New KRG Elections Unlikely To Change Politics In Iraq’s Kurdistan

(Rudaw)

The Kurdistan region is set to hold elections for its parliament on September 30. Early voting already took place on September 28 for the security forces. The ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) are likely to maintain their monopoly on power since the opposition are weak and divided.

This Day in Iraqi History - Sep 30

1924 Frontier Commission appointed to determine border between new nation

            of Turkey and Iraq

1958 Agrarian Reform Law issued by Gen Qasim in attempt to redistribute land from large

            landowners to peasants

1958 Pres Qasim removed Arif as Dep PM and Interior Minister because he was a threat to

            the govt

1980 Ayatollah Khomeini refused all talks with Iraq to end war Demanded Saddam step

down Iraq had to admit it was aggressor and pay reparations Basra was to come under Iranian control until Iraq paid debt Referendum in Kurdistan or autonomy or joining Iran

1980 Iranian air force launched Op Scorch Sword attacking Iraq’s Osirak nuclear facility

            Only minimal damage Iran also bombed Baghdad

1980 Iraqis were stopped outside Dezful Ahvas and Abadan in Khuzistan province

            Allowed Iran to re-supply and have access to Shatt al-Arab

1980 Soviet’s Brezhnev said Iran and Iraq both friends of USSR 2 needed to negotiate

            end to war Soviets main military supporter of Iraq

1980 State Dept told Italy’s Foreign Ministry that USSR turned down request by Iraq

for additional military equipment

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

2001 Report Al Qaeda defector said bin Laden did not like Saddam because of his attacks

            upon Muslim civilians

2001 Iraqi defector told Sunday Telegraph Saddam started crash program to produce

            WMD in six months

2002 Iraq and UN negotiated new weapons inspections in Vienna but blocked 8

            presidential sites US rejected deal

2002 NYTimes OpEd by Clinton era counterterrorism official Benjamin said Saddam

            thought bin Laden a threat and 2 didn’t cooperate

2003 UN Sec Gen Anan said that UN would only renew its role in Iraq if sovereignty

            passed to an interim govt

2003 Rumsfeld aide ate with Pentagon DefPolBoard member Gingrich and DepSecDef

            Wolfowitz who were lobbying against Bremer

2003 Gingrich would later say Bremer at CPA was biggest foreign policy disaster in

            recent times

2003 Bush told Justice Dep investigating possible unauthorized disclosure of

undercover CIA official fmr Amb Wilson’s wife VP Cheney’s office had leaked her name to press to discredit Wilson

2003 Constitutional preparatory committee came up with 3 ways to name delegates

            to constitutional committee Couldn’t agree on which to use

2004 Iraq Survey Group final report said aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for

            rockets not centrifuges

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2008 Sheikh announced 20 Tribal Support Councils created in Dhi Qar by PM Maliki

Creation of Tribal Support Councils in Dhi Qar led to attacks upon sheikhs in political rivalry between SIIC and Dawa

2014 UK launched first air strikes on IS

2014 Cabinet authorized govt to provide weapons, equipment, salaries to Hashd

2017 Iraqi military said it was going to take over Kurdish border posts by stationing

            troops on Turkish and Iranian side

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 29

1915 British forces took Kut, Wasit from Ottomans

1917 2^nd Battle of Ramadi ended with Ottomans losing city to British

1980 Iraq took Geilan Zarb across from Maysan

1981 Iran retook Abadan 2^nd largest city in Iran 2000-3000 Iranians 600-1500 Iraqis

died 5000 Iranian wounded 2500 Iraqis captured Opened road to allow supplies and reinforcements to western Iran Iraqi forces withdrew to Khorramshahr

1986 Heavy Iraqi air strikes on Kharg Island Iran oil terminal

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1998 Iraq Liberation Act introduced into Congress

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iraq In The Eye of the Storm that includes Iraq Liberation Act)

2001 Sec of Def Rumsfeld ordered review of all existing Iraq war plans

(Musings On Iraq article on how Bush admin went from 9/11 to Iraq invasion)

2003 Islamic Army of Iraq founded

2004 Briton Kenneth Bigley beheaded by Zarqawi

2005 Balad bombing killed 95

2005 NYTimes reporter Miller told grand jury VP Cheney’s chief of staff Libby told her

fmr Amb Wilson’s wife was a CIA agent Was retaliation for Wilson challenging White House over Iraq-Niger uranium story

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

2005 Gen Abizaid and Gen Casey told Congress number of Iraq army battalions that

            could operate independently dropped from 3 to 1

2006 Sadr told Mahdi Army commanders they needed temporarily disarm Cut size of their

units to make them more manageable All militiamen to go through orientation and be issued new IDs

