1 Yr After Elections Iraq Finally Has A New Govt

(Al Monitor)

One year after voting Iraq finally selected a new government. On October 13 parliament elected former Water Minister Abdul Latif Rashid of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) president. This had been one of the main roadblocks because originally the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) wanted to take the position which has been held by the PUK since 2005. They finally made a deal where the PUK would put forward a new candidate Rashid and the KDP would back him.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 31 Iraq suspended cooperation with UN weapons inspectors

(AP)

 

1914 India ordered 6^th Div to seize Faw and clear Turks out of Shatt al-Arab before WWI

started

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 30 Armistice of Mudros ended WWI in Iraq as Ottomans surrendered

(Daily Sabah)

 

1918 Armistice of Mudros signed between British and Ottomans 6^th Army in Mesopotamia

surrendered to UK Ended WWI in Iraq UK wasn’t able to seize Mosul province and its oil before end of war

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

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 29 Hikmat Sulaiman and Gen Sidqi led 1st coup in Iraq overthrowing PM Hashemi

(Wikipedia)

 

867 Riot by Turkish soldiers in Abbasid capital Samarra against two top advisers Wasif and

            Bugha over salaries Wasif beheaded

(Musings On Iraq review when baghdad ruled the muslim world, the rise and fall of islam’s

greatest dynasty)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 28 ISF massacred protesters in Karbala Over 800 casualties

(Al Mada)

 

1913 Secret Al-Ahd Association of Ottoman officers formed Included many Iraqis that would

become leaders and prime ministers under monarchy such as Nuri al-Said Yasin Hashemi Jamil Midfai and others Called for Arab autonomy

Review From Dictatorship to Democracy: An Insider’s Account of the Iraqi Opposition to Saddam

Al-Bayati, Hamid, From Dictatorship to Democracy: An Insider’s Account of the Iraqi Opposition to Saddam, Philadelphia Oxford: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011

 

Hamid al-Bayati was the London representative of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). His From Dictatorship to Democracy: An Insider’s Account of the Iraqi Opposition to Saddam is about what SCIRI did from the 1990s to the start of the U.S. occupation of Iraq. The book is one of omission because what he doesn’t say is sometimes more important than what he does. His main concern was to portray SCIRI in a good light as an organization that pushed for a democratic Iraq while he never mentions important facts like it was created and funded by Iran. On the other hand he does cover what the Iraqi opposition was doing during the 1990s and 2000s which is a story rarely told.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 27 White House told Bremer to revise his political plan for Iraq because wanted to withdraw quickly

(Wikipedia)

 

1932 King Faisal asked PM Said to resign Faisal wanted a national unity govt that would include

opposition and carry out reforms

3 Year Anniversary of Iraq’s Protests Shows Dwindling Movement

Demonstration in Maysan to mark 3 yr anniversary of protest movement (Al Mirbad)

October 25 marked the three-year anniversary of Iraq’s protest movement. People came out in 10 provinces but not in the large numbers seen in previous times.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 26 UK High Commissioner for Iraq Sir Cox created provisional Iraqi govt in response to 1920 Revolt

(Wikipedia)

 

1920 UK High Commissioner Sir Cox formed Iraqi provisional govt after 1920 Revolt led

British to give up direct rule Abd Naqib of Baghdad was premier Had 21 ministers 12 with no portfolios Naqib opposed giving any ministries to Shiites

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

(Musings On Iraq review Dictatorship, Imperialism & Chaos, Iraq since 1989)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq review The Shi’is Of Iraq)

Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.4 June 2005 To May 2006

From the summer of 2005 to the summer of 2006 the British were having trouble on two fronts in Iraq. First, despite Prime Minister Tony Blair still thinking positively about the war officials in his government still believed that the Coalition was failing. In the south which the U.K. was responsible for its own strategy was also not working and the focus turned to how it could withdraw as quickly as possible, which mimicked the American plan which the Brits were critical of.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 25 Jaafar Askari made Defense Min Began creation of Iraqi army

(Wikipedia)

 

1920 Jaafar al-Askari former Ottoman officer Faisal’s military commander during Arab Revolt

and officer in Arab Kingdom of Syria made Defense Minister Used 10 officers including brother in law Col Nuri al-Said to begin creation of new Royal Iraqi Army

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Between the Two World Wars, The Militarist Origins of Tyranny)

Security In Iraq Oct 15-21, 2022

Violence is back to its regular low level in Iraq. Islamic State attacks were at single digits again while there was no activity by pro-Iran groups during the third week of October.

