Security In Iraq Apr 22-28, 2018

The last two weeks of April was the first time in 2018 that there were consecutive weeks with a low number of incidents. That resulted in low casualty figures as well.

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 30

1917 Battle of the Boot at Band-i-Adhaim between British and Ottomans

1941 PM Gaylani refused permission for British troops to land in Basra

1941 2 brigades of Iraqi soldiers surrounded British Habaniya base ordered British

            to cease operations there

1941 Iraqi forces surrounded British embassy in Baghdad

1941 Iraqi troops seized Kirkuk oil field and cut off pipeline to Haifa

1941 PM Gaylani hoped to pressure British to leave Iraq without a fight

1941 UK memo to Chiefs of Staff discussed destroying Iraq’s oil wells to deny them to

            Germany

1948 Jewish forces took Jaffa, and 7 other towns held by Iraqi volunteers in 1^st Arab

            Israeli War

1959 Gen Qasim banned party activities in armed forces to try to block Communists’

            influence

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

1980 By end of April around 20 Iraqi officials had been killed in bombings by

            Shiite opposition parties

1980 Arab Iranians seized Iranian embassy in London demanding sovereignty for

            Khuzistan province Were trained and armed by Iraq

1985 Sec State Shultz asked Def Sec Weinberger to speed up approval of technology

            exports to Iraq

1985 State Dept intel reported no evidence Iraq had started on a nuclear weapons

            program It had

1990 Jordanian prosecutor report detailed fake bank accounts Ahmed Chalabi ran

            with his Petra Bank

1996 Turkey began bombing campaign along border against PKK

1997 Fighting broke out between PUK and Kurdish Islamic Movement

2001 NSC meeting on Al Qaeda threat DepDefSec Wolfowitz asked why US should

            focus on bin Laden when Iraq terrorism real threat

2001 Dep CIA Dir McLaughlin told DepDefSec Wolfowitz no evidence of Iraq terrorist

            threat to US

2001 DepSecState Armitage told DepDefSec Wolfowitz Al Qaeda was the main threat

            to US

2003 U.S. forces shot at civilians for 2^nd time in 2 days in Fallujah 2 killed

2003 Rumsfeld visited Iraq Realized rebuilding country would take years which was

            not his plan

2004 Marines withdrew from Fallujah turning over security to Fallujah Brigade

2004 Daily Mirror published what turned out to be fake pictures of UK forces abusing

            Iraqi prisoners

2004 Poll 71% of Iraqis saw US as occupiers 46% said invasion more harmful then

            good

2004 Prisoner abuse by US guards at Abu Ghraib reported in US media

2005 mass grave with up to 1,500 Kurds killed by Saddam during Anfal campaign

            found outside Samawa

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

2006 Fmr Sec State Powell told British TV he advised CENTCOM cmdr Gen Franks

            US needed more troops before invasion but advise ignored

2006 Pres Talabani said 7 insurgent groups might be able to be talked into joining

            political process

2006 US Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction report said attacks still retarding

            rebuilding projects but real progress being made

2006 US Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction head said that attacks on

            infrastructure down 60%

2006 Audit found effort to protect power and oil infrastructure largely failed Questioned

            2 foreign security companies contracted to train guards

2007 Anbar Awakening claimed to have killed ISI War Minister Masri Didn’t happen

2008 Maliki said that Mahdi Army had to be disbanded because couldn’t have

            militias and state

2008 Sadr spokesman said Iranian weapons in Iraq was normal because Tehran

            would sell to anyone

2008 Turkey said it would resume diplomatic relations with Kurdistan

2009 ISF started 2^nd Operation Promise of Good in Diyala

2010 Def Min said that ISI had lost its direction after 2 leaders Masri and Baghdadi

            killed

2010 Maliki claimed foreign countries were plotting coup against him

2010 Iraqiya threatened boycott after courts banned winning candidates for Baathist

            past

2011 Hundreds demonstrated in Kut for better services and against corruption

2011 Asayesh arrested four protest organizers trying to start demonstration in

            Sulaymaniya

2011 US said Iranian investment projects in Karbala and Najaf were fronts for

            supported Asaib Ahl Al-Haw and Kataib Hezbollah

2012 KRG said Baghdad should pay foreign oil companies working in Kurdistan

2012 Allawi said he wouldn’t go to national conference to resolve differences with

            Maliki

2012 4 bodyguards of fmr Speaker Mashadani arrested for terrorism

2013 Kurdish ministers ended boycott of govt

2013 Islamic Army met with Kirkuk tribes to form armed group after ISF attacked

            Hawija protest site

2013 Sheikh Sulaiman said that protesters would go to war with govt after crackdown

            on Hawija protest site

2013 Insurgents attacked Wasit municipal council building

2013 Dep PM Mutlaq criticized ISF attack on Hawija protest site

2014 KRG parliamentary elections 1^st in 8 years

2014 Anbar tribes claimed Baghdad agreed to some of protesters’ demands to end

            fighting Didn’t happen

2015 Head of Salahaddin council said Hashd were looting and burning buildings

            in Tikrit

2015 City worker in Tikrit said 300 buildings in northern section of city had been

