Sunday, December 31, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 31 Pro-Iran Hashd groups allowed into Green Zone Attacked US Embassy with OK of Abdul Mahdi govt

(EPA)

 

1920 High Commissioner Sir Cox reported that many sheikhs of large confederations supported

Mandate and didn't want an Iraqi govt

(Musings On Iraq review Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied)

Saturday, December 30, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 30 Saddam executed while Sadrists chanted Moqtada

(CNN)

1959 Qasim govt passed Law of Personal Status Equalized inheritance for men and women

Restricted polygamy Set legal marriage age at 18

Friday, December 29, 2023

Review Blind Into Baghdad, America’s War In Iraq

Fallows, James, Blind Into Baghdad, America’s War In Iraq, New York: Vintage Books, 2006


 

Blind Into Baghdad, America’s War In Iraq by James Fallows is a collection of articles he wrote for the Atlantic Monthly before and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Most of them are focused upon how the Bush administration neglected planning for the aftermath of overthrowing Saddam Hussein, hence the title. Those chapters are the main reason to read Fallows’ work.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 29 2nd Phase of Battle of Mosul began with attack upon eastern side of city


 

1934 Yasin al-Hashemi Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani of Ikha criticized PM Ayubi Jawadat for elections he

held because excluded them Senate criticized vote PM started being called a tyrant

(Musings On Iraq review Independent Iraq 1932-1958, A Study in Iraqi Politics)

Thursday, December 28, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 28 Def Sec Rumsfeld told Bush Iraq war would be short and US would withdraw quickly


 

1929 Fmr Iraq High Comm Dobbs said if Iraq moved forward in its own dysfunctional way

and was better off than it was under Ottomans UK would have succeeded

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

Coordination Framework May Not Get Full Control Of Iraq’s Southern Provinces As It Hoped


The Coordination Framework that already controls the central government was the largest winner in December’s provincial vote. That was to be expected as its main rival Moqtada al-Sadr called a boycott. It turns out the list may not run the south as it expected.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 27 Kataib Hezbollah blamed for rocket attack upon Iraqi base that killed 1 US Contractor Trump admin would retaliate by killing Iran’s Gen Soleimani and Hashd leader Abu Muhandis


 

865 Ibn Tahir deposed Abbasid Caliph Mutasin Ordered people of Baghdad to pledge allegiance to

Mutazz as new caliph City rejected Mutazz Forced Ibn Tahir to back down Caliph Mutasin appeared saying he was still caliph

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

Security In Iraq Dec 15-21, 2023

The security situation changed in Iraq during the third week of December because the Islamic State was more active than pro-Iran groups.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 26 Political parties started discussing removing PM Maliki in no confidence vote accusing him of being an autocrat


 

1920 Iraq High Commissioner Sir Percy Cox wrote Iraqis wanted an outsider as ruler UK didn’t need

an election to pick one Could fix it so Faisal would become King

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

Monday, December 25, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 25 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq threatened to attack Interior Min and free men arrested for rocket attack upon Green Zone


 

1920 Gertrude Bell wrote that Faisal was the only solution to Iraq and its first choice to be king

(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)

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

Sunday, December 24, 2023

Saturday, December 23, 2023

Friday, December 22, 2023

Reviews Iraq’s Last Jews, Stories of Daily Life, Upheaval, and Escape from Modern Babylon

Morad, Tamar, Shasha, Deniis, and Shasha, Robert, Edited by, Iraq’s Last Jews, Stories of Daily Life, Upheaval, and Escape from Modern Babylon, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008


 

Iraq’s Last Jews, Stories of Daily Life, Upheaval, and Escape from Modern Babylon is made up of a number of interviews with Iraqi Jews about their experiences. Most had nostalgic views of growing up in Iraq but then things changed starting in 1948 when Israel was created leading to years of persecution by the government. Most left in 1950, but the book contains stories of people who stayed until the 1970s which is rare in histories. Iraq’s Last Jews is a welcome addition to the cannon because of the range of first-hand accounts it includes.

