Review Islamic State The Digital Caliphate

Review Atwan, Abdel Bari, Islamic State The Digital Caliphate, Oakland: University of California Press,2015

Islamic State The Digital Caliphate is a short introduction to the Islamic State. It covers its history, its leadership, its form of governance, its recruiting, its relationship with Al Qaeda and foreign affiliates, etc. It’s problems are twofold. First, author Abdel Bari Atwan constantly goes off on tangents. Second, he has a meandering style going back and forth between topics, which makes for a poor narrative. While there are some interesting parts to Islamic State The Digital Caliphate it has too many distractions.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 19

1983 Reagan Special Envoy to Middle East Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad to try to improve

US-Iraq relations

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1998 Op Desert Fox by Pres Clinton to punish Iraq for ending cooperation with UN weapons

inspectors ended Iraq gave up rebuilding its WMD programs as a result

(Musings On Iraq article on Op Desert Fox)

2001 Gen Franks made 3^rd presentation to Rumsfeld of revised Iraq war plan

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)

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

Tragedy)

2002 Blix and El Baradei told Security Council about initial weapons inspections Blix said Iraq had not

provided much new info Said 1 main problem was declared amounts of WMD produced vs what Iraq could’ve produced and 2 secret destruction of stocks Iraq’s claims and potential WMD production didn't match and had no proof of its secret destruction of stocks

(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 Sec State Powell and US Amb to UN Negroponte said Iraq in “material breach” of disarmament

obligations with its weapons declaration to UN

2002 Sec State Powell said Iraq bought aluminum tubes for centrifuges

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2002 State Dept paper accused Iraq of active WMD programs rebuilding nuke program Not disclosing them

to UN Said Iraq weapons declaration to UN did not include it trying to buy uranium from Niger

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

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

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

2002 UK cabinet told Blair govt would declare Iraq in material breach of UN Resolution 1441 in Jan

because of its arms declaration

2002 France said it was up to inspectors not US to determine whether Iraq was hiding WMD

2002 Russia criticized US for not providing evidence to Security Council and inspectors of Iraqi

violations during inspections

2002 CNN/Time poll 63% of US respondents believed US war with Iraq was inevitable

2002 Gen Franks briefed Bush again on war plans Went over what could go wrong and lessons from

war game

2002 CIA had meeting on Curveball informant that claimed Iraq had mobile WMD labs German

office chief said Curveball seemed unreliable Analyst said Curveball claim of Iraq mobile WMD labs corroborated by another source Was an INC defector Deputy CIA Dir’s executive assistant said Curveball was credible 

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

(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)

(Musings On Iraq The Story Of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)

2004 Suicide bomber in Karbala killed 14 and wounded 30 and car bomb in Najaf killed 48 wounded

90

2004 30 insurgents attacked members of Election Commission on Haifa St Baghdad Dragged them

from car and shot them in street

2005 Adnan al-Dulaimi of Iraqi Accordance Front called for revote at polling stations where

violations were registered

2005 Salah al-Mutlaq of National Dialogue Front claimed there was voter fraud

2005 Amb Khalizad said couldn’t have sectarian Badr member run Interior Ministry

(Musings On Iraq article on the history of Badr Organization)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)

2006 NSC meeting Bush told PM Maliki agreed to new Baghdad security plan

2006 PM Maliki proposed Baghdad security plan to US Said he would support troop surge if US only went

after insurgents and not militias Said he would make a political deal with Sadr that would reduce Mahdi Army violence

2006 Report Lawyer that investigated Diyala said that torture widespread in police Police full of militias

Death squads operated with help of police Sunni and Shiite religious leaders tried to get local sheikhs to sign pledge to stop violence Baquba mayor said Shiites had mostly been expelled from city by Sunnis ISF did not protect Sunnis in province Deputy police commander in Diyala said politicians were constantly interfering in his work

2006 Report insurgents and gangs taking down power towers to Baghdad Insurgents launching

campaign to deprive capital of electricity Gangs stripping towers of aluminum that they sell Electricity Min said Baghdad in crisis Mar 06 1-2 power lines to Baghdad down at one time Summer 06 6-7 lines down Fall 06 up to 12 power lines down July insurgents took down every power line to Baghdad in coordinated attacks across central Iraq

