Security In Iraq Nov 22-28, 2018

(Shafaaq News)

Violence continued to decline across Iraq at the end of November. There were the fewest reported incidents in any week of the year during the fourth week of the month.  

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 30

1920 British said all of its colonial offices were under control of Iraq council of state

1973 Soviets said Bakr govt policies leading Iraq towards socialism

1980 Iranian air force attacked Iraq’s nuclear reactor at Tuwaitha and Fao Peninsula in 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)

1991 After fighting ended Iraq and KDP restarted talks over Kurdish autonomy

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

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

2001 Rumsfeld told press US knew Iraq had WMD because defectors said so

2003 US soldiers repelled 3 ambushes on convoy in Samarra Iraqis later claimed US fired

indiscriminately killing civilians

2003 Senior CIA analyst said 2002 Nat Intel Est on Iraq’s WMD lacked specifics on the programs

2004 Report War mismanagement sanctions since 1980s destroyed Iraq’s health care system

2005 Aide to PM Jaafari wanted to know whether KRG signing oil deal with DNO was

constitutional

2005 White House released National Strategy for Victory in Iraq Lacked any substance on what

strategy was

2005 Bush speech went over new National Strategy for Victory in Iraq Said goal was to train Iraqi

forces to take over war

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

2005 Pentagon contracted Lincoln Group to place pro-US stories in Arab media about Iraq

2006 Bush met Maliki Maliki Said he wanted more control over ISF and command over them Bush

said no Bush told Maliki he had lost control of Baghdad and about to lose Iraq Maliki agreed Bush told Maliki US was going to have troop surge Maliki had to back it and agree to reconciliation Maliki said yes

2006 Sadr withdrew ministers from Maliki’s cabinet to protest Maliki’s meeting with Bush

View the Iraq History Timelines 

How US Tilt Towards Iraq In Iran-Iraq War Led To Iran-Contra Scandal

Iran had Hezbollah kidnap CIA station chief Buckley and six other Americans in Lebanon in retaliation for the U.S. supporting Iraq in the Iran-Iraq War The Reagan administration would later try to get its hostages released by offering Tehran weapons which would be exposed in the Iran-Contra Scandal

In 1985 The Reagan administration attempted to reconcile with the Iranian government by offering it arms sales, which it desperately needed to maintain its military during the war with Iraq. Profits from these sales were later diverted to the Contra rebels which the United States was banned from funding under the Boland Amendment. The White House was also hoping that if secret ties were made with Ayatollah Khomenei’s government he might decide to release several Americans seized in Lebanon. The deals with Iran were later exposed by a leak by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to a Lebanese paper in November 1986. This later became known as the Iran-Contra Scandal. What was little known was that this whole affair was caused by the United States’ decision to back Baghdad in its war with Tehran, which led the Iranians to retaliate by kidnapping American citizens in Lebanon.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 29

1920 Gertrude Bell wrote few tribes were talking about self rule and many rejected it in

Basra

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

1927 UK For Sec Chamberlain told King Faisal talks over Anglo-Iraq Treaty should be delayed for

two years and Faisal would have to run Iraq on his own British knew Faisal afraid of potential unrest and was trying to intimidate him during negotiations over new treaty Tactic worked

1934 Border dispute between Iraq and Persia escalated

1980 Iranian marines destroyed Mina al Bakr and Khor al Amaya oil terminals in Iraq Attack cut

Iraqi exports from 3.24 mil/bar/day to 550,000 bar/day

1981 Iran Op Tariq al-Quds began to free Bostan in south Started with drive in Susangard Pres

Rafsanjani told parliament he would push Iraqis back to the border

(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 UN Resolution 678 gave Iraq until 1/15/91 to withdraw from Kuwait

