Security In Iraq July 22-28, 2018

Security continued to fluctuate in Iraq. The third week of July was one of those down weeks as Musings On Iraq recorded the fewest weekly security incidents ever.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 31

1924 MP Chalabi rejected quotas in new parliament for minorities claiming

            everyone would be represented

1928 Red Line Agreement allowed British Dutch French US Turkish oil companies to

jointly control Turkish Petroleum Company would lead to Iraq Petroleum Company

1982 Iraq claimed it crushed Iranian Op Ramadan to seize Basra

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

1983 Iraqi army took 8,000 men from Barzani clan and executed them

1990 King Fahd and Pres Mubarak tried to mediate between Iraq and Kuwait Kuwit emir

told his representative to not give into any Iraqi demands at meeting in Saudi Arabia between 2 nations

1990 AsstSecState Kelly told House US had no defense treaty with Gulf States and

didn’t take position on border disputes or OPEC Said US would be concerned if Iraq invaded Kuwait but had no treaties with it

1990 Pentagon said it was committed to individual and collective defense of its allies in

            the Gulf

2002 Iraq Foreign Minister Sabri said Bagdhad rejected return of UN inspectors Said

            they would just collect intel for U.S. strikes

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 Bush said US goal was regime change but denied any war plans were on his desk

2002 Senate Foreign Relations Comm began hearing on Iraq invasion

2002 Rumsfeld told Senate Comm time helped Saddam erode sanctions and spread

            terrorism

2002 NSA had drill on Iraq Found it had little signals intel on country

2002 Report Iraq working on nuclear program quoted fmr UN inspector Kay and INC

            defectors Hamza and Haideri May 02 Haideri labeled fabricator by DIA

2002 INC defector ex-nuke scientist Hamza testified to Senate Foreign Relations

            Comm claiming Iraq only lacked uranium to build nuke bomb in 1994

2002 Iraq conspiracy theorist Mylroie interviewed on CNN Said Bush was going to

invade Iraq because of WMD and its ties to terrorism including 9/11 Accused CIA of covering up Iraq’s involvement in 9/11

(Musings On Iraq article on Mylroie’s Iraq conspiracy theories)

2003 Sadr announced 10,000 man Islamic army being formed in Najaf

2003 Report several Iraqi scientists interviewed by US said Saddam had not restarted

            its nuclear or WMD programs

2003 National Sec Adv Rice said international intel agencies all agreed with US that Iraq

            had WMD US would prove right that Saddam was threat to world

2003 Iraq Survey Group head Kay testified to Senate

2003 US forces found Iraqi jets buried at Taqadum airbase west of Baghdad Helped

            explain why Iraqi air force didn't fight during invasion

(Musings On Iraq article on why Iraqi air force didn’t fight during 2003 invasion)

2004 US arrested Sadrist Sheikh Hasnawi in Karbala Mahdi Army kidnapped police

            in Najaf in response

2006 Displacement Min said 182,1854 had been displaced since Askari shrine bombing

            in Feb 2006

2006 Police in 15 SUVs kidnapped 25 people from Iraqi American Chamber of

Commerce and Rawi telephone company in central Baghdad Never seen again

2008 Police raided Sahwa officer in Kut arrested 3 Sahwa that formed political party 2

            months before provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq article on govt crackdown on Sahwa)

2008 US and Iraq missed deadline to sign Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq (SOFA)

            US wanted residual military force to stay in Iraq after official withdrawal

(Musings On Iraq article on missed deadline) 

2012 France’s Total signed contracts for two oil blocks in KRG

2015 Protest in Baghdad Basra Najaf over lack of electricity Called for Electricity Min

to step down

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Growth In Education and Unrest In Iraq

Baghdad Univ

Education should be a gateway to more opportunities such as employment and higher wages. In Iraq however graduates face limited jobs, which is resulting in growing unrest as expressed by the annual summer protests. This has been an issue in the country for decades due to the expansion of schools and an oil dependent economy that has limited private enterprise.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 30

1920 War Min Churchill approved sending division to Mesopotamia from India

            to put down 1920 Revolt

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

(Musings On Iraq review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1968 Pres Bakr accused Def Min Daud and PM Naif of attempting to take over govt PM

