Monday, October 22, 2018

Oil Minister Reverses Transfer Of 9 Companies To National Oil Company He Will Head


Outgoing Oil Minister Jabar al-Luabi cancelled his order from October 18 to transfer nine state owned oil and service companies to the new Iraq National Oil Company that he now heads. The move raised the ire of Prime Minister Designate Adel Abdul Mahdi who issued a statement on his Facebook page that Prime Minister Haidar Abadi and President Barham Salah had to stop any unconstitutional and illegal appointments and orders as the Abadi government came to an end. An Iraqi official told Iraq Oil Report this was aimed at Luabi. He then reversed his order.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 22


1965 Gen Nasser said he supported Iraqi govt against Mustafa Barzani’s Kurdish rebellion
1980 Iraqi forces surrounded and began siege of Abadan Iran
1981 UN backed Islamic Conference Organization’s attempt to end Iran-Iraq War
1983 Iranian Op Wa al-Farj 4 reached Penjwin Kurdistan Iraqi counterattack pushed Iranians back
(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)
1991 Baghdad told Kurdish workers that if they wanted to keep their jobs they had to move to govt
controlled areas of Kurdistan due to clashes with Peshmerga
2004 Sistani aide Safi in Friday sermon said voting in 2005 elections was a religious duty
2006 Report criticized Lancet report that est 400,000-800,000 Iraqis deaths since 2003 Lancet
claimed 40 consecutive households were questioned within one day Public health researcher Hicks didn’t think that possible One Lancet author Roberts said 80% of deaths recorded had a death certificate and that deaths had been underreported Report criticized for main street bias only surveying main streets where violence more likely Lancet author Burnham said off streets were included Then said he actually didn’t know how survey was conducted Lancet author Roberts said some of the raw data was destroyed to protect people’s safety Also said that findings could easily be replicated by other studies
(Musings On Iraq article Major Flaws in Lancet Report Pt 1)
(Musings On Iraq article Major Flaws in Lancet Report Pt 11)
(Musings On Iraq article New Study Refutes Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mark Van Der Laan on Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Michael Spagat on Lancet reports)
2006 Report US in talks with Islamic Army in Amman
2006 Fmr Finance Min Allawi said $750-$800mil in defense spending under PM Allawi stolen Ziad
Cattan head of military procurement convicted in absentia for stealing from defense deals
2010 Wikileaks released thousands of classified US reports on Iraq

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Sunday, October 21, 2018

This Day in Iraqi History - Oct 21


1980 Iraqi forces reached city center in Khorramshahr, Iran
1980 Taha Yassin Ramadan head of Baath Popular Army said Khuzistan oil was Iraq’s until Iran
opened negotiations to end 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)
1991 Iraq told UN weapons inspectors it had program to build a nuclear bomb
(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)
1992 Peshmerga helped Turkish troops fight PKK in northern Kurdistan
1996 PUK backed by Iran recaptured most of territory it lost to KDP except Irbil
2000 Izzat al-Duri attended Arab summit saying Iraq believed only jihad could save Palestinians in
latest conflict with Israel
2000 King Hussein called for end of sanctions on Iraq at Arab summit
2002 Report Czech Pres Havel told White House 9/11 terrorist Atta did not meet with Iraq
intelligence in Prague
2004 US soldier found guilty of abuse in Abu Ghraib prison scandal given 8 yrs in prison
2006 ISF and US forces patrolling Amara to enforce ceasefire between Mahdi Army and Badr
Suweira Mahdi Army and Badr clashed Mahdi Army blamed for bombing ISCI office in Hamza al-Sharqi
2006 Inter Min Bolani met with Sadr in Najaf to try to get him to reign in Mahdi Army
2006 Insurgents started two days of attacks on police base in Baquba Up to 80 police killed
2007 Maliki complained to US about Oct 20 US raid into Sadr City and wanted investigation into
US abuses in Iraq
2008 ISF raided head of Sahwa in Buhriz Diyala Arrested spokesman for Diyala Sahwa and beat him
Was part of PM Maliki crackdown on Diyala Sahwa
(Musings On Iraq article on raids and arrests of Diyala Sahwa)
2010 Maliki went to Turkey to try to help his attempt to form new govt
2011 US announced it would withdraw its force from Iraq on Dec 31
2011 Obama told Maliki not getting stay behind US forces in Iraq was ok because US
            would still have influence
2014 New operation to try to clear Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr started after Sep attempt failed
2016 Iraqi forces freed Bartella Ninewa

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Saturday, October 20, 2018

PM Designate Mahdi Did Not Like Oil Minister’s Action On Iraq National Oil Company



