This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 29

1984 Iran reached outskirts of Qurna Basra Sent in all its reserves to hold captured area in Basra

Iraq counterattacked using chemical weapons

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

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

1987 Iranian night attack captured areas east of Basra city Destroyed 4 Iraqi brigades and 45 tanks

1988 Iraq fired new Hussein missiles at Tehran Started 52 days straight of 3-4 Hussein missiles

hitting Tehran each day Iraq started night bombing missions on Tehran Qom Shiraz Esfahan Iran would bomb Baghdad in retaliation

(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)

2004 Curfew in Kirkuk city after fighting between Kurds and Turkmen

2008 Chaldean Archbishop of Iraq Raho kidnapped and later found dead

2008 Report Turkey said it would build 11 security bases along Iraq-Turkey border to prevent PKK

presence there

2016 Sadrists and Supreme Council complained that PM Abadi not consulting with them over his

reforms

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

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

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 28

1941 Mufti of Jerusalem Pan-Arab Golden Square officers Rashid al-Gaylani had secret

meeting Decided to remove PM Hashemi if he insisted on ending relations with Italy Golden Square decided to replace PM Hashemi with Gaylani if he would not change policy on Italy Agreed on no concessions to UK Refused to break relations with Italy Would expel pro-British politicians

(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)

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq 1941, The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad)

1963 Mulla Mustafa Barzani said Kurds would go back to fighting government if didn’t commit to

Kurdish autonomy

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

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

1972 Iraq Petroleum Company came to terms with Baghdad over nationalization including compensation

1979 Ayatollah Baqir al-Sadr congratulated Ayatollah Khomeini for the Iranian revolution

and said some tyrants hadn’t seen their day of reckogning yet

1981 Iran told Islamic Conference Org that it wanted Iraq found aggressor and punished for Iran-Iraq War

and withdrawal from territory

1981 Speaker Rafsanjani later told Islamic Conf Org Iran sure it would win war so didn’t want to

negotiate

1984 Iraqi counterattack against Iranian Op Kheibar retook Beida Iranian Revolutionary Guard

began retreating in disarray Iran lost 3,000 dead

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

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

(Musings On Iraq book review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)

1986 Iran Op Wa al-Fajr 9 in Penjwin and Halabja stopped by Iraqi counterattack

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

1987 Iraq ended 3rd War of Cities after Soviet appealed and new arms deal

1987 During war of cities 1984-87 35 Iranian cities hit 3,000 dead 9,000 injured Baghdad and Basra

hit 300 dead 1,000 wounded

1987 Iran attacked and broke through Iraqi lines Iraq counterattacks regained lost territory in 12 hrs

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

1988 Iran fired SCUD missiles at Baghdad and Tikrit Tehran was trying to lure Iraq into another war

of cities to decrease attacks upon its economic infrastructure

(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)

1987 Ali Hassan al-Majid made governor of northern Iraq provinces and told to end Kurdish insurgency

Would start Anfal Campaign

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

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

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

1990 Saddam warned of Israeli aggression backed by US at Arab Cooperation Council meeting

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

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

(Musings On Iraq review the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq in Wartime, Soldiering, Martyrdom, and Remembrance)

1990 At Arab Cooperation Council Saddam demanded moratorium on loans from Gulf States and $30 bil

investment by them to help Iraq rebuild

1990 Saddam said that if Gulf States did not provide money and help with debt he knew how to get it

1991 Bush announced that Kuwait was liberated and Iraq defeated in Gulf War Started ceasefire in war

1991 Saddam said that Iraq had succeeded in defeating the United States

1991 Jalal Talabani tried to tell State Dept of impending Kurdish revolt but was turned away

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

(Musings On Iraq interview with National Univ of Singapore’s Fanar Haddad on the Impact of the 1991 Uprising)

1992 Iraqi army attacked Peshmerga in Kalak

1999 General uprising in southern Iraq planned following Saddam’s killing of Ayatollah Sadiq al-

Sadr

(Musings On Iraq interview with Univ of Haifa’s Prof Baram on legacy of Ayatollah Sadiq al-Sadr)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Between Occupations, Perspectives from 1920 to the Present)

