This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 31

1922 Gertrude Bell wrote King Faisal telling him he was vain and weak

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

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

1986 Iran started Op Karbala 2 in Haj Umran Advanced deep into Kurdistan in retaliation for Iraq air

attacks on oil facilities

(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)

1986 Document said chemical and biological agents were being distributed in Irbil to be used against Kurds

1988 Ali Hassan al-Maid ordered homes of Shabaks that had changed nationality to Kurd be destroyed and

families relocated

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1996 30,000 Republican Guards began attack upon PUK Captured Irbil city to back KDP PUK gave orders

to flee to hills to escape Iraqi attack

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

1996 INC camp in Qushtapa, Irbil captured by Iraqi forces 96 INC members killed

1996 Clinton said he was concerned about Iraqi attack on Irbil but US not ready to respond Def Sec Perry

said US should not get involved in Kurdish civil war

2003 Commander of Guantanamo Bay prison Gen Miller flew to Iraq to advise on interrogation techniques

            Would lead to Abu Ghraib prison abuse

2003 Pentagon DefPolicyBoard’s Perle US should have organized Iraqi opposition to take over govt after

invasion

2004 CIA report Ayatollah Sistani and Sadr’s standing increased by Battle of Najaf PM Allawi’s hurt

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2005 Rumor of suicide bomber led to stampede of Shiite pilgrims on Tigris Bridge in Baghdad Over 1,000

dead and wounded

2005 Report draft constitution did not deal with some of major issues in Iraq

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

2005 Albu Mahal Sheikh Mahallawi said his tribe had declared war on Al Qaeda in Iraq in western Anbar

(Musings On Iraq article on Albu Mahal tribe)

2005 Red Team set up by Ambassador Khalizad and General Casey in July made its report Aimed

at creating counterinsurgency strategy to come to victory in 3 years Said current strategy of turning over security to Iraqis would allow Coalition to withdraw but ISF couldn't defeat the insurgency Called for ink spot counterinsurgency plan Didn’t ask for more troops

(Musings On Iraq book review Nights in the Pink Motel, An American Strategist’s Pursuit of Peace in Iraq on writing campaign plan for Gen Casey)

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)

2006 Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Baghdad security progressing US forces clearing areas but Iraqis not

holding them Said Iraqi forces could take over security in country in 12-18 months

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

2006 PM Maliki told Iraq Survey Group security problems caused by Baathists and Al Qaeda

            Said problem with Iraqi police was too many former regime members in it

2006 Report Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Reconstruction said 30% of 56 projects inspected didn't meet standards

and some were failures Said US should have started using Iraqi companies for work to speed process and help Iraqi economy

2007 Report US commission said that Iraqi police should be completely scrapped and started over

Said police sectarian supported militias sometimes attacked US forces Pentagon rejected proposal said its training program was fixing problems 9 police brigade and 17 battalion commanders had been relieved

(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)

2010 US officially ended combat operations in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq book review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents)

2015 Protest in front of Judicial Council building in Baghdad demanding Chief Justice Medhat be dismissed

2018 Protesters sacked Basra provincial council building ISF fired into crowd wounding 8 Demonstrations

in northern Basra as well Another protest in Baghdad over US interference in govt formation process

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 30

1919 War Min Churchill wrote that half the British forces in Mesopotamia should be sent home

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

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

1920 War Min Churchill denied Middle East commander Gen Haldane additional reinforcements to

put down 1920 Revolt

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

1962 KDP bombed Iraq Petroleum Company pipeline

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

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

1968 Pres Bakr shut down Iraqi offices of Arab Socialist Union and ended Iraq-Egypt union plans

1987 Iraq air raid on Kharg Island Iraq’s main oil terminal Iraq also restarted attacks on Gulf shipping

after 7 week break

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988)

1992 Reports that govt arrested Shiites in south and moved them into camps

1996 State Dept attempted to mediate ceasefire between KDP-PUK KDP denied that it had any deal with

Baghdad

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

2000 US and Soviets agreed not to send UN inspectors back to Iraq

2002 PM Blair decided UK strategy would be to get UN to issue resolution that would give ultimatum to

Iraq on inspectors or else

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Section 3.4 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options, Late July to 14 September 2002)

