Review A People’s History Of Iraq, The Iraqi Communist Party, Workers’ Movements, and the Left 1924-2004

Salucci, Ilario, A People’s History Of Iraq, The Iraqi Communist Party, Workers’ Movements, and the Left 1924-2004, Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2005

 

Ilario Salucci wrote a very short and concise history of the Communists in Iraq. The Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) used to be the largest in the country, leading protests and being one of the main opposition groups. However it consistently undermined itself following Soviet doctrine and policy. The author documents how the Communists constantly subordinated themselves to other groups believing that a nationalist bourgeoise and capitalism had to develop before socialism could be established. The party therefore faced defeat after defeat at its own hands.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 8 Iraqi commanders said they were retreating during ISIS attack on Mosul leading to mass desertions

(Rudaw)

 

1920 Ex-Ottoman officer and nationalist al-Ahd member Jamil al-Midfai’s forces attacked Mosul

but turned back Tried to start revolt vs UK Mandate in Iraq

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 7 Al Qaeda In Iraq leader Zarqawi killed in US air strike

(Wikipedia)

 

1920 Ex-Ottoman officer and nationalist al-Ahd member Jamil al-Midfai’s forces reached Mosul

hoping to start revolt against British

Iraq Saw 5 Month High In Oil Exports In May But Revenues Dipped

In May Iraq saw its highest oil exports in five months but because of a dip in prices its revenues were down.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 6 ISIS attacked Mosul eventually taking city

(AP)

 

1920 Sir Percy Cox was reassigned to run Iraq from his posting in Persia

Islamic State Continues Its Decline In Iraq In April 2023

The security situation in Iraq was largely unchanged from April to May 2023. There were nearly the same number of incidents during each month.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 5 Ali and Faisal sons of Sharif of Mecca announced Arab Revolt against Ottomans Many Iraqis joined

(Wikipedia)

 

1916 Ali and Faisal sons of Sharif Hussein announced Arab Revolt against Ottomans Many

Iraqi Ottoman officers would join revolt UK promised Sharif empire after war

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

(Musings On Iraq review Empires of the Sand, The Struggle For Mastery In The Middle East 1789-1923)

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 4 Jamil al-Midfai led nationalist group seized Tal Afar in attempt to start revolt vs UK Mandate in Iraq

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 Ottomans counterattacked trying to retake Amara Failed

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 3 Ali Hassan al-Majid ordered 1,000 Kurdish villages be destroyed

(Alamy)

 

1915 British took Amara after Ottomans withdrew

(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 - Jun 2 UK political officer in Iraq Sir Wilson told Iraqi nationalists an Arab govt would have to wait UK mandate would rule Iraq

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 British troops from Persia crossed Tigris and attacked Amara after convincing Ottoman garrison

commander to surrender 

Review Impossible Victory, How Iraq Defeated ISIS

Al-Abadi, Haider, Impossible Victory, How Iraq Defeated ISIS, Croydon: Biteback Publishing, 2022

 

Impossible Victory, How Iraq Defeated ISIS is an autobiography written by former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. It was probably ghost written and starts off like a personalized version of government press releases. Abadi paints himself as an underdog who always had to fight against the odds from becoming the leader of Iraq to the war against the Islamic State. That’s all to be expected, but when the war begins the book becomes a re-writing of history as he omits and glosses over all the problems and abuses that occurred during the conflict.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jun 1 Farhud anti-Jewish pogrom started in Baghdad

(Yad Ben Zvi and Beit Hatfutsot)

 

1932 Most Assyrian Levies resigned over treatment of their community Worried about what new

Iraqi govt would do with them

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

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

Iraq’s Supreme Court Could Stall KRG Elections And Threaten Federalism

(Brand Kurdistan)

On May 30 Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court made what could be a historic decision. It ruled that the 2022 extension of the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) parliament’s term was unconstitutional. That also meant all its decisions since then had no standing. This might have far ranging affects upon the upcoming Kurdish elections and the future of federalism in Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 31 Kurdish revolt led by Barzinji put down by UK's RAF

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 British took Qurna and set out to capture Amarah from Ottomans

(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 - May 30 UK-Turkey deal Turkey got 10% of Mosul oil in return for giving up claim to province

 

1920 Head political officer in Iraq Wilson got report that revolt in Mosul being planned

Security In Iraq May 22-28, 2023

The Islamic State continues to operate at its lowest level ever in Iraq. During the fourth week of May there were only 3 incidents. That matched the same number the week before. For 19 of the 20 weeks in 2023 incidents have been in single digits. For 16 of those weeks there have been five or less incidents per week. This marks the lowest point in the insurgency’s history in Iraq.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 29 1920 Ayatollah Shirazi issued statement supporting Iraqi independence from UK

(ICIT Digital Library)

 

1920 UK judicial secretary Carter wrote Sir Wilson head political officer warning Sunni-Shiite

unity would threaten British rule in Iraq

This Day In Iraqi History - May 28 Govt had Assyrian leader Mar Shimun come to Baghdad to discuss Assyrian issue

(Wikipedia)

 

