Sadr Calls Off His Followers, What Comes Next In Iraqi Politics?

One day it seems like Iraq is heading towards civil war. The next everything is calm. That’s what happened from August 29-30.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 31 Upon invitation of Barzani Saddam invaded Irbil to attack the PUK

 

Iraq Descends Into Chaos With Open Fighting Between Shiite Parties

(Reuters)

Monday August 29 started off like recent days with Moqtada al-Sadr announcing that that he was abandoning politics another time and his followers marching on the Green Zone even though it already occupied sections of the area already. The security forces fired sound bombs and live ammunition at the crowd and ended up killing at least one Sadrist. Then everything descended into chaos.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 30 US govt report PM Maliki govt full of corruption and human rights abuses

(Getty Images)

Chilcot Inquiry Section 6.5 Planning And Preparation For A Post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, January to March 2003

From January to March 2003 the Blair government was frantically trying to draw up its plans for post-war Iraq. One issue it pushed was getting the United Nations involved which was opposed by the United States. It was also worried that the Americans were not adequately strategizing for the day after the invasion. Third, Prime Minister Tony Blair was not providing the necessary leadership to make an organized effort to tackle the situation. The result was that the U.K. went to war without the resources and ideas for dealing with the post-Saddam situation in Iraq which endangered all its goals

This Day In Iraqi History – Aug 29 SCIRI head Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim killed by Zarqawi in Najaf bombing 125 dead 500 wounded

(CBS News)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 28 Iraq annexed Kuwait as 19th province

(Britannica)