1990 Iraq released all the foreign hostages it held trying to sway world public opinion

2001 UN Res 1382 extended Oil for Food program

2001 Amer Enterprise Institute panel said Saddam had to be removed before US could confront

radical Islam

2002 UK Defense Min told Blair that US still had no political strategy for Iraq

2002 American Enterprise Inst group of experts started work on paper on what U.S. facing after

9/11 Would focus on Iraq

2003 Insurgent attacks killed 7 Spanish intelligence officers and 2 Japanese diplomats in Iraq

2004 Bush told NSC January 2005 Iraqi election had to happen on time

2005 Rumsfeld told press “insurgent” should no longer be used when reporting on Iraq because

they didn’t believe in anything He then explained that they stood for overthrowing the Iraqi system and creating a caliphate Rumsfeld said US forces didn't have to report abuse and torture by Iraqi forces Joint Chiefs head General Pace then used insurgent when describing security in Iraq and said US forces absolutely had responsibility to report any abuses by Iraqi forces

2005 Report Badr infiltrated Interior Ministry Mahdi Army regular police Both carrying out

murders torture and abuse Interior Ministry Inspector General quoted as saying police carrying out extrajudicial killings Interior Ministry intelligence chief Kamal said there was abuse going on but was not official policy of the Ministry

2005 Ceremony for DNO to start drilling for oil at field in Zakho

2006 Report Maliki wanted more control over ISF increased US training and bigger weapons Said

couldn’t disarm militias when Iraqis didn’t trust ISF and U.S. Said his govt would collapse if he moved against militias Said he would find a political solution to problem

2006 Adv to Saudi govt said would be a massive intervention by Riyad to save Iraq’s Sunnis from

Shiite militias if US withdrew

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Why Are Fewer Displaced Returning In Iraq?

(Iraqi News)

Aid groups in Iraq were hoping that with the end of the war against the Islamic State most of the country’s displaced (IDPs) would go home. In fact, the exact opposite happened, people heading home has actually slowed. The crisis may now be shifting to a situation where a sizeable population will remain displaced for the foreseeable future. A recent report by the International Organization for Migration, Returns Working Group, and Social Inquiry attempted to break down the trends in displacement in Iraq since 2014, and to discover what issues were responsible for keeping people in their predicament.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 28

1935 UK For Office rejected King Faisal mediating Palestine dispute believing he had

aspirations over territory

1947 Iraq’s Foreign Minister Jamail told UN that creation of Israel would lead to unrest in Middle

East

1958 Shah criticized Iraq for refusing to settle navigation down Shatt al-Arab Pres Qasim responded

by claiming all of waterway for Iraq

1980 Iran’s Op Morvarid continued into next day Iranian planes sunk 7 Iraqi boats Rest of day

Iranian planes bombed Fao port destroying more Iraqi ships In total Iran lost 1 ship Iraq lost 2 oil terminals 100 dead 2 planes 13 ships Was 80% of its ships Iraqi navy was out of commission  

(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 UK intel report Iraq not connected to 9/11 not working with Al Qaeda not giving WMD to

terrorists Said Iraq WMD threat “slight”

2001 Pentagon officials told Time after Afghanistan US would target Iraq as next step in war on

terror

2005 Dep Human Rights Min Usayran and Gen Samarriae told Knight Ridder Iraqi forces torturing

and abusing prisoners

2005 Arrest warrant for police Volcano Brigade commander Gen Gharwai Never given to Interior

Min to carry out

2005 Anbar Gov Mamoun hosted meeting of US forces and sheikhs interested in working with

Americans against insurgents Led to creation of Anbar security council of sheikhs religious leaders and former soldiers

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian 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 CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid and US cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said they opposed troop surge

Said it could only last 6-8 months and better to shift forces within Iraq

2006 Sadrists walked out of parliament and cabinet for PM Maliki meeting with Pres Bush in

Jordan Sadrists had 30 MPs and 5 ministers Came after 6 car bombs killed 215 in Sadr City Sadrists blamed US for insecurity in Iraq 

2006 Report US intel official said 1000-2000 militiamen had gone to Lebanon for training by

Hezbollah organized by Iran Summer 06 a Mahdi Army commander said he’d sent 300 of his men to Lebanon US officials said Iran providing IEDs and training to militiamen Iran might have directed some attacks by militiamen

