This Day In Iraqi History - Mar 25

1917 British forces defeated by Ottomans at Battle of Mount Hamrin, Diyala

1982 Iranian Op Fath broke through Iraqi lines in push towards Maysan Iraqi counterattack failed

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

1982 Iraq asked US to stop Israel from sending weapons to Iran US Said it had no say in matter

1982 Reagan admin officials warned that if Iran beat Iraq in Iran-Iraq War would endanger western         interests

1985 US intel reports Iraq used chemical weapons in fighting in southern Iraq

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

(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 Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

1998 UN Res 1158 extended Oil For Food Program for another 90 days

2002 UK Foreign Sec Jack Straw told Blair no Iraq-Al Qaeda link and Iraq not more of a threat now than

before 9/11 Straw argued for following legal path against Iraq via U.N. resolutions

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

2002 CIA report said foreign govt told it Iraq tried to buy uranium from Niger

(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 New Yorker article said Iraq supported Al Qaeda via Kurdish Ansar al-Islam based upon prisoner

held by PUK Kurds told New Yorker Al Qaeda’s Zawahiri met Saddam in 1992 Also that Iraq was sending WMD to Al Qaeda

(Musings On Iraq Why Didn’t Bush Strike Zarqawi And Ansar al-Islam In 2002?)

2003 Information Minister Sahaf began giving press conferences claiming that U.S. was losing war

2003 Russian Amb to Iraq provided U.S. invasion plans to Baghdad including invasion routes

(Musings On Iraq article on how Russia provided Iraq with intel on US invasion plans before war)

2003 UK and ISCI reported locals in Basra rose up against Saddam Fedayeen

2003 UK forces reported Iraqi army was firing mortars on civilians in Basra to put down anti-govt revolt

2003 British bombed Basra city

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

2003 British forces secured Um Qasr town in Basra

(Musings On Iraq book review Target Basra, The High Octane Story of the Royal Marine Commandos In Iraq)

2003 British government confirmed its first two combat deaths in Iraq invasion in Basra

2003 Heavy fighting between US forces and Fedayeen in Najaf

2003 US bombed Republican Guard positions south of Baghdad

2003 Retired generals in TV interviews began saying invasion wasn’t going well because didn’t have

enough troops

2003 Report that Saddam was thinking of using chemical weapons when US forces attacked Baghdad

2003 NY Times reported facility found outside Najaf was not a chemical weapons site

2003 U.S. forces found chemical weapons gear in Nasiriya

2003 UK General recommended govt plan for its forces to stay in Iraq until March 2004 for postwar

operations

2004 UN proposed investigation into abuses of Oil for Food program

2005 State Dept told Congress wanted to reorganize rebuilding funds with more money for services and

maintenance Didn’t think Iraq could sustain projects

2006 US Amb Khalizad told ISCI’s Hakim US opposed to Jaafari remaining as premier Kurdish and Sunni

parties were threatening boycott of govt if Jaafari remained in office

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs said Iraq kept the story it had WMD because helped Iraq’s image in

Arab world and deterred Israel Saddam told his top advisers there were no more WMD

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam thought France and Russia would stop war in UN If US did

attack Iraq’s “warrior spirit” would be victorious

2006 Report on captured Iraqi docs Saddam thought internal revolt main threat to his regime not US

invasion

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Russian Amb gave Iraq detailed intel on US troops movements and

invasion plans

(Musings On Iraq article on how Russia provided Iraq with intel on US invasion plans before war)

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Saddam thought Iraq winning when war almost over and wanted

unconditional surrender by US led Coalition

2006 Report on captured Iraq docs Tape Sec State Powell played during Feb 03 UN speech was Republican

Guard making sure area met UN inspections not hiding WMD

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

2007 Report Attacks in Ramadi cut in half 4,500 tribal members asked to join Ramadi police Result of

Awakening 2,500 fighters in Emergency response Units organized by Awakening paid by Interior Min

(Musings On Iraq article on Anbar Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq article on change in perceptions that led to Awakening)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)

(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)