2007 West Point study of captured ISI docs Largest group of foreign fighters were Saudis 41% Most were

24-25 yrs old 43% students Strength of ISI was able to constantly draw upon young recruits

(Musings On Iraq article on Saudi role in insurgency)

2008 Pres Talabani proposed reforms to PUK at politburo meeting to address factionalism

2011 Arrest warrant for VP Hashemi issued forcing him into exile

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

2011 3 of Hashemi’s guards appeared on TV saying they were involved in terrorist attacks

(Musings On Iraq article on Hashemi bodyguards’ confessions)

2011 Report one of VP Hashemi’s guards had been arrested start of Dec on charges of building a car

bomb Guard confessed leading to 3 more guards and manager of Hashemi’s office to be arrested

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki’s moves against VP Hashemi)

2011 PM Maliki ordered Dep PM Mutlaq barred from entering parliament

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

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

2012 PM Maliki ordered arrest of Fin Min Issawi on terrorism charges Detained 10 of his bodyguards

1 yr after having warrant issued for VP Hashemi for terrorism 

2012 Pres Obama called Fin Min Issawi US Amb Beecroft visited Issawi US Embassy issued protest

to Iraq’s Foreign Min over warrant for Issawi

2012 Protests started in Anbar Salahaddin Adhamiya in Baghdad over warrant for Fin Min Issawi

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

2013 Sheikh Mohammed al-Hayes’ house in Ramadi bombed in spate of violence against Anbar

notables

(Musings On Iraq article on Anbar violence) 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Chilcot Report Section 3.5 Development of UK Strategy and Options September to November 2002 – Negotiation of Resolution 1441

Chilcot Report Section 3.5 Development of UK Strategy and Options September to November 2002 – Negotiation of Resolution 1441

PM Blair was convinced he could change Pres Bush's opinion about going to the U.N. over Iraq (AFP)

From September to November 2002 the main issue before the Blair government was how to approach the United Nations and deal with the United States’ opposition to that move. Prime Minister Tony Blair’s only victory so far with the Bush administration was to convince the president to go to the U.N. to get a new resolution on Iraq. Now there were disputes over whether one or two resolutions were needed to go to war. The Blair government was told that two would be necessary, and the problems that would cause with the Americans, but Blair went ahead anyway taking the risk that things would work out.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 18

1959 Gen Qasim called Ahwaz and Mohammareh in Iran Arab Started supporting Arabs in          Khuzistan province

1980 Iraq advanced 50km into Zagros Mountains in Iranian Kurdistan

(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)

1998 Pres Clinton changed US Iraq policy from containment to regime change Didn’t take

            action to implement policy

(Musings On Iraq book review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents)

2002 NSC meeting on UN inspections Bush said Iraq not cooperating Bush told Sec State Powell that if

Iraq was in material breach that would mean war

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

(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 Bush met with Spanish Pres Anzar Said Iraq’s weapons declaration was a joke and US would

eventually have to remove Saddam

2002 Sec Def Rumsfeld ordered start of civil administration to run postwar Iraq 3 months before

invasion

(Musings On Iraq article on Part I Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Planning for Postwar Iraq September 2001 to May 2003)

(Musings On Iraq article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 3 The Department of Defense Takes Charge)

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

Tragedy)

2002 Saddam scrapped all of Iraq’s defense plans for US invasion and replaced them with one he made

himself War plans consisted of concentric circles around Baghdad and defending main cities

2002 CIA Dir Tenet asked Germans if Iraqi defector CURVEBALL could be interviewed about his

claims Iraq had mobile WMD labs Germany said no

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

(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)

(Musings On Iraq The Story Of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)