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

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

2006 Report after Sadr City bombings Sunni militias had expelled Shiites from Dora and allowed

            Sunnis kicked out of north Baghdad into homes

2006 Report Ninewa Dep Gov said 70,000 Kurds fled Mosul due to violence Fed Police cmdr in

Diyala’s Khanaqin said sectarian civil war going on there Local Khanaqin councilman said around 100 killed there a week Was gun battle between Sunni and Kurdish police in Jalawla when Kurds refused new Sunni Arab police chief

2006 Report on US Marine intel report on Anbar Said that Sunnis were fighting for survival Shiites

carrying out “progroms” against Sunnis in Iraq and was forcing Sunnis into hands of ISI Said Sunnis believed that Iran was taking over Bgahdad and Anbar and Sunnis marginalized Said Sunnis couldn’t rely upon US because thought it was going to leave Said no economic revival in Anbar Govt offices had disintegrated Baghdad not paid salaries of Anbar officials and ISF Said US needed 15,000-20,000 more troops and billions in aid to change situation Said violence would be worse without US troops

2017 Mujahadeen Coalition announced for pro-Iran Hashd units to run in 2018 elections

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security Handover In Diyala Allows Islamic State To Rebuild

(New York Times)

The London School of Economics and Political Science’s Middle East Centre recently posted a story by Zmkan Ali Saleem, Mac Skelton and Christine van den Toorn on security in the disputed territories of northeast Diyala after federal forces took over in the wake of the 2017 Kurdish independence referendum. There are now various security forces working separately of each other, which is helping the Islamic State rebuild in the area.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 27

1980 Iranian Op Morvarid began to destroy Iraqi oil terminals in Gulf and attempted to

destroy Iraqi navy Iranian commandos landed at 2 Iraqi oil terminals and destroyed them ending Iraq’s ability to export oil from Basra 2 Iranian ships then waited at mouth of Shatt al-Arab to bait Iraqi navy to come out of its bases Sank 3 Iraqi boats

1983 Truck bomb hit Baghdad killing around 100 Iraq blamed Iran and said it would retaliate

(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 Gorbachev gave up on diplomatic effort to defuse Kuwait crisis an backed use of force against

Iraq

1994 Iraq finally agreed to border with Kuwait

2001 Rumsfeld told CENTCOM cmdr Gen Frank he wanted to completely revise Iraq war plan

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)

2001 Saddam rejected Bush’s call for UN weapons inspectors to return to Iraq

2001 Wash Post survey found 78% of Americans supported military action against Iraq

2002 UN weapons inspections carried out first inspections under new regime

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2004 Report 1/3 of property Hallliburton contracted to manage in Iraq lost

2006 Joint Chiefs told Bush was leaning towards a troop surge in Iraq

2006 Frederick Kagan wrote 3^rd OpEd in Weekly Standard calling for a troop surge in Iraq Kagan

helped draft plan that would become the Surge

2006 Sec State Rice and Asst Sec State Near East Welch said US wanted Saudi Arabia Egypt

Jordan to push Iraqi parties to back PM Maliki so he would move away from Sadr Also wanted Arab countries to pressure insurgents to reduce violence

2006 England said it would pull out most of its 7000 troops in Iraq by end of 2006 Poland and

            Italy said all their forces were withdrawing

2008 Iraq passed Status of Forces Agreement with US setting withdrawal date for US forces

12/31/11

(Musings On Iraq article on deliberations over SOFA)

(Musings On Iraq article on passing SOFA)

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraqi public opinion on SOFA)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraq Announces Free Trade Zone With Iran In Face Of U.S. Sanctions

Pres Salah and Pres Rouhani in Nov meeting (AFP)

Iraq’s response to the Trump administration’s new Iran sanctions has been a bit schizophrenic. On the one hand, it stopped sending oil to Iran, and agreed to a deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government to start using its pipeline to Turkey again to help keep oil prices lower as Iranian petroleum was cut to the international market. On the other Iraq announced that it would be creating a free trade zone with its neighbor, which seems to fly in the face of Washington’s new restrictions.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 26

