US Was So Unsure Of Maliki’s Support Of The Surge It Eavesdropped On The Iraqi Premier

(White House)

In the winter of 2006 the Bush administration finally realized that its strategy in Iraq was not working. After a few weeks of review the White House decided it would increase the number of troops and employ new tactics, which became known as the Surge. The U.S. needed its Iraqi partner the Maliki government to come through as well by deploying troops, ending its protection of militias, and carrying out a number of legislative benchmarks. The problem was Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki resisted the Surge initially, but then agreed. That led the Americans to spy on the premier to make sure he was really committed to the new U.S. operation.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 31

1941 PM Gaylani stepped down fearing civil war due to his reaching out to Axis that had

split govt and angered British  

1941 UK Foreign Office decided to give money to Regent to help him return to power

(Musings On Iraq book review of Persian Gulf Command, A History of the Second World War In Iran and Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)

1983 Iran officially rejected ceasefire talks by Iraq Khomeini was open to talks but Rafsanjani and

Khamenei rejected offer

1987 Iran Op Karbala 5 made last attack upon Iraqi defensive lines in Basra and stopped

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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 US and Saudis pushed Iraqi forces out of Saudi city of Khafji after 2 days of fighting

1993 Iraqi forces attacked Irbil

1999 Soviet paper claimed hundreds of Afghan Arabs were being trained in terrorism in south Iraq to

fight US

2003 Blair’s advisers told him had to prioritize pushing Bush on postwar planning for Iraq but Blair

failed to do so

2003 Bush and Blair said that invasion would start Mar 10 2003

2003 Blair told Bush he needed a 2^nd UN resolution for use of force against Iraq for domestic politics

Bush agreed

2003 Bush and Blair said a 2^nd U.N. resolution would be good against Iraq but not necessary to go to

war

2003 Bush said fighting between Iraqi factions would be unlikely after invasion

2003 Bush and Blair talked about provoking Iraq to help justify war including getting US spy plane

fired upon

2004 Gen Taguba started investigation of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison

2004 Car Bomb at Mosul police station killed 9 wounded 45

2005 Assyrians in Ninewa’s Bashiqa and Bartella told couldn’t vote after promised they could when

ballots ran out on Jan 30

2005 Assyrians demonstrated in Ninewa Plains over not being allowed to vote Broken up by Kurdish

security forces

2006 US Emb-military report situation in 6 of Iraq’s 18 provinces serious 1 critical Said militias

infiltrating security forces in Basra Lots of gangs smuggling assassinations

2007 PM Maliki told CNN Iraq only needed a few more U.S. troops not Surge Bush called for

2007 Fmr Rep Hamilton and Fmr Attn Gen Meese testified to Congress that US hired contractors to

train Iraqi police that weren’t competent and didn’t have personnel for job Said Justice Dept should have led effort and police should have taken over training not military

2007 Special Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report said some Iraqi ministries spent as little as 15% of their

budgets because couldn’t find companies to work in dangerous areas lack of skilled contracting officers ant-corruption rules hindered spending Said electricity production in 4^th qtr of 2006 was below pre-war levels State Dept so embarrassed eliminated pre-war power production from a report to try to hide dip in output

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)

2009 Provincial elections held Saw heavy Sunni turnout

(Musings On Iraq article on 2009 provincial elections)

(Musings On Iraq article on details on Iraq’s voting system) 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Jan 22-28, 2019

(Shafaaq News)

The third week of January 2019 was another relatively quiet one in Iraq. There were few incidents, while casualties were up from the previous week.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 30

1927 1^st student protest in Iraq held over firing of teachers Organized by Communists

(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)

1928 Sheikh Dhari who led revolt against British in Upper Euphrates/Anbar sentenced to death Was

commuted to life in prison

1941 Regent of Iraq fled Baghdad for Diwaniya fearing retaliation by PM Gaylani

1941 British were hoping to use Regent fleeing to spread unrest in Iraq to remove PM Gaylani from

power

(Musings On Iraq book review of Persian Gulf Command, A History of the Second World War In Iran and Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)

1984 State Dept memo said that US considered discouraging military exports to Iraq

1985 Iraq attacked Said Saad

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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 Saddam ordered Op Samarra hit and run air attacks on Coalition air force

1991 400 US Special Forces were sent into western Iraq to try to find SCUD missiles