            destroyed including 2 mosques

2015 IS seized half of Baiji refinery

2015 Head of Anbar Operations Command said Hashd were needed to fight IS

            in province

2016 Parliament refused to meet over Abadi’s technocratic govt Sadr called for popular

            revolution as followers stormed Green Zone

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 29

1916 Ottomans defeated the British at Battle of Kut after 4 months captured

            13,000 prisoners British lost 33,000 casualties One of largest UK defeats in WWI

1941 More British troops from 20^th Inf Brigade arrived in Basra Iraq protested

1941 British Ambassador told British women and children to leave Baghdad because

            of expected war with Iraq

1941 British flew planes from Shaiba base in Basra to Habaniya in Anbar

1941 PM Gaylani sent Iraqi forces to British air base at Habaniya, Anbar to confront

            them 11^th Inf Brigade ordered to Baghdad to later be deployed to Anbar

1941 Iraqis flooded Habaniya area limiting movement of British troops there

1948 Battle of Katamon began between Jewish forces attacking Iraqi volunteers and

            Arab Legion in 1^st Arab-Israeli War

1954 Arshad al-Umari became premier 2^nd time

1969 Iraq condemned Shah of Iran for unilaterally ending 1937 border treaty over

            Shatt al-Arab waterway

1981 Amnesty Intl report interviewed 15 Iraqis exiles detailing toture methods used by

            govt

1982 Iran launched Op Bait al-Moqaddas with 70,000 troops to liberate Khorramshahr

            Iran-Iraq War Gained 300 sq mi

1994 Iraqi army launched new military campaign to drive out displaced and rebels

            from southern marshes

1994 Sec State Christopher said Iraq complying with UN Res 687 was not enough to

            end sanctions Contradicted resolution

2002 Pentagon official said 9/11 hijacker met with Iraqi intel officer in Prague

            Didn’t happen

2003 2^nd anti-American protests in Fallujah Threw rocks at US troops who fired into

            crowd killing 3 wounding 16

2003 50 former British ambassadors and senior officials wrote letter to Blair criticizing

            having no plan for post-invasion Iraq

2004 US announced end of Battle of Fallujah Would withdraw turn over security to

            Fallujah Brigade

2004 Sheikh Jabani’s brother and 3 kids kidnapped in Fallujah for fighting insurgents

2005 Gen Vines issued order for US troops to stop and report any cases of abuse by

            Iraqi forces

2008 2^nd ISCI and Dawa delegation went to Iran to meet Sadr and Gen Suleimani to

            negotiate ceasefire

2008 MPs found torture at Karbala prison overcrowding in Babil ones

2008 Accordance Front sent list of candidates to replace their vacant ministers in

            cabinet Maliki rejected some of them

2008 Turkey’s Foreign Minister said Ankara wanted better relations with KRG

2008 Fmr Dep Sec of Def Wolfowitz said Bush admin never expected an insurgency

            in Iraq

2009 Police sent by Integrity Comm to arrest Trade Min Sudani for corruption got

            into shootout with guards in Baghdad

2009 Interior Ministry said ISI had successfully penetrated ISF and used agents to

            carry out attacks

2010 Maliki said that there were no secret prisons in Iraq after one at Muthanna Airport

prison was revealed Claimed that torture victims at Muthanna prison gave themselves scars to fake abuse

2010 US accused Iran of using Hezbollah to carry out attacks against its forces in Iraq

2010 Sadrists said Maliki could not get a second term as premier

2011 Obama’s National Security Adviser suggested 10,000 US troops stay in Iraq after

            withdrawal

2011 Sadr threatened to bring back Mahdi Army if US forces stayed past end of year

2011 KRG security forces arrested one of top protest leaders in Sulaymaniya

2011 Anbar councilman Fallujah police chief and other officials arrested in Anbar

            Anbar Ops Command and Maliki blamed

2012 Pres Barzani told US he objected to selling F-16s to Baghdad Said didn’t trust

            Maliki with them

2013 Maliki and Pres Barzani agree on 7 point program to repair relations between

            Baghdad and Irbil

2013 ISI set off 2 car bombs in central Karbala 2 car bombs in Amarah 1 car bomb

            in Diwaniya

2013 Turkmen in Kirkuk demanded peshmerga withdraw from disputed areas

2014 ISIS took credit for suicide bombing of PUK rally in Khanaqin, Diyala that killed

            30

2014 Report that US intel believed Maliki getting re-elected PM would divide Iraq

            more

2016 Protests in Baghdad Basra Najaf Qadisiya Maysan Karbala Dhi Qar Muthanna

against corruption and sectarian quotas in govt

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

I wrote "What to expect from Iraq's May 2018 elections" for NRT. I was also quoted by Paul Iddon in "Kurdish political division before Iraqi elections weakens Kirkuk claims" for Rudaw.

Review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope

Review Gunter, Michael, Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope, New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992

Professor Michael Gunter of Tennessee Tech University is a leading Kurdish scholar. One of his first books on the subject was Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope published in 1992. It’s a quick read with only 118 pages of text, and gives a good review of the major trials and tribulations that have faced the Kurdish movement in Iraq.  

