Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Baby Steps Towards Reconciliation Between Iraq’s Central And Regional Govts


Reconciliation between Baghdad and Irbil in the aftermath of the September independence referendum has been going at a snail’s pace. Prime Minister Haidar Abadi still claims the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has not cancelled the results of the vote, while making various demands about its oil industry, air ports, border crossings, budget, etc. Recently, the central government made some small concessions.

This Day In Iraqi History – Jan 31


1941 PM Gaylani stepped down fearing civil war due to his reaching out to Axis that had split govt
            and angered British 
1941 UK Foreign Office decided to give money to Regent to help him return to power
1991 US and Saudis pushed Iraqi forces out of Saudi city of Khafji after 2 days of fighting
1999 Soviet paper claimed hundreds of Afghan Arabs were being trained in terrorism in south Iraq
            to fight US
2003 Blair’s advisers told him had to prioritize pushing Bush on postwar planning for Iraq but
            Blair failed to do so
2003 Bush and Blair said that invasion would start Mar 10 2003
2003 Blair told Bush he needed a 2nd UN resolution for use of force against Iraq for domestic
            politics Bush agreed
2003 Bush and Blair said a 2nd U.N. resolution would be good against Iraq but not necessary to go
            to war
2003 Bush said fighting between Iraqi factions would be unlikely after invasion
2003 Bush and Blair talked about provoking Iraq to help justify war including getting US spy
            plane fired upon
2004 Gen Taguba started investigation of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison
2004 Car Bomb at Mosul police station killed 9 wounded 45
2005 Assyrians in Ninewa’s Bashiqa and Bartella told couldn’t vote after promised they could
            when ballots ran out on Jan 30
2005 Assyrians demonstrated in Ninewa Plains over not being allowed to vote Broken up by
            Kurdish security forces
2006 US Emb-military report situation in 6 of Iraq’s 18 provinces serious 1 critical
2006 US Emb-military report said militias infiltrating security forces in Basra Lots of
            gangs smuggling assassinations
2009 Provincial elections held



Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Security In Iraq, Jan 22-28, 2018

The number of incidents reported in Iraq has stayed steady for the start of 2018. During the third week, there was a large number of fatalities because of two mass graves.

This Day In Iraqi History – Jan 30


1927 1st student protest in Iraq held over firing of teachers Organized by Communists
1940 Regent of Iraq fled Baghdad for Diwaniya fearing retaliation by PM Gaylani
1940 British were hoping to use Regent fleeing to spread unrest in Iraq to remove PM
            Gaylani from power
1984 State Dept memo said that US considered discouraging military exports to Iraq
1985 Iraq attacked Said Saad
1991 Saddam ordered Op Samarra hit and run air attacks on Coalition air force
2001 1st NSC meeting of Bush admin talked about how Iraq destabilizing Middle East
            CIA Dir Tenet provided intel Iraq working on WMD at factory
2001 Treasury Sec O’Neil asked about WMD intel Tenet admitted no confirmation that
            Iraq producing WMD
2001 Sec of State Powell argued for smart sanctions
2001 Sec of Def Rumsfeld wrote memo noting Iraq and others trying to buy advanced
            military technology
2002 Rice said Axis of Evil countries had to be dealt with diplomatically but at same
            time said they couldn’t be negotiated with
2002 CIA unclassified report to Congress Iraq trying to rebuild its nuclear program
2003 Bush told Italian Premier Berlusconi that Iraq would be disarmed and Saddam
            removed
2003 UN Amb Negroponte told Senate aluminum tubes Iraq bought were not right
            for rockets in response to IAEA findings
2003 Same hearing Dep Sec of State Armitage said there were differences in US about
            the tubes
2003 White House spokesman said Bush stood by claim that aluminum tubes Iraq tried
            to buy were for nuke program
2003 UK Att Gen Goldsmith wrote Blair telling him UN Res 1441 didn’t authorize
            use of force against Iraq
2003 Aid group warned that breakdown of law and order likely right after Iraq invasion
            unless US immediately established control
2003 Powell’s chief of staff Wilkerson began going through intel on Iraq with CIA
            for Powell’s Feb 03 UN speech
2004 CIA and Congressional inquiries no evidence White House pressured US intel on
            Iraq’s WMD and ties with Al Qaeda
2004 Congressional committee found CIA relied too much on circumstantial outdated and
            satellite and intercept intel on Iraq WMD
2005 Elections held for parliament to draft new Iraqi constitution Sunnis boycotted vote
            Also voted for provincial councils
2012 Maliki warned Salahaddin governor that he would be removed if he pushed
            provincial autonomy
2014 8 gunmen stormed Human Rights Min office in Baghdad and took hostages
            Were killed