2001 1^st NSC meeting of Bush admin talked about how Iraq destabilizing Middle East CIA Dir Tenet

provided intel Iraq working on WMD at factory Treasury Sec O’Neil asked about WMD intel Tenet admitted no confirmation that Iraq producing WMD Sec of State Powell argued for smart sanctions

2001 Sec of Def Rumsfeld wrote memo noting Iraq and others trying to buy advanced military

technology

2002 Rice said Axis of Evil countries had to be dealt with diplomatically but at same time said they

couldn’t be negotiated with

2002 CIA unclassified report to Congress Said Iraq trying to rebuild its nuclear program

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

2003 Bush told Italian Premier Berlusconi that Iraq would be disarmed and Saddam removed

2003 UN Amb Negroponte told Senate aluminum tubes Iraq bought were not right for rockets in

response to IAEA findings Same hearing Dep Sec of State Armitage said there were differences in US about the tubes

2003 White House spokesman said Bush stood by claim that aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were

for nuke program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 UK Att Gen Goldsmith wrote Blair telling him UN Res 1441 didn’t authorize use of force

against Iraq

2003 Aid group warned that breakdown of law and order likely right after Iraq invasion unless US

immediately established control

2003 Powell’s chief of staff Wilkerson began going through intel on Iraq with CIA for Powell’s Feb

03 UN speech

2004 CIA and Congressional inquiries no evidence White House pressured US intel on Iraq’s WMD

and ties with Al Qaeda

2004 Congressional committee found CIA relied too much on circumstantial outdated and satellite

and intercept intel on Iraq WMD

2005 Elections held for parliament to draft new Iraqi constitution Sunnis boycotted vote Also voted

for provincial councils

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

2007 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report US struggling to increase capacity of Iraqi ministries US

turned over projects and Iraqis couldn’t maintain them One problem 3 Iraqi govts in short period of time New govt purged previous bureacrats from ministries Parties hired people based upon nepotism and patronage rather than competence US didn’t have single group in charge of capacity building Meant no unified effort

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)

2012 Maliki warned Salahaddin governor that he would be removed if he pushed provincial

autonomy

2014 8 gunmen stormed Human Rights Min office in Baghdad and took hostages Were killed

View the Iraq History Timelines

Review Battle For The City Of The Dead, In The Shadow of the Golden Dome, Najaf, August 2004

Review Camp, Dick, Battle For The City Of The Dead, In The Shadow of the Golden Dome, Najaf, August 2004, Minneapolis: Zenith Press, 2011

To the Americans, Moqtada al-Sadr was nothing but trouble. He mixed Islam and Iraqi nationalism to oppose the U.S. occupation. His followers murdered Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Khoei a pro-western Iraqi exile from a renowned religious family in Najaf in 2003 who Sadr considered a rival. His militia the Mahdi Army rose up twice in that same city in 2004. The Americans at first dismissed Sadr, and then finally decided that he was a threat. How the U.S. dealt with the two uprisings in Najaf are the subject of Dick Camp’s Battle For The City Of The Dead, In The Shadow of the Golden Dome, Najaf, August 2004. He provides a great account from the ground level on how the U.S. forces fought Sadr’s militia.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 29

1917 British captured Ottoman fort at Khadairi Bend in campaign to recapture Kut

1948 PM Jabr forced to resign over protests over Anglo-Iraq treaty organized by Communists

Regent also against Jabr

(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)

1948 Sayid Mohammed al-Sadr replaced Jabr as PM

1953 Jamil al-Midfai became PM for 5^th time

1982 King Hussein said Jordanian troops would be sent to Iraq to help in Iran-Iraq War

1987 Iran Op Karbala 5 crossed Jassim Canal in Basra with 3 days of human wave attacks

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

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

(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 Iraq launched probing attack upon Saudi city of Khafji occupying it

2002 Bush State of Union called Iraq part of Axis of Evil Said it still had WMD programs Iran and

North Korea added to Axis of Evil speech because Bush admin didn’t want to be seen as focusing upon Iraq

2003 UN Amb Negroponte said Iraq bought aluminum tubes for nuke program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 Rumsfeld said Iraq had a nuke weapons program and tried to buy uranium from Africa