2002 PM Blair told Australian TV Iraq was a threat because it had WMD

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

2002 Gen Franks delivered target list for air strikes in Iraq to Sec Def Rumsfeld

2003 Iraq agreed to destroy Samud II ballistic missiles that violated UN restrictions

2003 US attacked Iraq agreement to destroy Samud II missiles claiming it was just propaganda not real

disarmament

2003 Sec Def Rumsfeld said Iraq never cooperated with UN inspectors

2003 UN said found no evidence of active WMD programs in Iraq

2003 UN inspectors went to site CURVEBALL claimed was secret WMD facility for second time for

samples Found nothing

(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claim That Iraq Had WMD)

(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)

(Musings On Iraq Story of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)

2003 UN inspectors found small stock of mustard gas and some old WMD warheads and Iraq built 2

banned missiles Inspectors said Iraq had not provided any new information to answer questions from 90s inspections

(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 State Dept said Iraq tried to buy aluminum tubes for its nuke program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2003 UK Def Min report said Coalition had to prevent security vacuum after invasion of Iraq and stop Al

Qaeda from expanding into country

2003 UK Def Min note to PM Blair’s office said UK failed to influence US postwar Iraq planning and UK

would have to deal with US decisions made for it

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

2003 ORHA head Garner made 1^st brief of postwar Iraq plans to Bush 1 month before war

(Musings On Iraq article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 3 The Department of Defense Takes Charge)

2003 Defense Policy Board warned by peacekeeping expert Perito could be breakdown in law order right

after invasion if Iraqi police didn’t go back to work Board told that US troops could not take over police duties after invasion because not trained

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

Tragedy)

2004 Iraqi Governing Council said it would draft and approve an interim constitution Couldn’t agree on

role of Islam

2004 Women’s delegation visited Iraqi Governing Council demanding interim constitution protect

women’s rights

2005 Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide truck bomb on police and National Guard recruits in Hillah killed 127

2005 Annual State Department human rights report accused Iraqi security forces of rape torture and illegal

arrests

2006 Prosecution presented Saddam’s order to executed 148 people in Dujail in 1982 at his trial

2006 Report US warned about growing insurgency mid-03 and was largely Iraqi not foreigners Ignored by

Bush admin

2006 DIA Dir Gen Maples told Senate Armed Services Comm as long as Sunnis were disenfranchised

insurgency would continue

2008 Report attacks on Sahwa went from 26 in Oct 07 to 100 in Jan 08 as part of ISI campaign

2008 Report Interior Min investigation found 15-20% of police or 11,000 officers didn’t exist Anbar 25%

of police didn’t exist

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Letters from Baghdad

Krayenbuhl, Sbine and Oelbaum, Zeva, Directors, Letters from Baghdad, Vitagraph Films, 2016

Letters From Baghdad was a 2016 documentary on Gertrude Bell. She was famous for being an upper class British woman that traveled across the Middle East at the turn of the century, eventually landing a job with the London government, and helped to create and govern the country of Iraq after World War I. This movie was based upon her letters, official documents, and other primary sources. It is a rich portrayal of her life and accomplishments.

This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 27

1923 UK High Comm Cox wrote London that Faisal complained Anglo-Iraq treaty was only new

phase of mandate instead of ending it

1982 US removed Iraq from list of terrorist countries in step towards restoring relations

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1984 Iran captured Majnoon Islands Basra Iraqi counterattack began Iran built pontoon bridges from Iran

to Majnoon to supply 2 divisions defending area Was turning point in war

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

1984 Iraq bombed Iran’s main oil terminal Kharg Island Said it would continue to attack oil industry until

Iran agreed to end war

1984 Iraq claimed it used leased French Super Etendard jets for 1^st time attacking two Iranian tankers

Was propaganda and no attacks took place

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

1988 Iraq fired missiles on Saqqez Iran killing 26 Also bombed Tehran refinery Iran bombed Baghdad in

retaliation

(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 Battle of Medina, Basra US 1^st Armored Div and 3^rd Inf Div defeated Iraq’s Medina and Adnan Divs

in largest tank battle of Gulf War

(Musings On Iraq book review M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural, Operation Desert Storm 1991)

1991 Battle of Kuwait Airport US 1^st Mar Div took airport

1991 Pres Bush declared Kuwait liberated

1991 Voice of Free Iraq radio station aired broadcast calling on Iraqis to rise up against Saddam

(Musings On Iraq article on how US encouraged 1991 uprising)

(Musings On Iraq Review The United States And Iraq Since 1990, A Brief History With Documents)