Monday, January 29, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 29


1917 British captured Ottoman fort at Khadairi Bend in campaign to recapture
            Kut
1948 PM Jabr forced to resign over protests over Anglo-Iraq treaty organized by
            Communists Regent also against Jabr
1948 Sayid Mohammed al-Sadr replaced Jabr as PM
1953 Jamil al-Midfai became PM for 5th time
1982 King Hussein said Jordanian troops would be sent to Iraq to help in Iran-Iraq
            War
1991 Iraq launched probing attack upon Saudi city of Khafji occupying it
1998 Last part of final report of UN inspectors in Iraq issued
2002 Bush State of Union called Iraq part of Axis of Evil Said it still had WMD
programs
2002 Iran and North Korea added to Axis of Evil speech because Bush admin didn’t
            want to be seen as focusing upon Iraq
2003 UN Amb Negroponte said Iraq bought aluminum tubes for nuke program
2003 Rumsfeld said Iraq had a nuke weapons program and tried to buy uranium from
            Africa
(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2003 Powell Chief of Staff Wilkerson went over info to be used in Powell speech to UN
            at CIA HQ
2003 State’s Wilkerson rejected using Cheney Chief of Staff’s briefing as basis for
            Powell’s UN speech CIA Dir Tenet said NIE on Iraq should be used instead
2003 Aid groups warned that if Pentagon ran postwar Iraq many international donors
            would be reluctant to give relief
2004 NatlSecAdv Rice said what US predicted about Iraq WMD before war not what
            found afterward
2004 NatlSecAdv Rice said Saddam deceived US and world about its WMD
2004 State Dept said failure to find out about Iraq’s WMD was not US failure but
            international one
2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay told Bush Saddam wanted Iraqis to believe
            country had WMD when it didn't
2004 Fmr Iraq Survey Group head Kay said he thought Saddam destroyed his WMD
            stocks because too easy to find
2004 Bush asked Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay why Saddam didn’t admit he had
            no WMD Kay said Saddam wanted fear to stop revolts by Shiites and Kurds
2005 RAND Corp Iraq became center for jihadist cause and cause of terrorism in rest of
            world
2005 Human Rights Watch US Abu Ghraib prison scandal became recruitment tool for
            terrorists
2006 Al Qaeda sent 2nd letter to Ansar al-Sunnah saying it sent representative to
            Iraq to work out issues with Al Qaeda in Iraq
2006 Sharia Committee for the Army of the Followers of the Sunnah and the Collective
            joined Mujahedeen Shura Council
2006 Sharia Committee for the Army of the Followers of the Sunnah and the
            Collective’s emir was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's group
2006 Report after US made deal with sheikhs in Ramadi against Al Qaeda in Iraq in
mid-Jan 3 sheikhs assassinated leading tribes to retaliate against AQI
2006 Report 3 Islamist insurgent groups once aligned with Al Qaeda in Iraq in Ramadi
            broke with it
2006 National Security Adviser Rubaie said Al Qaeda in Iraq feuding with Islamic Army
            and Mujahedeen Army 

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Still Pulling Bodies From Wreckage Of Mosul


On January 12, 2018, the Civil Defense Department announced that it had finished recovering bodies from the rubble of Mosul. It said that roughly 2,500 people had been found, and any other remains were Islamic State members. Voice of America reported on January 26 however, that municipal workers were still pulling people out of the Old City in west Mosul. The day the VOA journalist was in the city for example, a 10-year-old girl was discovered. Much of the Old City remains a disaster area, so Civil Defense was probably premature to say that its work was done.