1920 Last British correspondence saying that 1920 Revolt had ended

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

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

1980 Iraq sent letter to UN saying it was still following the 1975 Algiers Accord on Shatt al-Arab

and Iran was violating it

1983 Pres Reagan signed NSDD114 saying U.S. would back Iraq in Iran-Iraq War to prevent it from

losing

(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)

1993 Iraq accepted UN Resolution 715 to extend UN weapons inspections Initially rejected

resolution

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

1999 Baath paper said Iraq couldn’t accept sanctions and spies at same time but sanctions easier to

accept then spies and crises they created to prolong sanctions

1999 Sec State Albright said No Fly Zones were about containing Saddam

2001 Bush called Saddam a terrorist who would be held accountable and said Iraq needed to allow

UN weapons inspectors back in

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2001 White House spokesman Fleischer said US afraid Al Qaeda might try to get nuclear weapons

from Iraq

2002 Gen Franks presented deployment plan for Iraq invasion to Rumsfeld Was for 300,000 troops

to be sent from summer 02-spring 03 Rumsfeld said large deployment would undermine diplomatic moves US making on Iraq Rumsfeld decided to go through entire deployment process for Iraq invasion Ended up breaking it up and controlling entire process

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)

2003 Ayatollah Sistani said he opposed CPA’s plan for caucuses to be formed to draft new Iraq

constitution Wanted Islamic identity to be included in any new Iraqi government

2006 US Iraq strategy review presented to Bush Said Maliki unable or unwilling to act against

violence Said US should continue with withdrawal plan but could have temporary surge of troops

2006 SecState Rice told Bush US should step back from Iraq Was opposed to surge of troops

NatlSecAdv Hadley told Bush US should have a surge of troops in Iraq to bring down violence Bush said he would consult with everyone and decide on a new Iraq strategy in Dec 06

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

2006 NYTimes got Jun 06 US govt report Said insurgency now self-financed via crime Raised est

$70-$200 mil/yr $25-$100 mil from oil smuggling $36 mil from kidnapping 05 Foreign govts including France and Italy paid $30 mil in ransoms 03 insurgents financed by Baathists 04 were funded by foreigners By 05 self-financed

2006 Militiamen attacked 2 Sunni mosques and market in Baghdad’s Ghaziliya Up to 45 killed

2007 Maliki told Bush he was afraid insurgents were infiltrating the sahwa

2016 Parliament made Hashd an independent military force under the commander and chief

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

Musings On Iraq was cited in "From soldiers to politicians? Iraq's Al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi 'on the march,'" by Nancy Ezzedine, Matthias Sulz and Erwin van Veen for Clingendael Netherlands Institute of International Relations. I was interviewed in "Barzani seeking to expand Erbil-Baghdad ties: analyst" for the Kurd Press.

Link to full Musings On Iraq citations, mentions, interviews and original work. 

This Day In Iraq History - Nov 25

1986 Iraq air strike on Larak Island oil facilities Longest air raid of war Used Saudi air base

for refueling Iran transferred loading tankers there after Kharg and Sirri Islands hit by Iraq Hit 5 tankers

(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)

1997 KDP broke own ceasefire by attacking PUK positions

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

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

2002 UN Res 1443 extended Oil for Food program

2002 US Navy report claimed uranium from Niger was in a warehouse in Benin heading for Iraq

Report later found to be false

(Musings On Iraq article on Niger uranium story)

2002 Head weapons inspector Blix told Security Council inspections would begin in Iraq on 11/27/02

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 US intel took pictures of trucks carrying materials from suspected WMD facility in Amiriya

Used in Powell’s Feb 03 speech Analysts did not think pictures showed anything unusual 

2004 Defense Science Board report Iraq invasion gave jihadists around the world a cause and

supported their narrative

2006 ISI attacked Albu Soda tribe in Sufiya outside Ramadi for being neutral Tribe called US for

help and fought off insurgents Sheikh Suwadawi of Abu Soda tribe joined Anbar Awakening afterward

(Musings On Iraq article on Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian 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 1^st Inf Div Cmdr Gen Ham in charge of US training mission in Iraq said previous effort was

“hit and miss” US did poor job picking soldiers for mission No standardized training program for Iraqis Lacked support

