This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 31

1920 High Commission Sir Cox reported that many sheikhs of large confederations

supported Mandate and didn't want an Iraqi govt

1980 Attacks upon Iranian oil facilities and ports cost it $6 bil in 1980 Attacks on Iraqi oil facilities

and ports cost $4 bil

1981 End of 1^st yr of Iran-Iraq War 22,000 Iraqi 38,000 Iranian 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)

2002 UN inspector told press they were finding no evidence of Iraq’s WMD and Western intel

providing nothing substantive

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2003 Bush said couldn’t tell whether Iraq had a nuclear weapon or not

2003 3 dead 20 wounded after Arabs and Turkemn stormed PUK office in Kirkuk

2007 Deadline to hold referendum on future of disputed territories under Constitution’s Article 140

passed

2007 Deadline for committee to revise Iraqi constitution missed Was 4^th time delayed Never finished

job

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2011 US withdrew forces from Iraq under Status of Forces Agreement

2011 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and Sadrists got into gunfight in Sadr City and Kadhimiya Baghdad

2013 Anbar council negotiated withdrawal of 2 ISF units from Ramadi to try to control protests and

fighting

2013 Maliki said he would withdraw ISF from cities in Anbar after closed protest sites led to fighting

2013 Speaker Nujafi announced Mutahidun withdrawing from govt to protest Maliki shutting down

Ramadi protest site

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

2013 10 houses in Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr blown up by ISI forcing 84 families to flee 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 30

2002 For Sec Straw and Sec of State Powell thought UN inspections would not provide

smoking gun against Iraq so alternatives needed

2002 UN inspectors said they had gone to all major suspected WMD sites and found nothing

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 Report Reagan admin and its Middle East envoy Rumsfeld did nothing while Iraq used WMD

in Iran-Iraq War

2002 NYTimes article said CIA looking into Iraq buying smallpox from a Russian scientist

2003 White House meeting on what to do about Governing Council going to UN to ask them with

help to transition to sovereignty White House decided they would try to block any UN plans for Iraq because wanted to keep control of process Meeting then turned to security Cheney said he wanted to eliminate Sadr

2005 Oil Min Uloom put on leave after opposing govt plan to increase prices on gas and cooking oil

Replaced by Dep PM Chalabi

2005 South Korea’s parliament okayed plan to withdraw 1/3 of its forces from Iraq Korea had 3^rd

largest Coalition force in Iraq

2006 Iraqi govt hanged Saddam Hussein while Sadrists taped it and chanted Moqtada

2006 Naqshibandi insurgent group formed

2009 British hostage Peter Moore released by Asib Ahl Al-Haq in return for release of leader Qais

Khazali Moore and 4 bodyguards kidnapped from Fin Min building Baghdad in 2007 Op planned by Iran’s Rev Guard Brits were held in Iran for most of 2 year captivity

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s role in kidnapping Brits)

2009 2 suicide bombers hit provincial council building in Ramadi killing 27 and injuring 100

including Gov Fahadawi

2013 Anbar sheikhs gave govt 12 hour ultimatum to release MP Alwani arrested by PM Maliki

2013 PM Maliki used death of army’s 7^th Div cmdr to order Ramadi and Fallujah protest camps to be

closed Led to call to arms in Fallujah Closure helped insurgency to return

2013 Gunmen appeared in Fallujah after protest site there closed setting up checkpoints

            and fighting with ISF

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests) 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review The Iran-Iraq War, Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts

Review Hooton, E.R., Cooper, Tom and Nadimi, Farzin, The Iran-Iraq War, Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts, West Midlands: Helion & Company Limited, 2018

The Iran-Iraq War, Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts was the final volume in Helion’s series on the longest and bloodiest war of the 1980s. The first three books focused upon Basra and southern Iran, which was the main battlefield. The last volume is about the central and Kurdistan fronts, and the Kurdish and Iranian opposition parties. The center and north were largely used for screening or diversionary attacks, but was also where the war ended. The fighting also involved the struggle between various Kurdish groups that were often fighting each other as much as the Iranians or Iraqis. Volume 4 is a fitting conclusion to the series with a very in depth review of the war with plenty of pictures and maps.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 29