This Day In Iraqi History – Jan 28


1920 Turkish National Pact said Turkey gave up rights to all Ottoman provinces
            with Arab majorities including Basra and Baghdad
1920 Turkish National Pact did not include Mosul province which Turkey claimed had
            Turkish majority Kurds called Turks
1920 British also claimed Mosul province which it occupied after armistice with
            Ottomans in 1918
1941 Regent appointed 2 new ministers to try to unseat PM Gaylani leading Gaylani to plot against
            Regent
1985 Iraq launched first offensive since 1981 attacking Qasr e Shirin central Iran
1985 Iraq tried to re-take Majnoon Islands from Iran but failed
1998 UK discussed using force against Iraq to ensure continued UN weapons
inspections
2003 Bush’s State of Union said Iraq wasn’t disarming and hiding its programs from
            weapons inspections
2003 Said Iraq had 25,000 liters of anthrax enough to make 38,000 liters of botulinum
            toxin Making sarin and VX gas Had mobile WMD labs
2003 Bush speech asked what 9/11 hijackers could’ve done if given WMD by Iraq
2003 Bush said British learned Iraq tried to buy uranium from Africa
(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)
2003 Bush’s State of Union said Saddam was harboring Al Qaeda members
2003 UK Foreign Sec Straw told For Office legal adv Wood that he didn’t think 2nd UN
            resolution was necessary for action vs Iraq
2003 ORHA head Garner met with NSC’s Zalimay who said goal of postwar Iraq
            should be getting Iraqis to govern as soon as possible
2003 Cheney chief of staff Libby gave copy of his briefing on Iraq WMD and ties to
            Al Qaeda to Powell to be used as basis for his UN speech
2004 Ex-IraqSurveyGroup’s Kay told Congress everyone wrong about Iraq having
            stocks of WMD but did have programs
2004 Ex-IraqSurveyGroup head Kay told Congress an investigation was needed on intel
            failure over Iraq’s WMD
2004 White House said that Iraq Survey Group needed more time to make conclusions
            about whether Iraq had WMD or not
2004 Hutton Inquiry said Sep 02 dossier on Iraq’s WMD had not been influenced by
            political pressure from Blair govt
2004 UN Sec Gen Annan said UN delegation would go to Iraq to look into elections
2004 CPA Order 55 created Integrity Commission to investigate corruption
2006 Aglus Sunnah wal Jammah joined Mujahadeen Shura Council
2007 Soldiers of Heaven started revolt in Najaf leaving almost 300 dead
2011 Protest in Mosul demanded govt release of prisoners
2016 Abadi met with Pres Masum Speaker Jabouri to talk about technocratic govt and reforms

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was cited in "Irak: Kiruk by og provins - kontroll, sikkerhet og internt fordrevne ved arsskiftel 2017/18" by Landinfo.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Iraq’s Former Trade Minister To Finally Face Prison Time For Corruption


Former Trade Minister Abdul Falah al-Sudani will finally go to prison three years after he was sentenced for corruption. The Lebanese government cooperated with Baghdad to extradited Sudani back to Iraq. He was arrested there in September 2017, after fleeing Iraq a few years beforehand.  

