This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 4

1920 Cpt Mann UK political officer in Shamiya said that Iraqis were angry that British had

not kept WWI promises of independence

1948 Students in Baghdad protested against 1930 Anglo-Iraq Treaty Broken up by police

1981 Iran claimed it destroyed Iraq’s oil industry in Iran-Iraq War Was just damaged

1981 Iran launched diversionary attack in Mehran Iran central front before main operation in south

1983 Tariq Aziz went to Paris to renegotiate $5 bil debt Said wanted to buy 20 Super Etendard jets

and Exocet missiles Dassault pressured Pres Mitterand to rent the Etendards to Iraq Iraq also made deal to buy 24 Mirage fighters to be built in 2 years

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

1993 Iraq deployed 20 anti-aircraft missiles batteries within the No Fly Zone to challenge the west

1999 Iraqi opposition claimed Baghdad executed 100 dissidents in Nov 1998 who were arrested

during 91 uprising

2003 UK For Pol Adv Manning told Blair US almost given up on inspections because wanted

immediate action against Iraq Manning warned that US was pushing for war as soon as possible

2003 US Natl Intel Council report said building democracy in Iraq would be long and difficult

2004 Bin Laden said US war in Iraq attempt to control region’s oil and start of holy war in Middle

East

2005 Report US considered embedding US advisors within Iraqi units to speed their development

2007 Bush told Maliki Surge happening and he had to publicly back it and could not stop US ops

Maliki wanted US to only go after insurgents while he continued to protect Sadr and Mahdi Army

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)

2007 Baathist leader Izzat al-Dhuri declared war on Sadr and Hakim

2007 Report New Pentagon program opened one closed state owned enterprise factory in Dec Had

plans to reopen 9 more by end of Jan Hoping they would create 11,000 jobs

2007 Report Intl Org for Migration recorded 40,000 Sunnis fled Baghdad to Anbar in 2006 to flee

civil war

2009 Maliki govt took control of Diyala sahwa Promised 33% jobs in ISF Higher than 20% promised

to Sahwa in Baghdad Maliki had gone after Sahwa and Sunni parties in Diyala to break them up before provincial elections Now offered Sahwa better terms to co-opt them

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki govt taking control of Diyala sahwa)

2014 Indiscriminate govt shelling of Fallujah was causing hundreds to be displaced

(Musings On Iraq article on ISF attack upon Fallujah)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

The Iran-Iraq War Interview with Author Tom Cooper

(KJ VIds)

Helion & Co. in Great Britain recently published an excellent four volume set on the Iran-Iraq War. Overshadowed by the coverage of politics and religious-related issues, military operations in this war have never gotten the in-depth coverage that they deserved – especially considering this was the longest and bloodiest conventional conflict since 1945. Tom Cooper has published widely about aerial warfare between Iran and Iraq and was one of the lead authors in the Helion’s series. This is an interview with his thoughts on the war.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 3

1923 Administrative Inspectors Law reduced number of British advisers to Iraqi govt and limited their power

1948 Iraq’s Foreign Min Jamali said that Iraq was sensitive about the 1930 Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1948 Independence Party held meeting Decided to protest against govt and 1930 Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1963 Communists warned Gen Qasim to purge military to stop Baathist coup but ignored

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

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Western Kentucky’s Prof Romero on the Qasim govt)

1969 Bakr Govt launched new offensive against KDP

(Musings On Iraq book review The Kurds, A Modern History)

(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)

1987 Iraq counterattack east of Basra city turned 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)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

2002 CIA Dir Tenet told VP Cheney coup wouldn’t work in Iraq only invasion would Tenet then gave same briefing to

Bush

2002 CIA argued overtly containing Iraq via UN sanctions while secretly working to overthrow govt wouldn’t work Bush

told Tenet dual Iraq policy would stand

2002 CIA paper said Iraq could hit neighbors with WMD missiles

2004 US and Iraqi forces raided KDP and PUK offices in Kirkuk after Arab Turkmen Kurd clashes in city

2007 Report Attacks doubled in Diyala since 05 US 4^th Inf Div had largely withdrawn to bases Allowed ISF to run province

ISF accused of abuses Army and police generals both backed by Badr Diyala council dismissed police chief Accused of supporting death squads Sunnis boycotted Diyala govt until Iraqi army general replaced Insurgents held parade in Baquba neighborhood end of Dec Insurgnets have executed and expelled Shiites from Baquba