This Day In Iraqi History Dec 22 Ottoman Sultan Murad IV began siege of Baghdad


 

1638 Ottoman Sultan Murad IV began siege of Baghdad Captured it by end of year

Massacred Shiites

Thursday, December 21, 2023

Coordination Framework Looks To Take Control Of Most Of Iraq’s Provinces


As expected the ruling Coordination Framework was the biggest winner in Iraq’s 2023 provincial elections. Even though it ran as three separate lists, Nuri al-Maliki’s State of Law, Hadi Amiri’s Nabni, and Haidar al-Abadi and Ammar Hakim’s National State Forces Alliance, they
won the most seats up for grabs on governorate councils. They will now re-unite and attempt to control most of Iraq’s provinces solidifying their hold on the Iraqi state.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 21 Saddam paid Carlos the Jackal and PFLP to kill Saudi and Iranian oil ministers at OPEC meeting for supporting Kurdish revolt Ministers were taken prisoners but then released

(Wikipedia)

 

1956 Communist uprising in Al-Hay put down and leaders executed

(Musings On Iraq review The Modern History of Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq A History Of The Iraqi Communist Party Interview With Univ of East Anglia’s Johan Franzen)

Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Iraq’s Provincial Elections Marked By Lowest Voter Turnout Since 2003

(Reuters)a

On December 18 Iraq held its first provincial elections in ten years. It likely had the lowest voter turnout since elections started in 2005 due to a boycott by Moqtada al-Sadr and widespread apathy and distrust of the political system.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 20 Reagan envoy Donald Rumsfeld met with Saddam to improve US-Iraq ties


 

1974 Govt secretly tried 25 Shiite leaders and executed 5 of them after religious pilgrimage

turned into protest against Bakr govt

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

Security In Iraq Dec 8-14, 2023


During the second week of December the Islamic State made two rare appearances in Iraq while pro-Iran Hashd groups continued their attacks upon U.S. targets.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 19 US-UK Op Desert Fox ended Was to punish Iraq for ending UN weapons inspections ended Stopped Iraq’s plans of rebuilding its WMD programs


 

869 Abbasid Caliph Muhtadi had to flee capital Samarra as Turkish troops looted palace Muhtadi

confronted troops calling for their loyalty and received it

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

Monday, December 18, 2023

Special Voting For Iraq’s Provincial Elections Occur Amongst Continued Cheating

Members of the Iraqi Security Forces voting in the special elections (Al Rafidain)

On December 16 voting began in Iraq’s provincial elections. This was the special voting which is for the security forces (ISF) and displaced. Regular balloting will occur on December 18. The government claimed that turnout was very high with 67% participating but there are major questions about that.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 18 Qasim began supporting Arabs in Iran as part of his dispute with Tehran


 

1959 Gen Qasim called Ahwaz and Mohammareh in Iran Arab Started supporting Arabs in

Khuzistan province

Saturday, December 16, 2023

Friday, December 15, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 15 Elections held for Iraq’s 1st permanent parliament after 2003 invasion


 

1932 League of Nations Mandate Comm rejected Assyrian petition for autonomy Said Iraqi

govt would settle Assyrians within country or outside of it

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

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

Thursday, December 14, 2023

Review Missions Accomplished? The United States and Iraq since World War I

Hahn, Peter, Missions Accomplished? The United States and Iraq since World War I, New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012


 

When Americans talk about Iraq they usually only discuss the period from the 2003 invasion to the present. History Professor Peter Hahn tried to fill in that gap in knowledge with Missions Accomplished? The United States and Iraq since World War I by covering U.S.-Iraq relations from the latter’s founding in 1920 to the start of the Obama administration. His history of early relations is important because they are rarely mentioned. When he gets to the Iran-Iraq War the book repeats the conventional wisdom on how Washington dealt with Baghdad. The author isn’t partisan but is pro-government repeating how each administration approached Iraq. That leads to some major problems when it comes to topics such as weapons of mass destruction and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. It ends up undermining what Hahn accomplished in the first half of Missions Accomplished?