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

(Musings On Iraq article UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

2003 Iraqi Governing Council announced 17 candidates for first-post Saddam cabinet

2005 US Amb Khalizad said final draft of constitution with edits had not been submitted yet Never was

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

2006 Bush said if US left Iraq before job done would become terrorist state and undermine US leadership

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

2006 Report Mahdi Army seized Sunnis in Baghdad hospitals and executed them Health Min run by

Sadrsits Inspector General said investigation into matter found nothing IG was from Dawa who cooperaed with Sadrsits

(Musings On Iraq book review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)

2007 Report draft review of Maliki govt by US embassy said corruption and abuses the norm and govt not

trying to stop them Said Interior and Defense Mins the worst Interior Min kidnapped and executed people Took bribes Acted like a mafia Oct 06 Interior Min officials killed brother of VP Hashemi Integrity Comm afraid to investigate Interior because afraid would be assassinated US advisors at Defense have protected officials from investigations $850 mil missing from Defense budget and no effort to investigate Sadrists stealing from Trade Min and blocking investigations Different parties stealing from Transporatation Min One party stole vehicles another party stole grain being shipped by ministry Oil Min couldn’t keep track of oil production or stop gangs militias insurgents from smuggling oil Integrity Comm officials needed armed guards to enter some ministries PM Maliki against investigations Cut funding and interfered in cases involving Shiites Maliki tried to gain control of inspector generals in ministries and filled staffs with Dawa Maliki brought back old law that said corruption cases couldn’t proceed without permission of ministries Maliki forbid any investigation of top officials without his permission Maliki ordered hacking of Integrity Comm website Integrity Comm staff under siege Head of commission lived in hiding US Embasy not helping fight vs corruption

(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)

2007 Draft US GAO report on Surge leaked Said Iraq only passed 3 of 18 benchmarks Passed protecting

minority parties autonomous region agreed to spend $10 bil on reconstruction even though hadn’t spent much US agencies differed on whether sectarian violence down Attacks against Iraqis changed little PM Maliki govt not passed any major laws ISF not ready and infiltrated by militias Politicians interfered in military operations

2008 Integrity Comm head said no govt official had filled required financial disclosure form Said Jan 08

Amnesty Law threatened up to 700 corruption cases in Baghdad alone

2018 Protest northern Basra over water crisis

View the Iraq History Timelines 
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Review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq

Review Ricks, Thomas, Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq, New York: Penguin Press, 2006

Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq remains one of the pre-eminent military histories of the early years of the U.S. war in Iraq. The book is broken up into thirds, with the first on the lead up to the 2003 invasion, the middle on the aftermath when the U.S. found it had no plan on how to bring about stability and democracy to Iraq , and then the end focuses upon 2004-05 when the resistance to the occupation increased and the U.S. still couldn't fully adapt. The strength of the book is writer Tom Ricks’ depth of knowledge about military affairs. The title is his thesis, meaning that he argues that the Bush administration never had a strategy to win in Iraq because it misconstrued what kind of conflict it was getting into.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 29

1922 Turkish troops testing border with Iraq attacked Rania in Sulaymaniya

1987 Iraq attacked 2 Iranian merchant ships 40 ships hit by both Iran and Iraq in next 2 weeks

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988)

1988 Bazi Gorge in Kurdistan attacked by Iraqi forces with chemical weapons killing around 3,000 Kurds

during Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1996 Iraqi National Accord discovered impending Iraqi attack on Kurdistan and KDP had made deal with

Saddam

2002 Bush signed Iraq: Goals, Objectives, Strategy that said US would use all means to remove Saddam

Said US would work with Iraqi exiles and not occupy Iraq

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq book review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict)

2002 Bush and PM Blair talked about tough UN resolution on Iraq disarmament and how Saddam wouldn't

comply leading to conflict

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Section 3.4 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options, Late July to 14 September 2002)

2002 VP Cheney spoke at Veterans of Korea War about Iraq threat Said Iraqis would welcome US invasion

with joy

2002 UK Foreign Office paper said rebuilding Iraq would be a long and costly affair

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2002 IAEA spokesman in London Times no evidence Iraq rebuilding nuclear facilities Would be easy to

find by spy satellites

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

2002 Pres Chirac said France opposed unilateral and pre-emptive action by US against Iraq

2003 SCIRI head Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim killed in Najaf Imam Ali shrine car bombing by Zarqawi 125

killed 500 wounded Bomb driven by Yassin Jarrad father of Zarqawi’s second wife

(Musings On Iraq book review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