2006 British launched Op Sinbad against militias in Basra

2006 Report Senior British officers were lobbying Blair govt to withdraw forces from Iraq

Said forces could achieve little and frustrated with slow development of new ISF

2006 Report 3 Iraqi reporters in south arrested for accusing a governor a judge and police

            officers of being corrupt

2006 Special Inspector Gen Iraq Recon Bowen testified to Congress Said 13 of 14 projects

by Parsons Corp were substandard and had serious problems Also criticized projects by KBR and Bechtel

2017 Pres Barzani’s office threatened unilateral independence if talks with Baghdad weren’t

            opened immediately

2017 Secretary of State Tillerson issued statement that US didn’t recognize the KRG

            referendum

2017 Intl flights cancelled out of Irbil airport after travel ban imposed by Baghdad in

            retaliation for referendum

2017 Iran threatened to ban fuel shipments to Kurdistan in retaliation for referendum 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 28

1915 British defeated Ottomans at Battle of Es Sinn driving them back to Kut,

            Wasit

1917 2^nd Battle of Ramadi started between Ottomans and British

1980 Saddam realized invasion was going slower than planned Iraqi forces hadn’t

            achieved any major war goals yet

1980 Saddam offered ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War Said he wanted Iran to recognize its

rights to Shatt al-Arab and the territory it seized in war Non-aggression and non interference in internal affairs

1980 Iraq reached Geilan Zarb across from Maysan Didn’t attack town waiting for

            artillery to arrive next day

1980 1^st time UN Security Council discussed Iran-Iraq War Iraq’s UN amb blamed Iran

            for war saying it violated treaties and attacked Iraqi territory

1980 UN Resolution 479 called for cease-fire in Iran-Iraq War Rejected by Iran

1980 Muslim countries’ committee visited Baghdad to try to mediate Iran-Iraq War

1980 Soviet Tass news agency criticized Iraq invading Iran as undermining national

            liberation movements in Middle East

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

2002 Bush radio address Said Iraq could launch a WMD attack upon US in 45 minutes

2003 Rice and Powell said that US had lots of new intel on Iraq’s WMD since 1998 when

            inspectors left in response to criticism

2003 Rice said were always questions about Iraq’s nuke program but no question it had

            WMD

2003 Report DIA review found defectors provided by INC invented and exaggerated info

            about Iraq’s WMD

2004 PM Allawi told Al Arabiya TV that govt had waited long enough on Fallujah and

            Iraqi forces would help take the city

2004 US troops started operation to clear Samarra of insurgents

2004 Blair said intelligence on Iraq’s WMD was wrong but getting rid of Saddam was right

2004 Report Jan 03 Natl Intel Council issued 2 reports saying US invasion of Iraq would

            increase support for Islamism could lead to insurgency

2006 Al Qeada in Iraq kidnapped brother of Sheikh Jassim and 3 tribesmen from Albu

            Soda and executed them in Anbar Would lead tribe to turn against Al Qaeda in Iraq

2006 Report UK Def Min think tank said that Iraq war radicalized disillusioned young

            Muslims and led them to Al Qaeda War was recruiting tool for jihadist groups

2006 Report Around 240,000 Iraqis had registered as IDPs Jan-Jul 06

2006 Report death squads mostly from Mahdi Army returned to Baghdad’s Ghaziliya after

cleared by US during Op Together Forward Iraqi police were letting militiamen back in

2006 Report US military complained about Maliki govt not allowing it to go after Mahdi

Army in Baghdad US said death squads were major problem with sectarian violence Aug and Sep US went after Mahdi Army commanders in Najaf and Baghdad and Maliki objected Maliki also cancelled planned US-Iraqi joint op to move into Sadr City Maliki had list of figures including Sadrists and Mahdi Army members US couldn’t arrest in Baghdad Govt spokesman Dabbagh said unfair to treat militias like insurgents Said US should go after insurgents first

2006 Report Maliki govt tried to send ISF units to Diyala US said they couldn’t until

committed 4000 troops promised for Op Together Forward in Baghdad Diyala site of major sectarian fighting for control of province with ISF helping militias

2006 Report US intel officer said Mahdi Army splintering Said 6 militia leaders had broken

            away Sadr appointed 4 different leaders to try to control militia in Basra

2006 InspGenIraqRecon report Baghdad Police College just completed a disaster 1 entire

building had to be shut down due to leaking pipes warped floors human waste flooding areas Was built by Parsons Copr that had series of corrupt and fraudulent contracts throughout Iraq since 2004

