This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 31

1981 End of 1^st yr of Iran-Iraq War 22,000 Iraqi 38,000 Iranian dead

2002 UN inspector told press they were finding no evidence of Iraq’s WMD and

            Western intel providing nothing substantive

2003 Bush said couldn’t tell whether Iraq had a nuclear weapon or not

2003 Car bomb at Baghdad restaurant killed 8 wounded 30

2007 Deadline to hold referendum on future of disputed territories under Constitution’s

            Article 140 passed

2007 Deadline for committee to revise Iraqi constitution missed Was 4^th time delayed

            Never finished job

2011 US withdrew forces from Iraq

2011 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Sadrists get into gunfight in Sadr City and Kadhimiya,

            Baghdad

2013 Anbar council negotiated withdrawal of 2 ISF units from Ramadi to try to

            control protests and fighting

2013 Maliki said he would withdraw ISF from cities in Anbar after closed protest

            sites leading to fighting

2013 Speaker Nujafi announced Mutahidun withdrawing from govt to protest

            Maliki shutting down Ramadi protest site

2013 10 houses in Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr blown up by ISI forcing 84 families to flee

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Security In Iraq, Dec 22-28, 2017

Attacks were up in the third week of December in Iraq, but that was after hitting a yearly low the week before. The rise in violence was largely due to incidents in Kirkuk and Baghdad. Casualties remained low however.

This Day In Iraqi History – Dec 30

2002 UK Foreign Sec Straw and Sec of State Powell thought UN inspections would

            not provide smoking gun against Iraq so alternatives needed

2002 UN inspectors said they had gone to all major suspected WMD sites and

            found nothing

2002 Report Reagan admin and its Middle East envoy Rumsfeld did nothing while

            Iraq used WMD in Iran-Iraq War

2003 White House meeting on what to do about Governing Council going to UN

            to ask them with help to transition to sovereignty

2003 White House decided they would try to block any UN plans for Iraq because

            wanted to keep control of process

2003 White House meeting then turned to security Cheney said he wanted to

            eliminate Sadr

2005 Oil Min Uloom put on leave after opposing govt plan to increase prices on gas and

            cooking oil Replaced by Dep PM Chalabi

2005 South Korea’s parliament okayed plan to withdraw 1/3 of its forces from Iraq

            Korea had 3^rd largest Coalition force in Iraq

2006 Iraqi govt hanged Saddam Hussein while Sadrists taped it and chanted Moqtada

2006 Naqshibandi insurgent group formed

2013 Anbar sheikhs gave govt 12 hour ultimatum to release PM Alwani

2013 Maliki shut down Ramadi and Fallujah protest camps Led to call to arms in city

            in protest and gunfire

2013 Gunmen appeared in Fallujah after protest site there closed setting up checkpoints

            and fighting with ISF

2013 Maliki used death of army's 7^th Div cmdr to shut down Anbar protest sites helping

            insurgency’s re-birth

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Maliki-KDP Reconciliation In Iraq

Vice President Nouri al-Maliki and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) were once the worst of enemies, and now they are making up. They both are angry at Prime Minister Haidar Abadi, which is bringing the two sides together. This is another sign of the short sighted thinking of much of Iraq’s political class.

This Day In Iraqi History – Dec 29

1979 U.S. placed Iraq on list of State Sponsors of Terrorism for backing

Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal

1981 Syria said it would start talks with Iran to try to end Iran-Iraq War

1990 Joint Chief head Gen Powell told CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Schwarzkopf to be

            ready to start Gulf War by 1/17/91

1996 Dawa announced campaign to assassinate top Iraqi officials

2002 US Senate authorized war against Iraq

2003 Iraqi Governing Council voted to replace family laws with sharia

2004 Insurgent safehouse blows up in Baghdad killing 28

2005 Zarqawi took responsibility for rocket attack on Israel Said he was fulfilling

            promise to bin Laden

2005 US military found 3 more secret prisons run by Badr within the Interior

            Ministry where torture used

2013 Head of Anbar council called for end of Ramadi protests in exchange for

            govt releasing MP Alwani

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Test Of Wills Islamic State Rebuilding Vs Iraqi Government Policing