2007 Sadr announced freeze of Mahdi Army after fighting with Badr in Karbala Sadrists said some Mahdi

Army following Iran and freeze would allow purge

(Musings On Iraq article on Sadr freezing Mahdi Army)

2007 Gen Petraeus wrote about Anbar Awakening and Sahwa and how they improved security in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on Sahwa)

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

2008 PM Maliki in confrontation with KRG warned that if Peshmerga operated outside of Kurdistan they

would be breaking the law

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki dispute with Kurds over disputed areas)

2009 Interior Min announced it arrested 14 ISI members behind Aug 18 Baghdad bombings PM Maliki had

blamed Baathists and Syria

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

2016 KDP-PUK delegation went to Baghdad Talked about Kurdish independence and Battle of Mosul Pres

            Barzani said status quo couldn’t continue and Kurds needed independence

2017 Anbar council elected Halbusi new governor after finally dismissing Governor Rawi on corruption

after 3 tries

2017 Kirkuk council voted to be included in Kurdistan independence referendum Condemned by Arab and

Turkmen politicians

2018 Protests in Dhi Qar and Baghdad for jobs and reform and one in Basra demanding ISF member that

killed a demonstrator be arrested

View the Iraq History Timelines 

U.S. Report On Islamic State’s Rebuilding Effort In Iraq And Syria

(IG)

U.S. agencies involved in Operation Inherent Resolve, the war against the Islamic State released their latest quarterly report. It focused upon IS’s effort to rebuild in Iraq and Syria. It noted that the group is picking up its operations in Syria while trying to restore its base in Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 28

1948 Jews forbidden to work in banking or foreign currency transactions after creation of Israel

1984 Senate Foreign Relations report said US and Soviet Union both backing Iraq 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 Kuwait formally annexed as 19^th province of Iraq

1990 Egypt’s Pres Mubarak attempted to mediate between Iraq and Kuwait

1990 Saddam allowed western women and children hostages captured during Kuwait invasion to go home

1996 US provided info to UN that Iraq smuggling oil in violation of sanctions

1996 PUK and KDP restarted US brokered peace talks to try to end civil war

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

2002 Def Policy Board’s Ken Adelman WallStJournal OpEd Said Saddam worse threat than Al Qaeda

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

2004 Iraqi insurgents kidnapped 2 French reporters Gave Paris 48 hrs to end ban on schoolgirls wearing

headscarves

2005 Draft Iraq constitution presented to parliament but more changes made to it afterward

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

2006 Dep PM Salah said Iraqi parties agreed on oil revenue sharing with money being distributed to

provinces based upon population and needs Still no agreement over signing oil contracts or making major decisions Oil law never passed

2006 ISF raid in Diwaniya led to major gun battle with Mahdi Army and other militias Captured Iraqi

soldiers were executed in a public square More than 40 killed and 90 wounded US military said Diwaniya battle was a major victory for the ISF but was actually ended by political deal with Sadr

2006 Report around 100 Iraqi soldiers from 10^th Division in Maysan refused to deploy to Baghdad for

Operation Together Forward II Not 1^st time ISF units had refused to leave their home base

2007 After confrontation and arrests between Badr run plice and Sadrists day before mahdi Army attacked

            police in Karbala 50 killed 200 wounded Fighting spread to 5 Baghdad neighborhoods and Diwaniya

2007 PM Maliki headed forces to arrest Sadrists in Karbala after fire fight with Badr Brigade

2008 In dispute with PM Maliki over disputed area of Khanaqin Diyala Peshmerga Minister said his forces

were better than the ISF who couldn’t challenge them

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki dispute with Kurds over disputed areas)

2011 Suicide bombing on Um al-Qura mosque Baghdad during Ramadan killed 28

2011 Iraq’s cabinet submitted draft of new oil law Never passed

2015 Protests in Salahaddin Basra, Najaf Karbala Babil Dhi Qar Wasit Diyala Maysan for reform

2017 Court upheld dismissal of Anbar Gov Rawi on corruption after escaping charges 2 other times

View the Iraq History Timelines 

UN Provides Details On Islamic State’s Rebuilding In Iraq and Syria

(Reuters)