Naif arrested and became Ambassador to Morocco Baath then purged govt of opponents

1968 Pres Bakr became prime minister and commander and chief of armed forces

consolidating his power Appointed Saddam deputy secretary general of Baath Party

1983 Iran ended Op Wa al-Fajr 2 after seizing 14 km of Kurdistan and capturing Hajj

            Omran garrison

1983 Iran started Op Wa al-Fajr 3 to free Mehran, Iran

1988 Iran and Iraq started talks at UN for ceasefire

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Saddam offered to withdraw his troops from Iran and settle Shatt al-Arab

            differences to prepare for Kuwait invasion

1990 DIA analyst told DIA Dir Soyster Iraq could overrun Kuwait and northern Saudi

Arabia and US would have no warning Said that Saddam was going to use force vs Kuwait and Kuwait would make no concessions to Iraq

1990 DIA Dir Soyster disagreed with analyst about Iraq’s intentions but passed

            assessment to SecDef Cheney and Gen Powell

1991 Iraq admitted to have four times as many chemical munitions as it claimed before

            to UN weapons inspectors

1992 Iraqi forces surrounded Shiite rebels in southern marshes and bombed them

1996 CIA report head of Iraq intel met bin Laden in Sudan and provided bomb making

know how False report bin Laden left Sudan May 96 and no reports he returned afterward

2002 Blair’s foreign policy adv Manning told Bush UK with US against Iraq but had

            to go through UN

2002 UK attorney general Goldsmith told Blair without U.N. resolution war against

            Iraq illegal

2002 Pres Chirac said that Germany and France would only support an invasion of Iraq

            if backed by a UN resolution

2002 Fmr head UN inspector Ekeus said US manipulated 90s inspections to spy on Iraqi

security services and find location of Saddam Said US wanted to create crises to justify attacks on Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on how CIA used UN inspectors to spy and back coup in Iraq)

2003 Bush admitted Iraq-Africa uranium story should not have been included in his

            State of Union speech

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2003 Rice said Saddam was a threat and he had WMD Said Iraq was buying all kinds of

            equipment for centrifuges including aluminum tubes

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2004 SecState Powell in Iraq said US worried about Iran’s influence in southern Iraq

2008 U.S. forces officially withdrew troops from Iraqi cities

2008 Sadr said he was leading a nationalist movement against the US and needed to

            restrain abuses and violence of Mahdi Army

2015 Protests in Arbat and Darabandikhan, KRG and Nasiriya over lack of services and

electricity

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 29

1968 Baath had Def Min Daud visit Jordan so that party could take control of

military while he was gone Daud arrested when he arrived in Jordan Sent into exile as ambassador to Saudi Arabia

1988 Mujahedeen e-Khalq forced to withdraw from 2 Iranian towns ending hopes

            of Iraq backed revolt against Khomeini

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 OPEC agreed to raise prices 20% that year under pressure from Iraq that

            wanted to boost revenues to rebuild after Iran-Iraq War

1990 Mukhabarat had placed 30 agents at Kuwait oil fields and Kuwait city to help

            with invasion

1991 Talabani said that without another major international relief effort Kurds

            would face another disaster

2002 Blair’s foreign policy adv Manning told Rice UK with US against Iraq but had

            to go through UN

2002 NYTimes article on Iraq war plans Mentioned Gen Franks ideas for dealing with

            defense of Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq article on how arguments over Iraq invasion were fought through press leaks)

2003 US intel report Hezbollah attempted to reach out to Sadr and his Mahdi Army

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2003 Report US held Iraqi detainees incommunicado and without access to lawyers

2003 Saddam recording said his sons Uday and Qusay died as martyrs for Iraq and US

            would be defeated

2008 Op Augurs of Prosperity in Diyala began ISF targeted Sahwa in Baquba

(Musings On Iraq article on Augurs of Prosperity op)

(Musings On Iraq article on govt crackdown on Sahwa)

2013 ISI started new car bomb wave as part of Soldiers’ Harvest campaign

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Activists Focusing Upon Fridays For National Protests In Iraq

Protest in Maysan (Al Mirbad)