This Day In Iraqi History Oct 24 – Iraq said it took Khorrmanshahr major city in south Iran Was supposed to be taken in first week of war Took 1 month

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 UK cmdr in Mesopotamia Gen Nixon told to march on Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 23 UK picked Abd al-Gaylani to be Iraq’s first prime minister

(Wikipedia)

1915 UK cabinet ordered UK cmdr Gen Nixon to take Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 22 Report Iranian Rev Guard set up crisis cell in Baghdad to put down protests

(AFP)

 

 

1920 Iraq High Commission Sir Cox asked Jafaar al-Askari to return to Baghdad Would become

1^st Defense Minister Askari ex-Ottoman officer Was Faisal’s military commander during Arab Revolt

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 21 UK decided to seize Baghdad during WWI Would say would be there temporarily but created Iraq as a British mandate

(Wikipedia)

 

1914 Ottoman Basra Governor demanded UK withdraw warship from Shatt al-Arab docked in

            Persia to protect oil concession Ottomans began shooting at ship UK agreed

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

Review Hide And Seek, The Search For Truth In Iraq

Duelfer, Charles, Hide And Seek, The Search For Truth In Iraq, New York: Public Affairs, 2009

 

Charles Duelfer was the deputy head of the United Nations inspectors in the 1990s and then in charge of the Iraq Survey Group which investigated Iraq’s WMD programs after the 2003 invasion. His book Hide And Seek, The Search For Truth In Iraq is about those two experiences plus his work with the CIA in between them. He made three main points. One was that the weapons inspections in the 1990s and 2000s were never going to get to the bottom of things because Iraq would never cooperate with something imposed upon it. The second was that he supported the overthrow of Saddam Hussein but then acknowledged that the Bush administration destroyed Iraq afterward. Third he tried to explain why Iraq wanted WMD and acted like it still had them after they were destroyed. Ultimately his goal was to explain what both the U.S. and Iraqis were thinking during their years of confrontation when almost all books are just about the Americans.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 20 Iraqi forces and Peshmerga fought in Kirkuk in aftermath of Kurdish independence referendum

 

(CNN)

1922 Interior Min Sadoun told governors to start preparing for parliamentary elections and to

            urge voters to only elect candidates who would back Anglo-Iraq Treat

Security In Iraq Oct 8-14, 2022

Violence in Iraq dropped during the second week of October. There were fewer incidents by the Islamic State. On the other hand, Sadrists and Hashd elements were active.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 19 Saddam said Iraq couldn’t win Iran-Iraq War because outnumbered

(Biography)

 

1915 UK General Staff recommended taking Baghdad before Turkish forces grew in

strength in Mesopotamia

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.3 July 2004 To May 2005

The Chilcot Inquiry shows that the British were far more aware of the deteriorating situation in Iraq than the Americans. From July 2004 to May 2005 the U.K. was concerned about growing violence from the insurgency and militias and didn’t think that the new Iraqi political system would solve either one.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 18 ISI held march in Ramadi to declare it capital of its caliphate

(AP)

1920 Najaf surrendered to British in 1920 Revolt Was one of the centers of rebellion

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 17 Zarqawi pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and his group became Al Qaeda in Iraq

(Wikipedia)

 

1909 Mosul representatives to new Ottoman Assembly left for Istanbul Was part of Young Turks’

reforms

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 16 Govt forces took south Kirkuk and Kirkuk city after fighting Peshmerga Aftermath of KRG independence referendum

(EA Worldview)

 

1914 UK convoy with 16^th Indian Bgd on way to Egypt told it was being sent to Persian Gulf to secure

Persian oil fields and occupy Basra

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 15 UN inspectors found Iraq worked on hydrogen bomb

(AP)

 

1905 British Amb to Turkey O’Connor sent memo written by Sir Sykes to Foreign Office detailing oil

deposits in Mosul vilayet

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 14 Oil discovered in Kirkuk

 

(Wikipedia)

1920 UK military took Kifl railway station Major transportation hub in mid-Euphrates during 1920 Revolt

Review Eclipse Of The Sunnis, Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East

Amos, Deborah, Eclipse Of The Sunnis, Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East, New York: Public Affairs, 2010

 

Journalist Deborah Amos said she wrote Eclipse Of The Sunnis, Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East to explore the plight of Iraqi refugees in the Middle East. It turns out to be more of a travel journal about her trips to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Half the book is about Iraqis but the other half is about the politics and society of those countries. That means Eclipse Of The Sunnis really lacks focus.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 13 Al Qaeda in Iraq became the Islamic State of Iraq

 

1920 UK military relief force fought rebels outside Samawa Rebels withdrew during night

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

Iraq Will Try To Pick New President But Questions Remain

(AFP)

Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi announced that Iraq’s parliament would meet October 13 to pick a president and move forward in selecting a new government. There are open questions about what will happen during the session.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 12 Dawa Party founded

 

1920 Tribes lost Rwairij to British during 1920 Revolt Led to clerics in Karbala to begin to surrender

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

Security In Iraq Oct 1-7, 2022

With the Islamic State’s summer offensive over security largely went back to normal at the start of October. Insurgent attacks were in single digits. There were no incidents by pro-Iran groups who were too busy fighting their rivals the Sadrists in the south.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 11 Sir Percy Cox arrived to create an Arab govt to run Iraq

 

1920 UK military force set out from Hillah to relieve garrison at Kufa Burned houses of Fatla tribe

along the way during 1920 Revolt

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

Clashes In South Fueled By Political Dispute Over New Iraqi Govt

(Reuters)