2002 UK Foreign Sec Straw said Iraq in material breach of UN resolutions with its weapons declaration that

denied it had WMD

2002 IAEA head in Reuters No evidence that Iraq had worked on any nuclear facilities since 1998

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

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

2002 UK Defense Ministry admitted that ships were taking troops and tanks to Persian Gulf

2002 CIA briefed Bush and NSC on difficulties recruiting and maintaining sources in Iraq Said

talking about war while going to UN made Iraqis not willing to come forward because unsure US was going to remove Saddam

2002 State Dept posted listing of omissions in Iraq’s UN weapons declaration

2003 UK cabinet meeting said that capturing Saddam wouldn’t likely affect security PM Blair disagreed

saying it would open the door to progress in Iraq

2005 Bush national speech said Iraqi elections were a turning point for democracy in Middle East

and US withdrawal would show US lack of resolve

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)

2005 Allawi’s Iraqiya filed more than 60 complaints of voting violations including members of

security forces supporting United Iraqi Alliance

2006 Sadr endorsed insurgent attacks on US forces claiming it was resistance to the west

2007 Sec State Rice told PM Maliki his govt wasn't working Maliki said others in govt were obstructionists

2007 White House report Attacks in Baghdad down 80% since Nov 06 Murders down 90% Car bombs

down 70% Dec avg just below 600 attacks per wk down from 1,600 per wk in Jun

2007 Turkey bombed PKK positions in Kurdistan Then 300 troops moved 3km into Iraq US provided

intel and targeting to Turkey In return Turkey agreed to recognize KRG

2007 Report by US Military Academy ISI defeated on tactical and operations level in Baghdad and Anbar

Trying to rebuild in north and along Syrian border Iraqis turned on ISI Foreign fighters dropped ISF more competent Police retrained but still had issues Army much better Corruption in ISF endemic ISF still lacking in counterinsurgency logistics maintenance medical units artillery armor No air force Iraqi govt dysfunctional Economy slowly recovering US military acting as de facto Iraqi state on the ground Many Sunnis now working with US against ISI No Sunni leadership Mahdi Army consolidating control of Baghdad areas conquered Political parties act like mafias US had to continue to develop ISF US couldn’t continue to act as Iraqi govt

2009 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq issued fatwa on Syria War saying it wasn’t about defending Sayid Zeinab

shrine but fighting infidels and defending Islam

(Musings On Iraq article on history of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

2009 Iranian soldiers occupied Well No 4 in Fauqi oil field in Maysan PM Maliki said nothing Interior Min

said was not important Foreign Min said Iran and Iraq would talk about border soon

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

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

2011 VP Hashemi stopped at Baghdad airport some of his bodyguards arrested and then allowed to

fly to Sulaymaniya

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

2011 Fin Min Issawi and Dep PM Mutlaq temporarily detained at Baghdad airport while trying to

take flight to Irbil to meet with Pres Barzani

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

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

2012 Pres Talabani had a stroke effectively ending his political career although he would remain in

office

2017 Protests broke out in Sulaymaniya Kalar Rania Taq Taq Chamchamal and five other towns

against the Kurdish establishment

(Musings On Iraq article on Kurdish protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Missing 600 From Anbar’s Saqlawiya Finally Found Dead?

Kataib Hezbollah were accused of various abuses of people fleeing the Fallujah battle in 2016 including the abduction of 643 men and boys (Iraqi News)

An Iraqi official told Al Arabiya that the 643 men and boys who disappeared in 2016 during the battle for Fallujah were discovered dead in a mass grave.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 17

1940 Regent called cabinet meeting telling them they lacked unity to run govt PM Gaylani

rejected Regent’s criticism and blamed problems on For Min Said Later in day Regent asked Gaylani to resign He refused Pro-Said MPs criticized Gaylani PM asked Regent to dismiss parliament

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

1962 Student union members at secondary school in Baghdad that started strike attacked by Pan-

Arab students leading to riot

1981 Iraqi counterattack lost most of lost ground from Iranian Op Matla al-Fajar in central front

(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)

1992 Iraqi army moved north into Kurdish autonomous region claiming it was a military exercise

1997 Iraq banned UN weapons inspectors from presidential and sovereign sites

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)

(Musings On Iraq article Charles Duelfer’s Account Of The End Of The 1990s U.N. Inspections)

