This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 17

1917 British forces captured Baquba from Ottomans

1935 PM Midfai forced to resign due to tribal revolt Yasin al-Hashemi became PM of

            Iraq 2^nd time with National Brotherhood Party in cabinet

1941 After consulting with UK For Min Suwaidi convinced PM Hashemi and Regent to

            move against Golden Square officers

1941 Golden Square officers called on army to overthrow Hashemi

1975 Iraq and Iran Foreign Ministers signed agreement to create three committees to

            resolve outstanding issues

1975 US Sec State Kissinger responded to Barzani saying that US understood struggle

            Kurds were facing

1984 Belgian labs confirmed mustard gas used by Iraq from samples taken from two

            wounded Iranians

1985 Iran captured section of Basra-Baghdad highway for first time

1991 Iraqi army began assault to retake Karbala from Shiite rebels

1991 Refugee claimed govt killed 250-300 people of Najaf after Shiite uprising

1991 Kurds began fleeing Tuz Kharmato in face of govt offensive to retake it

1991 Baghdad held 1^st tribal loyalty ceremony to shore up support during uprising

1991 Saddam said he would introduce democracy and create a new constitution

1992 Report in 91 Bush admin tried to block release of information about White House

            support for Iraq before Kuwait invasion

1994 English scientists est 57% of southern marshes had been drained by Saddam to

            drive out displaced and rebels

1996 UN inspectors said work was moving forward and Iraq was not hiding WMD

            as some suggested

1999 uprising in Basra after Saddam killed Ayatollah Sadiq al-Sadr

2002 Dep Sec Def Wolfowitz and Blair’s adv Manning talked about building intl

support for military action vs Iraq

2002 UK Amb to US Meyer told Dep Sec Def Wolowitz that if US wanted military

            action against Iraq it needed to go through UN

2002 Dep Sec of Def Wolfowitz told UK Amb to US Meyer that Iraq was linked

            with terrorism and harboring member of 1993 World Trade Center bombing

2002 Times of London article quoted Iraqi defector provided by INC that Iraq

            had WMD programs

2002 Bahrain Foreign Minister Salamn ibn Hamda al-Khalifa told press Arab world did

            not see Iraq as the threat but Israel for its actions against Palestinians

2003 UN Draft resolution saying Iraq in non compliance and open to military action

            withdrawn by US because couldn’t be passed

2003 Bush met with Congressional leaders telling them UN route with Iraq was dead

            Blamed France Sen Byrd only one who said he opposed war

2003 Bush in TV speech said Iraq had WMD and was hiding them Gave Saddam

            and sons 48 hours to leave office or face invasion

2003 Blair gave Saddam ultimatum to comply with UN resolutions

2003 UN Sec Gen Annan announced he would order withdrawal of weapons

            inspectors due to impending war

2003 UK Attny Gen Lord Goldsmith gave legal advice that war with Iraq was legal

2003 ORHA staff that was to run postwar Iraq began leaving US for Kuwait

2003 ORHA head Garner met with his oil team Said concerned Rumsfeld picked ex-

            Shell CEO Carroll to join group

2003 ORHA oil team told Garner if Iraq oil sector destroyed by war would need

            someone with standing of Carroll to deal with situation

2004 Bombing of Mount Lebanon hotel in Baghdad killed 27 wounded 40 

2004 Iraqi Governing Council asked UN to return to Baghdad and advise the creation

            of interim govt

2012 Baghdad claimed KRG-Exxon oil deal was frozen but wasn’t

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