1979 U.S. placed Iraq on list of State Sponsors of Terrorism for backing Palestinian terrorist

Abu Nidal and others

1981 Syria said it would start talks with Iran to try to end Iran-Iraq War

1988 Iran-Iraq agreed to join commission to implement ceasefire to end 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 Joint Chief head Gen Powell told CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Schwarzkopf to be ready to start Gulf

War by 1/17/91

1996 Dawa announced campaign to assassinate top Iraqi officials

2002 US Senate authorized war against Iraq

2003 Iraqi Governing Council voted to replace family laws with sharia

2005 Zarqawi took responsibility for rocket attack on Israel Said he was fulfilling promise to bin

Laden

2005 US military found 3 more secret prisons run by Badr within the Interior Ministry where torture

used

2006 Military Times did poll of its military subscribers Found 50% thought success possible in Iraq

Down from 83% in 2004 42% said they disapproved of Bush’s handling of the war versus 35% who approved 41% said U.S. should have gone to war with Iraq in the first place Down from 65% in 2003 13% said U.S. should have no troops in Iraq

2013 Head of Anbar council called for end of Ramadi protests in exchange for govt releasing MP

Alwani

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

2016 2^nd phase of Battle of Mosul officially began attacking east side of city Attack actually began

Dec 24

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd phase of Battle of Mosul)

View the Iraq History Timelines

US Forces Not Leaving Iraq

Trump in Iraq (BBC)

During President Trump’s recent trip to Iraq he said he had no plans to withdraw U.S. forces. That’s shown by the fact that the U.S. just completed a new base in western Anbar along the Syrian border in September. That goes along with five other camps the Americans already had in the province, which are Camp Ain al-Assad, Camp Habaniya, one by Hit, one by Haditha Dam, and one by Rutba. Overall, the U.S. has around 5,200 troops in the country.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 28

1929 Fmr Iraq High Comm Dobbs said if Iraq moved forward in its own dysfunctional way

and was better off than it was under Ottomans England would have succeeded

1998 U.S. began attacks upon Iraqi air defense system in north as part of no fly zones

1998 Italian paper claimed Saddam and bin Laden made pact to act against US and Iraq offered

Saddam safe haven False story

2001 Gen Franks presented Bush with latest version of Iraq war plan Included 7 lines of operation

that could be used independently or in conjunction and 9 parts of Iraq that could be targeted Franks wanted to start building up US forces in Gulf and information campaigns immediately Franks said that US would be ready for war with Iraq by April to June 2002 Franks also wanted US to start working with Iraqi opposition inside Iraq

2001 CIA Dir Tenet said Iraqi opposition wouldn't work with US without seeing strong commitment

from Washington

2001 Bush asked Franks if plan good enough to win Franks said yes with some work

2001 Bush ordered State and Defense Depts to start building up support amongst regional countries

for Iraq invasion

2001 Richard Perle of Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board OpEd in NY Times said US had to attack

Iraq

2002 Report NSC Sr Dir Near East Abrams drafted plan for US to seize control of Iraq’s southern oil

fields

2003 Iraqi Governing Council wrote letter to UN about CPA’s plans to hold caucuses instead of

elections for new Iraq parliament

2004 Bin Laden online statement praised Zarqawi giving him allegiance

(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)

2005 UN endorsed December elections for a permanent Iraqi parliament

2006 Report Mahdi Army moving block by block across Ghaziliya Baghdad forcing out Sunnis Many

displaced Sunnis moved to center of district where sheikh set up militia to protect them from Mahdi Army

2006 NSC agreed that Petraeus would be new Iraq commander for Surge

2010 PM Maliki said no changes would be made to the SOFA agreement with the US and all its

troops would leave Iraq

2010 Sadrist Dway became governor of Maysan in return for Sadr’s support for Maliki’s 2^nd term

(Musings On Iraq article on Sadr-Maliki quid pro quo Maysan governorship for 2^nd term for Maliki)