2008 SIIC Governor of Dhi Qar came out against establishing Tribal Support Councils

            there because seen as tools of Maliki

2017 Iraq Pres Masum said that KRG referendum was constitutional but separation of

            Kurdistan was not

2017 Pres Barzani said that cooperation between Irbil and Baghdad was important but

            Iraqi govt acting recklessly and pushing Kurds away

2017 Turkey said it was suspending training program with Peshmerga over independence

            referendum

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 27

1915 Battle of Es Sinn began between Ottoman and British forces

1980 Muslim countries’ committee visited Tehran to try to mediate Iran-Iraq War

1984 Japan offered ceasefire proposal to UN to end Iran-Iraq War

1985 At UN Iraq For Min Aziz blamed Iran for starting and continuing the Iran-Iraq

            War Said Tehran wanted to overthrow the Iraqi govt

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1989 Bombing in Baghdad’s British Club done by unnamed Kurdish group No

            casualties

2001 Ahmed Chalabi said Iraq and Al Qaeda linked since 1990s and wanted to use

            bin Laden against US

2003 Insurgents fired 3 rockets at Rashid Hotel in Baghdad

2004 Sec of State Powell said US forces would retake Fallujah to ensure January 05

            elections

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

2006 British and ISF announced plan to purge Basra city of militias as part of Op Sinbad

            Was to last until Feb 07 and prepare for British withdrawal from Iraq

2006 Joint Chiefs created Council of Colonels that would in part review Iraq strategy

2006 Anbar sheikhs met with PM Maliki asked that Anbar Salvation Council replace

Anbar provincial council Maliki aide later said PM didn’t trust Awakening or US helping them

(Musings On Iraq book review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq book review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

2006 State Dept poll almost ¾ of Iraqis would feel safer if US forces left Iraq 65% wanted

immediate US withdrawal Univ Maryland poll 71% wanted Iraqi govt to ask Coalition to leave within a year Most thought US would refuse 77% said US wanted permanent bases in Iraq Sunni support for US withdrawal dropped from 83% in Jan 06 to 47% in Sep 06

2006 Report West Point published letter by Al Qaeda leader Attiya l-Jazari to Zarqawi Told

Zarqawi he had to look at bigger picture in Iraq instead of just military strategy Had to unite insurgency Reach out to Sunnis and tribes Needed to consult with Al Qaeda before making major decisions Said didn’t do that before starting attacks upon Shiites and bombing in Jordan Also called for greater cooperation with fellow Islamist insurgents like Ansar al-Sunna Warned vanity led to defeat of Algerian insurgency in 1990s

2008 Iraqi police and Asayesh got into gun battle in Jalawla east Diyala over dispute

with Asayesh Ended deal with Kurds to withdraw from govt buildings in district Maliki moved ISF into district to pressure Kurds leadings to these confrontations

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s pressuring Kurds in Diyala)

2012 ISI attacked Tikrit prison with car bombs mortars suicide bombers & released 100

            prisoners

2017 72% of registered voters took part in KRG independence referendum Around 2.9

            mil voted yes, 224,000 voted no

2017 IraqiCivilAviationAuthority sent notices that international flights to Irbil and

            Sulaymaniya suspended in retaliation for referendum

2017 Parliament passed resolution saying Abadi should maintain unity of Iraq Called

            for Pres Barzani to be brought to court over referendum

2017 KRG said it was willing to allow observers from Baghdad at its airports

2017 Kataib Hezbollah compared Pres Barzani to IS’s Baghdadi and said he would be

            dealt with same way as Islamic State was

2017 Kirkuk Governor Karim rejected parliament’s call to deploy troops to disputed

            areas

View the Iraq History Timelines 

World Bank Warns Iraq Facing Massive Job Crisis

(Nanocon Company)

The World Bank recently issued a report warning that Iraq is facing an immediate and massive job crisis. With a largely youthful population there is increasing pressure each year to create more and more employment. Historically, Iraq has always turned to the government for work. Baghdad is not up to the task given the growth rate. Only the development of a vibrant public sector can meet this challenge. Unfortunately, Iraq has structural problems that inhibit the growth of private business.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 26

1920 Ramadi fell to British during 1920 Revolt

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

1980 Khomeini issued message saying Iran was fighting for God vs Iraq Called on Iraqi

soldiers to return to Islam and not follow Saddam Called on Iraqis to rise up and overthrow Saddam

1980 Iran and Iraq temporarily stopped oil shipments due to attacks on each others’

            facilities

1980 Saddam letter to UN Said Iran refused to recognize Iraqi territory and sovereignty

            to explain war

1980 Muslim countries created committee to try to mediate Iran-Iraq War

1980 After 4 days of combat Iraq lost 16 planes vs 5 Iranian ones in air combat Another

24 Iraqi and 19 Iranian ones damaged Was too high attrition rate Iraq ordered end to air raids upon Iran as a result

1981 Iran Op Samen ol-Ameh to break siege of Abadan began Infiltrated Iraqi lines and

            forced Iraqis to retreat to Darkhovin in south

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1981 International Atomic Energy Agency condemned Israel’s destruction of Osirak

            nuclear reactor and suspended aid to Israel

1996 KDP announced it was forming its own cabinet to run Kurdistan without PUK

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)

