Iraqis In Kirkuk And Salahaddin Feel Safer But Worried About Future

(US Business Council in Iraq)

Kirkuk and Salahaddin used to be two of the foundations of the insurgency. Today, both are relatively secure with a decline in attacks. Two surveys by PAX show that people there are feeling safer, but have some trepidations about the future.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 24

1922 Anglo-Iraq declaration to League of Nations talked about giving Kurds rights and own

govt in their region

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

1938 Golden Square army colonels overthrew PM Jamil Midfai for trying to remove pan-Arab

officers Coup backed by Nuri al-Said who became PM and Taha al-Hashimi who became Def Min Rashid al-Gaylani became Chamberlain of Royal Office

(Musings On Iraq book review The Role of the Military In Politics, A case study of Iraq to 1941)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)

1938 PM Said moved to punish ex-PM Sulaiman

1963 Arif govt promised to settle problems with foreign oil companies

1980 Iraq air force bombed Iran’s main oil terminal at Kharg Island for 1^st time Iran bombed Basra

refinery in retaliation

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988)

1980 Iraqi division moved into Iran in north Took control of Rashah and Rayat Passes to block any

Iranian move upon Sulaymaniya

(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 Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

2002 UK For Sec Straw told Sec of State Powell a 2^nd UN resolution was needed to gain UK political

support and legal justification for war

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2002 Niger Premier said that his country did not try to sell uranium to Iraq

2003 Report President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board found White House disregarded

warnings by CIA about Iraq-Africa uranium story

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

2004 Def Sec Rumsfeld told troops in Iraq insurgency could be defeated

2005 National Security Adv Rubaie met with Ayatollah Sistani Said Sistani rejected calls for revote

due to complaints and violations Rubaie said Iraq would re-arrest Baathist officials just released by US

2005 Iraq court barred 90 candidates from election for Baathist ties

2006 Acting upon warrants issued by Basra judge for 62 police officers UK forces raided HQ of Serious

Crime Unit in Basra city Found 127 prisoners 80% were tortured Some Basra councilman protested against raid Interior Min Bolani said he would disband Serious Crime Unit PM Maliki Basra Gov Waili and sheikhs all supported raid Crime Unit responsible for death squads Attacks on UK Criminal activity Ties to Mahdi Army

2007 Report US general in charge of northern Iraq said most people in Sahwa were there for $ Of

15,000 Sahwa in north only 20% wanted to join ISF In some areas more people were volunteering for Sahwa then needed Iraqi economy didn’t have enough jobs for Sahwa after US money for program ended

2007 US military said violence in Iraq down 60% from Jun to Dec 07

2008 Iraqi National Dialogue Council left the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) claiming that the Islamic

Party was attempting to monopolize power Ended IAF

(Musings On Iraq article on break-up of the Iraqi Accordance Front)

2009 2^nd day of protests in Pirmargrun Sulaymaniya over mayor and lack of services PUK guards

broke up demonstration using gunfire

(Musings On Iraq Anti-Government Protests In Both Southern and Northern Iraq)

2013 PM Maliki ordered ISF to surround Ramadi protest site

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

2013 Acting Def Min Dulaimi’s convoy hit by IED

(Musings On Iraq article on insurgent offensive in Anbar)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Hezbollah Helping Iran Negotiate New Premier For Iraq

Hezbollah's Kawtharani has been in Iraq coordinating with Iran to pick a new prime minister (Long War Journal)

As the Iraqi parliament is deadlocked over deciding who should be the next prime minister, Iran is applying a full court press to make sure the candidate is favorable to it. That includes deploying its Hezbollah ally in the form of Mohammed Kawtharani. He has been assisting Iranian Revolutionary Guards Qods Force Commander General Qassim Soleimani in lobbying Iraqi leaders.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 23

1920 Iraq-Syria border set with Deir Ezzour going to latter

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

1983 Jordan gave Iraq $125 mil line of credit to help Baghdad in Iran-Iraq War

1986 Iran Op Karbala 4 Crossed Shatt al-Arab to attack Fish Lake defensive line before Basra city

Iraq warned beforehand by intel

(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 Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

2004 UK intel did review of its 2002 reporting on Iraq’s WMD and said its assessments were all wrong

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2004 Fallujah was reopened to displaced to return after 2^nd battle for city

2004 UK intel report 2005 elections would happen on time Assassinations and intimidation would likely

increase beforehand Hardline Sunnis would reject any new govt and continue with insurgency

2005 IMF approved $685 mil loan for Iraq

2006 Report Baladiyat Zayun Ghadir Nariya neighborhoods in Baghdad almost all Shiite now 400

Shiite families fleeing Baquba settled in Nariya and New Baghdad Iraqi army helped Shiite families move into Adil Mahdi Army moved into Sabi al-Bour northern Baghdad town to secure it Public Works Ministry proposed land grants to victims of Saddam and insurgents in 6 Sunni towns known for being insurgent bases Was believed to be move by Maliki govt to move Shiites into those areas