1991 Joint Chiefs head Gen Powell said he was ready to recommend end of Gulf War in 24 hrs Bush said

should end it now

1991 Bush offered ceasefire Iraq accepted it

1995 Car bomb in Zakho killed 76 PUK blamed Baghdad KDP blamed PUK

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

1996 Iraq provided new declaration on missile program with more info to UN inspectors

(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)

2001 Sec State Powell got Arab states to agree to new smart sanctions on Iraq

2001 DepDefSec Wolfowitz told Senate US reviewing Iraq policy and how to work with groups like INC

(Musings On Iraq review Losing Iraq, Inside The Post War Reconstruction Fiasco by David Phillips)

2002 UK Def Min said govt had to consider military action against Iraq

2003 DepSecDef Wolfowtiz told House Comm admin had no estimates of costs of reconstructing Iraq and

wouldn’t know until it got there Said calls for more troops to handle postwar Iraq were “outlandish” Said crazy to think postwar Iraq would take more troops than invasion Said Iraqis would greet US as liberators and that meant didn’t need more troops Said there would be large numbers of Free Iraqi Forces to restore order Said Iraq had no history of ethnic violence like in Bosnia that required long term peace keepers

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

Tragedy)

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

2003 ORHA head Garner learned he only had $27 mil to run postwar Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 3 The Department of Defense Takes Charge)

2003 UK Att Gen Goldsmith changed his position that UN Res 1441 alone could be legal basis for action

against Iraq

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

2003 UK oil firms met with govt officials saying they thought US firms were getting deals for postwar

Iraq over them

2003 State Dept paper said multiple sources claimed Iraq had mobile WMD labs

(Musings On Iraq article on mobile labs story)

2003 State Dept analysis said creating democracy in Iraq would be difficult and likely undermined by

internal and external issues

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

2003 CIA told Sen Levine that it didn’t believe Iraq-Niger uranium deal made but Iraq might have been

interested in one in 1999

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

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

2003 Saddam agreed to destroy Saoud 2 missiles found to violate range limitations by UN inspectors US

            and UK said Iraq playing games

(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)

2004 Deadline to finish Iraq’s interim constitution Transitional Administrative Law missed

2004 Fmr chief UN inspector Blix told Guardian he thought US spied on him

2006 Amb Khalizad announced new draft law as a major accomplishment Was never passed

2007 Bombing at Municipalities Ministry aimed at VP Mahdi 7 killed including Dep Municipalities Min

Anbari and 31 wounded Mahdi blamed Sadrists

2007 Mahdi Army began attack on UK bases in Basra

2007 Report US carrying out talks with factions of Mahdi Army Military and intelligence sources said

claims of rogue elements of Mahdi Army were not true and just used to excuse it actions

2007 Report Mahdi Army men turning up dead in north and east Baghdad Allegedly killed by special

teams sent from Najaf to eliminate criminals and disloyal militiamen

2007 US National Intel Dir McConnell told Senate Iraq in civil war Security and political trends in Iraq

going in negative direction and would be nearly impossible for Iraqi leaders to change things Said Samarra bombing had increased polarization Said Iran training Iraqi militias in Iran and Lebanon

2007 DIA Dir Gen Maples told Senate avg 180 attacks per day Jan 07 Same as previous high in Oct 06 US

officials claimed immediate decrease in violence when Surge started in Jan

2007 US announced it would meet with Iran and Syria to talk about Iraq

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

2008 Iraq’s intel chief accused Iran of sabotaging Sahwa

2009 Pres Obama announced withdrawal plan for U.S. forces from Iraq by 2011

(Musings On Iraq article on Obama’s withdrawal announcement and US public opinion)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Unraveling, High Hopes And Missed Opportunity In Iraq)