2007 Natl Sec Adv Rubaie suggested banning sahwa south of Baghdad except in Hillah over fears of

US recruiting Shiites

View the Iraq History Timelines

Security In Iraq Nov 15-21, 2018

(Baghdad Post)

Security continues to fluctuate in Iraq. In October incidents went up, but in November they have been the lowest weekly totals of the year. Despite those low numbers the Islamic State continued its recent activities of kidnappings, attacking villages, and most importantly car bombings.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 24

1915 Battle of Salman Pak ended British lost and withdrew to Kut Ottomans had 9500

casualties British 4500

1921 Churchill memo said when King Feisal could pay for his own govt he could decide the future

of Iraq Until then UK was footing the bill

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

1952 Soldiers opened fire on protests against Regent of Iraq killing 18 and wounding 84 during

Intifada

1967 Iraq signed deal with France ERAP to develop North Rumaila oil field

1968 7^th Baath Party Congress Izzat Mustafa ousted from Revolutionary Command Council One of

Saddam’s main rivals

1988 Iran and Iraq began prisoner exchange from Iran-Iraq War

1994 Barzani and Talabani signed ceasefire to end KDP-PUK civil war

1997 KDP declared unilateral ceasefire in KDP-PUK civil war

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

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

1998 UN Res 1210 renewed Oil for Food program for another 6 months

2000 UK Foreign Office report Arab countries no longer supported sanctions on Iraq

2003 US jailers used dogs to intimidate Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib

2003 Prison riot at Abu Ghraib 9 prisoners killed 9 American guards injured

2003 Weekly Standard published UnderSecDef Feith’s Iraq-Al Qaeda briefing claiming two had over

50 meetings since 1990s

2003 Pentagon released statement that Feith’s Iraq-Al Qaeda work was based upon raw intel and not

analysis of relationship between them

2003 CIA sent Feith list of problems with his Iraq-Al Qaeda work Said claim Zarqawi given

safehaven by Saddam was disputed

2003 Report Iran brought Hezbollah into Iraq to help it

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2004 Powell told Bush not enough US troops in Iraq to secure country

2004 Report US portrayed Zarqawi and foreigners leading Battle of Fallujah but leaders were local

Iraqis

2006 Militias carried out retaliatory attacks upon Sunnis in Hurriya Ghaziliya Baquba Kirkuk for 6

car bombs the day before in Sadr City that killed 215 5 mosques in Hurriya burned another shot at another declared a Shiite husseiniya by Mahdi Army Total 19 killed 29 wounded Militias expelled Sunni families from Hurriya and threatened 90 more families to leave

2006 After funeral processions for those killed Nov 24 in 6 car bombs Sadrist imams blamed US for

insecurity and demanded US withdrawal from Iraq Sadrists threatened to walk out of parliament and cabinet if PM Maliki met with Pres Bush in Jordan

2006 Sunni imams in Ghaziliya Amiriya Adhamiya called on followers to protect neighborhoods and

attack Mahdi Army and police if they entered

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees

Review Ellis, Deborah, Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees, Toronto Berkeley: Groundwood Books House Of Anansi Press, 2009

By 2007 there were over 2 million Iraqi refugees fleeing the violence that exploded in their country after the U.S. invasion. In 2008 Deborah Ellis went to Jordan to interview Iraqi children about their situation. She was hoping their stories would be read by Americans and help end the war. That led to Children of War, Voices of Iraqi Refugees that included over 20 young Iraqis explaining their experiences. The majority were Sunnis and blamed the U.S. for their situation, which must have satisfied Ellis’ anti-war agenda. What was more important however was what the kids had in common. That was a sense of loss living in a foreign country in often poor conditions, and a general feeling of malaise as they believed they were stuck in their situation with no real hope of changing it.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 23

1914 British forces officially took Basra Sir Percy Cox issued statement in Arabic that

British had occupied Basra UK was at war with Ottomans and had no ill will towards locals

1915 French diplomat Picot visited London told officials Mosul Baghdad Basra provinces should be

given to Arabs after WWI to placate them

1952 Gen Mahmoud formed new military govt and declared martial law to put down protests Police

stations and US Info Library in Baghdad burned Clashes with army killed 12 wounded 25

