National Protests Start In Iraq During The Weekend UPDATED

Burning tires to block highway in Muthanna (Al Mirbad)

Protests which began on a consistent basis the second week of July escalated over the weekend. On Saturday July 25 there were gatherings in six southern provinces tied for the most this summer. The next day people came out in seven governates including Baghdad where the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) fired at demonstrators killing two despite a promise by the prime minister to protect them from such violence.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 27

1933 French forbid anymore Assyrians entering Syria

1933 Iraq asked French to impose treaty between two to remove Assyrians from Iraq-Syrian border and

disarm them for 2^nd time

(Musings On Iraq review The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

1958 Provisional constitution gave Kurds recognition as equal to Arabs

1959 Gen Qasim passed deal promising Arab-Kurdish partnership after talks with Mullah Mustafa

Barzani

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

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

1968 Communists issued demands to new Baath govt calling for National Front and coalition govt

1973 Communists said Bakr govt’s policies leading Iraq towards socialism

(Musings On Iraq 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)

1982 US official sent to Baghdad to share CIA satellite imagery of Iranian troop movements

1983 Iraq announced it would increase attacks on Iran’s oil facilities

1983 Iraqi forces regained control of Rayat and Mount Kerman from Iranians in Kurdistan

            Iran turned over Haj Omran to ISCI

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

1987 US asked Iraq to stop attacks on shipping in Persian Gulf in hopes that Iran would follow suit

(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

1990 Congress voted to impose sanctions on Iraq for threats against Kuwait Israel nuke and WMD

programs and human rights violations White House opposed

(Musings On Iraq review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict)

1990 Israel Science Minister threatened retaliation with chemical weapons if Iraq attacked

(Musings On Iraq Why Did Saddam Threaten Israel Before The 1990 Invasion of Kuwait?)

1993 Iran asked for aid for 4,000 Iraqi refugees that entered country as southern marshes were drained

2001 Pentagon memo said that sanctions were falling apart Meant US could face a nuclear armed

            Saddam Advocated for regime change without saying how to achieve it

2003 DepSecDef Wolfowitz claimed that Iraq’s insurgency had no support in Iraq or in region

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)

2003 Iraq Survey Group head Kay briefed Bush VP Cheney Def Sec Rumsfeld Dep Def Sec Wolfowitz CIA

Dir Tenet Natl Sec Adv Rice Chief of Staff Card on WMD hunt Said Iraq probably only had surge capacity to quickly restart WMD programs but no stockpiles Said trailers found were probably not mobile WMD labs Said Bush seemed unphased by fact that no WMD found

(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claims That Iraq Had WMD)

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

2003 Kay separately briefed VP Cheney who asked Kay to look into whether Iraq sent its WMD to Syria or

Bekka Valley Lebanon

2005 Saddam’s trial ended

2006 Iraq and UN announced International Compact to help develop country

2006 UK Amb to Iraq Patey said that de facto division of Iraq and civil war more likely than transition to

democracy

2007 KDP and PUK renewed strategic power sharing agreement

2007 Report Jan 07 Saudis told US Amb to Iraq Khalilzad that PM Maliki an Iranian agent and helped

Sadr Bush officials said Saudis not helping with Iraq Financing Sunni groups Half foreign fighters to Iraq Saudis Majority of suicide bombers Saudis 40% of foreign fighters in Iraq Saudis Saudis asked Gulf States to help it finance Sunni groups opposed to Maliki US didn’t publicly criticized Saudis because of alliance

(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)

2008 Report Mahdi Army took protection money from gas stations minibus service power stations markets

ice factories and squatters in Sadr City 4 main gas stations in district used to pay $13,000/a day Controlled 12 trucks that delivered gas canisters

2015 Protests in Rania KRG over project being stopped that led to clash with police

2018 Protests in Basra Babil Dhi Qar Karbala Baghdad Najaf Maysan Muthanna Qadisiya for jobs services

(Musings On Iraq Activists Focusing Upon Fridays For National Protests In Iraq)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 26

1920 Gertrude Bell wrote that Baghdad started the 1920 Revolt but not lost

control of it when tribes rose up and they listened to no one Baghdad did not start revolt

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

(Musings On Iraq review Gertrude Bell And Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Gertrude Bell, Explorer of the Middle East)

(Musings On Iraq movie review Letters from Baghdad)

1933 Iraq-French meeting Iraq told new border meant Assyrians who tried to get into Syria

            were actually still in Iraq French didn't want them in Syria

(Musings On Iraq review The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

1983 Iran Op Wa al-Fajr 2 captured Haj Omran pass and Mount Kerde Mand in Iraqi Kurdistan

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

1985 Iranian Op Al Quds 4 in Mandali Diyala

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

1988 Iraq began Op Eternal Light using Mujahedeen e-Khalq attacking towards Kormanshah

Advanced 60 miles Took 2 Iranian towns with Iraqi air support hoping to start revolt against Khomeini