Sadr has lost almost all of his political influence over forming the next government in Iraq. He overplayed his hand when he withdrew his parliamentarians and now only has the street and violence to turn to. That has led to a number of clashes, protests and assassinations in southern Iraq between Sadr’s followers and his rivals in the Coordination Framework.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 10 British said they were destroying villages in the south and killing the residents as punishment for 1920 Revolt

(Historica)

 

1914 Gen Delamain cmdr UK 6^th Div in India told to sail to Persia Said Turks had small

inferior force in Basra Sir Percy Cox appointed his political officer

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 9 Nuri al-Said became PM 4th time Went after his opponents imprisoning 100s

(Wikipedia)

 

1941 Nuri al-Said became PM 4^th of 9 times Went after supporters of former PM Gaylani Purged the

military and civil service Gave prison sentences to 100s

(Musings On Iraq Revolutionary Times, Gen. Qasim And Iraq’s 1958 Coup, Interview With Western Kentucky’s Prof. Juan Romero)

(Musings On Iraq Is Iraq’s Prime Minister Maliki More Like Premier Nuri al-Sa’id Than Saddam? An Interview With Historian Phebe Marr)

(Musings On Iraq review Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The Nationalist Moement in Irq 1939-1941)

(Musings On Iraq review ‘Independent Iraq’ The Monarchy & British Influence, 1941-1958)

(Musings On Iraq review The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Democratic Moment)

(Musings On Iraq review A History of Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 8 US blamed UK High Commissioner Sir Wilson for causing 1920 Revolt

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 UK cmdr General Nixon said he could defeat the Turks and take Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

Review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq

West, Bing, The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq, New York: Random House, 2008

 

Bing West was one of the pre-eminent military writers on the Iraq War. A former Marine West travelled to Iraq constantly to discuss with American troops what they were going through. The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq is about how the U.S. came from the brink of defeat in Iraq and then was finally able to turn around the military situation with the Surge. His main focus is upon U.S. leadership which was severely lacking during most of the war starting with President Bush.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 7 Baathist assassination attempt on Gen Qasim failed

 

1920 UK forces defeated insurgents in Hindiya south of Hillah during 1920 Revolt

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

Islamic State’s Summer Offensive Ends With A Whimper

September 2022 marked the end of the Islamic State’s annual summer offensive. It paled in comparison to previous years in the number and types of attacks the group was able to carry out.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 6 Iraq sent forces to Syria while Iraqi jets in Egypt bombed Israeli targets in the Sinai as 1973 Arab-Israeli War began

 

1915 Sir Percy Lake new Chief of General Staff in India said UK must take Baghdad because

it would be turning point in war in East

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

Iraq’s Oil Revenues Drop For A Third Month In September 2022

Iraq’s oil exports have been relatively stable for the last 11 months. The main difference was the surge in prices during the spring of 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. That is now subsiding as so are Iraq’s revenues.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 5 King Faisal accepted Anglo-Iraq Treaty that put Iraq under British hegemony for decades

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 6^th Army created by Ottomans under command of German Gen von der Goltz to defend

Mesopotamia from British

Security In Iraq Sep 22-28, 2022

Attacks by the Islamic State have fluctuated up and down during the month of September. This is a sign that the group’s summer offensive could be ending. Pro-Iran groups have not carried out any attacks since the start of September although some militia group did fire rockets and mortars at the Green Zone this week.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 4 Saddam ordered unilateral ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War 2 wks in as invasion plans went wrong

(IranWire)

 

1920 All of Upper Euphrates modern day Anbar was under British control during 1920 Revolt

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

(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)

Protesters Mark 3 Yr Anniversary Of Movement Marred By Sadrists

(AFP)

On October 1 activists returned to the streets of Baghdad and the south to mark the three-year anniversary of the protest movement. Not as many people as planned showed up while the Sadrists tried to take over the event in the capital. Things were peaceful in most of the country but in Basra and Baghdad there were day long clashes with the police.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 3 Iraq gained independence from the British

 

1920 Gertrude Bell called Shiite clergy a group of popes standing in the way of UK plans Claimed

Shiites were problem in Iraq Said Sunnis should rule Iraq because Shiites would impose a religions state That was why Mosul province had to be included in Iraq to add more Sunnis Said that British were looking for Iraqi to be new ruler but couldn’t find one so had to pick a son of the Sharif of Mecca

(Musings On Iraq review The Shi’is Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Gertrude Bell And Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq movie review Letters from Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq review Desert Queen, The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 2 David Kay head of Iraq Survey Group told Congress no WMD or nuclear program found in Iraq

(Wikipedia)

 

1914 London told India to prepare to send ships and men to Shatt al-Arab and land troops in

Persia to protect oil interests

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In World War I, From Ottoman Rule to British Conquest)

(Musings On Iraq review When God Made Hell, The British Invasion of Mesopotamia and the Creation of Iraq, 1914-1921)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 1 Saddam halted military ops in Iran for 1 wk Sign invasion gone wrong

 

(AFP

1920 Sir Percy Cox landed in Basra as new British high commissioner of Iraq Was told to

prepare for Iraqi independence