1933 Interior Min had Assyrian leader Mar Shimun come to Baghdad to discuss differences with

govt over settling community in north Interior said it was willing to acknowledge Mar Shimun as spiritual leader but would not give him any political power Said UK officer arriving to help settle community Mar Shimun said he would help with settlement Pledged loyalty to King Faisal

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

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 27 Barzani decided to leave Iraq for USSR after his followers arrested and his brother surrendered to govt

 

1917 UK Col Clayton in Egypt worried Sykes-Picot would create opposition by Sharif of

Mecca against UK taking Baghdad Included independent Arab state for Sharif

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

(Musings On Iraq review Empires of the Sand, The Struggle For Mastery In The Middle East 1789-1923)

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

Review The Secret History Of The Iraq War

Bodansky, Yossef, The Secret History Of The Iraq War, New York: 10 Regan Books, 2005

 

This book sat in the discount bin of a local bookstore for what seemed like forever. Reading the first few pages it’s immediately understandable why it was there. It claimed that Saddam Hussein had an operational relationship with Al Qaeda starting in the 1990s when Iraq gave military aid to Somali jihadists led by Aymenn al-Zawahiri which escalated by the early 2000s when Baghdad gave Osama bin Laden WMD. The former was based upon the false story that Al Qaeda helped Somalis during the Black Hawk Down incident. The rest is just pure fantasy. That gives you a glimpse into the world of The Secret History Of The Iraq War by Yossef Bodansky. It reads like a QAnon history of the Iraq War full of outlandish conspiracy theories.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 26 Jamil Midfai led Al-Ahd forces to attack Tal Afar in attempt to start revolt vs UK Mandate in Iraq

(Wikipedia)

 

1915 US consulate report Discontent in Baghdad against draft for war growing UK trying

to bribe tribes south of Baghdad to turn on Ottomans

PUK and KDP Continue Their Dispute This Time Over KRG Election Commission

(NRT)

On May 14 the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) ended its boycott of the Kurdistan Regional Government cabinet. It stopped attending meetings in 2022 due to its on going conflict and rivalry with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) which has moved to dominate the regional government instead of sharing power with its former partner. This truce didn’t last the end of the month as the two were at it again, this time over re-instating the regional Election Commission.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 25 Turkey launched 1st raid into Iraq to fight PKK under Iraq-Turkey security agreement

 

1918 11 leaders of Najaf revolt executed in Kufa by British

This Day In Iraqi History - May 24 Iran’s Op Beit al-Moqaddas pushed Iraq backed to border in Basra Iran-Iraq War

 

1922 Cleric Khalisi informed southern tribes British were trying to get their way in new Anglo-

Iraq Treaty

This Day In Iraqi History - May 23 CPA disbanded Iraq’s military

(Getty Images)

 

1939 After British White Paper on Palestine passed PM Said tried but failed to convince the Mufti

of Jerusalem to support it

Security In Iraq May 15-21, 2023

Violence in Iraq went back down to its normal level during the third week of May. There were just three incidents reported from May 15-21 with those taking place in Baghdad (1), Diyala (1) and Ninewa (1).

This Day In Iraqi History - May 22 Sheikh Barzanji led revolt against British

(Wikipedia)

 

1919 Sheikh Mahmoud Barzinji started rebellion against British in Sulaymaniya

(Musings On Iraq review The Kurdish Revolt 1961-1970)

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

(Musings On Iraq Explaining Kurdish Nationalism Interview With Teen Tech Univ Prof Michael Gunter)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 21 Treaty of Arzurum set border between Ottoman and Persian empires

(Siasat Daily)

 

1847 Treaty of Arzurum tried to set border between Ottoman Empire and Persia Gave

Sulaymaniya to Ottomans Shatt al-Arab to Persia Set up commission to demarcate border between Ottomans and Persia but never finished

(Musings On Iraq review An Analysis of Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 20 Bush said he opposed lifting sanctions on Iraq as long as Saddam in power

 

1917 Sharif Hussein of Nijaz agreed to UK control of Baghdad vilayet after WWI

This Day In Iraqi History - May 19 Gen Maude said UK came to Iraq during WWI as liberators not conquerors

(Wikipedia)

 

869 Adv to Abbasid Caliph Mutazz confronted ministers accusing them of hoarding money Were

tortured and imprisoned but had no money

Review Iraqi Perspectives Project, A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam’s Senior Leadership

Woods, Kevin, with Pease, Michael, Stout, Mark, Murray, Williamson, and Lacey, James, Iraqi Perspectives Project, A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam’s Senior Leadership, San Bernadino: Joint Center For Operational Analysis, 2013

 

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq thousands of Baathist documents were captured and former members of Saddam Hussein’s regime were interviewed by the United States. That resulted in the Iraqi Perspective Project which published three books on its finding. One of those was A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam’s Senior Leadership which tried to explain the Iraqi government’s world view and how that shaped its response to the 2003 invasion. The main thesis was that Saddam never took the United States seriously and did not believe it would overthrow him until it was at the gates of Baghdad.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 18 German planes attacked UK Transjordan force in Anbar Anglo-Iraq War