1988 Iran and Iraq foreign ministers met to discuss ceasefire

(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

1988 PUK decided to withdraw from Balisan Valley Hit by chemical weapons while retreating

2001 Last of 4 NSC Deputies Committee meetings on revising Iraq policy

2005 US Army interrogators testified that dogs sleep deprivation and nudity all used on

            prisoners held at Abu Ghraib

2007 Truck bomb in Baghdad’s Karrada market killed 92 wounded 127

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

2007 US general said militias more accurate in targeting Green Zone because of training from Iran

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

2007 Audit Bechtel only finished half of its contracts Other half either canceled cut back or didn’t

            finish US only had 2 people to oversee contracts

2010 ISI bombed Al Arabiya TV station

2012 Protests in Basra against lack of electricity

2014 Ansar al-Islam refused to give allegiance to IS in Sadiya Diyala Led to fighting

            between two with IS winning

(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

2015 Protest in Nasriaiya over power shortages

2017 Court issued arrest warrant for head of Salahaddin council for corruption

2018 Protest at West Qurna 2 field in Basra Tried to set up sit-in camp Broken up by ISF

            Another protest at Zubayr oil field went off peacefully 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 25

1920 Karbala joined 1920 Revolt Tribal fighters beat British at Raranjiya

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

1961 Gen Qasim claimed Kuwait as part of Iraq for 2^nd time

1985 Congress agreed to State Dept request to remove Iraq from list of states supporting terrorism Was

            part of Reagan’s move towards Iraq

1990 OPEC agreed to raise oil prices and follow quotas allaying Iraq complaints Kuwait and UAE

overproducing and lowering prices

1990 Saddam met US Amb to Iraq Glaspie saying he wanted meeting to be message to Bush Saddam said

that US and Iraq didn’t have close understanding of each other that could lead to problems and misunderstandings Claimed US was plotting against him Said UAE and Kuwait forcing down oil prices which was an attack upon Iraq Said US supporting Gulf States at expense of Iraq Said US had to choose sides Said that he would not threaten Kuwait if it forgave debt agreed to OPEC quotas Saddam said he would talk to Kuwait but would not sit and wait while Kuwait waged economic war on Iraq Said that Gulf States refused to renegotiate Iraq’s debt and this was conspiracy led by Kuwait Claimed he would talk with Kuwait about dispute if they didn’t give into Iraqi demands he would act

(Musings On Iraq review the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait)

(Musings On Iraq review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict)

1990 Amb Glaspie told Saddam Bush wanted better Iraq-US relations Apologized for bad press on Iraq

Asked why Saddam had placed troops near Kuwait border Told Saddam US had no opinion on Iraq-Kuwait border dispute but warned not to use force

1990 US Defense Special Assessment said Iraq trying to pressure Kuwait to give into its demands and

didn’t think it would use military force

1990 Sec of State Baker told Commerce Dept export controls needed on US technology going to Iraq that

could be used for weapons programs

1990 Asst Sec State for Near East Kelly cancelled interview with Voice of America that would have warned

Iraq about troops buildup along Kuwait border

1990 Pres Mubarak called Saddam worried about Iraq putting troops on Kuwait border Claimed Saddam

promised not to attack Kuwait Saddam later denied that

1992 PUK head Talabani said he wanted to joint a democratic Turkey rather than stay part of Iraq Came

after talks between Turkey and KDP-PUK after Gulf War and pledges by them to stop the PKK

2003 Sadr held rally in Najaf saying that he would form his own army to oppose US occupation

(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)

2003 Japan authorized largest deployment of troops since 1945 to be sent to Iraq

2005 New US Amb Khalilzad said security was his top priority

2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee ended boycott after member assassinated

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

2006 Op River Falcon to secure Sayifiya south of Baghdad started

2007 Iran gave PM Maliki his own personal jet

2007 US commanders in southern Baghdad meeting on reconstruction Found Shiite areas had plenty of

water providing by govt Sunnis areas were facing huge water shortage US had to provide water to Sunni areas Talked about pressuring Maliki govt but it was unresponsive because made decisions on sectarian basis

2009 KRG held parliamentary and presidential elections

(Musings On Iraq Implications of the Kurdish Elections On Iraq’s Parliamentary Vote)

2018 Protest in Dhi Qar Called for removal of governor

2018 Report Iraq Election Comm warned that using electronic voting machine could undermine trust in

vote Told machines had major problems South Korean company would not properly audit vote

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 24

1915 British forces captured Nasiriya Ottomans had 2000 casualties British 500 casualties

1920 British regiment driven from Kifl during 1920 Revolt after losing 180 men killed and 160

captured

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

1923 Turkey signed Treaty of Lausanne agreeing to League of Nations deciding future of Mosul 

(Musings On Iraq How The Ottoman Province Of Mosul Became Part Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921)