1952 Nuredin Mahmoud became premier in new military govt

(Musings On Iraq book review of ‘Independent Iraq’ The Monarchy & British Influence, 1941-1958)

1983 Iraq sank Greek cargo ship at Iranian port of Bushehr

(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 Bush said Saudis Egypt Syria agreed on UN resolution to allow use of force vs Iraq for invasion

of Kuwait

1993 UN reported that Iraqi govt had drained 40% of southern marshes to drive out displaced and

rebels

(Musings On Iraq article on why Saddam drained the southern marshes)

1997 Clinton said UN sanctions would stay until Saddam removed from power

1998 Hosni Mubarak said US-UK attempts to overthrow Saddam would fail and regime change

could only come from Iraqi people

2006 5 car bombs and mortars by ISI hit Sadr City killing 215 and injuring 257

2006 Insurgents launched 2 hour attack upon Health Ministry in Baghdad run by Sadrists Militias

fired mortars upon Abu Hanifa mosque offices of Assoc of Muslim Scholars and 2 Sunni neighborhoods in retaliation

2007 Iran backed Special Groups believed to have been behind bombing of Baghdad market to stoke

sectarian tensions

View the Iraq History Timelines

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 22

1915 Start of Battle of Salman Pak Ottomans called on Indian troops to rise up against

British commanders 20^th Punjabi Batt removed after an Indian killed a British soldier

1923 PM Sadoun resigned over differences with Shiite leaders and King Faisal

1923 Jafar Pasha al-Askari became 3^rd PM of Iraq, would hold office 2 times Shiites got Finance and

Education ministries in Askari govt Shiite leaders gave pledge of allegiance to King as a result

1952 Baghdad protests against Regent Started 1952 Intifada Communists one of main organizers

Clashes with police led to 1 dead 52 wounded Led to PM Umari resigning

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

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

1997 UN inspectors talked out of visit to Special Republican Guard base by US that did not want

another confrontation that would allow Saddam to blame inspectors

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2001 Saudi intel chief Prince Turksi said that bin Laden considered Saddam an apostate

2002 France told US that it did not believe Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger

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

2002 Russia’s Putin warned U.S. not to unilaterally act against Iraq

2003 US transport plane hit by missile at Baghdad International Airport

2005 Wall St Journal OpEd claimed 9/11 hijacker Atta might have met Iraqi intel agent in Prague in

2001 Story disproved in 2002

2006 Commander of US forces in Iraq Gen Casey told Joint Chiefs troop surge would not work

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

2006 UN said over 100,000 Iraqis leaving country each month mostly going for Syria and Jordan

Many were professionals Sia death squads and militias operating within police Police accused of kidnappings torture murder bribery theft extortion

View the Iraq History Timelines

Review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009

Review Kukis, Mark, Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009, New York: Columbia University Press, 2011

Voices From Iraq is an important book that captured dozens of accounts of Iraqis about life after the 2003 invasion. Mark Kukis worked for Time magazine in Baghdad and was inspired by Studs Terkel’s books collecting stories of regular citizens to tell the history of America. In 2008, as security improved in the country, Kukis interviewed Iraqis about their experiences, which became the basis for the book, an oral history of the Iraq War. Many accounts of the war focus just upon Americans, and if Iraqis are included it is the elite like politicians and military officers. Kukis brings the lives of regular Iraqis to the table, many of which have heart wrenching accounts of just how bad things got as their country descended into civil war.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 21

1914 British troops entered Basra after Ottomans abandoned city

1926 Jaffar al-Askari became PM of Iraq for 2^nd time

1927 King Faisal asked for full Iraqi independence and ending roll of British High Commissioner in

negotiations over new Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1946 PM Umari forced to resign in aftermath of Kirkuk Massacre where oil strikers killed

1946 Nuri al-Said became premier 4^th time

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

(Musings On Iraq book review of ‘Independent Iraq’ The Monarchy & British Influence, 1941-1958)