The Islamic State is currently in a transition phase. It has been defeated on the battlefield and is switching back to an insurgency while trying to rebuild its cadres. The U.S. led Coalition recently said that it only numbered around 1,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria, a fraction of the amount it had just a year ago. In September and October the militant’s newsletter Al-Naba talked about no longer engaging in coventional battles as the group was suffering heavy losses and facing Coalition air strikes. It now has to not only get new followers, but set up networks, and find financing now that it no longer holds any territory in Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History – Dec 28

1998 U.S. began attacks upon Iraqi air defense system in north

1998 Italian paper claimed Saddam and bin Laden made pact to act against US and

            Iraq offered Saddam safe haven

2001 Gen Franks presented Bush with latest version of Iraq war plan

2001 Gen Franks’ plan included 7 lines of operation that could be used independently

            or in conjunction and 9 parts of Iraq that could be targeted

2001 Gen Franks wanted to start building up US forces in Gulf and information

            campaigns immediately

2001 Gen Franks said that US would be ready for war with Iraq by April to June 2002

2001 Gen Frans also wanted US to start working with Iraqi opposition inside Iraq

2001 CIA Dir Tenet said Iraqi opposition wouldn't work with US without seeing

            strong commitment from Washington

2001 Bush asked Franks if plan good enough to win Franks said yes with some work

2001 Bush ordered State and Defense Depts to start building up support amongst

            regional countries for Iraq invasion

2001 Richard Perle of Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board OpEd in NY Times said US

            had to attack Iraq

2002 Report NSC Sr Dir Near East Abrams drafted plan for US to seize control

            of Iraq’s southern oil fields

2003 Iraqi Governing Council wrote letter to UN about CPA’s plans to hold caucuses

            instead of elections for new Iraq parliament

2005 UN endorsed December elections for a permanent Iraqi parliament

2006 NSC agreed that Petraeus would be new Iraq commander for Surge

2010 PM Maliki said no changes would be made to the SOFA agreement with the US

            and all its troops would leave Iraq

2013 Speaker Nujafi said arrest of PM Alwani illegal due to parliamentary

            immunity Called for investigation

2013 Speaker Nujafi’s parliamentary investigative group into arrest of PM Alwani

            blocked from entering Anbar by ISF

2013 Curfew imposed in Ramadi

2015 Iraqi forces freed Ramadi

2016 Last bridge crossing Tigris in Mosul destroyed by Coalition airstrike to prevent

            IS retreating from eastern to western section of city

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This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 27

1945 Regent of Iraq promised political parties, new election law in political

            reform package

1990 100 congressmen asked Bush to give Iraq sanctions chance to work

1993 State Dept accused Iraq of indiscriminate shelling/bombing burning villages

            and executions in southern marshes

2001 Gen Franks briefed Rumsfled on war planning

2003 Attacks on govt buildings and foreign troop bases in Karbala killed 19 wounded

            120

2004 Al Jazeera aired bin Laden tape calling Zarqawi the prince of Al Qaeda in Iraq

2004 Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew from January 2005 election saying violence made

            vote impossible

2005 Al Qaeda in Iraq fired 2 rockets from south Lebanon into Israel

2005 Kurdish Col in army’s 2^nd Div in Ninewa said unit would not allow Def Min to

            add Arab soldiers to division

2009 Barzani held meeting to create Peshmerga Ministry in attempt to unify KDP and

            PUK’s forces

2011 Salahaddin council voted to turn province into a federal region Blocked by

            Maliki

2012 Protest in Mosul called for Iraqi forces to withdraw from city after arbitrary arrests

2012 Tribal delegation from Basra joined Ramadi protest

2013 Ansar al Sunna claimed ISI killed 40 of its members in inter-insurgent fighting

2013 Iraqi forces tightened security around Ramadi protest site searching people coming

            and going

2013 Army vehicle attacked near Ramadi protest site Blamed on ISI

2013 Maliki said was last time would be Friday prayers at Ramadi protest site

            Demanded tribes end protest

2013 Pro-Maliki Sheikh Hayes said Ramadi base for Al Qaeda

2013 Several sheikhs warned govt about closing down Ramadi protest site

2015 IS head Baghdadi released message US afraid to fight IS and Islam destined

            to rule world until judgment day 

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Security In Iraq, Dec 15-21, 2017

The greatly improved security situation in Iraq continued into the third week of December 2017. There were the fewest recorded security incidents of the year. Casualties were high though due to two mass graves of victims of the Islamic State being discovered in Ninewa.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 26