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

1983 Saddam and Adnan Khairallah went to Kurdistan Khairallah took control of defenses against Iran

(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

1986 Saddam said unwise to clash with rising Islamism in Arab World but Iraq should be ready to strike

against it if threatened

1986 Saddam decided to reach out to Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan

1990 US military exercise with UAE Spokesman said US committed to defending its friends in the Gulf

Saddam said he felt betrayed by US forces moving through the Persian Gulf

1990 White House said it was concerned about Iraqi troop buildup along Kuwait’s border

1990 State Dept US had no defense treaties or special relationship with Kuwait Did support Gulf States

right to self defense

1990 DIA reported weaknesses in Iraqi logistics meant low chance Iraq would invade Kuwait

1991 Operation Provide Comfort II started to enforce northern fly zone and contain Saddam

1993 Kurds threatened retaliation if Iran didn’t stop shelling of border region trying to hit Iranian Kurdish

groups

2002 Kurds claimed Iraq coordinating with Ansar al-Islam and Al Qaeda in pre-invasion propaganda

campaign

(Musings On Iraq Why Didn’t Bush Strike Zarqawi And Ansar al-Islam In 2002?)

2003 Spain Foreign Min Palacio said no evidence Iraq had a nuclear bomb program

2004 Zalmay Khalilzad became new US ambassador to Iraq Wanted to defeat insurgency not withdraw

which was existing plan

(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)

2004 500 marched in Sulaymaniya demanding an independent Kurdistan

2005 Allawi’s Iraqiya threatened to boycott constitutional commission because it wasn’t taken seriously

the concerns of Sunni delegation

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

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

2006 Report US 4^th Div carried out mass incarcerations abused Iraqi prisoners while stationed in Salahaddin

03-04

2006 Report Inter Min fired all Anbar police during 2004 Battle of Fallujah and police never rebuilt No

police in Rutba Ana Haditha few in Rawa

2006 City wide battle started between Al Qaeda in Iraq ISF and US forces in Ramadi with insurgents

beaten back

2007 US-Iran held 2^nd talks about Iraq US accused Iran of sending weapons and training militias Iran

accused US of occupation

2008 US Amb Crocker said insurgency had lost most of its relevancy

(Musings On Iraq Demise of Al Qaeda In Iraq Update)

2008 Female suicide bomber killed Sahwa leader and 7 others 24 wounded in Baquba

(Musings On Iraq 25^th Female Suicide Bomber of 2008)

(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)

2014 IS attacked State Company for Pharmaceutical Supplies in Ninewa to capture bomb supplies

2017 Ammar Hakim announced he was leaving Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and forming new Hikma

Party

2017 Protesters in Babil cut Babil-Baghdad highway over lack of water due to drought

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Jul 15-21, 2020

Security incidents have slightly ticked up the last two weeks but Iraq is still in a lull in between storms. With the Islamic State’s spring offensive over attacks remain in the teens until the next campaign starts.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 23

1933 Iraq asked France to impose treaty between two to remove Assyrians from Syrian border and

disarm them

(Musings On Iraq review The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

1982 Iran Op Ramadan made fourth attack into Basra Iraq counterattacked pushed Iranians back

again

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1986 US briefing said that Iraq might need more US help because facing setbacks in Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq review The Saddam Tapes)

1987 Iraq For Min Aziz wrote UN saying Iraq welcomed ceasefire proposal UN Res 598

(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

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

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

1990 British military attache told US Embassy in Baghdad that he’d seen thousands of military vehicles

            moving south towards Kuwait US intel thought troops were just for intimidation

1990 US Central Command ran war game on stopping Iraqi invasion of Kuwait US deployed airborne corps

and lost half its troops Led to reworking of plan that would be used in Gulf War

2002 Blair cabinet meeting John Scarlett head of Joint Intel Com said Saddam could only be

removed by invasion Sir Dearlove head of MI6 said Washington decided war was inevitable Bush wanted to justify invasion via terrorism and WMD Said that intelligence and facts were being used to justify invasion Blair’s foreign policy adviser said Iraq was fourth most dangerous country with WMD behind North Korea Iran and Libya Defense Staff head Sir Boyce gave 3 options for British in Iraq 1 Offer bases to US 2 Add air navy special forces 3 40,000 troops for invasion

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Volume 2 Sec 3.3 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options April to July 2002)

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Section 3.4 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options, Late July to 14 September 2002)

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

2003 Bush said deaths of Qusay and Uday Hussein showed that the old regime was gone and would

not return

2003 US released photos of Uday and Qusay to prove they were killed in face of Iraqi rumors they were

alive

2003 Bremer said only matter of time before Saddam was captured

2004 Ayatollah Sistani spoke against attacks on Christian churches

(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)

2008 Kurdish List got Pres Talabani to veto draft provincial election law that included equal division of

power in Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq Conspiracy Theories Abound On Election Law Veto)

2012 ISI carried out 30 car bombs and other attacks across 20 cities as part of new Breaking Walls

Campaign that killed more than 115

2018 Protesters blocked highway in Dhi Qar and march in Qadisiya broken up by ISF before it started

2018 Basra councilmen asked province to become autonomous region in response to demonstrations

View the Iraq History Timelines