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 28

1922 UK Iraq Commissioner Cox said King Feisal racially weak for disagreeing

            with him

1929 Tawfiq al-Suwaidi became premier of Iraq, would hold that office 3

            times

1941 PM Gaylani asked Axis for military and financial aid for second time to be

            used against British

1941 UK Amb to Iraq told PM Gaylani second contingent of British troops landing

            at Basra Gaylani refused them entry

1947 Mustafa Barzani and 500 supporters returned to Iraq from Iran

1959 Communists asked for positions in Qasim govt but turned down

1973 Iraq offered to talk with Kuwait over border dispute

1990 Iraq hosted Arab summit Saddam attacked Kuwait for economic warfare vs

            Iraq

1990 Saddam asked Emir of Kuwait if Iraq could use two of its islands Emir said

            no

1991 US led Coalition created safe zone for Kurds near Dohuk after uprising

            put down

1992 Report CIA continued to give intel to Iraq until day it invaded Kuwait in Aug 90

1998 Inspectors report to UN said no progress in last 4 months due to confrontation with

            Iraq

2001 Report 9/11 terrorist Mohammed Atta met with Iraqi intel officer in Prague

2002 US military leaked story to press that Iraq invasion could use a force as small as

            70,000 Was push back against Rumsfeld’s small invasion force

(Musings On Iraq article on war in the press over Rumsfeld’s invasion plan)

2003 Protest in Fallujah led to shooting US troops killed 17 and wounded

more than 70

2003 ORHA Garner met with 350 Iraqis in Baghdad and told them they were in charge

            of Iraq said would be meeting to create interim govt in 4 weeks

2003 Dep Sec of Def Wolfowtiz said US occupation of Iraq would not need as many

            troops as invasion did

2003 Pentagon paper said interim Iraqi govt had not been decided upon

2003 Gen Franks asked UK to take control of 5 southern Iraqi provinces UK said could

            only handle 4 Basra Maysan Dhi Qar Muthanna

2003 UK report Iran sending in groups into southern Iraq to influence postwar

            situation

2004 Fighting between US marines and insurgents continued in Fallujah while US

            commander claimed ceasefire holding

2004 Marines began forming Fallujah Brigade to take over security of city

2004 UN Rep Brahimi reported to Security Council that interim govt would serve

            until elections held in late 2004-early 2005

2004 General Mark Kimmitt deputy director of Coalition operations in Iraq told CBS

            News he was disappointed in a few soldiers for Abu Ghraib scandal

2005 PM Jaafari’s cabinet approved by parliament 5 ministers and 1 dep PM either

            empty or temporary pending deal with Sunnis

2005 Defense Oil Electricity and Human Rights Ministers not been named yet in

            Jaafar cabinet

2005 US pressured PM Jaafari to name partial cabinet because filing ministers was

            taking too log

2005 SCIRI head Abdul Aziz al-Hakim gave speech threatening to purge the security

            forces of former regime members

2005 MP Mishan al-Jabouri accused Shiites of dividing Iraq and Sunnis were

            marginalized

2006 New US military campaign plan issued continuing with withdrawal

2008 ISCI and Dawa delegation went to Iran to meet Sadr and Gen Suleimani to

            negotiate ceasefire

2010 Court acquitted former Trade Min Sudani of corruption for lack of evidence

2010 Accountability and Justice banned Iraqiya members of Diyala council for Baath

            past

2010 Baathists held meeting in Damascus trying to unify two factions of Mohammed

            Yunis and Izzat al-Duri

2011 1920 Rev Brigades and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq agreed to disarm and join politics

            after talks with National Reconciliation Min Didn’t happen

2011 chief of staff of ISF Gen Zebari said Iraq would not be able to defend itself