Activists are concentrating on Fridays for national protests in Iraq. On July 27, there were gatherings in Babil, Baghdad, Basra, Dhi Qar, Karbala, Maysan, Muthanna, Najaf and Qadisiyah. Most met in front of provincial council buildings, sometimes in the hundreds. The movement was bolstered by a Friday sermon by Ayatollah Sistani’s representative that called for the government to meet public demands and to fight corruption. The demonstrators have expanded from asking for jobs, electricity, and services to demanding that many governors and councils be dismissed, and now calls for PM Abadi to step down as well.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 28

1920 US complained 2^nd time to England about San Remo agreement that

            divided Iraq’s oil between England and France

1982 Iran made 3rd attack on Basra city but failed again Iran lost around 1,000 soldiers

            per day Iraq lost 7000 casualties

1982 During Iranian Op Ramadan Ayatollah Baqir al-Hakim crossed into Iraq from Iran

            Called for uprising vs Saddam

1982 During peak of Op Ramadan Iran held 120 sq mi of Iraqi territory By end only

            had 32 sq mi

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Bush letter to Saddam asked him not to use force in region and hoped for

continued good US-Iraq relations Pentagon tried to block Bush note to Saddam fearing an Iraq invasion of Kuwait

1990 CIA briefed Bush warning that Iraq was going to invade Kuwait

1996 Iranian Revolutionary Guard entered Kurdistan to fight the Kurdistan Democratic

Party of Iran but also to support the PUK against the KDP Guard went 40 miles into Kurdistan and stayed 72 hours When withdrew left behind weapons for PUK

2002 Blair told Bush UK would be with US on Iraq but had to consider difficulties

            and work on politics of war

2002 Wash Post article on Iraq war plans Said many in military wanted containment of

            Iraq

2003 Blair govt accused of crimes against humanity for Iraq war in Greek court

2004 68 killed in suicide car bomb on police center Baquba Diyala

2008 3 female suicide bombers hit Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad’s Karrada 32 dead 100

            wounded

(Musings On Iraq article on female suicide bombing in Karrada)

2008 Suicide bomber attacked Kurds protesting provincial election results in Kirkuk 24

killed Crowd burned down Turkmen Front office and attacked Arab councilman’s house afterward

(Musings On Iraq article on Kurdish protests and violence in Kirkuk) 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 27

1958 Provisional constitution gave Kurds recognition was equal to Arabs

1959 Gen Qasim passed deal promising Arab-Kurdish partnership after

            talks with Mullah Mustafa Barzani

1968 Communists issued demands to new Baath govt calling for National Front

            and coalition govt

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Franzen on History of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1982 US official sent to Baghdad to share CIA satellite imagery of Iranian troop movements

1983 Iraq announced it would increase attacks on Iran’s oil facilities

1987 US asked Iraq to stop attacks on shipping in Persian Gulf in hopes that Iran would

            follow suit

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Congress voted to impose sanctions on Iraq for threats against Kuwait Israel

            nuke and WMD programs and human rights violations White House opposed

1990 Israel Science Minister threatened retaliation with chemical weapons if Iraq

attacked

(Musings On Iraq article on Saddam’s motivation for threatening Israel before the Kuwait invasion)

1993 Iran asked for aid for 4,000 Iraqi refugees that entered country as southern

            marshes were drained

2003 DepSecDef Wolfowitz claimed that Iraq’s insurgency had no support in Iraq or in

            region

2003 Iraq Survey Group head Kay briefed Bush Cheney Rumsfeld Wolfowitz Tenet

Rice Card on WMD hunt Said Iraq probably only had surge capacity to quickly restart WMD programs but no stockpiles Said trailers found were probably not mobile WMD labs Said Bush seemed unphased by fact that no WMD found

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2003 Kay separately briefed Chene who asked Kay to look into whether Iraq sent its

            WMD to Syria or Bekka Valley Lebanon

2005 Saddam’s trial ended

2006 Iraq and UN announce International Compact to help develop country

2006 UK Amb to Iraq Patey said that de facto division of Iraq and civil war more likely

            than transition to democracy

2007 KDP and PUK renewed strategic power sharing agreement

2015 Protests in Nasiriya over lack of electricity and Rania KRG over project being

            stopped that led to clash with police

View the Iraq History Timelines

Review Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State

Kadhim, Abbas, Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State, Austin: University of Texas Press, 2012