The United Nations just released a new report on the Islamic State and other jihadist groups. It warned that while IS has been defeated militarily in Syria and Iraq it is reverting back to an insurgency to make a comeback. That involves rebuilding its cadres and finances, dispersing its leadership so that they can survive, and adapting to its new situation.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 27

1920 British forced to withdraw from Shatra during 1920 Revolt British were able to retake Baquba

from tribes

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

1933 Iraqi govt sent letter to British newspaper claiming only a few Assyrian villages had been emptied of

people Baghdad had returned all stolen goods No truth to reports villages had been burned Was propaganda effort to cover up massacre of 600 Assyrians and 60 villages having been looted and destroyed

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review State and Society in Iraq)

1934 Ali Aiyubi became premier of Iraq, would hold office 3 times

1992 Report US funneled counterfeit dinars into Iraq to try to undermine economy and Saddam

(Musings On Iraq book review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents)

1995 PKK attacked KDP as it was blocking its operations along Turkish border PUK Iran and Syria

gave aid to PKK KDP accused Badr and Iranian Revolutionary Guard of involvement in PKK offensive

(Musings On Iraq article on the history of Badr Organization)

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

1996 PUK attacked KDP in Kurdistan Forced KDP out of most of its territory PUK backed by Iran

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

2002 VP Cheney gave speech calling Saddam a threat that needed a pre-emptive strike to remove him

(Musings On Iraq book review America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy)

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

2002 Hosni Mubarak said that Arab League opposed invasion of Iraq

2003 White House considered asking Congress for additional $3 bil for reconstruction in Iraq on top of

previous $2.5 bil

2003 Oxfam started withdrawing from Iraq after terrorist bombings against aid groups by Zarqawi 4^th aid

group to do so

2003 ORHA oil team met with 3 Oil Min director generals Said US not in Iraq to take its oil Picked top

positions within ministry Agreed needed to up oil production and refined products

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

2004 Ayatollah Sistani returned from London to Najaf Arranged ceasefire with Sadr to end Battle of

Najaf Mahdi Army were to turn in weapons but not be arrested Didn’t give up arms

2004 Sadr said “puppet police” couldn't protect Imam Ali shrine in Najaf and Mahdi Army still in control of

it

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2006 PM Maliki told CNN violence was going down in Iraq no civil war but reconciliation MP Mutlaq said

no democracy developing because of violence

2006 National reconciliation meeting ended with 700 sheikhs Talked about creating committees to

negotiate with insurgency

2006 US Gen Thurman said Operation Together Forward II was reducing violence in Baghdad

2006 Khalis Diyala 22 shot in café Judge’s home raided brother killed IED at market killed 6 Part of

sectarian fighting between militias and insurgents for control of province

2007 After meeting of PM Maliki Pres Talabani VP Hashemi VP Mahdi KRG Pres Barzani deal announced

to reform deBaathification law and release prisoners 2^nd deal in 2007 Wouldn’t pass until 2008 because of opposition

2007 Badr run police got into argument with Sadrists outside Karbala shrine That night police arrested 20

            Sadrists at Sadr run mosque in city

2017 Tal Afar liberated by Iraqi forces

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Aug 15-21, 2019

(Shafaaq News)

Violence in Iraq has flatlined since June 2019. Security incidents have been in the teens to twenties over the last eleven weeks. This is despite the Islamic State announcing a new spring-summer offensive in May when attacks spiked. This is another example of how the Islamic State is more interested in rebuilding its cadres in Iraq right now more than carrying out operations.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 26

1920 War Min Churchill wrote PM George that he thought reinforcements would lead to victory in

1920 Revolt

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

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

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

1922 King Faisal apologized to British Iraq High Commissioner Cox for Anti-British remark made at a party

1968 Mullah Barzani had his two ministers resign from Bakr govt because Baath was backing Jalal Talabani

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

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

1980 After Saddam visited Khanaqin Diyala Iraqi army started shelling Iranian border Was looking for

excuse to justify invasion

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

1981 85 POWs exchanged between Iraq and Iran in Cyprus 2^nd prisoner exchange of Iran-Iraq War