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 27


1925 League of Nations Commission on Mosul arrived in province to protests Was to determine who
           would get Mosul Iraq or Turkey
1925 Commission interviewed hundreds of locals and mapped economy, land, trade
            routes, ethnicities
1948 Communists called for more protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty to topple govt
1948 Mass demonstration against Anglo-Iraq treaty led to clashes with police in
            Baghdad 77 killed Hundreds wounded
2002 Gen Franks briefed Rumsfeld on latest war plan Said Iraqi military degraded by
            sanctions Wanted info campaign vs Iraq to start
2002 Gran Franks claimed the more the U.S. got involved against Saddam the less
            Iraqi people would support regime
2002 Gen Franks had cut war plan to 150 days down from 7 months and 245,000 troops
2002 Gen Franks wanted to cut timeline for war down to even less time
2003 Head UN inspector Blix told Security Council that Iraq cooperating with
            inspections but had not accepted disarmament  
2003 Head UN inspector Blix asked what undeclared WMD items did Iraq have Asked
            did it illegally produce anything after 98
2003 UN head inspector Blix said Iraq’s Dec WMD declaration had provided no new
            info and not answered questions
2003 Head UN inspector Blix said were questions about Iraq’s production of anthrax
            VX gas and WMD bombs from Iran-Iraq War
2003 El Baradei told Security Council IAEA had found no evidence of an active
            nuclear program in Iraq
2003 El Baradei said aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were probably for rockets
            not nuclear program
2003 Powell said Iraq was hiding its WMD
2003 US intelligence said Blix would back off next declaration to UN on inspections
            because didn't want to start war
2003 Some in White House believed Blix lying about inspections and could not be
            trusted
2003 Bush believed US stuck in inspection process and pushed him towards war
2003 CIA report said Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger in 1999 Said was uranium
            in warehouse in Benin but was going to France not Iraq
2003 CIA Dir Tenet given copy of Bush’s State of the Union address that included
            claim that Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger Tenet didn’t read speech
2003 CIA Berlin chief said that Iraqi defector CURVEBALL was considered a problem by Germans
            and they hadn’t confirmed any of his stories of mobile WMD labs
2003 ORHA began contracting for supplies and personnel for post-war Iraq 2 months
            before invasion
2003 William Safire NYTimes piece said Zarqawi went to Baghdad Then to Kurdistan
            to Ansar al-Islam proving Iraq-Al Qaeda link
2004 Ex-IraqSurveyGroup head Kay Iraq told UN in 1995 it had destroyed WMD
            and nuke program but no one believed them
2006 Report shifting US reconstruction money to security meant 60% of water and 125
            electricity projects would not be finished
2012 bombing of Shiite funeral left over 90 casualties

View the Iraq History Timelines

Friday, January 26, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 26


1948 PM Said said that Anglo-Iraq Treaty was still on the table after Regent
            cancelled it Led to new protests
1948 PM Said ordered suppression of protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty
1982 Iran and Iraq agreed to family visits for prisoners of war
1987 Islamic Conference Organization invited Iran and Iraq to summit in Kuwait Iran
            said no
1987 UN Sec Gen de Cuella addressed Islamic Conf Org saying aggressor in Iran-Iraq
            War needed to be determined
1997 Iraqi National Accord operative gave interview saying CIA behind bombing campaign
           in Iraq form 1994-95
1998 Project for New American Century sent letter to Clinton demanding US
            overthrow Saddam
1998 11 of 18 that signed letter from Project for New American Century would join
            Bush administration in 2001
2003 Powell speech asked why Iraq tried to buy uranium Reference to Iraq-Niger uranium deal
2003 Blair said Iraq non-cooperation with UN inspectors was material breach of
            UN Resolution
2004 Japanese troops deployed to Iraq as part of Coalition of Willing
2005 Insurgent umbrella group announced campaign to disrupt that year’s elections
2005 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said US and Iraqi forces killing more insurgents and
            taking fight to Sunni areas
2005 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said Iraqi forces could secure country but could
            secure voting stations during elections
2006 Al Qaeda sent letter to Ansar al-Sunnah suggested it merge with Al Qaeda in Iraq
2011 insurgents caught crossing from Syria to Anbar Said they got aid from
            Syrian govt
2015 after battle with IS in Barwanah, Diyala Hashd kill 70 civilians
2017 All of east Mosul freed by Iraqi forces after Abadi declared it cleared