2008 U.S. Seal team arrived in Basra to liaison with Iraqi forces during Charge of

            Knights op against Mahdi Army

2008 Curfew and vehicle ban imposed on Basra as part of Charge of Knights PM Maliki said militias

criminals and the local govt responsible for Basra’s problems

2008 Mahdi Army seized 5 of 18 districts in Kut Sadrists marched in Samawa against Charge of Knights

Curfew imposed on those two cities 

2008 Fighting between ISF and Mahdi Army in Nasiriyah and Hilla

2008 Mahdi Army kidnapped policemen belonging to Badr in Baghdad Fought ISF and Badr in 6

neighborhoods Fired rockets at Green Zone Sadr offices called for civil disobedience in city Attacked 2 Dawa and Sistani offices in Sadr City

2008 US general in charge of Anbar said US hoped rebuilding would begin when security improved but

didn’t happen

2009 Iraqi embassy in Jordan announced program to register former soldiers who wanted to return to Iraq

2009 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen testified to Congress Said US invaded Iraq not ready to

rebuild country When security deteriorated so did the rebuilding effort CPA wanted to reform Iraq whether it wanted it or not but never had money personnel oversight or coordination to be successful Usually ignored needs of Iraqis and never adapted to situation Wasn’t until 2007 that some effective rebuilding was done

(Musings On Iraq article on SIGAR Bowen’s testimony to Congress)

2010 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq released US contractor it kidnapped Issa Salomi

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

2010 State of Law threatened lawsuit unless Election Commission made a recount of national vote

2010 State of Law members protested in Basra, Najaf, Karbala, Kut calling for recount

2011 ISF blocked all entrances to Tahrir Sq to try to block protests but happened anyway Were protests in

Baghdad, Najaf, Diwaniya, Kut and Hillah against corruption and lack of services

2011 Was 2^nd protest in Tahrir Sq against reconciliation with former Baathists probably organized by Dawa

2011 Prisoners in Rusafa Prison set up protest camp against poor conditions and sectarian warden

2012 VP Hashemi claimed ISF tortured one of his bodyguards to death during questioning

2012 Pres Barzani said that PM Maliki was abusing his powers and not following Irbil agreement made

after 2010 elections

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

2012 Pres Talabani called for reconciliation between Kurdish Alliance and PM Maliki

2012 Displacement Ministry said Europe was deporting Iraqi refugees and wanted that to stop

(Musings On Iraq book review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)

2012 Electricity Ministry said it would stop importing power in summer 2013 as domestic production

increased Didn’t happen

2013 Committee created to come up with laws to meet demands of protesters Never happened

2013 Turkey signed trade deal with KRG

2014 Militias held parade in Balad, Salahaddin which local officials tried to deny

2014 ISIS took over Nibai for one day and then left

2014 ISIS made call for declaring the caliphate as a trial balloon

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

2014 Transportation Ministry set up special flights to take ISF members from Mosul to homes in Baghdad

to avoid attacks along highway

2014 Dozens of Sunni families fled Buhriz, Diyala after being attacked by militias

2015 Officials accused Diyala governor of stealing millions in aid meant for displaced

2015 Gorran presented 3 plans for renewing Pres Barzani’s term

2015 Fight in KRG parliament when KDP members attacked Gorran MPs over Pres Barzani

2015 Member of Salahaddin council accused Hashd of kidnapping 125 civilians from Dour

2015 US began air strikes on Tikrit Pro-Iran Hashd said they would not take part in op to re-take city

because of US involvement

2015 Hashd accused of blowing up houses and executing 4 civilians in Diyala

2015 2^nd Diyala governor adviser killed blamed on Hashd

2018 Public workers protested in Sulaymaniya Dohuk Irbil over being paid only half of wages Baghdad

paid half and KRG didn’t pay its half

(Musings On Iraq article on pay dispute between Baghdad and Irbil)

2018 Turkey made false claim it was launching military operation in Sinjar to force PKK to leave which it

agreed to do

(Musings On Iraq article on PKK withdrawal for Sinjar)

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