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 14 PM Askari and UK agreed on new Anglo-Iraq Treaty Would put Iraq under UK influence for decades


1927 PM Askari and Foreign Office agreed on new Anglo-Iraq Treaty Had to be passed by Iraqi

parliament

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

Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Sadrists Attack Their Rivals Before Iraq’s Dec Election

(Bas News)

Iraq's provincial elections are just around the corner and things continue to deteriorate. The latest is the Sadrists attacking their political rivals.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 13 US forces captured Saddam


 

1916 British made diversionary attack at Sannaiyat and took Hai in offensive to retake Kut from

Ottomans

Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Iraq’s Oil Exports And Revenue Drops In Nov 2023


After reaching the highest petroleum export mark since 2019 Iraq’s sales tapered off in November. Prices were down as well for the most oil dependent country in the world.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 12 Dawa members including Abu Muhandis bombed US & French embassies in Kuwait killing 8 Retaliation for air strikes in Lebanon


 

1922 Sir Herbert Samuel proposed UK create Arab state of Iraq Hijaz Palestine Trans-Jordan

maybe Najd Samuel believed Arab state would contain pan-Arabism and contain fears of increased Jewish presence in Palestine

Sunday, December 10, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 10 PUK made deal with Saddam not to fight for Iran in Iran-Iraq War 3000 peshmerga quit in protest

 


1936 Elections started for new parliament after 1936 coup Gen Sidqi wanted to control MPs and

exclude reformist Ahali who were part of govt Sidqi followers won 30 seats Ahali only 12

(Musings On Iraq review Independent Iraq 1932-1958, A Study in Iraqi Politics)

Friday, December 8, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 8 After US soldiers complained about not having adequate equipment Def Sec Rumsfeld said you go to war with the army you have


 

1985 Saudis announced attempt to end the Iran-Iraq War through dialogue with Tehran

(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)

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

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

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

Thursday, December 7, 2023

Review The Struggle For Kirkuk, The Rise Of Hussein, Oil, And The Death Of Tolerance In Iraq

Astarjian, Henry, The Struggle For Kirkuk, The Rise Of Hussein, Oil, And The Death Of Tolerance In Iraq, Westport London: Praeger Security International, 2007


 

The title of this book is very misleading. It would have you believe it’s about Saddam Hussein, sectarianism and Kirkuk when it is actually about the life of the author Henry Astarjian growing up as an Armenian in Kirkuk and Baghdad under the Iraqi monarchy and General Qasim government. The author mixes his personal recollections of his family, friends and where he lived along with the history of the times such as the 1958 coup that ended the monarchy. It’s good to see another Iraqi voice published in English doubly so since it’s from an Armenian perspective, a group you hardly hear about.  

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 7 Saddam said Iraq going on defensive in Iran-Iraq War 3 months into war


 

1914 UK made 2nd attack on Qurna, Basra forcing Ottomans to retreat Lost around 200 killed

130 taken prisoner UK lost 10 killed 118 wounded

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

Wednesday, December 6, 2023

Pro-Iran Groups Continue To Target Americans In Iraq Throughout November 2023


 

November’s security news in Iraq was dominated by pro-Iran groups attacking Iraqi bases that housed U.S. troops over the Gaza War. The Islamic State on the other hand continued its decline in the country although it did carry out one deadly attack.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 6 Kataib Hezbollah fired into Baghdad protesters Killed 85 Wounded 130

(AFP)

 

1915 UK cmdr Gen Townsend sent his cavalry and transport south from Kut so would have fewer mouths

to feed Believed relief coming from Basra

Tuesday, December 5, 2023

Iraq’s Political Parties Cheating Again Before Dec Election


Next month Iraqis will vote for provincial councils. These are
the first local elections since 2013. As in previous campaigns the ruling parties are cheating.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 5 PM Maliki and his State of Law tried to stop case against Trade Min Sudani who stole $400 mil which helped fund party


 

1940 US Amb to Iraq sent note to PM Gaylani saying he was worried about direction of Iraq-

UK relations because of Gaylani’s overtures to the Axis

(Musings On Iraq review Persian Gulf Command, A History of the Second World War In Iran and Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq And Syria 1941, The Politics and Strategy of the Second World War)

Monday, December 4, 2023

Sunday, December 3, 2023

Friday, December 1, 2023

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 7 Saddam said Iraq going on defensive in Iran-Iraq War 3 months into war

  1914 UK made 2 nd attack on Qurna, Basra forcing Ottomans to retreat Lost around 200 killed 130 taken prisoner UK los...