            until 2020

2011 US Gen 25^th Inf Div said Iranian backed Special Groups were attacking US

            forces

2011 Sadrists said that if US stayed passed end of year that would justify attacks

            upon them

2012 Pres Barzani Pres Talabani Sadr Speaker Nujafi and Allawi met in Irbil to

            discuss no confidence vote against Maliki

2012 Sadr issued demands to Maliki saying he would be removed if didn’t submit

            to them

2012 Pres Talabani tried to moderate between Maliki Barzani and Allawi over

            having no confidence vote against PM

2013 Sheikh Abu Risha turned over 2 people said responsible for killing 5 soldiers

            at Fallujah protest site

2014 Ibrahim Jaafari said that Maliki’s mistakes led to deterioration in security

2014 ISI seized control of 6 voting centers in Qara Tapa, Diyala

2014 Iran signed oil and natural gas deal with KRG

2014 Special voting started in national elections for parliament

2015 Badr’s Ameri said Hashd would not wait for permission to enter Anbar Were

            already there

2015 Sadr criticized Hashd trying to politicize fight against IS to gain power

View the Iraq History Timelines

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 27

1982 French delegation returned to Iraq to help work on its Osirak nuclear

            reactor Left after Iranian bombing of reactor in 1980

1987 Iran Op Karbala 10 took 2 towns and 100 sq mi in Sulaymaniya

1987 Syria agreed to stop backing Iraqi Kurds

1991 Iraq made declaration of its nuclear program to UN inspectors but was hiding

most of it

2003 Report evidence found linking Ansar al-Islam with Al Qaeda

2003 Captured Mukhabarat documents showed it had meetings with Al Qaeda in 1990s

2003 Grenade thrown at 82^nd Airborne troops wounding 2 in Ramadi

2003 Baghdad conference opened to discuss forming an Iraqi provisional govt with

            300 Iraqis attending Endorsed by US

2003 ORHA and Oil Ministry officials met and picked top positions in ministry

2008 Maliki met with VP Hashemi to try to get Accordance Front to end

            cabinet boycott

2008 40 MPs said Maliki’s crackdown on Sadr needed to end

2008 Baghdad Operations Command said they captured Iraqis trained and armed    

            by Iran to fight ISF

2009 Maliki announced Iraqi forces captured Abu Omar al-Bahgdadi Didn’t happen

2009 Maliki condemned US raid in Kut that killed 2 civilians calling it a crime

2012 Kurdish Alliance returned to Ninewa council after boycott started in 2009

            when Hadbaa took all the top posts after elections

2013 Peshmerga said it was moving into disputed areas of Kirkuk Diyala Salahaddin

            to protect against increased violence

2013 Maliki blamed Syria for rise of sectarianism and increased violence in Iraq

2013 Naqshibandi claimed they were behind rise in violence after ISF attacked

            Hawija protest site

2013 Anbar Operations Command set 24 hrs deadline for killers of 5 soldiers at

            Fallujah protest site to be turned over

2013 5 Anbar tribes said they were arming to fight ISI in province after 5 soldiers

            killed at Fallujah site

2013 2 tribes withdrew from Anbar protests after 5 soldiers killed at Fallujah site

2014 ISF claimed it was starting op to retake Fallujah that Anbar council denied

            was happening

2015 Arabs accused Peshmerga of destroying homes in 5 villages after freed from IS in

            Kirkuk

2015 Badr’s Ameri said using Hashd only way to free Anbar

2015 IS head Baghdadi called on Syrian fighters to help fight in Salahaddin and Anbar

View the Iraq History Timelines 

KDP Arrest PM Abadi Candidates

Prime Minister Haidar Abadi is in full campaign mode touring the country recently visiting Ninewa, Muthanna, Diwaniya, Anbar and Maysan. His latest stop was Sulaymaniya. Abadi’s Nasr list is running 25 candidates in Kurdistan including 10 in Sulaymaniya. That has apparently raised the ire of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). On April 24, it was reported that three Nasr candidates were arrested by the Asayesh. This blatant intimidation tactic was a warning that the Barzani clan did not appreciate the premier’s move into their territory.