2011 PM Maliki set 100 day deadline to reform government in response to national protests

2011 After Imam gave speech at Sulaymaniya protest was arrested and beat by peshmerga

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

2011 Babil Gov Zarkani resigned after protests and pressure from PM Maliki

2012 Diyala governor forced to resign after supported autonomy for province

2012 Head of Election Commission said that it got forms to register voters for referendum on Salahaddin

autonomy

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

2013 Wissam al-Hardan elected new head of Awakening Was move against Ahmed Abu Risha who

supported Anbar protests Hardan aligned with PM Maliki

2016 Sadr led demonstrations in Baghdad calling for ending corruption and reforming govt

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

View the Iraq History Timelines

This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 26

1917 3 British gunboats fired upon by 4 Ottoman ships at Nahr-al-Kalek, Wasit 3 Turkish ships

sunk and 4^th captured

1983 Iran’s Op Fajr al-Nasr in Maysan to seize Basra-Baghdad road ended

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

1984 Iraq counterattack pushed back Iran’s Op Kheibar in Basra marshes

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

1987 Iran officially ended Op Karbala 5 in Basra Suffered 52,000-62,000 casualties vs 40,000 Iraqis

casualties

(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 announced withdrawal from Kuwait Iraqi army started pulling out

1991 Saddam called on Iraqis to applaud the army for fighting 30 countries Claimed Iraq won and it was a

great victory

1991 US 3^rd inf Div attacked 52^nd Armored Div 17 Div Adnan and Tawakalna Divs

1991 Battle of 73 Easting US 2^nd Arm Cav Rgt fought Iraq’s Tawakalna Div By end of day Tawakalna

            destroyed

(Musings On Iraq book review Bradley vs BMP, Desert Storm 1991)

(Musings On Iraq book review M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural, Operation Desert Storm 1991)

1991 Battle of Norfolk US 1^st Arm Div UK 1^st Arm Div destroyed Iraq’s  25^th, 31^st, 48^th divisions

1991 US aircraft began attacking retreating Iraqi forces from Kuwait on Highway of Death

1991 Iraq said it was willing to end annexation of Kuwait and pay reparations for a ceasefire in Gulf War

and end of sanctions

1991 Bush admin officials said they wanted to keep sanctions on Iraq to provoke a coup

(Musings On Iraq Review The United States And Iraq Since 1990, A Brief History With Documents)

2002 Fmr Amb Wilson arrived in Niger to investigate Iraq trying to buy uranium

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

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

2002 MI6 Chief Dearlove said US would demand weapons inspectors under conditions Saddam wouldn’t

accept to justify military action

(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 Bush speech at American Enterprise Institute Said Iraq was direct threat to US due to WMD

and links to terrorists Said US had experience in stability operations and putting reformers in power Said other nations would help rebuild Iraq and US would stay in Iraq as long as necessary but “not a day more” Said spreading democracy to Iraq would be an inspiration to Middle East

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

Tragedy)

(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 Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)

2004 Gen Taguba handed in his report on Abu Ghraib prison abuse case

2004 Ayatollah Sistnai dropped demand for elections to be held by June 04 but said they had to happen by

end of year

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq assassinated Gen Saab Manfi Mohammed al-Rawi of Albu Rawi Member of Anbar

Security Council

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

2007 Cabinet approved draft oil bill Unions Sunnis and Sadr all attacked bill Never passed

2007 Report EFP cache found in Hillah and another in Diyala US military said proof that Iran was

providing weapons to Iraqi militias

(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)

2008 Health Min Hasnawi blamed corrupt officials for importing expired and counterfeit medicines

2008 Fmr Defense Min Allawi said right after 03 invasion Badr Brigade sent in 10,000 fighters into Iraq

and took control of Baquba Kut and other southern cities along Iranian border

2008 Report Tehran received files on Iraqi intel officers under Saddam that worked on Iran and carried out

campaign to assassinate them

2008 Report Badr provided intel on Sadrists to Americans to eliminate their rivals

2011 Riot police broke up demonstration in Sulaymaniya city 1 protester killed

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

2016 Sadrists joined Friday protests in Baghdad saying they would end support for Abadi if cabinet wasn’t

reformed Said would storm Green Zone

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

2016 Kurdish Alliance said they would not give up their ministries to go along with Abadi’s reforms

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Chilcot Inquiry Section 3.6 Development of UK Strategy and Options, November 2002 to January 2003

At the end of 2002 into January 2003 the Blair administration went through a sea change in its Iraq policy. In the previous period Prime Minister Tony Blair had his one and only victory in the entire Iraq War when he convinced President George Bush to go to the United Nations for a new resolution on weapons inspections. After that however the discussion immediately shifted to invasion.