View the Iraq History Timelines

Thursday, January 25, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 25


1917 British attack Ottoman positions along Hai River
1959 Gen Qasim legalized trade unions
1967 Pres Johnson met 5 Iraqi generals and Iraqi Amb Hani at White House and
            said that they would build closer ties
1981 Islamic Conference Organization created group to try to mediate end to Iran-Iraq
            War
1987 3rd War of the Cities ended
1990 OPEC said Kuwait and UAE agreed to limit exports to try to settle dispute with
            Iraq
1998 1st part of final report of UN inspections in Iraq
2003 Military Industrialization Commission officials had Republican Guard
            commanders sign docs that they had no WMD in units
2003 Cheney chief of staff Libby briefed White House on case vs Iraq’s WMD and ties
            to Al Qaeda
2003 Libby said Iraq hiding its WMD and cleaning sites before UN inspections
2003 Libby said Iraq-Al Qaeda ties strong
2003 Libby played recording of 2 Al Qaeda operatives talking about poisons that Libby
            said they got from Iraq
2003 Libby claimed 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraq intelligence in Prague up to 4 times
2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group Head Kay US intel was wrong about state of Iraq’s WMD
            programs
2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay US intel agencies had to explain why they failed
            on Iraq intel on WMD
2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay said Iraq tried to restart nuke program in 2000-01
            but didn’t get far
2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay said Iraq had active biological weapons program
2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay 1998 US bombing had stopped Iraq’s chemical
            weapons program
2005 Bush admin said it would ask Congress for another $80 bil for Iraq and
            Afghanistan wars
2005 Human Rights Watch reported arbitrary arrests torture abuse threats corruption in
            Iraqi justice system
2006 Report US wanted to make Iraqi army light infantry force to fight insurgency and not
            threaten neighbors Meant given no artillery or heavy weapons besides 77 T-72 tanks
2010 3 international hotels bombed
2013 ISF killed 9 protesters at Fallujah protest camp for throwing stones
2015 Yazidi militias and YPG forced Arabs out of Om Danabuk, Sinjar Killed 10 and
            looted village
2015 Badr’s Amiri claimed all of Diyala cleared of IS

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Iraq’s Parliamentary Elections Set For May 12, 2018


There was some debate about whether Iraq would hold its next national elections on time. Some Sunni parties wanted a delay. A Federal Court decision sealed the deal and voting will happen as planned on May 12, 2018. The alliances were set beforehand, although there were several attempts at moves after the fact. Prime Minister Haidar Abadi heads into the vote with the upper hand, but there are always twists and turns in Iraqi politics.

The Day In Iraqi History – Jan 24


1969 Former MP Bajari during spy trial claimed opposition leaders were trying
            to overthrow Pres Bakr’s govt
1970 42 more sentenced to death for coup plot against Pres Bakr
2003 Gen Franks presented final war plan to Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs head Gen
            Myers
2003 Blair sent note to Bush suggesting delaying Iraq invasion for a month to allow
            more time for postwar planning
2003 UK Foreign Office legal adv Sir Wood told Foreign Sec Straw that Britain could
            not go to war with Iraq without a 2nd UN resolution
2003 IAEA told Wash Post aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were wrong for nuke
            program
2003 Archaeologists and scholars briefed Pentagon about historical sites in Iraq that
            should be spared from bombing
2003 DIA report repeated CIA reporting on Iraq-Niger uranium deal and Navy
reported uranium was in a warehouse in Benin Said Iraq could have gotten uranium
2003 2nd NYTimes article on Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC Said that he’d led to
            dozens of DIA reports on Iraq’s WMD
2003 Defense Policy Board’s Richard Perle accused CIA of being biased against INC so
            it wouldn’t interview people like Haideri
2004 Iraq Survey Group took INC provided defector Haideri to sites he claimed were WMD and
            found nothing
2004 7,000 Kurds marched for a new federal Iraq
2006 Report Inspector Gen for US Reconstruction found disputes lack of staff and
            set rules caused huge delays completing projects
2011 2 bombs hit Shiite pilgrims during Arbayeen
2017 East Mosul officially declared liberated by PM Abadi


Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Security In Iraq, Jan 15-21, 2018


There was a large jump in casualties in Iraq during the third week of January 2018. Part of that was due to two mass graves being discovered in Ninewa. The main reason however was a suicide bombing in Baghdad that left 143 casualties. This was the second week the Islamic State launched such attacks.