1983 Iran’s Op Wa al-Fajr 4 ended Took 180 sq mi of land in Iranian and Iraqi Kurdistan Iran lost

5000 dead 15,000 wounded Iraq lost 2800 dead

(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)

1997 UN weapons inspectors returned to Iraq

1998 Adviser to UN chief said could never 100% prove WMD disarmament and at some

            point inspections became political and impossible to prove negative

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2001 Bush told Natl Sec Adv Rice he wanted Def Sec Rumsfeld to start planning for Iraq

2001 Bush told Def Sec Rumsfeld to update war plans for Iraq Wanted it done secretly Was first

official step in Iraq invasion

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)

2002 NATO summit Bush was talking about war with Iraq and using new U.N. inspections as

catalyst for action

2003 UN turned over Oil for Food program to CPA

2003 UK intel report Badr Brigade maintained close ties to Iran that armed and funded it

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran using Badr in post-Saddam Iraq)

2004 Iraq Election Commission announced vote for transitional assembly to draft constitution would

happen 1/30/05 along with provincial vote

2006 Iraq and Syria announced renewal of diplomatic relations which were broken during Iran-Iraq

War

2006 UN reported 3,709 civilians killed in Oct 06 was highest since 2003 invasion

2006 Report US training mission for Iraqi forces full of problems Officers leading teams poorly

picked Many hadn’t seen combat Didn’t understand mission and weren’t prepared Didn’t have standardized guidelines for mission Didn’t get support from US military Didn’t get supplies and enough interpreters Didn’ get full teams

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Kirkuk Oil Fields And US Pressure Lead Iraq To Agree To Use Kurdish Pipeline Again

(Amirki)

Iraq’s central and regional governments have made a new deal to export oil via the Kurds’ pipeline to Turkey. This came about due to several factors. First, production is increasing at the Kirkuk fields after the federal government took them over in October 2017 from the Kurds, and there was no outlet for the oil. Second, the Trump administration put pressure upon Baghdad to follow its sanctions on Iran and increase exports to make up for the loss of Tehran’s oil. Finally, there was already an agreement on the table between Baghdad and Irbil left from the Abadi government. The question now is can this deal last as the previous ones have all broken down.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 20

1914 Arab tribes told British forces Ottomans had abandoned Basra British forces set out to

take city

1920 US complained 3^rd time to UK about San Remo agreement that divided up Iraqi oil between

France and England

1920 British worked out ceasefire with Hachcham tribe last one fighting in 1920 Revolt

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

1922 Abd Sadoun became Iraq’s 2^nd PM His orders were to organize elections for an assembly to

write constitution

1922 Lausanne conference convened to end WWI with Ottomans and decide whether British to

Turks got Mosul vilyat

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

1963 Tahir Yahya became premier, held office 2 times

1973 KDP and Communists agreed to end hostilities between the two KDP had been attacking

Communists for its alliance with Bakr govt

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

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

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

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

1982 Tariq Aziz accused US and Soviet Union of allowing weapons to be sent to Iran during Iran-

Iraq War

1997 Russia brokered deal to allow US members of UN inspectors back into Iraq In return

inspections would be completed quickly and UN would begin talks over ending sanctions

1998 UN inspectors asked for 12 documents were told some documents never existed and would

only turn over edited version of others

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2001 US Embassy in Niger reported that Niger official said no way it could produce enough uranium

reports claimed Iraq bought from it

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

2001 Wall St Journal OpEd by Eliot Cohen said Iraq helped Al Qaeda and had WMD so should be

attacked

2003 Suicide truck bomb hit PUK office in Kirkuk killing 5

2003 US army team with dogs arrived at Abu Ghraib prison which were used to abuse prisoners

2005 Report on how US relied upon Iraqi defector CURVEBALL for intel on Iraq’s WMD when

they were warned he was unreliable

2006 Joint Chiefs told to prepare plan for surge in troops in Iraq

2006 Pentagon claimed US carried out Marshall Plan in Iraq and accomplished minor miracle

rebuilding country

2006 Report Sec Def Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs were resistant to acknowledge insurgency in Iraq

            when it started

View the Iraq History Timelines 

New Iraq Public Opinion Piece On Iran Misses Point

The Washington Post recently published an article by Munqith al-Dagher the CEO of Almustakilla for Research in Baghdad on a public opinion survey his firm conducted on Shiite views of Iran. The poll found a large change in people’s views of Tehran and its role in Iraq. Dagher’s analysis of the poll however missed many important points about how Iraqi politics work and even undermines some of his own points at the end.