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

2003 Powell Chief of Staff Wilkerson went over info to be used in Powell speech to UN at CIA HQ

2003 State’s Wilkerson rejected using Cheney Chief of Staff’s briefing as basis for Powell’s UN

speech CIA Dir Tenet said NIE on Iraq should be used instead

2003 Aid groups warned that if Pentagon ran postwar Iraq many international donors would be

reluctant to give relief

2004 NatlSecAdv Rice said what US predicted about Iraq WMD before war not what found

afterward Rice said Saddam deceived US and world about his WMD

2004 State Dept said failure to find out about Iraq’s WMD was not US failure but international

one

2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group head Kay told Bush Saddam wanted Iraqis to believe country had

WMD when it didn't Kay said he thought Saddam destroyed his WMD stocks because too easy to find Bush asked Kay why Saddam didn’t admit he had  no WMD Kay said Saddam wanted fear to stop revolts by Shiites and Kurds

2005 RAND Corp Iraq became center for jihadist cause and cause of terrorism in rest of world

2005 Human Rights Watch US Abu Ghraib prison scandal became recruitment tool for terrorists

2006 Al Qaeda sent 2^nd letter to Ansar al-Sunnah saying it sent representative to Iraq to work out

issues with Al Qaeda in Iraq

2006 Sharia Committee for the Army of the Followers of the Sunnah and the Collective joined

Mujahedeen Shura Council Emir of group was Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s group

2006 Report after US made deal with sheikhs in Ramadi against Al Qaeda in Iraq in mid-Jan 3

sheikhs assassinated leading tribes to retaliate against AQI

(Musings On Iraq article on splits within insurgency)

(Musings On Iraq article on change in perceptions that led to 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 Report 3 Islamist insurgent groups once aligned with Al Qaeda in Iraq in Ramadi broke with

it

2006 National Security Adviser Rubaie said Al Qaeda in Iraq feuding with Islamic Army and

Mujahedeen Army

(Musings On Iraq article on splits within insurgency)

2007 Report US officials skeptical whether Maliki would back Surge and go after Sadr US didn't tell

Maliki about raids on Sadrists because he would try to stop them Maliki got US to release arrested Sadrists US intelligence tapped Maliki’s conversation and confirmed he was telling his advisers he would back Surge

2010 Blair testified to Chilcot Inquiry that Saddam was a threat to the world that had to be dealt

with That if Iraq wasn’t invaded in 2003 world would have to deal with Saddam later and could have been more difficult Said 9/11 changed perceptions of Iraq in both US and England

2018 Parliament voted to end sanctions on banks doing business in Kurdistan and sent $210 mil in

salaries for KRG’s Health and Education Ministry workers

(Musings On Iraq article on Baghdad-Irbil reconciliation moves)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraqi Parties Make Push For US Withdrawal As America’s Presence Increases

(Shafaaq News)

Various Shiite parties are pushing for legislation that would require the United States military to withdraw from Iraq. This comes as the Americans are increasing their presence, and after a controversial visit by President Donald Trump. While the moves in parliament are largely symbolic for now they could become more serious due to increasing rumors and propaganda.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 28

1920 Turkish National Pact said Turkey gave up rights to all Ottoman provinces with Arab

majorities including Basra and Baghdad Did not include Mosul province which Turkey claimed had Turkish majority Kurds called Turks

1920 British also claimed Mosul province which it occupied after armistice with Ottomans in 1918

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with Princeton’s Sara Pursley on Sykes-Picot and creation of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921)

1941 Regent appointed 2 new ministers to try to unseat PM Gaylani leading Gaylani to plot

against Regent

(Musings On Iraq book review of Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)

1954 PM Jamali ended martial law imposed Nov 1952

1979 Saddam visited Syria for Higher Political Committee meeting to unify 2 countries Agreed to

meet in Baghdad to discuss constitutional changes to allow merger

1985 Iran attacked Qasr e-Shirin central Iran across from Diyala attempting to take mountains

outside Sumer

1985 Iraq attacked taking back most of South Majnoon Island from Iranians

1987 Iraq air strike on Larak Island for 2^nd time was new Iranian loading port for tankers farther

south Thought to be out of range of Iraqi jets

1987 Iraqi counterattack pushed Iranians out of beachhead west of Fish Lake defensive line in

Basra during Iran Op Karbala 5

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

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

(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 Saddam told CNN Iraq would be admired for its fighting spirit Iraq could use WMD but

hoped it wouldn’t go that far Said Iraq would win war

(Musings On Iraq article on the origins of Iraq’s WMD programs)