2012 Protests spread from Fallujah to Diyala Ninewa and Salahaddin in response to Maliki issuing

warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi)

2013 Maliki ordered arrest of MP Alwani for taking part in protests Gun battle ensued killing

Alwani’s brother and some of his bodyguards

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

2013 Speaker Nujafi said arrest of PM Alwani illegal due to parliamentary immunity Called for

investigation

2013 Speaker Nujafi’s parliamentary investigative group into arrest of PM Alwani blocked from

entering Anbar by ISF

2013 Curfew imposed in Ramadi

2014 Iran announced Iranian Rev Guard Gen Taqavi died in Salahaddin fighting IS 5^th IRGC

member killed in Iraq during war

(Musings On Iraq article on death of IRGC general)

2015 Iraqi forces freed Ramadi

2016 Last bridge crossing Tigris in Mosul destroyed by Coalition airstrike to prevent IS retreating

from eastern to western section of city

2017 KRG PM Barzani said that pM Abadi was punishing the Kurds and unwilling to compromise

while Maliki was offering reconciliation Came afer Maliki gave interview to Rudaw saying that Baghdad-Irbil relations needed to be improved

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki-KDP reconciliation) 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

New Poll Finds Widespread Cynicism and Alienation Over The Iraqi Govt

In May 2018 Iraqis went to the polls to pick a new government. The results were the lowest turnout since elections started in 2005 and widespread cheating by the ruling parties. The participation rate showed deep cynicism towards the political system, which was confirmed by the fraud that took place. A recent public opinion poll conducted from August to October 2018 pointed to the Iraqi public having little faith in the country’s politics.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 27

1945 Regent of Iraq gave speech promising political reform improved social security fighting

employment redistribution of wealth

1986 Iraq counterattack recaptured Um al-Rassas island in Basra Ended Iran Op Karbala 4

            Iran lost 800 dead 200 prisoners Iraq lost 800 dead 2000 wounded

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

(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 100 congressmen asked Bush to give Iraq sanctions chance to work

1993 State Dept accused Iraq of indiscriminate shelling/bombing burning villages and executions in

southern marshes

2001 Gen Franks briefed Rumsfeld on war planning

2003 Attacks on govt buildings and foreign troop bases in Karbala killed 19 wounded 120

2004 Al Jazeera aired bin Laden tape calling Zarqawi the prince of Al Qaeda in Iraq Bin Laden said

focus of the Islamic world was war against US in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)

2004 Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew from January 2005 election saying violence made vote impossible

2005 Al Qaeda in Iraq fired 2 rockets from south Lebanon into Israel

2005 Kurdish Col in army’s 2^nd Div in Ninewa said unit would not allow Def Min to add Arab

soldiers to division

2008 3,000 marched in Basra city demanding province be turned into a federal region

(Musings On Iraq article on move to make Basra a federal region)

2009 Barzani held meeting to create Peshmerga Ministry in attempt to unify KDP and PUK’s forces

2011 Salahaddin council voted to turn province into a federal region Blocked by Maliki

2012 Protest in Mosul called for Iraqi forces to withdraw from city after arbitrary arrests

2012 Tribal delegation from Basra joined Ramadi protest

2013 Maliki said would be last time Friday prayers held at Ramadi protest site Demanded tribes end

protest

2013 Iraqi forces tightened security around Ramadi protest site searching people coming and going

2013 Army vehicle attacked near Ramadi protest site Blamed on ISI

2013 Pro-Maliki Sheikh Hayes said Ramadi base for Al Qaeda

2013 Several sheikhs warned govt about closing down Ramadi protest site

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

2013 Ansar al Sunna claimed ISI killed 40 of its members in inter-insurgent fighting

2015 IS head Baghdadi released message US afraid to fight IS and Islam destined to rule world until

judgment day

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 26

1961 Iraq announced it would reconsider diplomatic relations with any country that

recognized Kuwait as independent country Withdrew diplomats from US Jordan Tunisia Lebanon and others as a result