This Day in Iraqi History – Apr 26

1916 British arranged a ceasefire with Ottomans in Kut, Wasit after 146 day

            siege

1923 UK’s Iraq committee presented findings and okayed by cabinet to stay path in

            Iraq

1941 PM Gaylani asked Axis for military and financial aid against British

1947 Iraq left SF Conference on creating UN to protest creation of Israel

1987 Jordan and Saudis arranged meeting between Saddam and Syria’s Assad to try to

            improve ties

1990 Report Bush pushed greater economic ties with Iraq

1991 Kurdish refugees began leaving Turkish mountains for refugee camps in Kurdistan

            Baghdad offered amnesty to Kurds that fled during uprising

2003 Report Bush invaded Iraq to try to transform Middle East by creating a

            democracy and countering draw of terrorism

2003 White House said evidence Iraq might have destroyed its WMD right before

            war and that proved war right

2003 Report no WMD found in sites Powell mentioned in his 03 UN speech

2003 Ayatollah Haeri issued fatwa from Iran saying clerics needed to fill power

            vacuum left by US invasion

2003 Sheikh Naifus of Albu Alwan in Babil arrested for taking part in executions of

rebels after 91 uprising

2004 Zarqawi announced his group Tawhid wal-Jihad

2004 US announced Iraqi police returning to Fallujah and would start join patrols

            with Iraqi Civil Defense Forces

2004 Aid agencies claimed Geneva Convention was violated in Battle of Fallujah due

            to civilian casualties

2006 Maliki told Rice and Rumsfeld he was going to fight terrorism improve services

            clean up police

2006 Barham Salah said Maliki was step towards reconciliation

2006 Amb Khalizad took credit for creating new coalition that appointed Maliki

            premier

2007 Congress passed bill calling for US withdrawal from Iraq by 10/1/07 Was

            vetoed by Pres Bush

2008 Chalabi called Petraeus saying he could speak for militias to negotiate ceasefire

            in Sadr City

2008 VP Hashemi said Accordance Front interested in ending its boycott of cabinet

2008 ISF said cleared last Sadr stronghold in Basra

2010 Baath exile faction led by Ahmad Yunis said wanted to unite with other faction

led by Izzat al-Duri during meeting in Damascus

2010 Human Rights Watch interviewed prisoners who were held at secret

            prison at Baghdad Muthanna Airport and tortured by ISF

2010 Kurdish member of Kirkuk council said displaced Arabs had to leave province

            and go home

2011 Maliki admitted his 100 day deadline to reform ministries was not enough time

2011 State of Law held counter protest in Mosul supporting Maliki

2011 Ninewa Gov Nujafi called for strike in response to security forces attacking

            protest camp in Mosul

2012 Sulaymaniya court gave protest organizer life in prison after policeman killed

            at protest in Halabja

2012 Report that Kurds being threatened and driven out of Khanaqin district northeast

            Diyala

2012 Sadr went to Irbil to meet Pres Barzani over no confidence vote against Maliki

2013 4 Sunni mosques bombed in Baghdad after noon prayers

2013 Anbar protest leaders called for a popular army to be formed to protect demo sites

2013 Fallujah protest site announced formation of Pride and Dignity Army to protect

            demonstrators from ISF

2013 5 Intelligence officers killed at Fallujah protest site

2013 ISF retook Suleiman Beq from insurgents who seized town for several days

2015 Kataib Hezbollah withdrew from southern Fallujah claiming Abadi and

            US were preventing it from fighting there

2015 Head of Anbar council announced Abadi okayed recruiting locals for Hashd

2016 Sadrists protested while parliament voted in 5 new ministers as part

            of Abadi’s technocratic cabinet

2017 Hashd took Hatra Ninewa

View the Iraq History Timeline

No Enforcement Of Foreign Funding Law In Iraqi Election

The Iraqi Election Commission continues to fine parties for violations of campaign rules before May’s voting. Those include the lack of good conduct, putting up materials in the wrong places and times, etc. There are much bigger violations going on that the Commission has done nothing about. That is enforcing the ban on foreign funding for campaigns.

This Day In Iraqi History – Apr 25

1920 San Remo Agreement created British Mandate in Iraq France agreed to

            give up Mosul vilyat in return for oil concessions in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on how Mosul province became part of Iraq)

1929 Iran officially recognized Iraq as a country Hadn’t before due to complaints of

            mistreatment of Persians in Iraq

1991 Kurdish parties agreed to deal with Saddam including autonomy to end

            revolt after Gulf War

1991 Turkey told UN 30,000 Iraqi Kurds had entered Turkey in 2 days and 220,000

            were on there way as Kurdish uprising put down

1994 Iraqi govt announced completion of Mother of all Battles Irrigation Canal meant to

            drain southern marshes to drive out displaced and rebels

1995 Turkey’s Op Steel ended Withdrew 20,000 troops but left 15,000 in Kurdistan

1998 Was story that bin Laden sent delegation to Iraq for Saddam’s birthday and

            Uday agreed to train Al Qaeda Report false

2002 For Sec Straw said UK had to stand up to “bullies” like Saddam

2002 IAEA report that during inspections in 1990s Iraq’s nuclear program was

            dismantled and no ability to produce nuke material

2003 US arrested ex-Iraq Amb to Tunisia Farouk Hijazi who reportedly met with Al

            Qaeda in 90s and cited as proof of Iraq-Al Qaeda ties

2003 Bush said Iraq’s WMD were either hidden or were destroyed but US would find

            them

2003 White House official told NY Times Iraq may not have had WMD just agents to

make them

2003 Only Iraqi policemen to help US in Fallujah executed outside his house

2003 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Franks said didn’t know how long it would take to

            rebuild and stabilize Iraq

2003 Iraqi opposition met in Madrid but failed to agree on an interim govt

2004 Marine generals met with Iraqis to discuss creating a Fallujah brigade after 1^st

            battle of Fallujah

2005 Iraq Survey Group found Gulf War and UN sanctions destroyed Iraq’s WMD

            programs and Saddam didn’t try to rebuild them

2005 Iraq Survey Group found no evidence that Iraq’s WMD were sent to Syria

2005 White House said Iraq Survey Group found Saddam wanted WMD in the future

2006 Memo by Gen McCaffrey said that Iraqi army was making real progress but was

            badly equipped lacking armor air support etc

2006 Memo by Gen McCaffrey said Iraqi police heavily infiltrated by insurgents and

militias Said that Al Qeada in Iraq had been defeated as a strategic threat to the Iraqi govt