(Musings On Iraq book review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)

(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)

2007 Shootout in Baghdad’s Dora between Sahwa and Mahdi Army

2007 Dep Natl Sec Adv Hussein said that if Sahwa continued would lead to civil war with militias Said

half of Sahwa were insurgents and contacting Baathists

2008 Speaker Mashadani forced to resign after he praised reporter for throwing shoe at Pres Bush

and PM Maliki

2009 Protest in Pirmargrun Sulaymaniya turned into a riot after mayor said population didn't

appreciate his improvements to the community People complained about corruption and lack of services Asayesh and riot police called out

(Musings On Iraq Anti-Government Protests In Both Southern and Northern Iraq)

2009 Protests in Karbala and Anbar against Iranian troops occupying Well No 4 in Fauqi oil field in Maysan

(Musings On Iraq More Questions Than Answers On Iran-Iraq Oil Field Dispute)

2011 PM Maliki adviser said that Fin Min Issawi suspected of connections to terrorism Sadrists would

not go along with his removal

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki targeting Fin Min Issawi in 2011)

2012 Iraqiya boycotted parliament over arrest warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi in 2012)

2013 Sheikh Sulaiman said tribes would protect Ramadi protest site against Maliki govt

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

2013 Anbar Ops Command outside Ramadi hit by mortars in new insurgent offensive

(Musings On Iraq article on insurgent offensive in Anbar)

2017 PKK said it was creating its own region in Qadil northern Kurdistan

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 22

1638 Ottoman Sultvan Murad IV began siege of Baghad Captured it by end of year

Massacred Shiites

1916 British forces began digging lines towards Ottomans defenses at Khadairi Bend

1922 British cabinet said it wanted an independent Iraq and that Anglo-Iraq treaty would be best

way to maintain relationship

(Musings On Iraq book review Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930)

1986 Iraqi intel reported Iranians preparing for major offensive in Basra Saddam ordered bombing of

assembly areas

(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 Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

2002 Iraq invited CIA into country to find its WMD

2004 Kurdistan Referendum Movement presented petition with 1.7 mil signatures to UN calling for

            referendum on Kurdish independence

2005 Iraqi Islamic Party National Dialogue Front Iraqiya threatened to boycott new parliament

Called elections fraudulent Demanded new vote

2006 Ret Gen Keane told Natl Sec Adv Hadley US needed 5 brigade troop surge in Iraq not less

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

2006 PM Maliki spokesman said that Dawa and SCIRI close to agreement to crackdown on militias Were

also going to send delegation to Najaf to get Sadr back in govt

2006 US Intel report Mahdi Army was planning to kidnap US soldiers in Baghdad to undermine PM

Maliki’s reconciliation program Were using Mahdi Army commander who had been trained in Iran by Hezbollah and IRGC

2007 ISI leader Baghdadi described the Awakening as agents of the cross and called on followers to

kill them

2007 Ghazilya Guardians sahwa group bombed Blamed militia and Iraqi army Said they wanted

retaliation

2007 Def Min Obeidi said that after fighting over Sahwa would be disbaned Govt told US it would

integrate 25% of Sahwa into ISF and rest given jobs Interior Min agreed to hire 10,000 Sahwa

2007 Anbar Sheikh Suleimani claimed Islamic Party using Sahwa to regain popularity and claimed

            he would form Awakening group loyal to Baghdad

2007 Top State Dept official on Iraq said that Iran had decided to cut back support for militias Evidence

was reduction in EFP attacks upon US

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2008 Oil Min Shahristani said only central govt had authority to sign deals to develop Iraq’s oil Was

criticism of KRG

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

2010 PM Maliki’s second administration approved

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

2011 Govt officials told press that Maliki govt would investigate Fin Min Issawi over allegations he

was connected to a militia in Fallujah that killed political opponents Some of Issawi’s bodyguards arrested as a result

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki targeting Fin Min Issawi)

2012 Iraqiya boycotted cabinet over arrest warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi)

2013 PM Maliki announced major military campaign in western Anbar desert region after IS killed

leadership of 7^th Div

2013 Anbar council said it would work with govt to fight ISI

2013 PM Maliki said Ramadi protest site base for ISI and demanded it closed

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki’s accusations against Anbar protests)

2013 Ramadi protest sheikhs said Ramadi would take up arms against any forces trying to stop

demonstrations

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

2014 Fmr Communications Minister Allawi acquitted of corruption charges for lack of evidence

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 21

1956 Communist uprising in Al-Hay put down and leaders executed

(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)