Oil Minister Luabi (Reuters)
October 18 out going Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luabi transferred nine-state owned oil and service companies to the new National Oil Company (INOC) that he is heading. While this was part of the plan for the new oil business, the timing, a week before a new government is to be announced raised the ire of Prime Minister designate Adel Abdul Mahdi.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 20


1980 US said Iraq invasion of Iran threatened security in Gulf and land should not be seized
by force
1983 Iranian Op Wa al-Fajr 4 seized 15 villages in Kurdistan
1984 Iraq held elections to prove legitimacy of Saddam Was 40% quota for Shiite deputies
(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)
1991 Report Saddam was arming PKK to fight Turkey
2000 British Foreign Office said wanted to offer end of sanctions to return inspectors but didn’t
think US would agree
2002 Czech Intel told US no evidence 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraq intelligence in Prague
2004 Report Jan 03 Natl Intel Council warned building democracy in Iraq would be long difficult
and turbulent Council warned that overthrowing Saddam could lead to ethnosectarian rivalries and power grabs in Iraq
2004 Transparency International ranked Iraq one of most corrupt countries in world
2005 One of Saddam’s lawyers kidnapped and killed
2006 Mahdi Army Badr and officials from PM Maliki’s office worked out ceasefire to end fighting in
Amara 10 police 15 militiamen killed 160 wounded
2007 US Special Forces raid into Sadr City hunting Special Groups led to huge firefight
2010 KRG Natural Resource Min Hawrami said Kurds were ready to send 60 bil cubic meters of
natural gas to Turkey
2015 Baiji town finally cleared of IS
2016 PM Abadi announced govt would not allow human rights violations during Mosul campaign
and investigative committee created to look into any
2017 Fighting broke out between Iraqi forces and Peshmerga in Altun Kupri Kirkuk as Kurds
worried federal forces were going to march on Irbil
(Musings On Iraq article on Kurds withdrawal from disputed areas)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Friday, October 19, 2018

Iraq Starts Reviving National Oil Company


On October 18 Oil Minister Jabbar al-Luabi announced that nine-state owned companies involved with the petroleum industry would be transferred to the new National Oil Company. This is part of the government’s plan to make the Oil Ministry into a strategic planning body, while the National Oil Company would be involved with implementation and day to day operations.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 19


1948 All Jewish govt workers fired after creation of Israel
1958 Gen Bakr forced to retire after Col Arif lost power struggle with Gen Qasim within govt
1980 Saddam speech said Iraq couldn’t win war because outnumbered by Iran
1983 Iranian Op Wa al-Fajr 4 began to take Penjwin Valley from KDPI and cut supply line to Iraqis
(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)
2003 Powell said US had found evidence of Iraq’s WMD programs and that Saddam always wanted
nuclear weapons
2004 Head of aid group Care was kidnapped in Baghdad Later killed by insurgents
2004 Iraq conspiracy theorist Mylroie wrote OpEd in NY Sun that Iraq was training foreigners to
carry out terrorist attacks and working with Islamic groups
(Musings On Iraq article on Mylroie’s Iraq conspiracy theories)
2004 PM Allawi got US to free insurgent leader Sheikh Jumaili in attempt to split
            militants in Fallujah against Zarqawi Failed
2005 Saddam’s trial started and pled his innocence
2005 Rice told Senate about Clear Hold Build counterinsurgency plan for Iraq Was not
            discussed with US military beforehand
2005 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey US Iraq Amb Khalizad later asked Rice what Clear Hold
            Build was and why not consulted
2005 Rumsfeld complained to Rice that he did not back Clear Hold Build and he
            was not consulted about it
(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)
2006 IED killed Amara police chief from Badr Police arrested brother of suspected bomber from
Mahdi Army 2 days of fighting started
2006 Mahdi Army stormed 3 police stations manned by Badr in Amara
2006 US military spokesman said Op Together Forward II failed to reduce violence in Baghdad Said
attacks up 22% since start of Ramadan US forces returned to Dora after it was touted as first area cleared during operation
2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey US Amb Khalzad gave press conference saying Op Together Forward
II in Baghdad working
2006 Report over 20 militias operating in Baghdad Mahdi Army splintering
2006 Report police unit blamed for killing 26 Sunnis at food factor in Baghdad’s Amil Unit was
            suspended
2013 IS held parade in southern Fallujah

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 14 British army ordered to seize Basra vilayet WWI

1914 Sheikh of Islam called for jihad against British and French during WWI Call was repeated in all Sunni mosques in Mosul, Baghdad a...