(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)

2001 Bush told Rumsfeld to review military plans against Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on how Bush admin went from 9/11 to Iraq invasion)

2002 Bush met with 18 Congressmen to lobby them on Iraq Told them Iraq had WMD

Building facilities to make more If it got uranium could build a bomb in 6 months Repeated British claim that Iraq could use WMD in 45 min

2002 CIA Dir Tenet had warned Bush not to use the 45 min claim because came from

            questionable source

2002 Bush told press Al Qaeda could become an extension of Iraq and Iraq and Al Qaeda

were both part of war on terror Said each day Iraq could give WMD or a nuke to terrorists

2002 Powell told Senate Foreign Relations Comm that Iraq-Niger uranium deal was proof

            had nuke program Said Iraq tried to buy aluminum tubes for nuke program

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

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2002 Rumsfeld said Iraq had active WMD programs Said bulletproof confirmation of ties

            between Iraq and Al Qaeda

2002 White House spokesman claimed Iraq trained Al Qaeda in chemical weapons

2002 Pentagon and intel officials questioned White House claims of Iraq-Al Qaeda

            ties in the press

2002 32 foreign policy experts ran full page ad in New York Times “War with Iraq is

            not in America’s national interest”

2004 Iraqi National Guard commander in Diyala arrested by US for ties to insurgency

2005 NSC report on Iraq Security better but insurgents adapting Not enough US troops

            PM Jaafari not doing well

2006 NSC report Interior Ministry carrying out extra judicial killings

2006 Awakening of Anbar conference held in Ramadi Issued 11 point program Called for

talks with Baathists reviewing make-up of ISF Securing highway through Anbar Stand against terrorism No arms unless okayed by govt Condemned tribes working with insurgents Wanted to rebuild economy Strengthen sheikhs Respect rule of Law New Anbar govt

(Musings On Iraq article on Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq book review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

2006 US brigade from 1^st Armored Div extended tour in Ramadi by 6 weeks Would be

            crucial to support Awakening and secure city

2006 Bush forced to release parts of secret intel report after it was leaked to the press on

international terrorism that said Iraq was creating new generation of jihadists and created resentment in Muslim world against US

2006 UN report said that Iraq war providing recruits and training for Al Qaeda Said

inspiring Taliban Said new IEDs used in Iraq were found in Afghanistan less than month after first use

2017 PM Abadi said if KRG released info on oil revenue placed oil under Baghdad

            control KRG could get share of budget grants loans

2017 Turkey’s For Min said KDP’s representative to Ankara could not return to country

            after KRG referendum

View the Iraq History Timelines

Review The Role of the Military In Politics, A case study of Iraq to 1941

Review Tarbush, Mohammad, The Role of the Military InPolitics, A case study of Iraq to 1941, London and New York: Routledge, 1982

There are many parallels between pre-World War II and post-2003 Iraq. For example, several books have compared the British Mandate in Iraq after World War I with the U.S. occupation following the 2003 invasion. Each time a western country attempted to reconfigure the area to serve its interests, and each time the locals resisted, first with the 1920 Revolt and then with the insurgency and the Sadrist uprisings. Few have talked about how the politics were similar during the two time periods. During both occasions, the political parties had no real ideologies and were really vehicles for leading politicians to assume power, enrich themselves, and maintain their followers. Likewise, Iraqi institutions were weak and unable to deal with any real opposition or meet the demands of the public. While not explicitly part of Mohammed Tarbush’s The Role Of the Military In Politics, A case study of Iraq to 1941 because it was published in 1982, it’s easy to draw these parallels from his insights into early Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 25

1921 Gertrude Bell wrote King Faisal was unpopular and resented for being

            installed by the British

(Musings On Iraq book review of Gertrude Bell And Iraq)

1931 Iraqi newspaper called for one party rule under an autocrat King Faisal

1980 Iraq began attacking Dezful Ahvaz Khorramshahr in Khuzistan province

1980 Iraq shelled Abadan refinery largest in world Iran retaliated with air raids on Iraqi oil

            facilities in Basra Zubayr Mosul Kirkuk

1980 Iranian airstrike on Um Qasr driven off Iraq attacked Bushehr sinking 4 Iranian

            navy ships Also bombed some tankers trapped in Shatt al-Arab

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1991 Barzani and Talabani went to Baghdad to negotiate with Saddam over governance