2008 Sadr said he was only opposed to US occupation not Maliki govt

2008 Report Badr and Mahdi Army setting up checkpoints and killing each other in

Qadisiyah and Baghdad

2008 Maliki said all parties supported his crackdown on Sadr and sign of reconciliation

2008 Maliki said if Sadr disarmed dropped politics turn in wanted militiamen would

stop Charge of Knights

2008 Fmr Under Sec of Def Feith said he warned of postwar chaos in Iraq but

            was ignored and Pentagon was on top of issue not State or CIA

2009 Gorran List founded by former PUK leader Mustafa

2009 Shiites protest in Khalis, Diyala claiming Baathists taking over new provincial

council after elections

2009 Arab tribes in Makhmour and Qaraj demanded Asayesh withdraw claiming

            harassment

2010 Iraqi Airways flew to London for first time in 20 years

2010 Court upheld Accountability and Justice Comm banning 52 winning candidates

            for Baathist ties

2011 Maliki claimed power had been decentralized in response to national protests

2011 ISF tried to stop protesters from gathering in Mosul Led to clash killing 1

            demonstrator and wounding 9 others

2011 Protest in Ramadi demanding US withdrawal close secret prisons and stop

            Iranian influence in country

2011 Peshmerga Minister accused Kurdistan Islamic Group and Kurdistan Islamic

            Union of being saboteurs and fostering jihadists

2011 Kurdistan Islamic Union said KRG had cut its monthly budget

2011 Soldiers and KDP security got into shoot out in Kirkuk City after brother 12^th Div

commander killed a taxi driver and was arrested

2011 Speaker Nujafi said Iraq didn’t need US troops anymore and any extension

            would have to go through parliament

2012 Accordance Front and Iraqiya threatened no confidence vote against Maliki unless

he followed Irbil power sharing agreement

2012 Pres Barzani said that unless Maliki shared power would be a revolt by

            other ruling parties Said Maliki was like a dictator

2013 Maliki gave TV speech saying security would be restored after ISF attack

            on Hawija protest site led to spike in violence

2013 Heavy fighting in Mosul 10 police and 31 insurgents killed

2014 Boko Haram pledged support to ISIS

2014 US sent intelligence officers to assist Iraq with fighting insurgency, started

            training Iraqi Special Forces in Jordan

2014 KRG offered North Oil Company to use its pipeline to Turkey

2014 Report that insurgents were split over whether to support elections or not

2015 Abadi said Hashd should include all Iraqis from all backgrounds

2015 Kudish Alliance said opposed National Guard in disputed areas because

            peshmerga could secure them

2015 Yazidi militia leader Haider Sesho said that Yazidis would form their own

            party in Sinjar and be independent of KDP

2015 IS took over army base in Thar Thar, Anbar 141 soldiers killed in fighting

2017 Turkey bombed PKK positions in Sinjar Ninewa

View the Iraq History Timelines

Security In Iraq Apr 15-21, 2018

April has been different from previous months during the year. Each week the number of security incidents has gone up and down. The two main trends during the third week of April was the ongoing fighting between the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Turkey in northern Kurdistan and more attacks upon candidates and political parties before next month’s parliamentary elections.