 

1941 British bombed Fallujah while troops began surrounding town

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s First Battle Of Fallujah 1941)

(Musings On Iraq interview World War II In Iraq and Syria Interview With Case Western’s Prof Broich)

Increased Displacement In Iraq Due To Climate Change

(IOM)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) just issued a new report about continued displacement in central and southern Iraq due to climate change. The situation has gotten worse with more families leaving the land and the government appears to be incapable of providing help.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 17 British planes bombed Mosul and Baghdad Anglo-Iraq War

(Wikipedia)

 

1920 Huge joint Sunni-Shiite demonstration in Baghdad during Ramadan against British rule

(Musings On Iraq review A Short History of Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 16 Sykes-Picot agreement made between French and UK officials to divide up Ottoman Empire in Mideast

 

1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement broke up Ottoman Empire Basra and Baghdad to UK Mosul to France

Would be independent Arab state under UK and French influence

(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)

(Musings On Iraq review Empires of the Sand, The Struggle For Mastery In The Middle East 1789-1923)

Security In Iraq May 8-14, 2023

Violence went up in Iraq during the second week of May to the highest level since the end of February. The insurgency however remains at its lowest level since 2003.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 15 Iraqi army attacked Israel in 1948 Arab-Israeli War

(Wikipedia)

 

1935 Tribes seized Suq al-Shuyukh and cut railway between Basra and Nasiriya during revolt

against govt

This Day In Iraqi History - May 14 Pres Bakr brought Communists into National Front govt to co-opt Baath’s largest opponent

(Wikipedia)

 

1935 Iraqi army and air force began campaign to bomb tribal areas Destroyed towns and burned crops

to put down tribal revolt in Rumaitha

(Musings On Iraq review Wings of Iraq, Volume 1: The Iraqi Air Force, 1931-1970)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 13 German planes attacked UK forces at Habaniya air base Anglo-Iraq War

(Imperial War Museum)

 

1915 British forces moved north to try to encircle Ottoman forces in Qurna

(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 - May 12 Sec State Albright said if 500,000 Iraqi children died under sanctions would be worth it to contain Saddam

(NBC)

 

1920 US protested to UK about San Remo agreement that divided up Iraq’s oil between UK and

France saying London promised open door policy in region

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

Review My Share of the Task, A Memoir

McChrystal, General Stanley, My Share of the Task, A Memoir, New York, Toronto, London, Dublin, Victoria, New Delhi, Auckland, Parktown North, Beijing: Penguin Books, 2013

 

My Share of the Task, A Memoir is about the military career of General Stanley McChrystal from when he attended West Point to when he was forced out of commanding forces in Afghanistan. The book is broken up into three main sections. The first is about his start in the military as he went from unit to unit hoping to become a Ranger. The second is about his time in Iraq running Special Forces operations against the insurgency and militias. The third is on the Afghan campaign. The main take away was that McChrystal was not a deep strategic thinker but focused upon tactical decisions.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 11 2nd time Sec Def Rumsfeld claimed 2 brigades and a company of special forces roughly 10,000 troops could invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam

(Reuters)

 

1925 UK Colonial Secretary wrote Arab elites knew Iraq was being held together by British

Security In Iraq May 1-7, 2023

The Islamic State remains barely active in Iraq. For the 14^th week in a row security incidents were in single digits marking the lowest level of violence in Iraq since 2003.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 10 Army forced PM Talib to resign Pres Arif became PM

(Wikipedia)

 

1920 Nationalist Haras al-Istiqlal decided to increase campaign for independence in

Baghdad Agreed on joint Sunni-Shiite events during annual religious ceremonies

Iraq Sees 5 Month High In Oil Revenues In April

April was a good month for Iraq’s oil industry. It saw the highest exports in four months which led to the largest monthly revenue total in five months.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 9 German and Italian planes started landing in Iraq for Anglo-Iraq War

 

1919 UK approved Iraq political officer Wilson’s plan for mandate in Iraq run by a high

commissioner

Justice For Assassinated Analyst Hisham al-Hashemi

(BBC)

Almost three years after his assassination analyst Hisham al-Hashemi may finally be getting justice. His killer, an officer in the Interior Ministry Ahmed al-Kenani was just given the death sentence.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 8 Def Sec Rumsfeld gave CPA head Bremer draft of DeBaathification order Pentagon would later deny it wrote order

(Dept of Defense)

 

1927 Iraqi cabinet resolution said Assyrians would be settled in the country

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

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

This Day In Iraqi History - May 7 Fmr intelligence head Kazemi became interim PM

(Reuters)

 

1918 British took Kirkuk based on false idea that it would stop Germans from organizing Persians to

attack India British would later leave Kirkuk

(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 May 6 Iraq launched largest air attack upon Habaniya air base during Anglo-Iraq War while army withdrew 409 Iraqi soldiers captured

(Imperial War Museum)

 

1935 Govt arrested cleric Asadallah follower of Ayatollah Ghita who had been demanding

concessions from govt Led to revolt by Abu Hassan Bani Zurayij and Zawalim tribes against monarchy