1998 UK discussed using force against Iraq to ensure continued UN weapons inspections

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

1999 Clinton’s Natl Sec Adv Berger OpEd in Wash Post said sanctions and Oil for Food program

positives because made Iraq spend money on its people

2003 Bush’s State of Union said Iraq wasn’t disarming and hiding its programs from weapons

inspections Bush said Iraq had 25,000 liters of anthrax enough to make 38,000 liters of botulinum toxin Making sarin and VX gas Had mobile WMD labs Bush asked what 9/11 hijackers could’ve done if given WMD by Iraq Said British learned Iraq tried to buy uranium from Africa Said Iraq tried to buy aluminum tubes for its nuke program Said Saddam was harboring Al Qaeda members

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

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

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 UK For Sec Straw told For Office legal adv Wood that he didn’t think 2^nd UN resolution was

necessary for action vs Iraq

2003 ORHA head Garner met with NSC’s Zalimay who said goal of postwar Iraq should be getting

Iraqis to govern as soon as possible

2003 Cheney chief of staff Libby gave copy of his briefing on Iraq WMD and ties to Al Qaeda to

Powell to be used as basis for his UN speech

2004 Ex-IraqSurveyGroup’s Kay told Congress everyone wrong about Iraq having stocks of WMD

but did have programs Kay told Congress an investigation was needed on intel failure over Iraq’s WMD

2004 White House said that Iraq Survey Group needed more time to make conclusions about

whether Iraq had WMD or not

2004 Hutton Inquiry said Sep 02 dossier on Iraq’s WMD had not been influenced by political

pressure from Blair govt

2004 UN Sec Gen Annan said UN delegation would go to Iraq to look into elections
2004 CPA Order 55 created Integrity Commission to investigate corruption

(Musings On Iraq article on creation and problems with Integrity Commission)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on Iraq’s fight with corruption) 

(Musings On Iraq interview with former anti-corruption official Vincent Foulk)

2006 Aglus Sunnah wal Jammah joined Mujahadeen Shura Council

2007 Soldiers of Heaven started revolt in Najaf leaving almost 300 dead

2007 Baquba mayor fired for charges of working with insurgents 1500 police fired by new provincial

police chief for deserting posts in Nov 2006

2007 Iran’s Amb to Iraq offered counter to Surge Said Iran would open banks fund major

reconstruction projects provide electricity and fuel train equip advise Iraqi forces

2007 Sec State Rice sent letter to Senate Armed Service Comm saying that White House told Maliki

govt US backing was not open ended and expected Baghdad to pass certain laws Sametime said Maliki govt had not passed provincial election, oil or deBaathification law

2009 Early voting in provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq article on 2009 provincial elections)

(Musings On Iraq article on details on Iraq’s voting system)

2011 Protest in Mosul demanded govt release of prisoners

2016 PM Abadi met with Pres Masum Speaker Jabouri to talk about technocratic govt and reforms

(Musings On Iraq interview with Reidar Visser on PM Abadi’s reform program)

2018 Report General Dynaics pulled out most of its maintenance crews for Iraqi army’s Abrams

tanks because some were in Hashd hands

(Musings On Iraq article on Abrams tanks with Hashd) 

View the Iraq History Timelines

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 27

1925 League of Nations Commission on Mosul arrived in province to protests Was to

determine who would get Mosul Iraq or Turkey Commission interviewed hundreds of locals and mapped economy, land, trade routes, ethnicities

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

1948 Communists called for more protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty to topple 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)

1948 Mass demonstration against Anglo-Iraq treaty led to clashes with police in Baghdad 77 killed

Hundreds wounded

1969 14 hung in Baghdad after show trial over alleged Israeli spy ring uncovered by Saddam 9

were Jews Bakr govt declared execution day a national holiday and bused in people from around the country to watch After executions Bakr and other Baath leaders gave speeches to crowd against Zionist threat

1983 Saddam rejected offer by Iran to discuss 7 disputed areas but said was ready to talk about

ceasefire in war

1985 Iraq launched 1^st large offensive in 2 yrs to try to take back Majnoon Islands Deployed 2

corps Iraq gained bridgehead on island but Iranian reinforcements defeated operation

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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 Head UN inspector Butler quoted in NYTimes saying Iraq had enough biological weapons

and missiles to “blow away” Tel Aviv

1998 UN chief Annan demanded head UN inspector Butler apologize for NYTimes interview

which he did

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 Gen Franks briefed Rumsfeld on latest war plan Said Iraqi military degraded by sanctions