This Day In Iraqi History – Apr 24

1916 British attempt to re-supply besieged garrison at Kut failed

1920 UK gave France 25% of Turkish Petroleum Company in return for agreeing to

            British mandate in Iraq

1941 PM Gaylani and Mufti of Jerusalem met with Italian amb Told him they were

            angry Axis had done nothing to help Iraq vs British

1974 Iraqi planes bombed Qala Diza during Kurdish rebellion killing 130

1991 Kurdish leaders announced tentative deal with Saddam over autonomy and

            returning refugees who fled during revolt

1999 Were clashes between Iraqi forces and Iraqi opposition in south

2002 Gen Franks me with commanders in Qatar Said they needed to start war

            preparations

2003 Bush said Iraq might have destroyed its WMD before invasion but US would

            find them

2003 NY Times article Iraqi scientists said Saddam expanded WMD programs and

            secret facilities but destroyed stocks Wasn’t true

2003 US seized warehouse in Baghdad thought to contain WMD agents Proved false 

2003 Trailer found near Mosul was suspected of being mobile WMD labs Turned out

            not to be

2003 Dep PM Tariq Aziz surrendered to US Said Iraq had no WMD

2003 INC’s Zubeidi declared himself mayor of Baghdad

2003 ORHA head Garner met with 60 Iraqis in Kut to talk about security and how city

            should pick city council

2003 ORHA head Garner blamed Iran for anti-US protests in Kut

2003 ORHA head Garner said INC’s Chalabi was not US’s choice to run Iraq and

            Iraqis could pick their own leaders

2003 Gen McKiernan ground commander in Iraq told ORHA’s Garner security #1

            priority for postwar Iraq

2003 Rumsfeld called Powell to propose Paul Bremer as new presidential envoy to Iraq

2003 Rumsfeld called Garner and told him he would be replaced by Bremer Garner said

            he would quit Rumsfeld asked him to stay

2003 Rumsfeld said that Iraqis could form any govt they wanted as long as it wasn’t

            a theocracy like Iran’s

2003 UN Res 1476 extended Oil For Food Program past US invasion

2003 2 drive by shootings on US base in Kut, Wasit

2003 Was anti-American march in Kut, Wasit

2003 UK cabinet agreed to expand control from Basra & Maysan to Dhi Qar and

            Muthanna despite warnings might not have capabilities to deal with them

2003 UN SecGen Annan said US Coalition had to follow intl law as occupying

            power in Iraq US rejected occupier title

2004 US reported that 40% of Iraqi police deserted during Sadrist uprising in

            Najaf and Kut

2004 Insurgents launched boat attack upon Basra oil terminal killing 2 US sailors

2006 Sunni politicians accused SIIC of taking over Interior Min and staffing it with

            Badr militiamen and killing civilians

2006 Zarqawi released video portraying himself as military commander in Iraq

2006 Fmr CIA officer Drumheller said Iraq war was a policy failure by White House

            not intel one Said Bush committed to war no matter what the intel

2006 Iraqiya MP said new Maliki govt wasn't national unity one but just Shiite

            Kurdish and Sunni parties dividing up ministries

2008 ISF gained full control of central Basra from militias during Charge of Knights

2008 Captured ISI letters showed complaints about War Min Masri not consulting

            with others and didn't take criticism

2008 Captured letters said ISI was passing off old Zarqawi videos as new operations

2009 2 suicide bombers targeted Baghdad’s Khadmiya shrine

2011 Ayatollah Haeri in Iran issued fatwa against extending US troop presence in

            Iraq past 2011

2011 Sadrists said they opposed any troops extension for US past end of year

2011 Kurd opposition parties said KRG could either negotiate with protesters or

            suppress them

2011 Press freedom group said 226 violations by KRG against media trying to cover

            Sulaymaniya protests

2011 Bomb at Sacred Heart church in Baghdad

2011 6,000 protested in Mosul demanding reform and releasing prisoners

2012 Sound bomb at offices of Ayatollah Najafi in wave of attacks upon leading

            ayatollahs

2012 Pres Barzani said that Exxon would follow through with its contracts to work

            with KRG despite threats from Baghdad

2013 Maliki called for dialogue with Sunni protests after raided and killed protesters in

            Hawija Also called for law and order

2013 Mutahidun complained Maliki allowing militias to operate in Iraq

2013 Insurgents took control of Suleiman Beq, Salahaddin after ISF attacked

            Hawija protest site

2013 Hawija protest group announced that it was joining Naqshibandi after ISF

            attacked protest site

2014 Was fighting between ISIS and Military Council in Fallujah

2015 report that ISF were charging displaced Anbaris money to get into Baghdad

View the Iraq History Timelines

Number Of Displaced Continues To Drop In Iraq

The war against the Islamic State that started in 2014 caused the second major displacement of Iraqis since 2003. Over 5 million people left their homes. Now that the conflict is over, more and more people are returning.

This Day In Iraqi History – Apr 23

1917 British Samarra Offensive ended in victory over Ottomans British suffered

            18,000 casualties

1920 Ataturk gave speech demanding Turkey’s southern territories include Mosul and

            Sulaymaniya

(Musings On Iraq article on how Mosul province became part of Iraq)

1941 PM Gaylani asked for German military intervention in case of war with England

1941 London decided to land an entire division from India in Basra

1948 Kirkuk oil workers protested against Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1989 Ali Hassan al-Majid’s special powers over northern Iraq for Anfal ended

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

2003 Iraq oil started flowing for fist time since US invasion Iraq shut down oil flow

            day war started Mar 20

2003 USAID official told Nightline rebuilding Iraq could cost US $1.7 bil and

            Iraqi oil and donors would pay for rest

2003 ORHA head Garner came up with list of 9 objectives to accomplish for postwar

            Iraq including paying salaries return police and ministries etc

2003 White House said confident Iraq’s WMD would be found

2003 NY Times article Iraqi scientists told US Iraq destroyed all its WMD equipment

            before invasion US now looking for programs rather than WMD stocks

2003 NY Times article US would be getting info on Iraq’s WMD from Chalabi and

            INC

2003 Up to 3 mil participated in Arbaeen ceremony that had been banned under

            Saddam

2003 Protest in Kut, Wasit blocked US convoy for 4 hours

2003 Report thousands of Arabs were being evicted from Kirkuk by Kurds and

            forming militias to protect themselves

2003 1^st US troops arrived in Fallujah 2 weeks after end of invasion

2004 Bremer said ex-soldiers welcomed back into army said complaints about

            deBaathification were legitimate US streamlining how it deal with prisoners

2004 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Sanchez ordered investigation into military intel practices

            due to Abu Ghraib prison scandal

2005 UN Sec Gen Annan blamed US and UK for Iraq smuggling under Oil For Food

            program in 90s rather than UN

2009 KRG Premier Barzani criticized Hadbaa party for monopolizing all the seats

            on Ninewa council

2009 Iraq claimed it captured IS leader Abu Omar Baghdadi Didn’t happen

2010 5 car bombs hit Shiite mosques in Baghdad kill 72

2011 Karbala governor said province should think about becoming a federal region

2011 5,000 protested in Mosul demanding release of prisoners

2011 Sadrists marched in Baghdad against US occupation

2012 Iran tried to work out deal between Maliki and Sadr but failed Sadr moved

            into growing critic of Maliki’s rule

2012 Iraq’s Foreign Ministry called in Turkey’s ambassador complaining about

            Ankara’s interference in Iraqi politics

2013 Maliki ordered raid on Hawija protest camp run by Naqshibandi leading to over 40

            dead and 70 wounded

2013 Violence spiked in Iraq after Hawija raid and helped mark return of Iraqi

            insurgency

2013 Mohammed Abu Risha called for protesters to arm themselves after ISF attack

            upon Hawija protest site

2013 Clash between protesters and ISF in Ramadi 6 soldiers killed

2013 Fighting broke out between ISF and insurgents in Suleiman Beq

2013 British court found maker of fake bomb detectors guilty of 3 counts of fraud

2016 Fighting broke out again between Hashd, Turkmen vs Peshmerga Kurds in

            Tuz Kharmato

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Musings On Iraq In The News

I was mentioned by Coline Clarke and Haroro Ingram in "Defeating the ISIS Nostalgia Narrative" in Foreign Policy Research Institute. The article was also republished by RAND.