The 1920 Revolt against the British in Iraq is a seminal moment in the country’s history. Over time, the event has been idealized, distorted, and misrepresented by the British, the monarchy, and every government in Baghdad afterward. The goal of Abbas Kadhim’s Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State was to cut through this literature, and represent what some of the leading participants had to say. Abbas believes 1920 marked a political revolution in Iraq where the tribes and clerics of the Mid-Euphrates rose up to demand Iraqi independence. It can be said that they succeeded in the short term, England gave up direct control of the country under the Mandate, but it maintained its influence over the country for the next 30 years via the monarchy it installed.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 26

1920 Gertrude Bell wrote that Baghdad started the 1920 Revolt but not lost control of

            it when tribes rose up and they listened to no one Baghdad did not start revolt

1988 Mujahedeen e-Khalq took 2 Iranian towns with Iraqi air support hoping

            to start revolt against Khomeini

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

2001 Last of 4 NSC Deputies Committee meetings on revising Iraq policy

2005 US Army interrogators testified that dogs sleep deprivation and nudity all used on

            prisoners held at Abu Ghraib

2007 Bombing in Baghdad market killed 92

2010 ISI bombed Al Arabiya TV station

2012 Protests in Basra against lack of electricity

2014 Ansar al-Islam refused to give allegiance to IS in Sadiya Diyala Led to fighting

            between two with IS winning

2017 Court issued arrest warrant for head of Salahaddin council for corruption

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Silencing Protests In Iraq

(Reuters) 

Prime Minister Haidar Abadi finds himself in a precarious situation. Starting July 5 protests started in Basra and then spread throughout the entire south and then Baghdad. Right now he is heading a caretaker government until the election results are certified and a new administration takes over. That means he has little authority to meet the demands of the demonstrations, especially because many of them require structural changes that would be a challenge to any premier. While he has pledged to meet as many of the protesters’ wants as possible, he has also attacked their integrity, tried to block their organizing and broken up their gatherings.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 25

1961 Gen Qasim claimed Kuwait as part of Iraq for 2^nd time

1985 Congress agreed to State Dept request to remove Iraq from list of states

            supporting terrorism

1990 OPEC agreed to raise oil prices and follow quotas allaying Iraq complaints

            Kuwait and UAE overproducing and lowering prices

1990 Saddam met US Amb to Iraq Glaspie saying he wanted meeting to be message

to Pres. Bush Saddam said that US and Iraq didn’t have close understanding of each other that could lead to problems and misunderstandings Claimed US was plotting against him Said UAE and Kuwait forcing down oil prices which was an attack upon Iraq Said US supporting Gulf States at expense of Iraq Said US had to choose sides Said that he would not threaten Kuwait if it forgave debt agreed to OPEC quotas Saddam said he would talk to Kuwait but would not sit and wait while Kuwait waged economic war on Iraq Said that Gulf States refused to renegotiate Iraq’s debt and this was conspiracy led by Kuwait Claimed he would talk with Kuwait about dispute if they didn’t give into Iraqi demands he would act

1990 Amb Glaspie told Saddam Bush wanted better Iraq-US relations Apologized for bad

press on Iraq Asked why Saddam had placed troops near Kuwait border Told Saddam US had no opinion on Iraq-Kuwait border dispute but warned not to use force

1990 Defense Special Assessment said Iraq trying to pressure Kuwait to give into its

            demands and didn’t think it would use military force

1990 Sec of State Baker told Commerce Dept export controls needed on US technology

            going to Iraq that could be used for weapons programs

1990 Asst Sec State for Near East Kelly cancelled interview with Voice of America that

            would have warned Iraq about troops buildup along Kuwait border

1990 Pres Mubarak called Saddam worried about Iraq putting troops on Kuwait border

Claimed Saddam promised not to attack Kuwait Saddam later denied that

2003 Sadr held rally in Najaf saying that he would form his own army to oppose

            US occupation

2003 Japan authorized largest deployment of troops since 1945 to be sent to Iraq

2005 New US Amb Khalilzad said security was his top priority

2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee ended boycott after member assassinated