Wanted info campaign vs Iraq to start Franks claimed the more the U.S. got involved against Saddam the less Iraqi people would support regime Franks had cut war plan to 150 days down from 7 months and 245,000 troops Franks wanted to cut timeline for war down to even less time

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

2003 Head UN inspector Blix told Security Council that Iraq cooperating with inspections but had

not accepted disarmament Blix asked what undeclared WMD items did Iraq have Asked did it illegally produce anything after 98 Blix said Iraq’s Dec WMD declaration had provided no new info and not answered questions Said were questions about Iraq’s production of anthrax VX gas and WMD bombs from Iran-Iraq War

2003 IAEA head El Baradei told Security Council IAEA had found no evidence of an active

nuclear program in Iraq Said aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were probably for rockets not nuclear program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

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

2003 Powell said Iraq was hiding its WMD

2003 US intelligence said Blix would back off next declaration to UN on inspections because didn't

want to start war

2003 Some in White House believed Blix lying about inspections and could not be trusted

2003 Bush believed US stuck in inspection process and pushed him towards war

2003 CIA report said Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger in 1999 Said was uranium in warehouse

in Benin but was going to France not Iraq

2003 CIA Dir Tenet given copy of Bush’s State of the Union address that included claim that Iraq

tried to buy uranium from Niger Tenet didn’t read speech

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

2003 CIA Berlin chief said that Iraqi defector CURVEBALL was considered a problem by Germans

and they hadn’t confirmed any of his stories of mobile WMD labs

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

(Musings On Iraq articles on the CURVEBALL story)

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2003 ORHA began contracting for supplies and personnel for post-war Iraq 2 months before

invasion

2003 William Safire NYTimes piece said Zarqawi went to Baghdad Then to Kurdistan to Ansar al-

Islam proving Iraq-Al Qaeda link

2004 Ex-IraqSurveyGroup head Kay Iraq told UN in 1995 it had destroyed WMD and nuke

program but no one believed them

2006 Report shifting US reconstruction money to security meant 60% of water and 125 electricity

projects would not be finished

2007 Report more than 800 had volunteered for Anbar police due to Awakening in Dec 2006 Fmr

Anbar Gov Gaood MP Salah al-Mutlaq both said they opposed 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)

2012 Bombing of Shiite funeral left over 90 casualties 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 26

1948 PM Said said that Anglo-Iraq Treaty was still on the table after Regent cancelled it

Led to new protests

1948 PM Said ordered suppression of protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1982 Iran and Iraq agreed to family visits for prisoners of war

1987 Islamic Conference Organization invited Iran and Iraq to summit in Kuwait Iran said no

1987 UN Sec Gen de Cuella addressed Islamic Conf Org saying aggressor in Iran-Iraq War needed

to be determined

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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 Iraqi National Accord operative gave interview saying CIA behind bombing campaign in Iraq

from 1994-95

1998 Project for New American Century sent letter to Clinton demanding US overthrow Saddam

11 of 18 signatores would join Bush admin

2003 Powell speech asked why Iraq tried to buy uranium Reference to Iraq-Niger uranium deal

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

2003 Blair said Iraq non-cooperation with UN inspectors was material breach of UN Resolution

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2004 Japanese troops deployed to Iraq as part of Coalition of Willing

2004 Report CPA officials were questioning influence of Ayatollah Sistani and whether all major

CPA decisions would have to get his approval

2004 Report Pentagon signed new $96 mil contract with Harris Co to set up Iraqi news outlet to

broadcast US messaging to Iraqis Previous company contracted by Pentagon for Iraqi news outlet couldn’t find equipment Didn’t pay Iraqi workers Made poorly produced news

2005 Insurgent umbrella group announced campaign to disrupt that year’s elections

2005 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said US and Iraqi forces killing more insurgents and taking fight

to Sunni areas Said Iraqi forces could not secure country but could secure voting stations during elections

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

2006 Al Qaeda sent letter to Ansar al-Sunnah suggested it merge with Al Qaeda in Iraq

2007 US arrested Sheikh Daraji Sadr’s media director in Baghdad

2007 Report Bush authorized killing and capturing Iranians in Iraq Fall 06 In 2006 US had arrested

dozens of Iranians but released them Administration believed hitting Iran hard in Iraq would make it step back from its nuke program Summer 06 US officials decided to confront Iran more directly in Iraq Said Iran had to pay a price for interfering in Iraq and threatening US forces CIA Dir Hayden warned that new policy could just lead to Iranians to retaliate against US in Iraq Secretary of State Rice worried about policy escalating to direct confrontation with Iran Some officials wanted US to go after Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Iraq as much as Islamic State of Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)