Review The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq

Review Foulk, Vincent, The Battle for Fallujah, Occupation, Resistance and Stalemate in the War in Iraq, Jefferson and London: McFarland & Company, Inc.: 2007

The Battle for Fallujah is a bit misleading as the book is really about the period from 2003 when the U.S. forces first entered Fallujah until the 2^nd Battle of Fallujah at the end of 2004. Each chapter has a theme such as kidnappings, car bombs, Moqtada al-Sadr and his uprisings, etc. It’s a quick read on what the American military was facing during this period of the Iraq War.

This Day In Iraqi History - Apr 22

1915 Lord Curzon asked why British should promise Basra and Baghdad vilyats

            to Arabs if they were fighting on Ottoman side

1916 British attacked Sannaiyat but Ottomans turned them back British suffered

            1,200 casualties

1923 British troops occupied Rowanduz in military campaign to subdue Kurds opposed

            to being included in new Iraq Mandate

1969 After Shah ended 1937 border treaty with Iraq Iran sailed ship down Shatt al

            Arab waterway in violation of treaty

1969 Iraq retaliated by expelling 10,000 Iranians for Shah ending 1937 border treaty

            over Shatt al-Arab waterway

1980 Khomeini revealed that Ayatollah Baqir al-Sadr had been executed and called for

            overthrow of Saddam

1991 Report that Iranian intel and Revolutionary Guard working in Iraq to help revolts

1998 Tariq Aziz letter to UN Said inspectors ignored last 7 yrs of progress Said intrusive

            inspections work of US to create justification for US military strike

2003 ORHA head Garner went to KRG to talk with Barzani and Talabani about interim

            Iraqi govt

2003 Barzani and Talabani suggested group of Iraqi advisers to help Garner rather than

            interim Iraqi govt

2003 Sadrists held second day of protests after its cleric Fartusi was arrested by US

2003 Only 10% of Baghdad’s electricity restored since city fell to US forces

2003 US sent 1000 more experts to look for Iraq’s WMD

2003 Chief UN inspector Blix told BBC US tried to discredit inspections at the Security

            Council

2003 UK general warned that British military not trained for postwar operations called

            for in Iraq

2003 NYTimes’ Miller told PBS NewsHour US found info on Iraq’s WMD Had

            destroyed stocks right before invasion Fooled UN inspectors

2004 Bremer said some Baathist officials would be able to return to their jobs

2004 After no real weapons turned over by insurgents in Fallujah Gen Conway said

            militants had days to do so or city would be attacked again

2006 Pres Talabani Asked Maliki to form new govt

(Musings On Iraq interview with Reuters’ Parker on Maliki’s biography)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Inside Iraqi Politics’ Sowell on whether Maliki became a dictator)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Historian Phebe Marr comparing PM Maliki with MP Said)

2007 ISI stopped bus and took 23 Yazidis off and executed them in Bashiqa, Ninewa

2008 Maliki promised $150 mil to rebuild Sadr City after fighting Mahdi Army was

            over

2009 16 Kurdish towns in Ninewa threatened to not cooperate with new Hadbaa run

            Ninewa council calling it Baathists

2010 Parliamentary election results were supposed to be certified but political disputes

            delayed that

2011 Protests in Baghdad, Mosul and other cities calling for release of prisoners better

services fighting corruption

2011 Sadr announced new social organizing project Munasiroon in Basra

2012 Attack on Najaf offices of Ayatollah Fayadh in wave of attacks against Iraq’s

            top clerics

2012 Turkey’s Erdogan compared Maliki to Saddam

2013 Tigris Ops Command stopped parliamentary delegation from visiting Hawija

            protest site after checkpoint attacked

2014 Pres Barzani threatened independence of Kurdistan if oil dispute with Baghdad

            continued

2015 Day after IS attacked Sahl al-Malih, Ninewa Peshmerga expelled Arab residents,

            looted and burned village

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Review America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy

Review Fukuyama, Francis, America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy, Yale University Press: New Haven and London, 2006

Neoconservatives were one of the main groups behind the 2003 invasion of Iraq providing much of the ideological justification for the war. The term was thrown around a lot in the media, yet few actually knew what it was about. For example, there was some talk about Leo Strauss and graduates from the University of Chicago where he taught, but what that meant in real terms or how it related to the Iraq war were largely left unexplained. That’s the reason why Francis Fukuyama’s America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy is important because it provides a short and concise summary and analysis of just what neoconservatism is and how it was connected to Iraq.