ended in

            1967

1978 Iraq Revolutionary Command Council said it would get Arab League to reject

            Egypt-Israeli peace deal

1980 Iran letter to UN blamed Iraq for war claiming it violated Algiers Treaty Supported

anti-revolutionary groups Gave them weapons and sent agents into Iran for sabotage Expelled 40000 Iraqis Said Tehran not willing to follow UN calls for ceasefire

1980 Iraq retaliated for Iranian bombing of Osirak reactor and Baghdad by bombing

            Hamadan air base

1982 Iranian Op Muslim ibn Aqil Attacked between Qasr e-Shirin and Sumer in center

Goal was to invade Diyala take Baquba and threaten Baghdad 60,000 Iranians vs 36,000 Iraqis Only advanced 6 mi before counterattacked by Iraq forced withdrawal

1983 After international pressure France said it would delay shipping 5 Super Enendard

fighter bombers to Iraq but went ahead secretly

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1997 Iraq blocked UN inspectors at three sites over last week

2001 Weekly Standard article argued Iraq connected to 9/11 and Saddam had to be

            removed

2001 William Safire OpEd in New York Times claimed Al Qaeda operative was armed by

            Iraq

2002 Head UN inspector Blix met with Iraqi delegation Iraq agreed to UN Res 1284 and

            new unconditional inspections Iraq gave CDs on its nuclear facilities to IAEA

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 Bush said military option wasn’t first choice with Iraq but disarming country was

2002 Bush and Cheney met with Congressmen to lobby them over Iraq

2002 White House spokesman Fleischer said that assassinating Saddam would be cheaper

            way out of Iraq crisis

2002 Natl Intel Estimate (NIE) on Iraq’s WMD released Said that Iraq had active programs

Deleted qualifications Iraq renewed production of mustard, sarin, cyclosporine, VX Reports Iraq secretly bought chemicals and equipment for limited chemical weapons production Had little info on chemical stockpiles but could be 100-500 metric tons Said all parts of biolgocial weapons program active Had low confidence Iraq would use WMD and no intel that Iraq planning to attack US Speculated that in desperation Iraq might use Al Qaeda for WMD attack on US

2002 State Dept annex to NIE said intel community had no compelling case that Iraq had

            active nuke program Didn’t believe Iraq-Niger uranium story

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

2002 In NIE Air Force intelligence didn’t believe UAVs were for WMD but for

            reconnaissance

2002 In NIE State and Energy Depts disagreed that aluminum tubes were for centrifuges

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 CPA Governor of Anbar Mines told Bremer CPA and military should work

            together to create a new Iraqi security force

2004 Start of Battle of Samara to clear city before Jan 2005 elections

2005 Marines launched Op Iron Fist aimed at Qaim border region of Anbar

2006 Health Ministry released partial figures for 1,089 civilian deaths in Aug 06 Passed

            previous high of 1,065 in Jul 06 UN counted 6,559 deaths form July-Aug 06

2006 Natl Sec Adv Hadley ordered drafting of new strategy for Iraq

2006 Report US public and private assessments of Iraq different Pubicly said things

improving Privately talked about violence increasing into 07 Had been getting message Iraq getting worse since 04 and yet had no strategy to win war and being told that was only possible outcome

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2006 26 workers at a shop kidnapped in Amil neighborhood Police said 50 bodies found

            in Baghdad in 24 hours

2010 National Alliance picked Maliki as its candidate for premier due to Sadr

            switching to back Maliki under Iranian pressure

2014 US sent Apache helicopters to Iraq to protect forces there and later offensive

            ops against IS

2017 Gorran blamed Pres. Barzani for crisis between Irbil and Baghdad saying he ignored

            warnings about referendum

2017 KRG announced Referendum Committee was becoming Kurdistan Region’s

            Supreme Political Council

2017 UN offered to mediate between Baghdad and Irbil over referendum

View the Iraq History Timelines