This Day in Iraqi History - May 5

1920 British mandate announced in Baghdad

1941 UK Mideast Cmdr Gen Wavell didn’t think force from Palestine could relieve

Habaniya base in Anbar and their departure would undermine security in Palestine

1941 Gen Wavell told to think up air strike plan against Kirkuk oil fields Idea was later

            dropped

1941 Iraqi troops began withdrawing from Habaniya air base ending siege 300 captured

            by British

1973 Kuwait agreed to Iraqi offer to discuss border dispute

1981 Press report that Soviets sent military aid to Iraq through Eastern European

            allies

1985 Iraq bombed Ahvaz and Bushahr starting 2^nd War of the Cities Iran fired

            missiles at Baghdad and shelled Iraqi border towns

2003 US held provincial elections in Ninewa

2003 ORHA announced 9 man leadership group that would put together an interim

            Iraqi govt later in May

2003 ORHA official met with ex-soldiers promising them one time $20 payment if

            came back to work

2003 US forces announced captured Huda Ammash “Mrs Anthrax” that worked on

            WMD program

2003 CIA did new test with aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy Found could not take

            speed of centrifuges

2004 Gen Abizaid told Bush that security was getting under control after insurgent

            and Sadr uprisings

2004 Bush promised investigation into Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal Appeared

            on 2 Arab TV channels condemning abuse

2004 Rumsfeld told reporter Geneva Conventions didn’t exactly apply to prisoners

            in Iraq but were more like basic rules

2009 Iraq Central Bank turned down Maliki asking to use surplus to cover budget

            deficit

2009 Farmers tried to sabotage work of CNPC at Ahdab oil field fearing company

            would take their land

2011 ISI suicide car bomb attacked Hillah police station killing 25 to mark bin

Laden’s death

2012 Anbar council said it finished preparation to hold referendum on making province a

            region

2012 Pres Talabani Pres Barzani Sadr Speaker Nujafi and Allawi issued ultimatum

            to Maliki follow power sharing Irbil agreement

2013 KRG said unless Baghdad paid them money owed they would start exporting

            oil independently

2013 Sheikh Abu Risha rejected making Anbar a region

2013 Maliki claimed Iraq took care of fake bomb detectors even though still used

2014 Heavy fighting reported between Ansar al-Sunna and ISIS in Riyad, Kirkuk

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