1961 Iraq announced it would reconsider diplomatic relations with any

            country that recognized Kuwait as independent country

1980 Saddam said frontline in war would be new border with Iran and demanded

            Tehran give self-rule to Arabs in southwestern Iran

1991 Syria invited Iraqi opposition parties to Damascus

2006 Appeals court upheld Saddam’s death sentence

2012 Fin Min Issawi addressed Ramadi protest camp condemning actions of

            Maliki

2013 Maliki ordered arrest of MP Alwani for taking part in protests Gun battle ensued

            killing Alwani’s brother and some of his bodyguards

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This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 25

1986 Iran’s Karbala 4 attack on Basra failed 8,000-10,000 casualties vs 3,000

            Iraqi ones

2005 Report US mismanaged developing Iraq’s electricity network Installed 26 natural

            gas turbines at 7 plants when Iraq didn’t have gas or infrastructure to support them

2006 British fought pro-militia police in Basra

2012 8,150 candidates registered for provincial elections

2013 Acting Def Min Dulaimi said govt would not shut down Ramadi protest site 

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Christians Celebrate Mass In Mosul For First Time In 3 Years

The Chaldean patriarch of Baghdad Luis Sako led church services at the Church of St. Paul in Mosul. This was the first time Christians had gathered in the city to celebrate Christmas since the Islamic State seized Mosul in 2014. Back in July 2014, the militants distributed flyers telling Christians they had to convert, pay a tax or be killed. The next day insurgents marked Christians houses in the city. The day after that, a second leaflet was issued telling them they had to obey the first order or leave. That led to the majority of the population fleeing. Since the Mosul campaign was completed the future of the community has been up in the air. Some are afraid to return to their homes, many want to stay in their new locations or leave Iraq overall. Still others are attempting to rebuild, which was seen in the service held in Mosul.

(Baghdad Today)

(Baghdad Today)

(Baghdad Today)

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “In ruins of Iraq Christian town, fires a sign of rebirth,” 5/6/17

Baghdad Today, “Pictures of the first mass in Mosul after Daesh,” 12/24/17

Bassem, Wassim, “As Mosul battle nears end, Iraqi Christians wary of return,” Al Monitor, 6/30/17

- “Iraq’s Christians demand reconstruction of religious sites,” Al Monitor, 5/21/17

Coles, Isabel, “Insight – Purge of minorities re-draws Iraq map,” Reuters, 7/24/14

Harding, Luke and Hawramy, Fazel, “Isis accused of ethnic cleansing as story of Shia prison massacre emerges,” Guardian, 8/25/14

Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Human Rights Office, “ Report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict in Iraq: 6 July – 10 September 2014,” 10/2/14

This Day in Iraqi History - Dec 24

1938 Golden Square army colonels overthrew PM Jamil Midfai for trying to

            remove pan-Arab officers

1938 Coup backed by Nuri al-Said who became PM and Taha al-Hashimi who became

            Minister of Defense Rashid al-Gaylani became Chamberlain of Royal Office

1963 Arif govt promised to settle problems with foreign oil companies

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

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

2002 UK Foreign Secretary Straw told Sec of State Powell a 2^nd UN resolution was needed

            to gain UK political support and legal justification for war

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

            disregarded warnings by CIA about Iraq-Africa uranium story

2004 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

2005 National Security Adv Rubaie said Iraq would re-arrest Baathist officials just

            released by US

2005 Iraq court barred 90 candidates from election for Baathist ties

2013 Maliki ordered ISF to surround Ramadi protest site 

View Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 23

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

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

1986 Iran launched Op Karbala 4 attacking Basra Iraq warned beforehand by US

            intelligence

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

            assessments were all wrong

2005 IMF approved $685 mil loan for Iraq

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

            Sadrists would not go along with his removal

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

 View the Iraq History Timelines

New Wave Of Kurdistan Protests Harken Back To 2011

The Kurdistan region is facing a new wave of protests. This has happened off and on for months now. What is new is the intensity, size and destructiveness of the current round. This harkens back to 2011, when there were large scale demonstrations in Sulaymaniya. Both times people were calling for reforms of the political and economic systems. In 2011, the authorities eventually cracked down on the crowds and shut them down begging the question of whether that will happen again this year.