1987 Iraq demanded UN arms embargo on Iran for not accepting ceasefire deal and threatened new air

strikes

1987 US signed 5 year trade agreement with Iraq mostly for farm products One of main forms of support

US provided Iraq during 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)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1988 End of 5^th Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1992 US, UK, France started Operation Southern Watch creating southern no fly zone over Iraq

1994 Iraqi Vanguard for National Salvation took responsibility for car bomb in Baghdad

1998 UN inspector Ritter quit after his anti-concealment unit was disbanded at request of Clinton admin

Ritter claimed from Nov 97-August 98 Clinton admin had tried to block inspectors work 7 times and came from top of White House staff Ritter’s claims about Clinton convinced many on UN Security Council US manipulating inspectors for its own aims

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iraq In The Eye of the Storm)

2002 VP Cheney speech at Veterans of Foreign War Called Iraq a mortal threat to US Said no doubt Iraq

had WMD and that it was good at deceiving weapons inspectors Said Iraqi defectors like Hussein Kamal proved Iraq had renewed its nuke program Hussein Kamal defected in 1995 Said Iraq ended nuke program and killed 1996 so couldn’t know what Iraq doing in 2001 Argued UN inspectors would fail in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq article UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

2002 Sec State Powell argued that US had to go through UN to deal with Iraq at National Security

            Council

2003 Report US left thousands of munitions dumps all over Iraq which were looted by

            insurgents and militias

2003 Bremer said Iraq could not pay for its own reconstruction and US would have to put up several billion

dollars to do it CPA could not meet Iraq’s electricity needs until summer of 2004

(Musings On Iraq book review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)

2003 US launched Op Ivy Needle to hunt down criminals and Baathists in Salahaddin

2003 DepSecState Armitage said US might consider a multinational force under UN to help with security

after rejecting UN role

2003 Humanitarian aid groups announced pulling out workers from Iraq after terrorist attacks by Zarqawi

2004 US halted military operations in 2^nd Battle of Najaf to allow negotiations to end fighting

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

2004 Mahdi Army attacked Sistani supporters in Kufa killing 20

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

2006 National conference of Sunni sheikhs backed Maliki govt condemned violence called for people to

participate in politics

2007 Report insurgents were extorting money from companies that got contracts to work with Anbar

            Awakening

2008 Kurds in Kahanqin Diyala protested arrival of Iraqi forces leading them to withdraw

(Musings On Iraq article on PM Maliki dispute with Kurds over Khanaqin)

2015 Pres Masum implied that some of PM Abadi’s reforms were unconstitutional

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

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 25

1920 British gave limited self-rule in Najaf to try to stop 1920 Revolt there

1920 UK Cmdr Gen Haldane wrote that almost all the tribes north of Diyala had joined the 1920 revolt and

was afraid it was spreading to Kirkuk and Irbil

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

1922 British High Commissioner for Iraq Cox demanded apology from King Faisal for anti-Mandate

comment at his party

1941 British forces in Basra and Diyala invaded Iran where Shah refused to expel Germans spreading Axis

propaganda

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

1981 Saddam met with military command Said strategy was to bleed Iranian army and destroy Iran’s oil and

electricity industry

1983 Turkey conducted 2^nd raid into Iraqi Kurdistan attacking PKK and KDP bases under Iraq-Turkey

security agreement

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

1988 Villages in Dohuk hit by chemical weapons in 6^th Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1990 UN Resolution 665 strengthened economic sanctions on Iraq for Kuwait invasion

2002 James Baker OpEd in New York Times said US needed UN resolution that Iraq submit to inspections

anytime Said US needed to be explicit that if Iraq avoided the inspections US would invade and change the govt

2003 Funeral in Najaf turned into anti-American demonstration

2004 US army investigation blamed morally corrupt soldiers and contractors poor leadership for Abu Ghraib

prison abuse scandal Found intelligence officers played leading role in Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal

2004 Ayatollah Sistani said he would return from medical treatment in England to Iraq to try to end

2^nd Battle of Najaf

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2005 Constitutional committee given 3^rd extension to finish work

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

2006 Iraqis looted base exited by British in Maysan before Iraqi forces could take it over

2006 Head of Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dhari said he was willing to meet with Ayatollah

Sistani to talk about ending national crisis

2008 Electricity Min announced that power production had reached same level as 2002 before US invasion

Only 50% of demand was being met though due to huge increase in usage after 2003 Later turned out Ministry included power provided from Iran and Turkey