1980 Saddam said frontline in war would be new border with Iran and demanded Tehran give self-

rule to Arabs in southwestern Iran

(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 Syria invited Iraqi opposition parties to Damascus

2006 Appeals court upheld Saddam’s death sentence

2012 Fin Min Issawi addressed Ramadi protest camp condemning actions of Maliki

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 25

1920 Gertrude Bell wrote that Feisal was the only solution to Iraq and its first choice to be

king

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

1943 PM Nuri al-Said formed his 3^rd cabinet Made Mullah Mustafa Barzani Minister of Kurdish

Affairs in failed attempt to co-opt him and end his revolt

1986 Iraqi counterattack pushed Iranians back into Shatt al-Arab Ended Iran’s Op Karbala 4 Iran lost

9,000-12,000 casualties vs 3,000 Iraqi casualties

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

2005 Report US mismanaged developing Iraq’s electricity network Installed 26 natural gas turbines

at 7 plants when Iraq didn’t have gas or infrastructure to support them

2006 British and Iraqi army assaulted serious crime unit police station in Basra city Freed 127

prisoners many were tortured British claimed criminals and militias ran serious crime unit that ran death squads responsible for political and tribal violence

2012 Iraqiya boycotted cabinet 2^nd time over arrest warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi)

2013 Acting Def Min Dulaimi said govt would not shut down Ramadi protest site

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

Musings On Iraq was cited in "Iraq After ISIL, Sub-State Actors, Local Forces, and the Micro-Politics of Control" by Erica Gaston and Andras Derzsi-Horvath for the Global Public Policy Institute and "Irak: Anbar provins - sikkerhetssituasjonen per november 2018" by Landinfo. I was quoted by Paul Iddon in "Why doesn't Iraq do more to prevent Turkish airstrikes?" for Rudaw and by Michael Weiss in "As Trump Vows to leave Syria, Kurds fear a power grab by Iran and Russia" for Yahoo.

Musings On Iraq's full citations and original work

Security In Iraq Dec 15-21, 2018

(Iraqi News)

For the fourth week in a row there has just been around 20 incidents in Iraq. This marks the lowest weekly totals since Musings On Iraq began tracking security in Iraq. It appears that the Islamic State is stepping back from carrying out attacks this winter.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 24

1922 Anglo-Iraq declaration to League of Nations talked about giving Kurds rights and own

govt in their region

1938 Golden Square army colonels overthrew PM Jamil Midfai for trying to remove pan-Arab

officers Coup backed by Nuri al-Said who became PM and Taha al-Hashimi who became Def Min Rashid al-Gaylani became Chamberlain of Royal Office

(Musings On Iraq book review The Role of the Military In Politics, A case study of Iraq to 1941)

1938 PM Said moved to punish ex-PM Sulaiman

1963 Arif govt promised to settle problems with foreign oil companies

1980 Iraq air force bombed Iran’s main oil terminal at Kharg Island for 1^st time Iran bombed Basra

refinery in retaliation

1980 Iraqi division moved into Iran in north Took control of Rashah and Rayat Passes to block any

Iranian move upon Sulaymaniya

(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 UK For Sec Straw told Sec of State Powell a 2^nd UN resolution was needed to gain UK political

support and legal justification for war

2002 Niger Premier said that his country did not try to sell uranium to Iraq

2003 Report President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board found White House disregarded

warnings by CIA about Iraq-Africa uranium story

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

2004 Rumsfeld told troops in Iraq insurgency could be defeated

2005 National Security Adv Rubaie met with Ayatollah Sistani Said Sistani rejected calls for revote

due to complaints and violations Rubaie said Iraq would re-arrest Baathist officials just released by US

2005 Iraq court barred 90 candidates from election for Baathist ties

2008 Iraqi National Dialogue Council left the Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) claiming that the Islamic