            in Kurdistan after uprising

1997 Op Dawn Turkey invaded Kurdistan to attack PKK

1997 UN inspectors found Iraqi Food and Drug Examination Lab in Baghdad worked

            on gangrene since 1980s

1997 UN inspectors attempted to inspect Special Security Office but denied

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 Bush said couldn't distinguish between Al Qaeda and Saddam in war on terror

because they were equally evil

2002 Rice told PBS NewsHour Iraq provided chemical weapons training to Al Qaeda

            Came from Al Qaeda cmdr Libi who made up story under torture in Egypt

2002 DefSec Rumsfeld and CIA DepDir McLaughlin briefed NATO defense ministers

            on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties

2002 US and UK worked on draft UN resolution demanding inspectors return to Iraq

2002 National Intelligence Office for Strategic and Nuclear Programs had analyst meeting

to draft Natl Intel Estimate on Iraq CIA and DIA analysts at Natl Intel Estimate meeting said aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for centrifuges and that Iraq reconstitution nuclear program Energy and State Dept analysts at Natl Intel Estimate meeting said tubes were for rockets

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 Bush said 9/11 changed how he viewed Iraq as a threat to US

2003 Powell announced 6 month deadline for Iraqis to draft new constitution

2003 House Intel Comm wrote letter to CIA Dir Tenet criticizing pre-war intel on Iraq’s

            WMD and Iraq-Al Qaeda ties after review

2003 Baghdad hotel used as base for NBC News bombed 1 guard killed

2006 Report Iraq had replaced Afghanistan as main training ground for terrorists Insurgents

from Iraq had gone to Afghanistan and Pakistan and imported tactics such as car bombs

2006 Report ruling parties agreed to deal to delay autonomous southern region plan for 18

            months

2006 Report DIA found 2005 elections increased sectarian tensions in Iraq Assessment by

50 counterinsurgency experts in August found US forces relied too much on force alienating Iraqis

2007 ISI bombed meeting of police sheikhs and leaders of Hamas of Iraq and 1920

            Revolution Brigades in Baquba

2017 Kurds held independence referendum in three Kurdish provinces and disputed

            areas they occupied in 2014

(Musings On Iraq article on KRG referendum)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Sep 15-21, 2018

(Reuters)

Security in Iraq remained stable for another week. Incidents have remained relatively the same for the last five months. Casualties have been up the last two weeks. During the third week that was because a large number of bodies were recovered from the rubble of West Mosul.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 24

1920 British took Fallujah during 1920 Revolt

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

1978 In Iran-Iraq deal Iraqi troops surround Imam Khomeini’s house in Najaf Told he

            could only stay in Iraq if abandoned politics

1979 Iraq warned Iran to not to interfere in Bahrain after Ayatollah Rohani called on Shiites

            to rise up against their Sunni rulers

1980 Iraq headed towards Zagros Mountains in slow advance destroying timeline for

            invasion which was supposed to be a blitzkrieg Took Mehran in south

1980 Iranian planes attacked 6 Iraqi bases to try to destroy Iraqi air force in the air Iraq

didn’t respond relying upon air defenses 4 Iranian planes shot down 2 others lost Destroyed 3 Iraqi planes on the ground Also bombed 2 refineries in Baghdad and Basra Damaged Iraq-Turkey pipeline

1980 Iraq bombed Iran’s Bandar Khomeini petrochemical complex and Ahwaz fuel

            depot

1980 Iranian Navy attacked Basra and Fao Peninsula Destroyed 2 oil terminals limited

            Iraq’s exports

1980 Iran started naval blockade of Shatt al-Arab, Basra

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Kurd Shiite and Communist opposition parties claimed united front against Saddam

1991 UN Inspectors found over 53,000 documents on Iraq’s nuclear program at Atheer

            facility but were held for 4 days by Iraqis until they could leave

1991 During standoff at Atheer facility US IAEA member Galluci sent important info

            about seized documents to State Dept

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

1991 Talabani accused Iraqi army of stopping 300,000 displaced Kurds from returning

            to their homes

2001 William Safire OpEd said clear link between Iraq-Al Qaeda via Ansar al-Islam

2002 UK dossier on Iraq WMD released Blair told parliament that Iraq had WMD and it

was producing them Dossier said that Iraq could use WMD in 45 minutes That Iraq could build a nuclear bomb in 2 years Iraq tried to buy uranium from Africa Said no definitive intelligence that aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for nuke program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

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

2002 UK ForSec Cook was surprised dossier on Iraq was mostly old WMD material

2002 CIA Dir Tenet briefed Senate Foreign Relations Committee on intel on Iraq’s WMD

Told comm Iraq rebuilding its nuclear program Proof bought aluminum tubes Mentioned Niger uranium deal Sen Biden asked CIA Dir Tenet what technical evidence did CIA have of Iraqi WMD Tenet said none but had good human source