(Musings On Iraq article on Electricity Min announcement)

2009 Iraqi govt demanded Syria turn over 2 Baathists accused of involvement in Aug 18 Baghdad

bombings and expel all terrorists Iraq and Syria ended up withdrawing their ambassadors Ended PM Maliki’s reconciliation with Syria

2009 ISI claimed responsibility for Aug 18 Baghdad bombings

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

2010 ISI coordinated attacks in Mosul Kirkuk Tikrit Dujail Baquba Muqtadiya Ramadi Fallujah Karbala Kut

Basra Baghdad

2016 Iraqi forces freed Qayara Ninewa

View the Iraqi History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 24

1922 On anniversary of King Faisal’s coronation opposition gave him a petition calling for an

assembly to draft a constitution, elections for a parliament, and independence for Iraq

1922 UK High Commissioner for Iraq Sir Percy Cox met by anti-British slogans being chanted outside

palace During celebration Haras Party leader Basir gave anti-British speech Cox demanded King punish perpetrators

1986 Ayatollah Khomeini said Iran had to fight until victory and Saddam deposed

1988 Iran and Iraq started peace talks in Geneva to officially end 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)

1988 Start of 6^th and final Anfal campaign focused upon destroying KDP bases in Dohuk KDP HQ attacked

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1990 PLO Foreign Minister Qaddumi said PLO supported Iraq against colonialists

1995 UK intel report said Iraq had hidden much of its nuke program destroyed its SCUDs didn’t have

hidden chemical stockpile

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)

1998 US Intel said Iraq was connected to Al Qaeda chemical plant Clinton admin bombed in Sudan

2000 Iraq rejected new UN inspectors and Resolution 1284

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

2003 Ayatollah Hakim wounded in bombing at his Najaf office Some blamed Sadr for attack in growing

inter-Shiite rivalry

2003 Bremer admitted US not doing a good job securing Iraq’s borders

2004 Panel found Rumsfeld’s orders on interrogations contributed to abuse of prisoners in Iraq Found that

US underestimated need for prisons in postwar Iraq then didn’t attempt to solve the problem Contradicted White House claim that Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal was act of a few prison guards Found Abu Ghraib prison abuse was not part of an intelligence gathering operation

2005 Report EFP attacks upon US forces showed Iranian and Hezbollah arming militias in Iraq

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

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2005 Police took away 36 Sunnis from Hurriya Baghdad tortured killed them and dumped bodies along

Iranian border Judge blamed Volcano Brigade commander but nothing done to him

(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)

2006 PM Maliki banned TV channels from showing bloodshed caused by the war

2007 Natl Intel Estimate on Iraq said security improving unevenly No reconciliation

2007 Report Pentagon plan to restart state owned enterprises by getting US businesses to buy Iraqi products

            failed

2007 Iraqi Red Crescent and International Organization for Migration reported that number of displaced

grew during Surge from 499,000 in Feb 07 to 1.1 mil in Aug 07 100,000 fleeing per month

2008 PM Maliki broke deal with Kurds and moved ISF into Khanaqin east Diyala Kurds organized

demonstrations in response

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

2009 Sadrists ISCI Jaafari announced creation of National Alliance

(Musings On Iraq The New National Alliance And Other Political Maneuverings)

2015 Sadr said his followers should join Friday protests in Baghdad on Aug 28

(Musings On Iraq interview with Cambridge’s Michael Clark on Sadr, protests and PM Abadi’s reforms)

2015 Sit in protests in Basra ended when govt promised to meet their demands Were not met

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 23

1922 King Faisal struck by appendicitis with no PM or govt UK High Commissioner Cox ruled

until king returned Cox deported and exiled opposition leaders banned opposition parties and papers Silenced opposition and Shiite leaders

1924 American Consul in Iraq said King Faisal had no popular support and many were openly opposed to          him

1952 Communist led strike at Basra port over pay Broken up by police Started year of protests called the

Intifada

(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)