2009 Oil Min Shahristani said KRG exaggerating how much oil it was producing and claimed most of it was smuggled

(Musings On Iraq article on breakdown of Baghdad-KRG oil talks)

2010 PM Maliki said Baghdad and Irbil should talk about oil contracts Said talked about issue with KRG PM Salah

(Musings On Iraq article on Baghdad-Irbil oil talks)

2014 Insurgents declared Fallujah an Islamic state ISIS held parade and public prayers in city

View the Iraq History Timelines

Islamic State Went Into Hibernation In Winter 2018

(Reuters)

Since the summer of 2018 incidents have declined in Iraq. That ended in December with the lowest number of security incidents ever recorded for a month by Musings On Iraq. The Islamic State largely retreated from Anbar, Baghdad and Salahaddin at the end of the year resulting in the low level of violence.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 2

1915 Suleiman Bey took over Iraq Command for Ottomans Called on Arab sheikhs to join war

against British and planned on retaking Basra

1980 Iranian Op Mohammed Rasoolallah attacked Iraqi forces in Zagros Mtns Kurdistan Pushed

back by Iraqi counterattacks

(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 UN inspector told Irish Times no active WMD or nuclear programs found in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2004 Bremer met with Barzani and Talabani in Irbil to discuss Kurdish demands in new constitution

2004 Bremer asked Kurds to disband Peshmerga abandon claims to Kirkuk oil accept authority of

central govt Kurds said no

2006 Iraq’s Dec 2005 export average of 1.1 million barrels a day was lowest since 2003 invasion

2006 USAID report on development projects outlined civil war Iraq Said tribes were turning in rivals

as insurgents to govt Report said 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

2008 Female suicide bomber killed Sahw leader in Baquba

(Musings On Iraq article on female suicide bombers)

2014 ISIS fighters attacked Ramadi and helped take Fallujah with other insurgents

2014 Meeting of sheikhs clerics and notables to work out plan to retake Fallujah

2014 Mutihadun said wanted govt to release PM Alwani and police to restore security in Anbar

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

How U.S. Tried And Largely Failed At Reforming Iraq’s Government Interview With Univ of VA Prof Savage

US Provincial Reconstruction Team in Basra 2010 (Alamy)

James Savage is a Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia. He wrote Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions: Coalition State Building after Saddam, which analyzed the successes and failures of the U.S. nation building effort in Iraq. He focused not only on how the Americans tried to reform Baghdad’s budgetary system, but its government as well. Most commentators just focus upon the military and political problems the U.S. faced in Iraq. Savage brought up how the Americans tried and largely failed to change the country’s institutions, which is just as important to know to have a well rounded view of the U.S. occupation. This is an interview with Savage on lessons learned from this experience.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 1

1960 Gen Qasim issued new law of association promising parties would be legalized and more

political freedom Banned any student organizing and activism on campuses to control student protests

(Musings On Iraq interview with Western Kentucky’s Prof Romero on the Qasim govt)

1982 Peshmerga bombed Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline

1984 Report US told Persian Gulf allies that it supported Iraq in Iran-Iraq War

1988 Iran Launched Bait al-Moqaddas 2 in Mawet Kurdistan

(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)

1995 Civil war between PUK and KDP killed more than 500 especially over control of Irbil

(Musings On Iraq book review The Kurds, A Modern History)

(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)

1997 US and UK launched Operation Northern Watch to maintain no fly zone over northern Iraq

after France withdrew

1999 French paper claimed in 1998 bin Laden talked about safe haven in Iraq

2001 Break-in at Niger embassy in Rome to provide cover for how Italian intel broker Martino got

fake Iraq-Niger uranium papers

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

2009 US military handed over control of Green Zone to Iraqi govt

2009 British transferred control of Basra Airport to Iraqi forces

2014 ISI fighters moved into Ramadi and looted police stations Reports police in Fallujah deserted

and joined insurgents Fighting spread to Garma

(Musings On Iraq article on aftermath of shutting down Anbar protest sites)

2014 Sheikh Abu Risha called on Anbar to fight ISI

2014 ISI began pushing families out of Jurf al-Sakhr, Babil 

View the Iraq History Timelines