This Day in Iraqi History - Feb 24

1917 British retook Kut from Ottomans in 2nd Battle of Kut

1921 Churchill met with French who argued against Feisal being put in power in Mesopotamia because of

his record in Syria against France

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Churchill’s Folly, How Winston Churchill Created Modern Iraq)

1927 UK Iraq Commissioner Dobbs said that if Iraq not given independence would be unrest and England

would have to re-occupy country or leave

1955 Iraq signed security treaty with Turkey UK eventually joined Would become anti-Communist

Baghdad Pact Attempt by UK to maintain position in region

1955 Iraq got control of Habaniya and Shaiba air bases from England UK would come to aid of Iraq in war

and continue with military supplies under Baghdad Pact

1984 Iran ended Ops Fajr 5 and 6 attacking Wasit and Basra which were diversionary attacks from

main target Majnoon Islands

1984 Iran broke through Iraqi defenses on Majnoon islands

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1986 2^nd Iraqi attempt to retake Fao from Iranians failed 10,000 Iraqis and 30,000 Iranians killed

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1986 Iran’s Wa al-Fajr 9 attacked Sulaymaniya to try to draw Iraqi forces away from Fao Peninsula Basra

Included KDP

1986 UN Resolution 582 deplored use of chemical weapons in Iran-Iraq War but didn’t say who was using

them

1986 UN Resolution 582 also called for immediate cease-fire in Iran-Iraq War

(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 Saddam gave speech about liberating Jerusalem and warning US could take over Persian Gulf  

Saddam was trying to determine Israel’s policy towards Iraq before he decied to invade Kuwait

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1991 U.S. led Coalition attacked Iraqi ground forces to liberate Kuwait in Operation Desert Sabr

1991 US-Saudi Voice of Free Iraq began broadcasting calling on Iraqis to rise up and overthrow Saddam

Allawi and Iraqi National Accord also part of radio station

1991 Saddam told aides that Coalition airpower would limit troop movement but Iraqi soldiers were better

because of experience in Iran-Iraq War

1991 Saddam and aides believed that U.S. casualties would lead to end of Gulf War

2001 Powell said Iraq had not developed any significant WMD capability and UN sanctions worked

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

2002 CENTCOM intel staff completed first draft of intel estimate for Iraq invasion

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

2003 US UK Spain tabled 2nd draft resolution to UN saying Iraq had not taken opportunity to disarm 

2003 Russia France Germany tabled counter draft resolution at UN calling for step by step disarmament

process in Iraq

2003 Turkish cabinet agreed to allow US forces to be deployed for Iraq invasion in return for $1 bil in aid

2003 Turkish Foreign Min asked US for $92 bil in aid and allowing Turkish troops into Kurdistan in return

for US using Turkey for Iraq invasion

2003 CIA denied Newsweek story that Hussein Kamal claimed Iraq destroyed its WMD in 90s He did say

that

2003 NSC meeting on Iraq oil sector Said US should not determine industry Went over rebuilding and

getting sector back on line after war Bush told NSC important to get Iraqis to be seen running oil sector after war Bush worried about oil shocks due to invasion Saudis said they would handle prices

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq and the Politics of Oil, An Insider’s Perspective)

2003 US outlined general humanitarian relief plan for postwar Iraq including finances and implementation

2011 All universities and institutes in Irbil closed to stop student protests

2011 Kurdistan Students’ Union told students in Irbil had to end protests or all services at school would be

closed to them

2011 Protests in Halabja turned violent as govt building burned and 3 died

2011 Kurdish protests spread to southern Kirkuk province

(Musings On Iraq interview with journalist Wladimir Van Wilgenburg on 2011 KRG protests)

2014 ISIS released statement in Ninewa attacking Maliki and telling people not to vote in election

2016 Sources said Iran told PM Abadi he needed to keep Shiite quotas in any new govt

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