This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 25

1984 Iranian troops headed towards Shatt al-Arab in Basra Reached Fish Lake and Majnoon Islands

1984 Iraqis used mustard gas against Iranians to try to turn back Op Kheibar All Iraqi reserves sent to area

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

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

1984 Iraq began offensive attacking Iran’s ports and oil facilities along with shipping in Persian Gulf

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

1985 Iraqi military intel warned Saddam Iranian offensive in Basra marshes imminent

(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 Soviets offered another peace plan and Iraq accepted it

1991 Iraqi SCUD missiles hit US army barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killed 28 and wounded over 100

Gulf War

1991 US and UK destroyed Iraqi 26^th Inf Div and 52^nd Arm Div routing Iraqi 7^th Corps on western

            flank

1991 3 Republican Guard divisions ordered to west flank to block Coalition VII Corps

(Musings On Iraq book review M1 Abrams vs T-72 Ural, Operation Desert Storm 1991)

1991 US Marine helicopters made attack upon Kuwaiti coast to tie down Iraqi forces there

1991 Iraqis made first counterattacks in Kuwait but were destroyed Ordered forces to retreat to Kuwait

City

1991 Radio Baghdad announced withdrawal from Kuwait

1991 Sec of State Baker Natl Sec Adv Scowcroft said if Saddam remained in power UN sanctions would

stay in place

2002 1^st war game for Iraq invasion ran at Scott Air Force Base Illinois

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

2003 Army chief Gen Shinseki told Senate US needed several hundred thousand troops to successfully

occupy Iraq

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

Tragedy)

2003 PM Blair told CENTCOM cmdr Gen Franks UN had to play a major role in postwar Iraq

2003 Gen Franks told UK cmdr Adm Boyce US not thinking of WWII type Japanese or German rebuilding

effort in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 3 The Department of Defense Takes Charge)

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

2003 Iraqi opposition meeting in Salahaddin, Irbil Couldn't agree on a govt in exile

2004 Insurgents killed deputy police chief in Mosul

2007 Report ISI killing opponents in Anbar including imams and sheikhs that spoke out against it

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

2007 Suicide Bomber detonated device inside Mustansiriya Univ Baghdad 41 dead over 40 wounded

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

2007 Sadr spokesman called on the ISF to protect the Iraqi people and not accept aid from U.S. Said no

security plan could work under the occupation

2007 Report Sadr purging Mahdi Army Suspended up to 40 commanders Sadr officials claimed they were

trying to purge those close to Iran and central control of militia Allowed some of his militia to be arrested by ISF

2007 Maliki govt claimed Iran halted all aid to militias

2011 Day of Rage protests across Iraq 23 killed by security forces during protests

2011 Protests in Hawija and Riyad led to police stations being burned and 3 police killed

2011 Police broke up demonstrations in Irbil city

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

2011 Pres Talabani went to Kuwait independence day in 3^rd move to normalize relations between 2

countries

2011 PM Maliki forced out Basra Governor Abbud

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Pro-Iran Groups Name New Acting Head Of Hashd

Pro-Iran Hashd units selected Muhammadawi to be new Hashd leader without consulting with other groups (Al Alam)

Pro-Iran groups appointed Abdul Aziz al-Muhammadawi aka Abu Fadak from Kataib Hezbollah as the new chief of staff of the Hashd. Reportedly he needs to be confirmed by either retired Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi or Mohammed Allawi after his cabinet is voted upon. This move highlighted the growing divisions within the Hashd after the death of Abu Muhandis who helped unify those loyal to Tehran and worked to marginalize the others.

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 Faisal 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 in Basra

1986 2^nd Iraqi attempt to retake Fao in Basra 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 decided 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)

(Musings On Iraq review the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq in Wartime, Soldiering, Martyrdom, and Remembrance)

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

(Musings On Iraq article on how US encouraged 1991 uprising)

(Musings On Iraq Review The United States And Iraq Since 1990, A Brief History With Documents)

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 Sec State 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 

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

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

(Musings On Iraq review Losing Iraq, Inside The Post War Reconstruction Fiasco by David Phillips)

2003 CIA denied Newsweek story that Hussein Kamal Saddam’s son in law 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 article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 2 The Agencies Engage)

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

(Musings On Iraq article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 3 The Department of Defense Takes Charge)

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

Tragedy)

2007 ISI Car bomb hit Habaniya mosque in Anbar Killed imam that spoke out against ISI along with

Islamic Army Jaish al-Mujahadeen and 1920 Revolution Brigades members Total 39 dead 62 wounded