1999 UN Res 1284 created UNMOVIC as new Iraq WMD inspection regime Got rid of export oil

quotas and eased import restrictions under Oil for Food Program

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

(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)

2001 Sec of State Powell said sanctions on Iraq should continue because it still had WMD

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

2001 Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC told CIA Iraq had secret WMD labs He later failed lie detector

test Story proved false Labeled fabricator by DIA May 2002 but story continued to be used

2001 Czech Intel said story of 9/11 hijacker Atta meeting with Iraqi intel in Prague didn't happen

2001 VP Cheney told NBC story that 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intel was unconfirmed

2001 White House said anthrax attacks in U.S. came from domestic sources not Iraq

2001 UN Resolution 1284 created UNMOVIC as new Iraq WMD inspection regime

(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 Sec State Powell hinted that US would reject Iraq’s weapons declaration to UN inspectors

(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 said that Iraq did not include trying to buy uranium from Niger and aluminum tubes in its

declaration to UN inspectors

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

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

2002 US inspected warehouse in Benin where uranium headed for Iraq allegedly stored but found nothing

2003 Report Sunday Telegraph story that 9/11 hijacker Atta travelled to Baghdad in 01 was probably

false It was

2004 Bush briefed by DIA that insurgency was robust and strong and could lead to civil war without

reconciliation

2006 Men in army uniforms kidnapped 28 men from Red Crescent HQ in Baghdad

2006 Insurgents shelled Taji in north Baghdad with mortars setting up checkpoints and burned a

house to try to drive residents out

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

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

2006 Insurgents took down 40 power towers from Baiji to Baghdad 42 towers from Baiji to Kirkuk

All lines from power plants in Musayib and Haditha to capital Part of campaign to deprive central Iraq of electricity

2006 Former Sec State Powell said US losing war in Iraq Questioned troops surge asking what would

be the goal Said US army being broken by long deployments to Iraq

2006 Fmr Electricity Min Samaraie fled Iraq to US after warrant issued for him over corruption

(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)

2007 Report Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was a fake played by actor and Masri real leader of ISI Was

misinformation spread by ISI to deceive US and Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

2007 Maliki govt spokesman Daggabh said Iraq would need help of foreign troops for 10 years but

wouldn’t accept permanent bases

2007 Mar-May 07 Pentagon audit found couldn't account for 12,000 weapons and 2,100 generators in Iraq

US command in Iraq couldn’t protect money for ISF from waste and mismanagement

2007 Day after Basra turned over to Iraqi control Iraqi army officer said UK legacy was gangs corrupt

police and open borders Said Baghdad was planning operation to rid Basra of death squads 14,000 of 17,000 police there linked to militias Christians being targeted by militias 

2007 Report Basra police chief Gen Khalaf said British had left province in chaos with militias and gangs

2011 Baghdad Ops Command announced arrest warrant for VP Hashemi on terrorism charges

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

2011 PM Maliki asked for no confidence vote against Dep PM Mutlaq

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

2011 18 Diyala councilmen along with governor fled Baquba for Kurdish controlled Khanaqin dist

due to militias sent by PM Maliki over making province a federal region

(Musings On Iraq article on militia moves in Diyala)

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

2014 Peshmerga began offensive to break IS siege of Mount Sinjar

2017 Head of Al Abbas Combat Division Zaidi criticized Hashd that were going to run in 2018

elections for violating Ayatollah Sistani’s wishes

View the Iraq History Timelines 

US Sanctions Iraqi Businessman Khanjar For Bribery And Supporting Iran

US sanctioned businessman Khamis al-Khanjar for bribing politicians and supporting Iran (Reuters)

On December 6 the U.S. Treasury Department issued a new round of sanctions against Iraqis. That included millionaire businessman Khamis al-Khanjar. The Americans charged him with bribing Iraqi politicians to join his Axis List and supporting Iran. Khanjar has been a political chameleon in Iraq emerging as a major backer of Sunni politicians especially the Nujafis from Mosul before switching to supporting pro-Iran lists such as Nouri al-Maliki’s State of Law in 2019.