2006 Op River Falcon to secure Sayifiya south of Baghdad started

2009 KRG parliamentary elections Gorran came in second behind KDP-PUK alliance

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Jul 15-21, 2018

After a slight dip in incidents in the second week of July, things were back to their averages from July 15-21 in Iraq. The two big stories for security during the week was an explosion of attacks in Kirkuk in the middle of the week, and attempts at mass casualty bombings in Salahaddin.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 24

1915 British forces captured Nasiriya from Ottomans

1920 British regiment driven from Kifl during 1920 Revolt after losing 180 men killed

            and 160 captured

1923 Turkey signed Treaty of Lausanne agreeing to League of Nations

            deciding future of Mosul 

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

1986 Saddam said unwise to clash with rising Islamism in Arab World but Iraq should

            be ready to strike against it if threatened

1986 Saddam decided to reach out to Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan

1990 US military exercise with UAE Spokesman said US committed to defending its

friends in the Gulf Saddam said he felt betrayed by US forces moving through the Persian Gulf

1990 White House said it was concerned about Iraqi troop buildup along Kuwait’s

            border

1990 State Dept US had no defense treaties or special relationship with Kuwait Did

            support Gulf States right to self defense

1991 Operation Provide Comfort II started to enforce northern fly zone and contain

            Saddam

1993 Kurds threatened retaliation if Iran didn’t stop shelling of border region trying to

            hit Iranian Kurdish groups

2002 Kurds claimed Iraq coordinating with Ansar al-Islam and Al Qaeda in pre-invasion

            propaganda campaign

2003 Spain Foreign Min Palacio said no evidence Iraq had a nuclear bomb program

2004 Zalmay Khalilzad became new US ambassador to Iraq Wanted to defeat

            insurgency not withdraw which was existing plan

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2004 500 marched in Sulaymaniya demanding an independent Kurdistan

2005 Allawi’s Iraqiya threatened to boycott constitutional commission because it wasn’t

            taken seriously the concerns of Sunni delegation

2006 Report US 4^th Div carried out mass incarcerations absued Iraqi prisoners while

            stationed in Salahaddin 03-04

2006 Report Inter Min fired all Anbar police during 2004 Battle of Fallujah and police

            never rebuilt No police in Rutba Ana Haditha few in Rawa

2008 US Amb Crocker said insurgency had lost most of its relevancy

(Musings On Iraq article on decline of insurgency)

2008 Female suicide bomber killed Sahwa leader and 7 others 24 wounded in Baquba

(Musings On Iraq article on Baquba suicide bombing)

2014 ISI attacked State Company for Pharmaceutical Supplies in Ninewa to capture

            bomb supplies

2017 Ammar Hakim announced he was leaving Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and

            forming new Hikmah Party

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

Musings On Iraq was cited in "As Protests Sweep Iraq, are the Country's Political Elites Running out of Options?" by Benedict Robin-D'Cruz for the Middle East Centre Blog of The London School of Economics and Political Science. I was also quoted by Paul Iddon in "Can KRG play a positive role in any renewed Turkey-PKK peace process?" for Rudaw.

Security In Iraq Jul 8-14, 2018

There have been fluctuations in Iraq’s security situation week to week and July 8-14 was one of those down times. There were just 44 incidents during the week, which was on the low end. Also, due to the large protests that swept southern Iraq the media’s coverage of the rest of the country fell off tremendously, so there might have been some under reporting as well.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 23

1986 US briefing said that Iraq might need more US help because facing setbacks

            in Iran-Iraq War

1987 Iraq For Min Aziz wrote UN saying Iraq welcomed ceasefire proposal UN Res

            598

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

2002 Blair cabinet meeting John Scarlett head of Joint Intel Com said Saddam could only be

            removed by invasion

2002 Blair cabinet meeting Sir Dearlove head of MI6 said Washington decided war was

inevitable Bush wanted to justify invasion via terrorism and WMD Said that intelligence and facts were being used to justify invasion