2002 State and Energy Dept intel analysts testified to Senate Foreign Relations Comm that

            they did not believe aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for centrifuges

2003 Bremer met Bush said he was optimistic about Iraq but concerned about growing

attacks Bremer complained about Congress number of US troops quality of intel training new Iraqi forces Bush told Bremer he was too controlling and doing too much Bremer said he would work on it

2003 CPA Governor of Anbar Mines warned that attacks and public anger at US growing

2004 Bush and Blair talked about staying course in Iraq and Allawi needing a

            professional staff

2004 Report Defense Science Board review found US didn’t have enough troops

            to stabilize Iraq

2004 US forces claimed Tal Afar cleared of insurgents

2006 Report National Intel Estimate said that Iraq war led ot new generation of Islamic

            radicalism Said Iraq war made terrorism worse

2008 Provincial Election Law passed allowing vote on Jan 31, 2009 by not including

            Kirkuk and KRG

(Musings On Iraq article on passing 2008 Election Law)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

I was interviewed by Ashraf Binandeh for the Kurd Press. I was mentioned by Paul Iddon in "Iraq's complacency, bad management will lead to further conflict" in Rudaw.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 23

1955 Iran joined Iraq, England, Turkey security agreement Would become

            anti-Communist Baghdad Pact

1961 KDP banned by Gen Qasim and several leaders arrested due to Mustafa Barzani’s

Kurdish revolt

1980 All Iranian air bases bombed Sep 22 were repaired and launched attacks on 8 Iraqi

            airfields and the Dora refinery in Baghdad Lost 7 planes Destroyed 3 Iraqi ones

1980 Iraq retaliated with airstrikes on 2 airbases with no real results Lost 4 planes 3 by

            friendly fire

1980 Iran came up with Operation Kama to attack Iraqi planes in flight because couldn’t

            destroy them on the ground

1980 Iraq took Qasr e-Shirin across from Diyala to protect road to Baghdad

1980 Iran bombed Fao port sinking 6 Iraqi navy ships

1980 King Hussein of Jordan said he backed Iraq in war Didn’t want to lose an ally and

face  Israel Syria Saudis and Iran alone Became major route for trade and weapons to Iraq

1986 Iran ended Op Karbala 3 in Fao Peninsula and Majnoon Island

1986 Soviet For Min Shevardnadze told UN that USSR was attempting to negotiate

            end to Iran-Iraq War

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1989 Kuwait Emir given medal by Saddam in Baghdad for help during Iran-Iraq

            War

2001 Rice told CNN Iraq would be stage two of war on terror

(Musings On Iraq article on how Bush admin went from 9/11 to Iraq invasion)

2001 Guardian article claimed Iraq knew about 9/11 attacks beforehand Said Iraq gave

money and support to Al Qaeda Claimed Iraqi intel met with Al Qaeda in Pakistan 4 months before 9/11 Sent money to Al Qaeda Quoted Israeli intel officer who said 9/11 probably funded by Iraqi intelligence Quoted INC defector ex-nuke scientist Hamza who said Iraq probably behind 9/11

2001 Telegraph quoted INC defector ex-nuke scientist Hamza that Iraq probably behind

            9/11 Claimed trained pilots for suicide attacks

2002 Blair told cabinet Iraq dossier would show Iraq expanding WMD capabilities and

erosion of sanctions one cause Educ Sec Morris asked Blair what had changed about Iraq to go to war other than Bush being elected

2002 Former UN inspector Albright for Inst for Science and Intl Security issued report

            aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were not for centrifuges Probably rockets

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 Bush speech at UN said Iraq was frontline in war on terror

2003 Fr Pres Chirac and UN Sec Gen Annan speeches at UN criticized Iraq war saying

            US undermined international system  

2003 Gallup pol majority of Iraqis thought life would be better in 5 years 2/3 of

            Baghdadis said removing Saddam was worth hardships

2003 Iraqi Governing Council member Aqila Hashemi died after being shot 3 days

            before outside her home

2004 Allawi visited White House asking for more reconstruction money and bringing

            back old army units

2006 Army chief of staff called Gen Petraeus to review Iraq policy

2006 DefPolicyBoard member Adelman told Rumsfeld he was a failure as SecDef and

            never took responsibility for Iraq

2006 Report only 1000 of promised 4000 Iraqi soldiers deployed to Baghdad for Op

            Together Forward II Iraqi troops refusing to leave their home provinces

2007 ISI accused Hamas of Iraq and 1920 Revolution Brigades of killing its members

2016 Sunni tribal Hashd began destroying 220 homes in Aithah Salahaddin belonging

            to IS sympathizers

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 22

1980 Iraq attacked Iran’s air force starting Iran-Iraq War Attacked 10 air bases but

did little damage and only destroyed 4 planes and lost 5 of its own Were not trained for low level bombings Didn’t have munitions to penetrated bunkers and missed most runways