Party was attempting to monopolize power Ended IAF

(Musings On Iraq article on break-up of the Iraqi Accordance Front)

2013 Maliki ordered ISF to surround Ramadi protest site

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 23

1920 Iraq-Syria border set with Deir Ezzour going to latter

1983 Jordan gave Iraq $125 mil line of credit to help Baghdad in Iran-Iraq War

1986 Iran Op Karbala 4 Crossed Shatt al-Arab to attack Fish Lake defensive line before Basra city

Iraq warned beforehand by intel

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

2004 UK intel did review of its 2002 reporting on Iraq’s WMD and said its assessments were all

wrong

2004 Fallujah was reopened to displaced to return after 2^nd battle for city

2005 IMF approved $685 mil loan for Iraq

2006 Report Baladiyat Zayun Ghadir Nariya neighborhoods in Baghdad almost all Shiite now 400

Shiite families fleeing Baquba settled in Nariya and New Baghdad Iraqi army helped Shiite families move into Adil Mahdi Army moved into Sabi al-Bour northern Baghdad town to secure it Public Works Ministry proposed land grants to victims of Saddam and insurgents in 6 Sunni towns known for being insurgent bases Was believed to be move by Maliki govt to move Shiites into those areas

2011 Maliki adviser said that Fin Min Issawi suspected of connections to terrorism Sadrists would

not go along with his removal

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki targeting Fin Min Issawi in 2011)

2012 Iraqiya boycotted parliament over arrest warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi in 2012)

2013 Sheikh Sulaiman said tribes would protect Ramadi protest site against Maliki govt

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

2017 PKK said it was creating its own region in Qadil northern Kurdistan

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 22

1638 Ottoman Sultvan Murad IV began siege of Baghad Captured it by end of year

Massacred Shiites

1916 British forces began digging lines towards Ottomans defenses at Khadairi Bend

1922 British cabinet said it wanted an independent Iraq and that Anglo-Iraq treaty would be best

way to maintain relationship

1986 Iraqi intel reported Iranians preparing for major offensive in Basra Saddam ordered bombing of

assembly areas

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)

2002 Iraq invited CIA into country to find its WMD

2005 Iraqi Islamic Party National Dialogue Front Iraqiya threatened to boycott new parliament

Called elections fraudulent Demanded new vote

2006 Ret Gen Keane told NatlSecAdv Hadley US needed 5 brigade troop surge in Iraq not less

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)

2006 Maliki spokesman said that Dawa and SCIRI close to agreement to crackdown on militias Were

also going to send delegation to Najaf to get Sadr back in govt

2006 US Intel report Mahdi Army was planning to kidnap US soldiers in Baghdad to undermine

Maliki’s reconciliation program Were using Mahdi Army commander who had been trained in Iran by Hezbollah and IRGC

2007 ISI leader Baghdadi described the Awakening as agents of the cross and called on followers to

kill them

2010 Maliki’s second administration approved

2011 Govt officials told press that Maliki govt would investigate Fin Min Issawi over allegations he

was connected to a militia in Fallujah that killed political opponents Some of Issawi’s bodyguards arrested as a result

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki targeting Fin Min Issawi)

2012 Iraqiya boycotted cabinet over arrest warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi)

2013 Maliki announced major military campaign in western Anbar desert region after IS killed

leadership of 7^th Div

2013 Anbar council said it would work with govt to fight ISI

2013 Maliki said Ramadi protest site base for IS and demanded it closed

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki’s accusations against Anbar protests)

2013 Ramadi protest sheikhs said Ramadi would take up arms against any forces trying to stop

demonstrations

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki crackdown on Anbar protests)

2014 Fmr Communications Minister Allawi acquitted of corruption charges for lack of evidence

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Opinion Poll: Iraqis Split On Security And The Islamic State

The National Democratic Institute released a new survey that found Iraqis had split feelings about security. The poll was conducted from August to October 2018 and talked with 3,804 people across all of Iraq’s eighteen provinces and included people in displaced camps. While a majority felt the current security situation was good, they feared the Islamic State would return leading to things deteriorating in the future. 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 21