1981 Kuwait and UAE agreed to loan Iraq $2 bil to help during Iran-Iraq War

1998 Russia France Germany called for ending sanctions on Iraq

1998 Report Iraq intel officer Hijazi met with bin Laden in Afghanistan and offered him asylum False story

2001 UK Def Min Hoon asked ministry for plans for military action against Iraq

2001 Vanity Fair article claimed Iraq involved in 9/11 based upon INC defector

2001 Vanity Fair author appeared on CNN and NBC repeating his story that INC defector claimed

Iraq involved in 9/11

2002 Dep CIA Dir McLaughlin briefed Bush on intel on Iraq WMD Said Iraq had precursors and biological

components Showed rocket engine test site that passed prescribed ranges Showed satellite photo of suspected clean up of chemical weapons spill Showed UAV flown 500km past UN limit of 150km CIA went over reports of Iraq having mobile WMD labs Played recording of 2 Republican Guard officers talking about removing nerve agents Said Saddam met with nuclear scientists talking about resuming their work

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

(Musings On Iraq article on how poor US intel work led to claim Iraq rebuilt its nuclear weapons program)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq, One Of The Worst Intelligence Failures In US History)

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

2002 Bush Natl Sec Adv Rice and Chief of Staff Card unimpressed by CIA presentation on WMD CIA Dir

Tenet said case was a “slam dunk” Administration had been making assertions about threat of Iraq’s WMD and when presented with facts Bush didn’t believe the case

2003 Massoud Barzani article said Kurds would take regional autonomy and nothing else in new

Iraqi constitution

2004 Insurgents attacked US camp in Ninewa killing 24 including 19 US soldiers Wounded 60

Deadliest attack on US so far

2004 Insurgents released 2 French reporters they kidnapped 4 months ago

2004 Center for Strategic and Intl Studies report Iraqi forces wouldn’t be ready to operate

independently until late 2006 at best

2005 Iraq Election Comm reported 10.9 mil of 15.6 mil voters participated in Dec 15 elections

Anbar vote went from 1% in Jan to 32% in Oct to 55% in Dec

2005 NSC presented 10 goals for new Iraqi govt to Bush Including competent ministers fighting

corruption

2005 Commando from 1^st Commando brigade based in Samarra said most of the unit was from

Mahdi Army and didn’t respect their commander only Sadr

2006 US arrested Gen Mohsen Chirazai commander of Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force’s

Dept 600 and 5 other IRGC members at home of Badr head Amiri Chirazai and 1 other released next day under pressure from PM Maliki and Pres Talabani Other 4 turned over to Iraqis Dec 28 and released the next day

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

2006 8 Marines charged with executing Iraqi civilians in Haditha None were convicted 

2010 PM Maliki finally put together new govt 9 months after elections Cabinet approved by parliament

2011 PM Maliki ordered Dep PM Mutlaq removed from office in response to Mutlaq calling for

Maliki to be replaced

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Iraqiya)

2012 Protests started in Fallujah in response to OM Maliki issuing arrest warrant for Finance Min Issawi

2013 7^th Div commander and leadership of division all killed by IS booby trapped house in Anbar

(Musings On Iraq article on death of 7^th Div leadership)

2013 Insurgents attacked al-Assad air base in Anbar

2015 Peshmerga and YPG captured Sinjar from IS

2017 2 killed 300 wounded in protests against the KRG

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 20

1983 Reagan envoy to Middle East Rumsfeld met with Saddam as part of new US policy to

back Iraq in Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

2001 NYT article with Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC claimed he went to 20 WMD sites

Haideri’s claims used in CIA DIA and White House reports Later found to be unreliable by US intel May 02 labeled fabricator by DIA

2002 IAEA inspectors said Tuwaitha facility involved in civilian nuclear research not involved in

weapons program

(Musings On Iraq article UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

2002 CIA blocked UN Amb to UN Negroponte mentioning Iraq-Niger uranium deal in speech to

Security Council

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

2004 Bush said he expected violence to increase before Jan 05 elections

2006 US military turned over Najaf 3^rd province to Iraqi forces

2006 Report Ayatollah Sistani backed creation of new ruling coalition behind PM Maliki that would

exclude Sadr Orchestrated by US Maliki opposed idea afraid that new coalition would oust him

2006 Bush said that US not winning but not losing in Iraq November he said US was absolutely

winning New line came from his military advisers

2007 Report Govt bus program to return refugees from Syria only lasted 2 trips Sunni refugees/displaced

afraid to sign up with govt for aid out of fear of retribution No process to handle property disputes after forced displacement

(Musings On Iraq book review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)

2009 Iran said it withdrew its troops from Well No 4 in Fauqi oil field in Maysan it occupied 2 days later

but Iraqis said they were still on Iraqi territory

(Musings On Iraq More Questions Than Answers On Iran-Iraq Oil Field Dispute)

(Musings On Iraq Disputed Oil Field Leads To Flare Up Between Iraq And Iran)

2011 VP Hashemi gave TV speech from Irbil denying terrorism charges against him

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

2011 3 car bombs hit checkpoints in Karbala during pilgrimage Killed 52 Wounded 203

2013 Sheikh Fahadawi’s house hit by mortars in Ramadi in spate of violence against Anbar notables

(Musings On Iraq article on Anbar violence)

View the Iraq History Timelines