1980 Invasion plan was to seize Kermansha Dezful Ahwaz Abadan along border in less

than 10 days Deployed 2^nd Corps in Diyala to protect route to Baghdad 3^rd Corps would invade Khuzistan province to take Dezful Ahwaz Khorramshahr

1980 Iraqi invasion of Iran began with divisions leaving Diyala towards Qasr e-Shirin

in center to protect route to Baghdad Also attacked Panjwin to protect Sulaymaniya and Kirkuk in north

1980 Iraq Attacked Iranian naval base at Khosrowabad at mouth of Shatt al-Arab

1980 Iraq declared Khuzistan a new Iraqi province

1980 UK Defense Committee discussed how to start selling weapons to Iraq during

            war

1981 Iran began Operation Samen ol Aemeh to break siege of Abadan Iran’s 2^nd largest

            city

1987 Iranian speech at UN rejected UN ceasefire talks

1988 Pres Khomeini addressed UN condemning it for not doing anything about

            Iraq’s aggression during war

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 Iraq said if sanctions started to hurt it would attack Saudi Arabia and Israel

2001 Telegraph story claiming Iraq was funding Al Qaeda Quoted CIA and Israeli

            sources

2002 NatlSecAdv Rice said UN sanctions were failing and Iraq using illegal revenues to

            develop WMD

2003 Zarqawi bombed Canal Hotel Baghdad 2 dead 19 wounded

2003 Bombing of UN compound led to unanimous decision to evacuate UN

            staff from Iraq

2003 Bremer testified to Congress asking for approval of $87 bil in aid for Iraq

2003 Report Iraqi Governing Council members were going to tell Congress US

            reconstruction money being wasted

2004 US civilian Jack Hensley beheaded by Zarqawi Body dumped in Baghdad 

2004 2 suicide car bombs in Baghdad killed 21 wounded 150

2004 Gun battle in Samarra led US forces to seal off city

2005 Bush said with upcoming elections for parliament and constitution Iraq would

face more violence Said if US withdrew from Iraq it could become a terrorist safe haven

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

2005 Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said Iraq could be breaking up

2005 Report Shiite cleansing of Baghdad by insurgents increasing especially in Dora,

            Amiriyah, Ghaziliya, Sadiya

2006 Ret Gen Keane told Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace he was failing and his only priority

should be winning in Iraq Gen Pace agreed to set up staff to go over Iraq strategy afterward Keane suggested Gen Petraeus should be new US Iraq Cmdr to Gen Pace

2006 US military said militias in Baghdad earning up to $1 mil/day via kidnapping

            extortion black market blackmail running Petrol stations

2008 Wasit council headed by SIIC refused to set up Tribal Support Councils because

            seen as tool of Maliki

2016 Parliament dismissed Finance Minister Zebari on corruption charges led by

            Maliki and Reform Front

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 21

1965 Abdul al-Bazzaz became premier

1968 Provisional constitution drafted by three jurists and presented to Pres. Bakr

            Included return of parliament

1980 Iraq letter to UN outlined steps it took to try to work out outstanding issues with

            new revolutionary govt in Iran

1990 Revolutionary Command Council said it would not retreat from Kuwait and was

            ready for mother of all battles

2001 1^st CIA report on Iraq and 9/11 found no connection but two had contacts in 1990s

Bush was briefed on findings Said didn’t think 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraq intel officer in Prague in 2001

2001 DIA analyst Pentagon’s Office of Special Plans on CIA report Said info good but

findings of no Iraq-Al Qaeda ties should be ignored

2001 Under Sec of Def Feith sent DIA analysis of CIA report to Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld

2001 CIA Dir Tenet told Bush CIA Czech office questioned whether 9/11 hijacker Atta

            met Iraqi intel officer in Prague

2001 Admin officials told Wash Times Saddam talked with bin Laden just before 9/11

(Musings On Iraq article on how Bush admin went from 9/11 to Iraq invasion)

2001 INC provided Iraqi defector claimed Iraq was training terrorists to take over

            airplanes at Salman Pak, Baghdad

2002 NY Times article said Bush received detailed Iraq war plan

2003 French Pres Chirac called for US to immediately hand over sovereignty to Iraqis

2003 Report mid to low level Baathists being assassinated in Baghdad

2003 Iraqi Governing Council said they were under increasing attack after 1 number

            ambushed and shot in Baghdad

2004 Head of Fallujah Shura Council Janabi said that city didn’t need Zarqawi to defend

it Differentiated between resistance that was against occupation and Zarqawi who led terrorists Janabi said that resistance wasn’t about killing innocent Iraqis and Zarqawi had harmed the insurgency and cost it support