1956 Communist uprising in Al-Hay put down and leaders executed

(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)

1981 Kuwait and UAE agreed to loan Iraq $2 bil to help during Iran-Iraq War

1998 Russia France Germany called for ending sanctions on Iraq

1998 Report Iraq intel officer Hijazi met with bin Laden in Afghanistan and offered him asylum

False story

2001 UK Def Min Hoon asked ministry for plans for military action against Iraq

2001 Vanity Fair article claimed Iraq involved in 9/11 based upon INC defector

2001 Vanity Fair author appeared on CNN and NBC repeating his story that INC defector claimed

Iraq involved in 9/11

2002 Dep CIA Dir McLaughlin briefed Bush on intel on Iraq WMD Said Iraq had precursors and

biological components Showed rocket engine test site that passed prescribed ranges Showed satellite photo of suspected clean up of chemical weapons spill Showed UAV flown 500km past UN limit of 150km CIA went over reports of Iraq having mobile WMD labs Played recording of 2 Republican Guard officers talking about removing nerve agents Said Saddam met with nuclear scientists talking about resuming their work

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2002 Bush wasn’t impressed by CIA presentation CIA Dir Tenet said case was a “slam dunk”

2003 Massoud Barzani article said Kurds would take regional autonomy and nothing else in new

Iraqi constitution

2004 Insurgents attacked US camp in Ninewa killing 24 including 19 US soldiers Wounded 60

Deadliest attack on US so far

2004 Insurgents released 2 French reporters they kidnapped 4 months ago

2004 Center for Strategic and Intl Studies report Iraqi forces wouldn’t be ready to operate

independently until late 2006 at best

2005 Iraq Election Comm reported 10.9 mil of 15.6 mil voters participated in Dec 15 elections

Anbar vote went from 1% in Jan to 32% in Oct to 55% in Dec

2005 NSC presented 10 goals for new Iraqi govt to Bush Including competent ministers fighting

corruption

2005 Commando from 1^st Commando brigade based in Samarra said most of the unit was from

Mahdi Army and didn’t respect their commander only Sadr

2006 US arrested Gen. Mohsen Chirazai commander of Quds Force’s Dept 600 Forced to release

him under pressure from PM Maliki and Pres Talabani

2006 8 Marines charged with executing Iraqi civilians in Haditha None were convicted 

2010 PM Maliki finally put together new govt 9 months after elections Cabinet approved by

parliament

2011 PM Maliki ordered Dep PM Mutlaq removed from office in response to Mutlaq calling for

Maliki to be replaced

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Iraqiya)

2012 Protests started in Fallujah in response to Maliki issuing arrest warrant for Finance Min Issawi

2013 7^th Div commander and leadership of division all killed by IS booby trapped house in Anbar

2015 Peshmerga and YPG captured Sinjar from IS

2017 2 killed, 300 wounded in protests against the KRG

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 20

1983 Reagan envoy to Middle East Rumsfeld met with Saddam as part of new US policy to

back Iraq in Iran-Iraq War

2001 NYT article with Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC claimed he went to 20 WMD sites

Haideri’s claims used in CIA DIA and White House reports Later found to be unreliable by US intel May 02 labeled fabricator by DIA

2002 IAEA inspectors said Tuwaitha facility involved in civilian nuclear research not involved in

weapons program

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 CIA blocked UN Amb to UN Negroponte mentioning Iraq-Niger uranium deal in speech to

Security Council

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

2004 Bush said he expected violence to increase before Jan 05 elections

2006 US military turned over 3^rd province to Iraqi forces, Najaf

2011 VP Hashemi gave TV speech from Irbil denying terrorism charges against him

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

New Iraqi Survey Sees Highest Pessimism In Eleven Years

The National Democratic Institute released a new public opinion survey on Iraq. It was conducted from August to October 2018 and included 3,804 interviews in all 18 provinces including people in displaced camps. The results showed the highest levels of pessimism since 2007 when Iraq was in the middle of a civil war. That’s a surprising development since the country has just won a war against the Islamic State.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 19