2002 Blair’s foreign policy adviser said Iraq was fourth most dangerous country with

            WMD behind North Korea Iran and Libya

2003 Bush said deaths of Qusay and Uday Hussein showed that the old regime was gone

            and would not return

2003 US released photos of Uday and Qusay to prove they were killed in face of Iraqi

            rumors they were alive

2003 Bremer said only matter of time before Saddam was captured

2008 Kurdish List got Pres Talabani to veto draft provincial election law that

            included equal division of power in Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq article on veto of election law)

2012 ISI carried out 30 car bombs and other attacks across 20 cities as part of new

            Breaking Walls Campaign that killed more than 115

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review The Iran-Iraq War

Razoux, Pierre, The Iran-Iraq War, Cambridge London: Belkmap Press of Harvard University Press, 2015

Pierre Razoux in The Iran-Iraq War was able to write both a very in depth book on the conflict, while also keeping it interesting with a series of engaging stories. That is not always the easiest thing to do as many would have gotten lost in the details.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 22

1920 Albu Hassan took Kifil from British 1920 Revolt

1920 TE Lawrence wrote British officials refused to give Iraq autonomy

1923 UK Minister to Tehran arrived in Baghdad to discuss deportation and immigration

of Iraqi opposition figures to Persia Iraqi govt said they could return after elections for assembly held

1929 Iraq High Commissioner Sir Gilbert Clayton said giving Iraq concessions was best

way to maintain good relations with Iraq and bad negotiations would have opposite effect

1931 Shiite leaders told Yasin Hashemi they would back him for PM if they got

            majority of cabinet posts

1979 Televised session of Baath meeting Former Revolutionary Command Council

secretary general Mashadi claimed there was a Syrian backed coup Said Syria wanted to remove Iraqi leadership so that two countries could unite

1979 66 accused coup plotters had names read and then taken from Baath party meeting

Party members began praising Saddam Accused coup plotters included 5 of 21 from Revolutionary Command Council Former Oil Min Hadithi who helped nationalize Iraq Petroleum Company

1979 Another accused plotter Adnan Hussein al-Hamdani deputy prime minister and

            head of president’s office who had been close aide to Saddam

1979 Court made up of 7 members of Revolutionary Command Council created to try

            66 coup plotters  

1982 Iran made second attempt to seize Basra City Turned back

1983 Iran’s Op Wa al-Fajr 2 attacked Kurdistan Seized 150 sq mi of territory half in Iraq

KDP Dawa and Badr Brigade took part Seized Haj Umran Sent SCIRI to set up offices in town

1988 Iraq attacked Iran on all fronts to test Iran’s commitment to peace talks Saddam

didn’t believe Khomeini really committed to UN Res 598 ceasefire Just wanted break and return to war

1988 Saddam also wanted one last try at victory in Iran-Iraq War with new offensive

Iraqi forces turned back in Kurdistan and Basra but gained 40 mi in Khuzistan province Iran

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

1992 Iraq bombed southern rebels killing 30

2002 DIA officer told to start making secret intelligence briefings to Rumsfeld on Iraq-

            Al Qaeda ties based upon request by Deputy Def Sec Wolfowitz

2002 US Energy Dept assessed Iraq trying to buy magnets meeting with scientists Niger

            uranium story showed that Iraq restarted nuclear program

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

(Musings On Iraq article on how poor US intel work led to claim Iraq rebuilt its nuclear weapons program)

2003 Iraqi Governing Council took office

2003 U.S. forces killed Saddam’s sons Uday and Qusay Hussein in raid in Mosul

2003 UN report said Iraqis becoming frustrated at US plans for returning sovereignty

            because would take too long

2003 Bush speechwriter Gerson found 2 CIA memos from Oct 02 on why Iraq-Niger

uranium story should not be used in Bush speech Gerson’s discovery came just after White House blamed CIA Dir Tenet for why Niger story was used in Bush’s Jan 03 State of Union

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2004 Pentagon report acknowledge abuse of Iraqi prisoners including sexual and

            physical assault and deaths

2004 9/11 report 1994 or 95 Al Qaeda and Iraqi officials met Al Qaeda asked for aid and

training camps Iraq didn’t reply Al Qaeda worked with Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan

2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Maliki took no responsibility for anything Trying to

take control of ISF Casey said Maliki blocked 5 ops in Sadr City to protect Mahdi Army Maliki gave him list of 10 Shiite notables that could not be touched by US Sadr and aides at top of list

2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Maliki wanted militias to gain more control over

Baghdad Said Shiite politicians not serious about limiting Mahdi Army or death squads Said US forces clearing areas in Baghdad but Iraqis couldn’t hold them

2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said US had no political strategy for Iraq since Dec 05

            elections

2006 US Iraq Amb Khalizad said Sunnis and Shiite not accepted each other as equals not

            willing to cooperate

2006 NatSecAdv Hadley told Bush US had no security strategy for Baghdad

2008 109,087 pardoned under Amnesty Law Govt originally claimed only had 26,000

            prisoners

(Musings On Iraq article on Amnesty Law)

2012 ISI head Baghdadi announced it had returned to its strongholds that it was driven

            out of by by Surge

2017 Anbar council voted 3^rd and final time to dismiss Governor Rawi on corruption

            charges

View the Iraq History Timelines 

2 Killed As Protests Hit 10 Provinces In Iraq

Water cannons fired at protesters in Baghdad's Tahrir Square

July 20 protests were organized across 10 provinces, the most since they started fifteen days ago. This was after a week of declining marches due to a government crackdown. The security forces (ISF) responded by breaking up almost all the gatherings, and two people were killed as well.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 21

1933 600 Assyrians left Ninewa for Syria asking for asylum from French because

            didn't want to be part of Iraq Were sent back

1958 Gen Qasim set up court to try “enemies of the people” meaning officials from

            monarchy

1990 Iraq announced that it had placed troops along border with Kuwait

1991 PM Hammadi met with Barzani to try to stop fighting and reach deal on

            Kurdish autonomy

1993 UNHCR spokesman said that 3,000 Shiites fled to Iran to avoid Iraqi army

            attacks on villages in southern marshes

2003 UN-IOM convoy fired upon by insurgents in Babil 1^st attack on humanitarian

            group in Iraq

2003 UN Sec Gen Annan approved Iraqi Governing Council

2003 NatlSecAdv Rice called MSBC’s Chris Matthews saying Fmr Amb Wilson’s story

on Iraq-Niger deal was part of a political campaign against the White House Said Wilson’s wife was open target and Wilsons were against Bush so White House against them

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2003 US received intel that Uday and Qusay Hussein were in Mosul

2005 Pentagon said half of 93,800 Iraqi police had finished basic training and were not

            ready for duty yet

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2005 Insurgents kidnapped 2 Algerian diplomats in Baghdad

2006 Report sectarian cleansing going on in Baghdad’s Ghaziliya and Sadiya

neighborhoods Sunni gunmen told Shiites to leave in Sadiya Inter Min police took away 10 Sunni men in Ghaziliay Bodies later found

2012 ISI leader Baghdadi announced the Breaking Walls Campaign in Iraq Was his first

            online statement Said it was new phase of jihad

2013 ISIS attacked Abu Ghraib and Tikrit prisons Freed 500 prisoners from Abu

            Ghraib End of Breaking Walls Campaign

2017 3^rd time Anbar council attempted to remove Governor Rawi on corruption charges

2017 Fmr Salahaddin Gov Jabouri received 2 yr prison sentence for corruption

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Abadi Govt’s Carrot And Stick Approach Working With Iraq’s Protest Movement

Protest in Basra (AIN)

There were protests in three provinces on July 18, and three on July 19. Those occurred in Tahrir Square in Baghdad, Basra city and Mashreh in Maysan. Activists are trying to organize widespread protests in ten provinces for Friday, which is the day off in the Muslim world. At its peak, there were demonstrations in 9 of Iraq’s 18 governorates.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 20

1959 Gen Qasim put several Communists on trial for hand in Jul 14 fighting

            between Kurds and Turkmen in Kirkuk

1961 Kuwait admitted to Arab League Iraq stopped working with League as a result

            because Qasim claimed Kuwait as part of Iraq

1970 Pres Bakr attacked Communists for not accepting Baathist leadership in govt

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1987 Iraq accepted UN Res 598 calling for a ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War Iran didn’t reject

            it which was a first

1988 Ayatollah Khomeini said that he endorsed Iran-Iraq War ceasefire

1988 Iraq tried to add 3 more requirements to UN Res 598 ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War

including direct talks with Iran Was meant to delay talks so Iraq could gain more territory to increase its position