This Day In Iraqi History – Jan 23


1920 British cabinet decided Iraqi oil would be developed by a public company
            Foreign Secretary Curzon overturned decision
1920 UK Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon decided Turkish Petroleum Company would
            keep its oil rights signed with Ottomans
1948 More protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty leading to fights between Communist and
            Independence party
1970 33 conspirators in coup against Pres Bakr executed
1991 Iraq dumped 400 mil gallons of oil into Persian Gulf to try to prevent
            US retaking Kuwait
1999 NSC counterterrorism dir Clarke said US was right to bomb factory in Sudan
            because connected to Al Qaeda and Iraq WMD experts
2003 Defense Ministry ordered that if Baghdad were to fall all govt buildings were to
            be looted and burned
2003 Mukhabarat document called for looting and destruction of property if Saddam
            were overthrown
2003 Rice wrote NY Times OpEd Iraq hiding its WMD programs from UN inspectors
            and tried to buy uranium for its nuke program Reference to Iraq-Niger deal
2003 Rumsfeld said that Iraq had WMD and ties to terrorism were one threat
2003 Under Sec of Def Wolfowitz said Iraq had tons of WMD and time running out for
            it
2003 DepDefSec Wolfowitz speech Said Iraq didn’t make truthful weapons
            declaration to UN
2003 DepDefSec Wolfowitz said Iraqi defectors told about Iraq having mobile
            WMD labs
2003 DepDefSec Woflowitz said Iraqi govt threatening scientists not to talk to
            UN inspectors
2003 White House released document saying Iraq hiding its WMD and tried to buy
            uranium for its nuke program Reference to Iraq-Niger deal
2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay resigned saying didn’t think Iraq had any WMD
            stocks or large programs since 1980s
2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay said Iraq destroyed its WMD after Gulf War due to
            inspections and unilateral actions
2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay resigned because group was going to be diverted
            from finding WMD to fighting insurgency
2004 White House said it believed Iraq had WMD and it would be found
2006 Report Iraqis going to Jordan jumped from 200-250/day from 2004-05 to 1,100/day
            in Jan 06 as people were fleeing violence
2007 Bush State of Union outlined the Surge
2008 Iraqi Ninewa campaign began to secure Mosul
2008 20,000 pound bomb went off in Mosul leaving 300 casualties
2010 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq kidnapped US contractor Issa Salomi which it swapped for 4 of
            its members held in prison
2015 Hashd destroyed four mosques in Muqtadiya, Diyala after operation there


Monday, January 22, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 22


1970 3 coup plotters executed by Pres Bakr govt
1970 Iraq expelled Iranian ambassador accusing Tehran of backing 1970 failed coup
1991 Iraqi SCUD missile and 2 U.S. Patriot missiles landed on Israeli city of
Ramat Gan
1991 Iraqi forces set fire to 700 Kuwaiti oil wells
2003 2nd meeting of US UK Australia on postwar Iraq Little came of meeting
2003 CIA sent its report on Iraq WMD to White House to help make case for war
2003 CIA analyst told IAEA aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for centrifuges
            IAEA said they were for rockets IAEA proved right
2004 Cheney Iraq had mobile labs and WMD programs Inspections found no mobile
            labs
2004 Cheney said overwhelming evidence Saddam linked to Al Qaeda
2004 Cheney said Iraq behind 1993 World Trade Center bombing
2005 Report $300 mil for arms deal for Iraqi army went missing after put on plane for
            Lebanon
2005 INC’s Chalabi accused Defense Min Shaalan of stealing the $300 mil Shaalan
            threatened to arrest Chalabi for the charge
2006 Report 34,131 attacks in 2005 up from 26,496 in 2004 Car bombs went from 420
            in 2004 to 873 in 2005 IEDs went from 5,607 in 2004 to 10,953 in 2005
2007 Maliki announced he would no longer protect the Mahdi Army from U.S.
raids
2008 Mahdi Army tried to kidnap PM Maliki’s national security adviser Mowafaq
            Rubaie in Baghdad
2012 Iraq voted in Arab League for a transition of power in Syria away from Assad