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

2008 Sheikh Suleiman of Anbar Salvation Council called for Anbar council to be dissolved because

controlled by Islamic Party

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)

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 PM 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

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 23

1935 PM Aiyubi gave resignation to King Ghazi King asked Yashin al-Hashemi to form new

govt but exclude Rashid Ali al-Gaylani and Hikmat Sulaiman because they were agitating mid-Euphrates tribes

1946 Tawfiq Suwaidi became premier for 2^nd time Was supposed to carry out Regent’s reform

program

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

1959 Communists called for march in Mosul to counter rumors of military revolt against Gen Qasim

there

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

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

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

1980 Start of major military operation against Kurds

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

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

1985 Iraqi military intel warned Iranian offensive would happen in Basra’s Fish Lake Was wrong

1986 Iraq’s southern front to retake Fao stopped by Iranian anti-tank missiles

1986 KDP launched preparatory attacks in Sulaymaniya to support Iranian offensive starting next

day in area

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

1988 1^st Anfal Campaign targeted PUK HQ in Jafati Valley, Sulaymaniya Yakhsamar Sergalou Bergalou

attacked

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1991 Iraq said it agreed to Soviet peace plan and would withdraw from Kuwait unconditionally

1991 UN Security Council met Western countries said they weren’t interested in Soviet

            peace plan

1991 Bush ordered Gen Schwarzkopf to expel Iraq from Kuwait

1994 Saddam diverted Tigris into southern marshes to put down rebels there

1996 Hussein and Saddam Kamal killed by uncle Ali Hassan al-Majid and members of tribe after talked

into returning to Iraq

1998 UN negotiated Iraq working with UN inspectors again including unrestricted visits but didn’t work

(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)

(Musings On Iraq article Charles Duelfer’s Account Of The End Of The 1990s U.N. Inspections)

1998 Bin Laden issued fatwa against US sanctions on Iraq and called for attacks against it

1999 State Dept denied that US was using UN inspectors to spy on Iraq but it was

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

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

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

2004 UN Rep Brahimi report said earliest Iraq could hold elections was late 2004-early 2005

2004 US killed Nidhal Mohammed Arabiyat Al Qaeda in Iraq’s top bombmaker Developed early car

bombs

2006 Iraqi govt ordered curfew in Baghdad Salahaddin Diyala Babil after Samarra bombing

2006 US report Sadr changed order to kill all Sunnis in east Baghdad Were to be taken to Sadr City to be

executed instead

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

2006 US report Iraqi army and police assisting Mahdi Army to kill Sunnis in east Baghdad

2006 Insurgents stopped vehicles in Baquba and executed 47 people who were heading to protest against

Samarra bombing

2006 Sunnis withdrew from talks with United Iraqi Alliance over new govt saying authorities were not

preventing revenge attacks after Samarra bombing

2006 Sec Gen of Iraqi National Dialogue Front Hayan said revenge attacks after Samarra bombing were

how a civil war started

2006 Assoc of Muslim Scholars said 168 Sunni mosques attacked 10 imams killed 15 abducted after

Samarra bombing

2006 Interior Min said 18 Sunnis mosques in Baghdad attacked 1 imam killed 1 kidnapped

2007 US Special Forces arrested Ammar Hakim on trip back from Tehran Was only released upon protest

of Gen Petraeus

2008 Sadr said he failed because US still occupying Iraq and many of his followers had left his movement

2008 2 suicide bombers killed Sheikh Mutairi of Anbar Salvation Council in Fallujah Part of ISI campaign

against Awakening/Sahwa

2008 US general in charge of Baghdad said attacks down 75% since June 07 90% drop in civilian deaths

85% drop in murders

2008 Report Basra beset by violence between militias Professionals politicians officials all subjected to

assassinations and kidnappings Many times police carry out murders Interior Min issued warrant for head of Basra Serious Crime Unit connected o Sadrists accused of running death squads but nothing done

2011 National Reconciliation Min announced that 5 insurgent groups had agreed to join politics

2014 ISIS sent 2 suicide bombers to kill Al Qaeda representative Abu Khald al-Suri who was supposed to

moderate differences between ISIS and Al Nusra Front

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

2016 Kurdish Alliance said they didn’t support Abadi’s reform program and wanted their quota of

positions in his new cabinet

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

2018 Pro-Iran Hashd criticized US Said it had no right to demand that Abrams tanks Hashd had should be

turned back over to Iraqi army

(Musings On Iraq article on how Hashd got Abrams tanks)