2007 Fmr Cheney media aide Martin said Vice President dictated talking points to his Chief of Staff

Libby to use with reporters to discredit fmr Amb Wilson on Iraq-Niger uranium story Libby was also ordered to call reporters Libby talked about ways to discredit Wilson including leaking to reporters Cheney also ordered Martin to track news stories about Wilson Martin contradicted Libby’s claim that he found out Wilson’s wife’s name from journalist Novak Wife Plame was a CIA officer Wilson claimed he found no evidence of Iraq-Niger uranium deal Claimed Cheney knew about his findings and continued to lie about it Cheney didn’t hear about Wilson’s account

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

2011 Insurgents caught crossing from Syria to Anbar Said they got aid from Syrian govt

(Musings On Iraq article on Syrian support for Iraqi insurgency 2011-12)

2015 After battle with IS in Barwanah, Diyala Hashd kill 70 civilians

2017 All of east Mosul freed by Iraqi forces after PM Abadi declared it cleared already

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 25

1917 British attacked Ottoman positions along Hai River

1959 Gen Qasim legalized trade unions

(Musings On Iraq interview with Western Kentucky’s Prof Romero on the Qasim govt)

1967 Pres Johnson met 5 Iraqi generals and Iraqi Amb Hani at White House and said that they

would build closer ties

1981 Islamic Conference Organization created group to try to mediate end to Iran-Iraq War

1987 3^rd War of the Cities ended

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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 OPEC said Kuwait and UAE agreed to limit oil exports to try to settle dispute with Iraq

1995 Saddam discussed how Iraq had created a deterrent to protect every Arab capital from Israel

with WMD

(Musings On Iraq article on the origins of Iraq’s WMD programs)

1998 Report US was preparing strike against Iraq called Operation Desert Thunder for non

cooperation with UN inspectors US was hoping to cause a confrontation with inspectors to attack Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on how US manipulated UN inspections)

2003 Military Industrialization Commission officials had Republican Guard commanders sign docs

that they had no WMD in units

2003 Cheney chief of staff Libby briefed White House on case vs Iraq’s WMD and ties to Al Qaeda

Said Iraq hiding its WMD and cleaning sites before UN inspections Said Iraq-Al Qaeda ties strong Libby played recording of 2 Al Qaeda operatives talking about poisons that Libby said they got from Iraq Libby claimed 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraq intelligence in Prague up to 4 times

2004 Ex-Iraq Survey Group Head Kay US intel was wrong about state of Iraq’s WMD programs US

intel agencies had to explain why they failed on Iraq intel on WMD Kay said Iraq tried to restart nuke program in 2000-01 but didn’t get far Kay said Iraq had active biological weapons program 1998 US bombing had stopped Iraq’s chemical weapons program

2005 Bush admin said it would ask Congress for another $80 bil for Iraq and Afghanistan wars

2005 Human Rights Watch reported arbitrary arrests torture abuse threats corruption in Iraqi

justice system

2006 Report US wanted to make Iraqi army light infantry force to fight insurgency and not

threaten neighbors Meant given no artillery or heavy weapons besides 77 T-72 tanks

2010 3 international hotels bombed

2013 ISF killed 9 protesters at Fallujah protest camp for throwing stones

2015 Yazidi militias and YPG forced Arabs out of Om Danabuk, Sinjar Killed 10 and looted village

2015 Badr’s Amiri claimed all of Diyala cleared of IS

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Inauspicious Start To Iran-Iraq War

Iraqi MiG-23s took part in the surprise attempt to destroy Iran's air force at start of Iran-Iraq War (Warfareguns)

Saddam Hussein had grand plans for the 1980 invasion of Iran. Despite lacking any strategic plan, he believed he could repeat Israel’s surprise attack in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War and destroy Iran’s air force. Iraq started the war with raids upon Iran’s major airbases that was almost a fiasco. This was matched by Iran’s counterattack that proved just as ineffective. This inauspicious start would be symbolic of much of the early years of the conflict as the two sides struggled to make any kind of breakthrough.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 24