View the Iraq History Timelines

Sunday, January 21, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 21


1916 Ottomans retreated up Tigris after defeat at Battle of Wadi only to lose
            again to British at Battle of Hanna
1948 Demonstrators against Anglo-Iraq Treaty fired upon again Led Regent to
            repudiate treaty
1970 Pres Bakr announced failed coup by ex-army officers and special tribunal to try
            plotters Accused Iran of backing coup
1970 Imam Khomeini started lectures in Najaf outlining his concept of vilayat al-faqih
1987 Saddam sent letter to Iranians asking them to challenge Khomeini’s right to
            rule and conduct of Iran-Iraq War
1999 SCIRI rejected any U.S. aid
2002 Weekly Standard OpEd by Robert Kagan and William Kristol called for Iraq to be
            attacked as next step in war on terror
2003 Bush said that Saddam was not interested in disarming and that time was
            running out on Iraq
2003 Blair said 2nd UN resolution not necessary for use of force against Iraq
2003 DeptSecState Armitage spoke at US Inst of Peace saying US trying to avoid war
            but Iraq not accounted for its WMD
2004 VP Cheney said there was overwhelming evidence Iraq and Al Qaeda connected
2005 Knight Ridder analysis Violence in Iraq increased after every US benchmark such
            as capture of Saddam handing over sovereignty etc
2009 1st NSC meeting in Obama admin president said he wanted to withdraw from
            Iraq but preserve successes Wanted 3 options for Iraq policy
2011 3 bombs hit Shiite pilgrims during Arbayeen

 View the Iraq History Timelines 

Saturday, January 20, 2018

How US Intelligence Failed, The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story

Within the U.S. intelligence community that story that Iraq tried to buy yellowcake uranium from Niger was never very important. It was a considered a secondary claim to other reports that Iraq had restarted its nuclear program. It would later become a huge controversy when it was included in the president’s 2003 State of the Union address, and then Vice President Dick Cheney tried to discredit former Ambassador Joseph Wilson who disputed the story. That embarrassing episode was only the public face of a larger example of the intelligence failure America suffered from in the lead up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History – Jan 20


1948 March by railway workers and students against Anglo-Iraq treaty fired
            upon by police killing some
1970 failed military coup against Pres Bakr led by ex-Gen Rawi and Col Samarraie
            backed by Iran
1970 Iran expelled Iraq’s ambassador military attache and four embassy staff over
            failed coup
1970 Shah of Iran opposed to Baathism’s Pan-Arabism and socialism Moved troops
            to border after coup leading to war scare
2003 Military Industrialization Commission ordered its director generals to come
            forward with any info on WMD
2003 White House gave report to Congress on Iraq’s noncompliance with UN inspectors
            included Iraq not mentioning trying to buy uranium
2003 National Sec Presidential Dir 24 gave Pentagon control of postwar Iraq
2003 Pentagon would dismiss previous NSC planning for postwar Iraq and kick out
            State Dept officials
2003 Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) created to
            run post-war Iraq 2 months before invasion
2003 UK announced it deployed ground forces for Iraq War
2003 France’s For Min deVillepin said there was no justification for war against Iraq
2003 Powell furious at French statement because took threat of war off table at UN
            and strengthened Saddam
2004 Bush’s State of the Union said US was committed to spreading democracy to
            Iraq
2004 Bush’s State of the Union said Iraq Survey Group found Iraq’s WMD programs and
            if US hadn’t invaded Iraq would still have them
2006 Dec 05 election results announced United Iraqi Alliance 128 seats Kurds 53
            Accordance Front 44 Iraqiya 25 National Dialogue Front 11
2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq said Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi had become emir of new
            Mujahedeen Shura Council
2006 Amb Khalizad met with Iyad Allawi and Fadhila head Jabiri Jabiri promised PM
            spot if he broke with United Iraqi Alliance and backed Allawi Sunnis and Kurds
2006 Iyad Allawi told his followers he would get Fadhila head Jabiri to back him as PM
            after he broke with United Iraqi Alliance
2007 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard planned op attacked
            Karbala Center and kidnap and kill 5 US soldiers