This Day In Iraqi History – Dec 22

1916 British forces began digging lines towards Ottomans defenses at Khadairi

            Bend

2002 Iraq invited CIA into country to find its WMD

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

            parliament Called elections fraudulent Demanded new vote

2006 Ret Gen Keane told NatlSecAdv Hadley US needed 5 brigade troop surge in

            Iraq not less or piecemeal

2010 Maliki’s second administration approved

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

2013 Ramadi protest sheikhs said Ramadi would take up arms against

            any forces trying to stop demonstrations

2014 Fmr Communications Minister Allawi acquitted of corruption charges for lack

            of evidence

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This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 21

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

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 Wasn’t true

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

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

            precursors and biological components

2002 CIA showed rocket engine test site that passed prescribed ranges

2002 CIA showed satellite photo of suspected clean up of chemical weapons spill

2002 CIA showed UAV flown 500km past UN limit of 150km

2002 CIA went over reports of Iraq having mobile WMD labs

2002 CIA played recording of 2 Republican Guard officers talking about removing nerve

            agents

2002 CIA said Saddam met with nuclear scientists talking about resuming their work

2002 Bush wasn’t impressed by CIA presentation CIA Dir Tenet said case was a “slam

            dunk”

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 Quds Force’s Dept 600 Forced

            to release him under pressure from Maliki and Talabani

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

            parliament

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

            calling for Maliki to be replaced

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

            house in Anbar

2015 Peshmerga and YPG capture Sinjar

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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

1998 UN Res 1153 allowed Iraq to sell $5.3 bil in oil for 6 months under Oil for Food

            program

2001 NYTimes article with Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC claimed he went to 20

WMD sites

2001 Haideri’s claims used in CIA DIA and White House reports Later found to be

            unreliable by US intel

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

            involved in weapons program

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

            speech to Security Council

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

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

2012 Maliki had 10 of Finance Min Issawi’s bodyguards arrested Led to protests in

            Anbar Salahaddin Ninewa Baghdad

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Displacement Down Across Iraq But Lingering Issues Remain

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the main non-governmental organization working with Iraq’s displaced (IDP). It coordinates with both the United Nations and Iraq’s Migration Ministry. It recently released its monthly report on the IDP situation in the country showing that the number of people having fled their homes is down across much of the country.

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

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

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

2002 Blix and El Baradei told Security Council about initial weapons inspections Blix

            said Iraq had not provided much new info

2002 Blix said 1 main problem was declared amounts of WMD produced vs what Iraq

            could’ve produced and 2 secret destruction of stocks

2002 Iraq’s claims and potential WMD production didn't match and had no proof of its

            secret destruction of stocks

2002 Sec of State Powell said Iraq in “material breach” of disarmament obligations

            with its weapons declaration to UN

2002 State Dept paper accused Iraq of active WMD programs rebuilding nuke

            program Not disclosing them to UN

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

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

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

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

2011 Arrest warrant for VP Hashemi issued forcing him into exile

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

            attacks

2012 Maliki ordered arrest of Finance Min Issawi’s bodyguards

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This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 18

1959 Gen Qasim called Ahwaz and Mohammareh in Iran Arab Started

supporting Arabs in Khuzistan province

2002 Pres Bush said war was inevitable with Iraq at NSC meeting

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

2002 Saddam scrapped all of Iraq’s defense plans for U.S. invasion and

            replaced them with one he made himself

2002 Saddam’s 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 that Iraq had mobile WMD labs Germany said no

2002 UK Foreign Secretary 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

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

2002 CIA said talking about war while going to UN made Iraqis not willing to come

            forward because unsure US was going to remove Saddam

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

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

            members of security forces supporting United Iraqi Alliance

2007 SecState Rice told Maliki his govt wasn't working Maliki said others in govt

            were obstructionists

2009 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq issued fatwa on Syria War saying it was about fighting infidels and 

           defending Islam

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

            then allowed to fly to Sulaymaniya

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

            would remain in office 

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This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 17