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Feb 22

1921 War Min Churchill wrote PM George that he thought an Arab govt should be created

to run Mesopotamia for UK

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

1981 Iran rejected UN attempts to negotiate ceasefire as long as Iraqi troops were on Iranian territory

1984 Iranian Op Kheibar began to capture Majnoon island in Basra

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

1984 Iraq’s attacks on Iranian cities stopped ending 1^st War of the Cities

1987 Iran Op Karbala 5 launched Last attack upon Iraqi defenses in Basra but stopped Caused 4,000

Iraqi casualties

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

1988 Iraq renewed war of cities by firing missiles at Tehran Iraq wanted to provoke UN to get

involved again with peace talks

1988 Iraqi air raid on Rey oil refinery led to fuel shortages in Iran Trapped majority of Iranian

            Revolutionary Guard units in north and couldn’t move for rest of 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 Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988)

1991 Iraq set Kuwait oil fields on fire

1991 Report Saudis tried to organize Iraqi exiles for post-Saddam Iraq

1998 Newsweek poll showed US support for military action against Iraq dropped from 40 to 18% Clinton

admin was threatening attack over UN inspectors

1999 SCIRI UK Rep Bayati said overthrowing Saddam should be done by Iraqis without outside

interference

2003 Bush administration officially announced it was deploying forces for invasion Actually started

Dec 02

(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)

2003 Spanish Pres Aznar visited Bush Had group call with PM Blair and Italian Premier Berlusconi Bush

said he had lost patience Wanted a 2^nd UN resolution as quickly as possible to authorize use of force vs Iraq Bush threatened retaliation against members of UN security council that might vote against resolution Bush said Iraq was a historic moment to spread freedom

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

2003 ORHA drill found US would not have enough troops for Iraq postwar security

2003 ORHA worried not enough funding for postwar Iraq that could leave behind unstable country

2003 ORHA found US had no plans for what kind of govt they wanted in Iraq and how to achieve it

2003 ORHA Dep Head thought US had faulty assumptions overly optimistic lacked reality on what

postwar Iraq would be like

(Musings On Iraq article on Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Hard Lessons Chapter 3 The Department of Defense Takes Charge)

2005 Dawa’s Jaafari became UIA candidate for premier following Jan elections

2006 Zarqawi bombed Askari shrine in Samarra 25 Sunni mosques in Samarra 27 in Baghdad attacked 3

imam killed 1 kidnapped US immediately got intel Zarqawi behind Askari shrine bombing Tunisian and 4 Saudis from Al Qaeda in Iraq did bombing Tunisian Al Qaeda in Iraq bomber was arrested in June 2006 and explained attack

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

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

2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq blamed Baghdad and Shiite militias for Samarra bombing to incite attacks on

Sunnis

2006 Other insurgent groups blamed Baghdad for Samarra bombing and claimed govt was allowing

attacks upon Sunni mosques

2006 Sadr called on his parliamentarians to meet on vote to ask U.S. forces to leave Iraq

2006 US report Sadr gave orders to kill Sunnis in east Baghdad in retaliation for Samarra bombing

2006 Sadr offices spread rumor that US military vehicles were seen around Samarra shrine before

bombing to lay blame on US

2006 Iran blamed US for Samarra bombing

2006 Ayatollah Sistani called for 7 days of mourning peaceful protests and prohibited attacks upon

Sunnis in wake of Samarra bombing

2006 SCIRI head Hakim blamed US for Samarra bombing claiming it gave aid to insurgents Claimed

US criticism of Shiite death squads provoked militants

2007 Report security plan in Ramadi showed progress US and ISF setting up posts throughout city Started

working with tribes outside Ramadi to provide men to man checkpoints and join police

(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)

2007 After England said it would withdraw some of its forces from Iraq Denmark said it would withdraw

its troops serving in Basra Lithuania that had troops serving alongside Danes was considering pulling out Romania said it would make decision about its troops that were also in Basra

2008 Sadr renewed his freeze on Mahdi Army

2011 Independent Nalya Radio and TV station was set afire in Sulaymaniya probably by KDP

supporters

2015 Sadr called for followers to protests in Baghdad next Friday calling for reforms

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

View the Iraq History Timelines