Friday, January 19, 2018

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 19


1948 Kurds from Iraq and Iran met in Baku, Soviet Union Mustafa Barzani
            led plans for Kurdish movement
1987 Iranian attack on Basra city caused population to start fleeing
1991 Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim said that Supreme Council was against U.S.
            aggression vs Iraq over its Kuwait invasion
1991 US 5th Special Forces Group entered Iraq to carry out covert ops behind Iraqi
            lines during Gulf War
1991 Iraqi terrorist tried to bomb US Information Service HQ in Philippines in retaliation for Gulf 
            War
1992 Report Saudis pushed US to help foment military coup in Iraq to topple
            Saddam
2003 US offered Saddam immunity if he departed Iraq to avert war
2003 Pentagon officials leaked info on US invasion plans of Iraq to Time to push back
            against Rumsfeld’s small invasion force
2003 Fmr UN inspector David Kay OpEd in Wash Post said UN weapons inspectors would never 
            find any hard evidence against Iraq
2004 Iraqi Governing Council went to UN to ask it for help with transition to
            sovereignty against wishes of CPA
2004 100,000 marched in Baghdad calling for early elections
2004 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Sanchez ordered secret investigation into Abu Ghraib
            prison abuse
2007 US arrested Abdul al-Daraji and Ali Smaisin for running death squads for
Sadr
2014 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi told his fighters to march towards Baghdad

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Churchill In His Own Words On Mesopotamia/Iraq


A recent article outlined how England’s War and later Colonial Secretary Winston Churchill’s main focus after World War I was to save money. England had expended a huge amount to fight the war, and then faced continued obligations and conflicts in Ireland, Palestine, Russia, Turkey, and Mesopotamia/Iraq. In the latter, the British had seized the Ottoman provinces of Basra and Baghdad as part of a strategy to attack the Turks from the east. After the war, it took Mosul as well. The question was then what to do with them.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 18


1981 Saddam accused Iran of getting US spare parts despite US embargo
1981 UN Envoy Palme warned that superpowers may get involved in Iran-Iraq War
1987 Iran ended Op Karbla 6 seized western bank of Shatt al-Arab Iran-Iraq War
1991 Iraq launched missiles at Israel and Saudi Arabia at start of Gulf War
1991 Iraqi terrorist tried to blow up US ambassador’s house in Indonesia in retaliation for Gulf War
1993 US UK and France carried out air and missile strikes on Iraq for not cooperating
            with UN inspectors
1996 Iraq agreed to talk about UN Resolution 986 that would create Oil For Food
            program
2003 UN inspectors said sites named by US as WMD facilities had been looked at
            and nothing found
2003 Report Saudis attempted to get Saddam to go into exile to avert war
2004 Truck bomb hit US headquarters at Republican Palace Baghdad Killed 20
            wounded more than 100
2008 Fighting broke out between Soldiers of Heaven and Iraqi forces in Nasiriya and Basra  

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Security In Iraq, Jan 8-14, 2018


The number of security incidents remained low for the second week of January 2018. There were very few attacks and casualties. The week did see the return of mass casualty bombings by the Islamic State.

This Day In Iraqi History – Jan 17


1974 Bakr govt held talks with Mustafa Barzani and KDP
1987 Iraq conducted missile and air strikes on Tehran and other major cities 3rd War of
the Cities Iran-Iraq War
1988 Mahdi Hakim killed in Sudan by Iraqi intelligence
1989 US report said Iraq was working on typhoid cholera anthrax for its chemical
            weapons program
1990 Iraq ended foreign travel ban for citizens
1990 Bush admin signed directive for normalized relations with Iraq
1991 Operation Desert Storm-Gulf War started to expel Iraq from Kuwait Coalition
            began air campaign against Iraq
1993 US UK and France carried out air and missile strikes on Iraq for not cooperating
            with UN inspectors
2002 Gen Franks briefed his commanders at CENTCOM on initial Iraq war plans for 1st
            time
2003 CIA report said Iraq had rebuilt its nuclear program Said were reports Iraq tried to
            buy uranium from Africa
2003 CIA told Joint Chiefs of Staff that it had some reports that Iraq tried to buy
            uranium from Africa
2003 Blair agreed to 1 UK division and 3 combat brigades for Iraq War to be deployed
            in south
2003 UN inspectors after 4 inspections said Fallujah II chlorine plant inoperative US
            claimed it was producing WMD
2008 Hawija Dist Head said Sahwa would be formed there Didn’t need Peshmerga
2010 Chemical Ali sentenced to death for Halabja attack
2011 Parliament passed VP law taking away their power

Security In Iraq Mar 8-14, 2024

The Islamic State suddenly lurched back to life in Iraq during the second week of March carrying out the most attacks in ...