1969 Former MP Bajari during spy trial claimed opposition leaders were trying to

overthrow Pres Bakr’s govt

1970 42 more sentenced to death for coup plot against Pres Bakr

2003 Gen Franks presented final war plan to Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs head Gen Myers

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military) 
 2003 Blair sent note to Bush suggesting delaying Iraq invasion for a month to allow more time for

postwar planning

2003 UK Foreign Office legal adv Sir Wood told Foreign Sec Straw that Britain could not go to

war with Iraq without a 2^nd UN resolution

2003 IAEA told Wash Post aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were wrong for nuke program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 Archaeologists and scholars briefed Pentagon about historical sites in Iraq that should be

spared from bombing

2003 DIA report repeated CIA reporting on Iraq-Niger uranium deal and Navy reported uranium

was in a warehouse in Benin Said Iraq could have gotten uranium

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

2003 2^nd NYTimes article on Iraqi defector Haideri provided by INC Said that he’d led to dozens of

DIA reports on Iraq’s WMD DIA labeled him a fabricator May 02 story continued to be used

2003 Defense Policy Board’s Richard Perle accused CIA of being biased against INC so it wouldn’t

interview people like Haideri

2004 Iraq Survey Group took INC provided defector Haideri to sites he claimed were WMD and

found nothing May 02 labeled fabricator by DIA but story continued to be used

2004 7,000 Kurds marched for a new federal Iraq

2006 Report Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction found disputes lack of staff and set rules caused

huge delays completing projects

2007 Amb Khalizad asked British to stop troop withdrawal plans UK Foreign Sec Beckett said

drawdown would continue

2008 Report 200 Sahwa killed and 500 wounded Jun-Dec 2007 in upturn in attacks upon forces

2011 2 bombs hit Shiite pilgrims during Arbayeen

2011 Deputy Justice Min denied report prison at Camp Honor Baghdad was under Maliki’s control

Said run by Justice Min Said Red Cross and Human Rights Min had visited facility and found no torture or abuses Said families and lawyers could visit prisoners Red Cross said they were denied access to prison

(Musings On Iraq article on Camp Honor prison)

2014 As fighting and insurgency took off in Anbar when PM Maliki shut down protest sites mass

displacement started UN said 140,000 displaced from Anbar up from 65,000 week before

(Musings On Iraq article on displacement due to fighting in Anbar)

2015 Kurdistan Security Council announced 23 IS leaders killed in fighting Peshmerga Included

Abu Muslim al-Turkmani member of IS Shura Council highest body in group Said to be one of Baghdadi’s top deputies

(Musings On Iraq article on death of IS leaders)

2017 East Mosul officially declared liberated by PM Abadi

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Jan 15-21, 2019

(Iraqi News)

Iraq was relatively quiet during the third week of January 2018. There were few incidents and few casualties. The Islamic State has been operating at a very low level since the winter. Turkey on the other hand continued with its weekly strikes against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 23

1920 British cabinet decided Iraqi oil would be developed by a public company Foreign

Secretary Curzon overturned decision

1920 UK Foreign Secretary Lord Curzon decided Turkish Petroleum Company would keep its oil

rights signed with Ottomans

(Musings On Iraq book review The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921)

1948 More protests against Anglo-Iraq Treaty leading to fights between Communist and

Independence party

(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)

1970 33 conspirators in coup against Pres Bakr executed

1987 Ali Khamenei said Iran would not negotiate with Iraq as long was Saddam in power

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper 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 Iraq dumped 400 mil gallons of oil into Persian Gulf to try to prevent US retaking Kuwait

1999 NSC counterterrorism dir Clarke said US was right to bomb factory in Sudan because

connected to Al Qaeda and Iraq WMD experts

2003 Iraq Defense Ministry ordered that if Baghdad were to fall all govt buildings were to be looted

and burned

2003 Mukhabarat document called for looting and destruction of property if Saddam were

overthrown

2003 Rice wrote NY Times OpEd Iraq hiding its WMD programs from UN inspectors and tried to

buy uranium for its nuke program Reference to Iraq-Niger deal

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

2003 Rumsfeld said that Iraq had WMD and ties to terrorism were one threat

2003 Under Sec of Def Wolfowitz said Iraq had tons of WMD and time running out for it Said Iraq

didn’t make truthful weapons declaration to UN Said Iraqi defectors told about Iraq having mobile WMD labs Said Iraqi govt threatening scientists not to talk to UN inspectors

