This Day In Iraqi History – Mar 21

1921 Colonial Sec Churchill wrote PM George lobbying for Feisal to be approved

            as new ruler of Mesopotamia

(Musings On Iraq article on Churchill’s views on Mesopotamia)

1985 State Dept spokesman claimed US thought Iraq had defeated Iran and

            said Tehran should accept negotiated settlement

1987 Saddam held march in Baghdad for not being defeated in Iran-Iraq War

1991 Govt offensive to retake Kirkuk from Peshmerga began day after Kurds took it

1991 Govt announced state of emergency in Baghdad

1991 UN survey of Gulf War damage to Iraq called it almost apocalyptic Said

            bombing had put Iraq in preindustrial age

2002 Gen Franks met with US commanders in Germany to go over war plans Said war

            was going to happen and they needed to be ready

2003 Shock and Awe bombing campaign started Only lasted 9 hours

2003 US commanders reported that Iraqi soldiers were abandoning their units

2003 Parts of Um Qasr port seized by US forces

2003 British and US forces began seizing oil fields in Basra 15 oil fields set on

            fire by Iraqis

2003 British reached Basra and started fighting Fedayeen

2003 MI6 was trying to incite a popular uprising in Basra against Saddam

2003 Op Viking Hammer launched to destroy Ansar al-Islam camps in Kurdistan

2003 1^st Coalition casualties of Iraq war 8 UK 4 US soldiers die in Kuwait helicopter accident

            1 US Marine killed in fighting in Um Qasr

2003 Rice briefed Bush and NSC and all agreed on war goals democracy and put Iraqi

            face on occupation

2003 UK Gen suggested revising postwar plans for Iraq Needed to improve lives of

            Iraqis Balance withdrawal with forces necessary for stability

2003 White House press secretary said no question Iraq’s WMD would be found

2004 11 U.S. soldiers suspended for prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib

2005 State Dept’s Jeffrey told Bush Allawi trying to drag out govt formation process and

            he should stop because was not going to retain premiership

2006 Blair said that Iraq war was part of the struggle between spreading democracy

            vs violence in world

2006 Bush said there was sectarian fighting in Iraq but it was not a civil war after

            Allawi said it was

2006 Insurgents took police station and courthouse in Baghdad Killed 17 police Freed

            20 prisoners

2006 Insurgents took Muqtadiya police station Executed 19 police Freed 33 prisoners

2006 Report insurgents infiltrated into Tal Afar after successful counterinsurgency

            program by 3^rd Armored Cav Reg and unit left

2006 CIA report Insurgency undermining political and economic development

            in Iraq

2006 CIA said even if Sunnis given larger role in Iraq govt Al Qaeda in Iraq would

            not stop attacks

2008 Maliki told Gen Petraeus of his plans to take on Mahdi Army in Basra

2010 Maliki asked Supreme Court to interpret what largest bloc meant for forming

            govt after he came in 2^nd in eleciotns

2013 Sheikh Abu Risha demanded cabinet reverse delayed provincial elections

            in Anbar

2013 Sadr called cabinet decision to postpone provincial vote in Anbar unconstitutional

2013 Sadr cleric gave Friday sermon calling on Maliki to step down

2016 Sadr said quotas in govt should be ended

View the Iraq History Timelines