1983 Reagan Special Envoy to Middle East Rumsfeld arrived in Baghdad to try to improve

US-Iraq relations

1998 Op Desert Fox by Pres Clinton to punish Iraq for ending cooperation with UN weapons

inspectors ended Iraq gave up rebuilding its WMD programs as a result

(Musings On Iraq article on Op Desert Fox)

2001 Gen Franks made 3^rd presentation to Rumsfeld of revised Iraq war plan

2002 Blix and El Baradei told Security Council about initial weapons inspections Blix said Iraq had

not provided much new info Said 1 main problem was declared amounts of WMD produced vs what Iraq could’ve produced and 2 secret destruction of stocks Iraq’s claims and potential WMD production didn't match and had no proof of its secret destruction of stocks

2002 Sec of State Powell said Iraq in “material breach” of disarmament obligations with its weapons

declaration to UN

2002 State Dept paper accused Iraq of active WMD programs rebuilding nuke program Not

disclosing them to UN Said Iraq weapons declaration to UN did not include it trying to buy uranium from Niger

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

2002 UK cabinet told Blair govt would declare Iraq in material breach of UN Resolution 1441 in Jan

because of its arms declaration

2002 France said it was up to inspectors not US to determine whether Iraq was hiding WMD

2002 Russia criticized US for not providing evidence to Security Council and inspectors of Iraqi

violations during inspections

2002 CNN/Time poll 63% of US respondents believed US war with Iraq was inevitable

2002 Gen Franks briefed Bush again on war plans Went over what could go wrong and lessons from

war game

2002 CIA had meeting on Curveball informant that claimed Iraq had mobile WMD labs German

office chief said Curveball seemed unreliable Analyst said Curveball claim of Iraq mobile WMD labs corroborated by another source Was an INC defector Deputy CIA Dir’s executive assistant said Curveball was credible 

(Musings On Iraq article on how CURVEBALL influenced US intel on Iraq’s WMD)

(Musings On Iraq articles on the CURVEBALL story)

2004 Suicide bomber in Karbala killed 14 and wounded 30 and car bomb in Najaf killed 48 wounded

90

2004 30 insurgents attacked members of Election Commission on Haifa St Baghdad Dragged them

from car and shot them in street

2005 Adnan al-Dulaimi of Iraqi Accordance Front called for revote at polling stations where

violations were registered

2005 Salah al-Mutlaq of National Dialogue Front claimed there was voter fraud

2005 Amb Khalizad said couldn’t have sectarian Badr member run Interior Ministry

2006 NSC meeting Bush told Maliki agreed to new Baghdad security plan

2006 Maliki proposed Baghdad security plan to Americans Said he would support troop surge if US

only went after insurgents and not militias Said he would make a political deal with Sadr that would reduce Mahdi Army violence

2008 Pres Talabani proposed reforms to PUK at politburo meeting to address factionalism

2011 Arrest warrant for VP Hashemi issued forcing him into exile

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

2011 3 of Hashemi’s guards appeared on TV saying they were involved in terrorist attacks

(Musings On Iraq article on Hashemi bodyguards’ confessions)

2011 Report one of VP Hashemi’s guards had been arrested start of Dec on charges of building a car

bomb Guard confessed leading to 3 more guards and manager of Hashemi’s office to be arrested

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki’s moves against VP Hashemi)

2011 PM Maliki ordered Dep PM Mutlaq barred from entering parliament

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Mutlaq and Iraqiya)

2012 PM Maliki ordered arrest of Fin Min Issawi on terrorism charges Detained 10 of his bodyguards

1 yr after having warrant issued for VP Hashemi for terrorism 

2012 Pres Obama called Fin Min Issawi US Amb Beecroft visited Issawi US Embassy issued protest

to Iraq’s Foreign Min over warrant for Issawi

2012 Protests started in Anbar Salahaddin Adhamiya in Baghdad over warrant for Fin Min Issawi

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki’s moves against Fin Min Issawi)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Assessment Of The Status Of The Islamic State