1997 Iraq banned UN weapons inspectors from presidential and sovereign sites

1999 UN Res 1284 created UNMOVIC as new Iraq WMD inspection regime

1999 UN Res 1284 got rid of export oil quotas and eased import restrictions under Oil

            for Food Program

2001 Incoming Sec of State Powell said sanctions on Iraq should continue because it

            still had WMD

2001 Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC told CIA Iraq had secret WMD labs He

            later failed lie detector test and story proved false

2001 Czech Intel said story of 9/11 hijacker Atta meeting with Iraqi intel in Prague

didn't happen

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

2002 Powell hinted that US would reject Iraq’s weapons declaration to UN inspectors

2002 US inspected warehouse in Benin where uranium headed for Iraq allegedly

            stored but found nothing

2002 CIA said that Iraq did not include trying to buy uranium from Niger in its

            declaration to UN inspectors

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

            01 was probably false

2004 Bush briefed by DIA that insurgency was robust and strong and could lead to

            civil war without reconciliation

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

            of ISI Story was false

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

            charges

2014 Peshmerga began offensive to break IS siege of Mount Sinjar 

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Musings On Iraq In The News

Was cited by the International Organization for Migration in “Integrated Location Assessment II, Part I Thematic Overview” and "Integrated Location Assessment II, Part II Governorate Profiles".

Security In Iraq, Dec 8-14, 2017

Violence remained extremely low during the second week of December. There were just 56 incidents reported in the media. That was the 18^th full week with fewer than 100 incidents.

This Day In Iraqi History – Dec 16

1922 UK Lord of the Admiralty told Iraq commission Iraq oil would be important

            in case of war in Far East

1925 League of Nations set Turkey-Iraq border with Mosul province going to

            Iraq

1995 King Hussein offered to sponsor talks amongst Iraqi opposition parties

1998 UN inspectors left Iraq over non-cooperation

1998 US and UK start Operation Desert Fox after Iraq broke off cooperation with UN weapons

inspectors Ended Iraq’s plans to revive WMD programs

1998 Assessment by Intl Atomic Energy Agency Iraq had not produced a

            nuclear bomb before Gulf War

1998 Intl Atomic Energy Agency Iraq had only produced a few grams of

            weapons grade nuclear material before Gulf War

1998 Intl Atomic Energy Agency Iraq didn’t have capability to produce nuclear

material because of inspections

2003 Blair said it would take time to find Iraq’s WMD

2003 France and Germany agreed to US request to forgive part of $120 bil debt Iraq

            owed them

2004 Major Shiite parties agreed to United Iraqi Alliance for 2005 elections

2004 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey US needed to train Iraqi forces and create effective Iraqi

            intelligence services

2007 Iraq took control of Basra province from British

2012 Iraqiya boycotted parliament and cabinet to protest Maliki putting tanks outside

the homes of Mutlaq Issawi and Hashemi in Green Zone

2013 Maliki appointed Parliamentary Affairs Minister Safi from State of Law as

            acting Finance Minister

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Kurds, Islamic State? Who Are The New Insurgent Group In Iraq?

Hashd units are moving towards Salahaddin’s Tuz Kharmato in preparation to launch an offensive against a new insurgent group that is called various names such as the White Flags/Banners, the Liberation Army, and others. This group is shrouded in mystery as reports claim that it is everything from Kurds upset at the federal government to former Islamic State fighters.

This Day In Iraqi History – Dec 15

1940 Foreign Minister Said wrote memo to PM Gaylani and Regent that Iraq had to

            back England and US during WW2

1957 Abdul-Wahab Mirjan became premier of Iraq

1981 Iraq said it was ready to end war if Iran recognized borders Iran rejected offer

1990 Saddam told officials that US started war against Iraq in 1986 when it sold

            weapons to Iran in Iran-Contra Affair

1998 UN weapons inspector chief Butler said Iraq had not lived up to promise of

            cooperating

2003 Report Al Qaeda was going to divert fighters and funds from Afghanistan to Iraq

2005 Iraq held elections for a permanent parliament Some insurgent groups provided

            security to make sure Sunnis could vote

2005 Secular candidate in Basra said afraid Shiite religious parties would use their

            militias and police to carry out fraud during election

2005 Police in Najaf drove through city calling on people to vote for the United Iraqi

            Alliance

2006 Bush told Maliki to accept Surge as way to bring down violence Maliki said

            he would announce it next day Didn't

2006 US intel said Maliki against Surge Said he didn't like US forces and didn’t

            want more of them in Iraq

2011 U.S. announced withdrawal of its forces from Iraq

2011 ISF deployed outside homes of VP Hashemi, Rafi Issawi and Salah al-Mutlaq

            in Green Zone on orders of PM Maliki

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