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 19

1914 British troops took Ottoman fort at Sahil in the city of Basra

1973 KDP and Communists began talks to end hostilities between two KDP had been attacking

Communists for its alliance with Bakr govt

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

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

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

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

1991 UN report said Iraqi forces used torture and mass killings to put down Shiite uprising after Gulf

War

1997 KDP recaptured lost territory from PUK

1997 UN told that dramatic increase in Iraqi oil smuggling through Iran violating UN sanctions

1997 Wash Post OpEd by Wolfowitz and Khalilzad called for US to overthrow Saddam

1998 Iraqis refused to hand over documents to UN inspectors

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

1999 UN Res 1275 extended Oil for Food program for Iraq

2002 UK Def Min official warned Blair’s office that without proper postwar planning Iraq war could

fail

2003 Car bomb at Sheikh Suleiman’s home after he made deal with US for police to take over

security in Ramadi

2004 Assoc of Muslim Scholars announced Sunni boycott of Jan 05 elections claiming results would

be fake and non-representative

2004 Gen Smith dep cmdr CENTCOM said insurgents were carrying out effective intimidation

campaign before Jan 05 elections

2005 Marines killed 24 civilians in revenge for Marine being killed by IED in Haditha

2006 Dep Health Min Saffar kidnapped by policeman Mahdi Army suspected of killing him under

orders of Dep Health Min Zamili

2006 Suicide car bomb hit day laborers in Hillah killing 22 woundign 40 3 car bombs hit bus station

            east Baghdad killing 10 injuring 45

2006 Syrian Foreign Minister visited Baghdad 1^st high ranking Syrian official to visit since 2003 Said

Assad backed Maliki govt and wanted foreign troops to withdraw

2006 Iraqi Islamic Party said warrant for Dhari head of Muslim Scholars Assoc ended Maliki’s

reconciliation program Iraqi Accordance Front demanded warrant be withdrawn 1,000 protested in Adhamiya against warrant

2006 AP reported more Iraqis died in first three weeks of Nov than all of Oct Nov 1-19 1,319 dead vs

1,216 in Oct

2008 PUK politburo created committees to discuss its internal divisions

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Nov 18

1914 British launched second attack on Ottoman forces in Zain, Basra

1963 Pres Arif and brother Gen Arif and army put down Baath National Guard militia in Baghdad

Mosul and Kirkuk

1963 Pres Arif removed Baathists from positions in govt including PM Bakr

1968 KDP called on UN to intervene in Iraq during Kurdish revolt

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

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

1973 Communists said they would stop anti-KDP propaganda campaign attacking it as feudal party

and capitalist tool

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

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

1979 Naji Suwaidi became premier of Iraq

1997 Russian President Boris Yeltsin met with Iraqis trying to convince them to cooperate with

weapons inspectors

1998 UN inspections began again in Iraq with goal of causing a confrontation to justify US bombing

2002 New UN inspectors arrived in Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2005 House Republicans attacked Democrats for trying to cut and run in Iraq by backing withdrawal

US policy was withdrawal

2005 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed Shiite mosque in Khanaqin Diyala 74 dead

2005 Study 90-96% of insurgency were Iraqis only 4-10% foreign fighters

2006 Pentagon and Joint Chiefs papers on Iraq said US should follow Gen Casey plan to withdraw

turn things over to Iraqis Joint Chiefs paper said Iraq falling into civil war US strategy not working

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

2006 US intel report on Iraq said US had no good options in Iraq

2006 VP Cheney’s office memo on Iraq said US should back Shiites and Kurds and forget about

Sunnis

2008 US signed Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq that set 12/31/11 withdrawal date for US

forces

View the Iraq History Timelines