(Iraqi News)

Michael Knights from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy wrote another excellent assessment of the state of the Islamic State’s insurgency in Iraq in the recent issue of the CTC Sentinel published by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. In the summer of 2016 the Islamic State was talking about saving its manpower and shifting towards an insurgency in the face of Iraqi offensives and U.S. Coalition air strikes. That became reality in late 2017 as the group didn’t put up a fight against the last Iraqi offensives to free the final bits of territory held by the militants. Instead, IS was withdrawing to the rural areas of central Iraq to try to rebuild again akin to what it did from 2011-14 after it was defeated by the Surge. Today, it is still active in the same six provinces it has always been, but the number of attacks is far lower. Knights asked the questions is the group simply incapable of carrying out more operations due to its losses or is it simply preserving its resources and aiming for more targeted attacks?

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 18

1959 Gen Qasim called Ahwaz and Mohammareh in Iran Arab Started supporting Arabs in          Khuzistan province

2002 Pres Bush said war was inevitable with Iraq at NSC meeting

2002 Bush met with Spanish Pres Anzar Said Iraq’s weapons declaration was a joke and US would

eventually have to remove Saddam

2002 Sec Def Rumsfeld ordered start of civil administration to run postwar Iraq 3 months before

invasion

2002 Saddam scrapped all of Iraq’s defense plans for US invasion and replaced them with one he

made himself War plans consisted of concentric circles around Baghdad and defending main cities

2002 CIA Dir Tenet asked Germans if Iraqi defector CURVEBALL could be interviewed about his

claims Iraq had mobile WMD labs Germany said no

(Musings On Iraq article on how CURVEBALL influenced US intel on Iraq’s WMD)

(Musings On Iraq articles on the CURVEBALL story)

2002 UK Foreign Secretary Straw said Iraq in material breach of UN resolutions with its weapons

declaration that denied it had WMD

2002 IAEA head in Reuters No evidence that Iraq had worked on any nuclear facilities since 1998

2002 UK Defense Ministry admitted that ships were taking troops and tanks to Persian Gulf

2002 CIA briefed Bush and NSC on difficulties recruiting and maintaining sources in Iraq Said

talking about war while going to UN made Iraqis not willing to come forward because unsure US was going to remove Saddam

2002 State Dept posted listing of omissions in Iraq’s UN weapons declaration

2005 Bush national speech said Iraqi elections were a turning point for democracy in Middle East

and US withdrawal would show US lack of resolve

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

2005 Allawi’s Iraqiya filed more than 60 complaints of voting violations including members of

security forces supporting United Iraqi Alliance

2007 SecState Rice told Maliki his govt wasn't working Maliki said others in govt were

obstructionists

2009 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq issued fatwa on Syria War saying it wasn’t about defending

            Sayid Zeinab shrine but fighting infidels and defending Islam

2011 VP Hashemi stopped at Baghdad airport some of his bodyguards arrested and then allowed to

fly to Sulaymaniya

(Musings On Iraq article on charges against VP Hashemi)

2011 Fin Min Issawi and Dep PM Mutlaq temporarily detained at Baghdad airport while trying to

take flight to Irbil to meet with Pres Barzani

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki targeting Fin Min Issawi)

2012 Pres Talabani had a stroke effectively ending his political career although he would remain in

office

2017 Protests broke out in Sulaymaniya Kalar Rania Taq Taq Chamchamal and five other towns

against the Kurdish establishment

(Musings On Iraq article on Kurdish protests)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Dec 8-14, 2018

(Iraqi News)

Iraq reached another low in weekly security incidents from December 8-14, 2018. Since the last week of October the Islamic State has been far less active. Poor weather was one possible cause, but it also appears that the insurgents have cooled off on their own accord after a mini-summer campaign in the center of the country.