2005 Anti-occupation demonstration by police in Basra City

2005 Basra council voted for non-cooperation with British forces in province until

            compensation paid for casualties in Sep 10 shootout

2006 US military turned over 2^nd province to the Iraqi forces, Dhi Qar

2008 Kurds made another deal with Maliki to evacuate govt buildings in Khanaqin dist

            Maliki was attempting to pressure Kurds and assert control of dispuated areas

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s pressuring Kurds in Diyala)

2013 Elections for Kurdish parliament held

2014 IS captured Saqlawiya and Sjar, Anbar

2017 Ana in west Anbar freed while Shirqat in northern Salahaddin and Hawija in

            south Kirkuk attacked by Iraqi forces

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Dictatorship, Imperialism & Chaos, Iraq since 1989

Review Abdullah, Thabit, Dictatorship, Imperialism & Chaos, Iraq since 1989, London, New York, Nova Scotia Zed Books, 2006

Thabit Abdullah was a professor at York University in Canada and an Iraqi expat when he saw the chaos that ensued in his former homeland after the 2003 invasion. That inspired him to write Dictatorship, Imperialism & Chaos, Iraq since 1989. Despite the title, the book is actually a short, only 121 pages of text, history of Iraq from ancient Mesopotamia to 2006. Abdullah provides a rather conventional narrative of Iraq, but it’s good for any beginner looking for a compact introduction to the subject.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 20

1959 Gen Qasim executed several leaders of Mosul coup attempt

1980 Iran called up its military reserves

1980 Iraq’s Def Min Khairallah went to Iran-Iraq border to give commanders orders for

            Iran invasion

1983 Iran threatened to close Persian Gulf if West and Gulf States continued to aid Iraq

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1990 British intel report said lots of unknowns about Iraq’s ballistic missile program

1998 British intel report said Iraq probably still had biological weapons program

2001 During meeting on war on terror Blair asked Bush about Iraq who said it was not an

immediate problem Blair told Bush they should take time to build up case against Iraq

2001 Undersec of Def Feith told Rumsfeld war on terror should be broad and Iraq should

be included Feith complained about lack of good targets in Afghanistan and suggested bombing Iraq for 9/11

2001 Project for a New American Century in letter to Bush said Iraq might have

            supported 9/11 and Saddam had to be targeted in war on terror

2001 US intel officials told press they were looking into Iraq’s connections to 9/11

(Musings On Iraq article on how Bush admin went from 9/11 to Iraq invasion)

2001 Israeli intelligence said they thought Iraq connected to 9/11 Claimed Al Qaeda

            funded by Iraqi Intel Service

2001 US and UK jets bombed missile batteries in southern Iraq as part of No Fly Zones

2002 Pentagon set up planning group to deal with rebuilding Iraq’s oil industry after

            invasion

2002 UK Def Min said it could provide forces for military action against Iraq

2002 Time article White House using unsubstantiated stories to make case of Iraq-Al

            Qaeda ties

2002 Powell testified to House International Relations Comm to lobby for Congressional

use of force resolution vs Iraq Powell said there was debate about Iraq’s intent on buying aluminum tubes but Saddam trying to get nuke technology

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 Ansar al-Sunnah formed

2003 Governing Council member Aqila Hashemi shot outside her home in Baghdad

            Would die 3 days later

2003 Funeral for SCIRI head Ayatollah Baqir al-Hakim turned into anti-US occupation

            demonstration in Najaf

2004 Zarqawi aired video of beheading American Eugene Armstrong kidnapped in

            Baghdad

2004 Sadr faction released 15 Iraqi National Guardsmen they kidnapped

2004 US and Iraqi forces raided Sadr’s office in Najaf arresting two aides

2006 US commander in Iraq Gen Casey gave his support to Anbar Awakening

(Musings On Iraq article on Anbar tribes turning on Al Qaeda in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq book review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

2006 Chief judge in Saddam’s trial removed by cabinet for saying Saddam was not a

            dictator

2006 Intel report to Rumsfeld Iraq breaking up more Iraqi politicians stuck in

            ethnosectarian camps

2015 Human Rights Watch report on Hashd and Jabouri tribe destroying buildings in Dour

Albu Ajeel Alam Ali an part of Tikrit after Tikrit freed 400-600 buildings destroyed in Dour 75 in Albu Ajeel 45 in Alam 28 in Ali over 200 in Tikrit’s Qadisiyah

2017 Ana in west Anbar attacked by Iraqi forces

2017 Former Salahaddin Governor Jabouri released under Amnesty Law Was convicted of

            stealing public funds

2017 2 former Diyala governors were found guilty of manipulating contracts and

            stealing funds in absentia

View the Iraq History Timelines