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

1990 Pentagon report said Iraq unlikely to use force against Kuwait

1991 KDP and PUK launched attacks in Irbil, Dohuk, Sulaymaniya provinces UN said

            Kurds had taken large parts of Sulaymaniya Iraq accused Iran of interference

1998 US asked PUK and KDP to meet in Washington for peace talks over civil war

2002 CIA Dir Tenet met MI6 Head Dearlove Tenet said WMD intel didn’t matter

            because war was inevitable

2003 Sadrists protested in Najaf against US harassment

2003 Report US military teams searching for Iraq’s WMD frustrated by not finding

            anything

2003 Report Jun 02 US started campaign to use No Fly Zones to degrade Iraq’s air

            defenses to prepare for invasion

2003 Report US intel actually knew very little about Iraq’s WMD after UN inspectors

            left in 90s

2004 Filipino driver kidnapped by insurgents Was released after Philippines withdrew its

            51 soldiers from Iraq

2004 Blair defended Iraq war to parliament saying caveats should have been included

            in UK dossier on Iraq WMD

2006 Bush told violence moving from insurgency to sectarian Overwhelming Maliki

            govt ISF involved in sectarian violence

2008 Iraqi Accordance Front ended 11 month boycott of parliament gaining no

            concessions from Maliki

(Musings On Iraq article on Accordance Front boycott)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Demonstrations Dwindling Amidst Govt Crackdown In Iraq

On the thirteenth day of activism in Iraq there were protests in just 3 provinces. Babil, the Shula neighborhood of Baghdad, and Basra all had demonstrations. There were also ongoing talks with the authorities. In Basra, activists gave the government three days to meet their demands. A committee in Basra’s Zubayr met with the local officials. There was talk about organizing new protests in Muthanna, and a large national gathering on Friday. At its height, people came out into the streets in 9 provinces. Since then there have been fewer and fewer because of Baghdad’s on going crackdown.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 19

1920 British defeated tribal fighters at Battle of Ahrdiyat

1921 Royal Iraqi Military College opened

1988 Iraq used poison gas against Kurdish villages

1988 Iraq took Dehloran Iran 20,000 Iranian casualties 6000 captured

1991 UN complained Baghdad blocking it from helping displaced in southern marshes

1991 Demonstration in Kurdistan over food shortages led to police firing into crowd

            Led to 2 days of fighting with 100 killed

2002 MI6 head Dearlove said US already decided on military action to remove Saddam

            talk was now about how and when

2002 Gen Franks briefed Bush on Running Start war plan Would have enough forces

            in theater for 100,000 to start operations

2003 On defensive over not finding WMD White House released parts of 02 National

            Intel Est that Iraq was rebuilding its WMD and nuke programs

2003 US began asking UN for help in Iraq after it spurned its role immediately before

            and after invasion

2004 Carnegie pre-2002 US intel on Iraq WMD generally good 02-03 reporting became

more certain beyond evidence Bush admin misrepresented threat posed by Iraq WMD and nuke program UN inspectors proved accurate that Iraq didn’t have WMD or nuke programs nor stocks

2005 US complained to Iran about supplying EFPs to militias

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

2005 2 Sunni members of constitutional committee Issa and Obeidi were assassinated

            Sunni delegation suspended work afterward

2005 Iraq-Iran signed deal for Iraq to export 150,000 bar/day of oil to Iranian refinery

            in Abadan and send refined products back to Iraq

2006 Report Iraqi govt told civilians in Baghdad to check IDs of ISF to make sure they

            were real not death squads or insurgents

2006 NSC memo Maliki govt struggling to implement policy and deal with security

Said Interior Min making violence worse Called for review of US Iraq strategy Suggested troop increase might be necessary

2008 Gen Petraeus said Al Qaeda was changing focus from Iraq to Afghanistan

(Musings On Iraq article on decline of insurgency)

2017 Salahaddin Gov Jabouri arrested over corruption charges

View the Iraq History Timelines