1962 Govt census in Jazeera listed 120,000 Kurds as aliens 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)

1986 1000 Turkish soldiers invaded Kurdistan Captured 40 KDP Peshmerga

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

1988 UN said that Iraq used poison gas in attack on Oshnaviyeh Iran on Aug 2 that wounded around 2,600

civilians 7^th time UN documented use of WMD by Iraq

(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 appeared on state TV with western hostages in Iraq Told them they were being held to

prevent war

1996 Barzani said KDP stopped PUK offensive captured or killed 400 PUK Peshmerga

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

2002 UK intel said it knew little about Iraq’s WMD since 1988

(Musings On Iraq Book Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

2003 CPA created Dep of Border Enforcement but gave it little money to control Iraq’s borders

2003 Turkmen protested in Kirkuk city over Turkmen being killed Turned violent 3 killed 15-20 wounded

2005 US embassy report said Gen Casey’s plan for handing off security to Iraq had no chance of succeeding

and argued for counterinsurgency to defeat insurgency

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

2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee said they rejected draft Said committee didn’t create

consensus on draft

2005 Members of Allawi’s Iraqi National Accord also voiced concerns over draft constitution

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

2006 Gen Barbero Joint Chief deputy chief of ops said Iran training funding arming Iraqi militias

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

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2006 UK Intel report Said Maliki govt unable to deal with militias because afraid of break up of United Iraqi

Alliance

2008 Report 2 Mahdi Army men said Hezbollah training the militia in Lebanon

(Musings On Iraq article on Iranian and Hezbollah training of Iraqi militias)

(Musings On Iraq article on Hezbollah presence in Iraq)

2009 Baghdad Operations Command aired taped confession of man who said he was a Baathist and

involved in Aug 18 Baghdad bombings Said attack ordered by Syria Was actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

2015 Police opened fire on demonstrations in Babil wounding 4

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict

Hybel, Alex Roberto and Kaufman, Justin Matthew, The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein, Deciding on Conflict, New York, Hampshire: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006

In The Bush Administrations and Saddam Hussein Alex Hybel and Justin Kaufman attempted to explain the decision making process behind the senior and junior Bush presidents when they dealt with Iraq in the Gulf War and 2003 Invasion and find an appropriate theory to help understand them. They found the two presidents were strikingly similar. The authors argued that both administrations reacted instinctively to Saddam, seeing the world in stark black and white terms. Instead of being rational actors they both fell victim to group think by refusing to consider alternatives after they quickly made decisions about what to do about Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 21

1921 King Faisal’s coronation Started negotiations over Anglo-Iraq treaty

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930)

1950 Nuri al-Said threatened to revoke license of transport company if didn’t fill quota of shipping 500

Jews out of Iraq per day

1969 Bakr govt executed opponents in central Baghdad

2002 Bush told press he had patience on Iraq and was thinking of all the options

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)

2003 Sec State Powell asked UN Security Council to pass resolution encouraging foreign countries to

provide troops for Iraq

2003 Ali Hassan al-Majid “Chemical Ali” captured by US forces

2005 Interior Minister Jabr said that stories of Iran supplying weapons to Iraqi militias were exaggerated

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

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2005 Islamic Party leader Tariq Hashemi said constitution would not stop violence in Iraq because most

politicians not recognized by public

2005 Isam al-Rawi of Muslim Scholars Association advocated US withdrawal reforming security forces

amnesty for Baathists talks with insurgency

2006 2^nd trial started for Saddam accused of genocide during Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq bombed Jazeera police station in Ramadi Killed Sheikh Ataymi of Albu Jassim in

Anbar who aligned with US and provided tribesmen for Ramadi police

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Nvy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)

2006 Bush said Saddam had relations with Zarqawi Disputed by CIA who said no ties between two

2007 ISI killed Sheikh Alayawia of Abu Jassim tribe of Ramadi for supporting govt

2007 ISI blew up new police station in Jazeera, Anbar

2007 Report 3 attempts to replace PM Maliki including from ISCI within his own Dawa and from Allawi

            U.S. trying to prop up his govt

2008 Report Finance Min counted all money appropriated in budget as spent when little of it actually was

Govt claimed it spent 57% of the 2008 budget by Aug when only 18% had been used

(Musings On Iraq article on inability of Iraqi govt to spend budget)

2015 Protests in Baghdad Maysan Dhi Qar Wasit Diyala Basra Kirkuk Qadisiyah Salahaddin Najaf Karbala

Babil Diwainiya demanding reform

2015 Police attacked reporters from 3 TV stations trying to cover day’s protests

View the Iraq History Timelines