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2003 White House released document saying Iraq hiding its WMD and tried to buy uranium for its

nuke program Reference to Iraq-Niger deal

2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay resigned saying didn’t think Iraq had any WMD stocks or large

programs since 1980s Said Iraq destroyed its WMD after Gulf War due to inspections and unilateral actions Kay resigned because group was going to be diverted from finding WMD to fighting insurgency

2004 In response to Iraq Survey Group head Kay resigning and saying there were no WMD White

House said it believed Iraq had WMD and it would be found

2006 Report Iraqis going to Jordan jumped from 200-250/day from 2004-05 to 1,100/day in Jan 06

as people were fleeing violence

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed Sheikh Kharbite’s house in Ramadi of Albu Khalifa tribe and

member of Anbar security council

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

2007 Bush State of Union outlined the Surge

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)

2008 Iraqi Ninewa campaign began to secure Mosul

2008 20,000 pound bomb went off in Mosul Killed 15 wounded 132

2010 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq kidnapped US contractor Issa Salomi which it swapped for 4 of its

members held in prison

(Musings On Iraq article on history of Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

2010 Report Diyala Sahwa told to abandon posts by commanders due to Maliki govt crackdown

Sahwa sheikh claimed 425 Sahwa and 25 senior leaders had been arrested by govt on charges they belonged to ISI

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki govt crackdown on Diyala Sahwa)

2011 Report found prison at Camp Honor Baghdad Prisoners held incommunicado No lawyers

Torture Facility was under direct command of PM Maliki

(Musings On Iraq article on Camp Honor prison)

2015 Hashd destroyed four mosques in Muqtadiya, Diyala after operation there 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Rate of Return For Iraq’s Displaced Increased At End of 2018

For the last year and a half the rate of return for Iraq’s displaced (IDPs) has been steadily decreasing. With homes destroyed, the lack of jobs and services, people being banned from their home areas due to their affiliation with the Islamic State, and others starting a new life fewer people were making the decision to go back. At the end of 2018 that pattern changed with more people going home than the previous period.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jan 22

1921 Gertrude Bell wrote that British officers in Mosul province thought they could

convince Kurds to vote for Feisal as king in referendum They didn’t

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Gertrude Bell, Explorer of the Middle East)

1970 3 coup plotters executed by Pres Bakr govt

1970 Iraq expelled Iranian ambassador accusing Tehran of backing 1970 failed coup

1991 Iraqi SCUD missile and 2 U.S. Patriot missiles landed on Israeli city of Ramat Gan

1991 Iraqi forces set fire to 700 Kuwaiti oil wells

2003 2^nd meeting of US UK Australia on postwar Iraq Little came of meeting

2003 CIA sent its report on Iraq WMD to White House to help make case for war

2003 CIA analyst told IAEA aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy were for centrifuges IAEA said they

were for rockets IAEA proved right

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2004 Cheney said Iraq had mobile labs and WMD programs Inspections found no mobile labs

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2004 Cheney said overwhelming evidence Saddam linked to Al Qaeda Said Iraq behind 1993 World

Trade Center bombing Based upon Laurie Mylroie conspiracy theories

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

2005 Report $300 mil for arms deal for Iraqi army went missing after put on plane for Lebanon

2005 INC’s Chalabi accused Defense Min Shaalan of stealing the $300 mil Shaalan threatened to

arrest Chalabi for the charge

2006 Report 34,131 attacks in 2005 up from 26,496 in 2004 Car bombs went from 420 in 2004 to

873 in 2005 IEDs went from 5,607 in 2004 to 10,953 in 2005

2007 Maliki announced he would no longer protect the Mahdi Army from U.S. raids

2008 Mahdi Army tried to kidnap PM Maliki’s national security adviser Mowafaq Rubaie in Baghdad

2011 Kirkuk made deal with Electricity Min that province would get larger power quota Would still

not meet demand Governor had cut off power line to Baghdad and kept electricity for province

(Musings On Iraq article on Kirkuk-Electricity Min deal)

(Musings On Iraq article on power problems in Kirkuk)

2012 Iraq voted in Arab League for a transition of power in Syria away from Assad

2015 Coalition air strike killed Abu Ans Samarraie IS’s governor for Anbar He was responsible for

            executing hundreds of members of the Albu Nimr tribe

(Musings On Iraq article on death of IS leaders)

View the Iraq History Timelines