Iraq To Import Natural Gas From Turkmenistan, Experts Not Impressed

While Turkmenistan’s Minister of State Maksid Babayev was visiting Baghdad Iraq’s Electricity Ministry signed a deal to import natural gas from the Central Asian country. Experts say this will not really do much to meet Iraq’s demand and that it would be better off developing its own gas fields which are far behind schedule.

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

 

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)

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

 

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

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

 

1830 Daud Pasha’s Mamluks assassinated governor sent to replace him in Baghdad Sultan

Mahmoud declared Daud a rebel and appointed another governor

Review Operation Babylon, The Story Of The Rescue Of The Jews Of Iraq

Hillel, Shlomo, Operation Babylon, The Story Of The Rescue Of The Jews Of Iraq, Doubleday, 1987

 

Shlomo Hillel was a Mossad agent in charge of getting Jews out of Iraq in the 1940s-50s. His book Operation Babylon, The Story Of The Rescue Of The Jews Of Iraq is a personal narrative of his experiences. Much of the time he writes about the difficulties he faced trying to smuggle people out. His account also raises questions about how much of his story was propaganda to justify his actions and how much he misconstrued Iraq.

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

 

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

 

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

reforms

Tit For Tat Between Integrity Commission And Judiciary Over Corruption In Iraq Continues

On October 15 a warrant was issued for the head of the anti-corruption Integrity Commission Judge Hanoun. Reportedly there is a recording of him talking about taking bribes. This is the latest controversy between the Integrity Commission and the judiciary.

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

 

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)

Security In Iraq Oct 8-14, 2024

The Islamic State’s attempt at a comeback in Iraq faltered during October. It also seemed like Baghdad and Tehran’s pressure on the Iraqi Resistance finally came to fruition as they cut back their attacks upon Israel.

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

 

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

            detailing oil deposits in Mosul vilayet

US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Chapter 12 A New Iraq Policy For The United States

The twelfth chapter of the U.S. Army’s 2^nd Volume on the Iraq War is about the 2011 U.S. withdrawal and its impacts upon Iraq. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki continued his concentration of power and was using the security forces to go after his opponents, the Islamic State of Iraq began its comeback while the Americans willingly gave away its influence with Baghdad.

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

 

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

            1920 Revolt

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)

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)

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 11 Turkish Pres Erdogan said didn’t need permission to operate in Iraq Told PM Abadi he needed to stay in his place

 

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)

Review Raid On The Sun, Inside Israel’s Secret Campaign That Denied Saddam The Bomb

Claire, Rodger, Raid On The Sun, Inside Israel’s Secret Campaign That Denied Saddam The Bomb, Broadway Books, 2004

 

Rodger Claire’s Raid on The Sun, Inside Israel’s Secret Campaign That Denied Saddam The Bomb is about the 1981 raid upon Iraq’s nuclear reactor. The government of PM Menachem Begin was convinced that Iraq was only a few years away from getting a nuclear bomb and decided to stop the program with an air strike. The author mainly focuses upon the Israeli decision making and then the pilots. Unfortunately the author relied upon an Iraqi defector for much of the information about Iraq’s program and was misled as a result.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 10 UK said it was destroying villages in southern Iraq and killing the residents as punishment for 1920 Revolt

 

1393 Baghdad surrendered to Tartars rather than fight and have city sacked

Security In Iraq Oct 1-7, 2024

Both the Islamic State and the Iraqi Islamic Resistance were active in Iraq during the first week of October.

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

 

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 The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies)

(Musings On Iraq review A History of Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Democratic Moment)

(Musings On Iraq review The Other Iraq, Pluralism and Culture in Hashemite Iraq)

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

Baghdad Embarrassed By Iraqi Factions Who Are Increasing Attacks Upon Israel Leading To Worries Of Israeli Retaliation

Sunday Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Sudani called on the international community to save the Middle East from a widening conflict with Israel. Baghdad has been in talks with the U.S., U.K., Spain, Switzerland and others to try to prevent Israel from striking the Iraqi Islamic Resistance. The authorities have also been in discussion with the Resistance to try to halt its operations. The problem is the pro-Iran factions continue with almost daily attacks upon Israel with threats to escalate embarrassing the government.

This Day In Iraqi History - Oct 8 US UK France sent troops to Persian Gulf after Saddam sent his forces to Kuwait’s border because he felt Iraq was being ignored

 

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)

Iraq Has 19 Month Low In Oil Revenues In Sep 2024

Iraq has finally started to cut oil production to comply with OPEC+ quotas. The organization is attempting to stabilize prices as they fall which poses a large threat to Baghdad’s budget.

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)

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)

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

 

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

Mesopotamia from British

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

 

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)

Review The Iraq War

 Review Keegan, John, The Iraq War, Vintage Books, 2005

 

John Keegan is a noted British military historian. He made a notable achievement with his The Iraq War because it gets progressively worse the further you read into it.

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)

Iraq’s Islamic Resistance Records New High In Attacks Upon Israel In Sep 2024

September’s security news was dominated by attacks by the Iraqi Islamic Resistance. The Islamic State was also active during the month but still at a low level.

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

 

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)

Growing Fears of Israeli Retaliation Against Iraq

Several articles have recently been published in the media voicing concerns that Israel will retaliate against the Iraqi Islamic Resistance. This comes as Resistance factions are picking up their attacks in support of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

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

 

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

prepare for Iraqi independence

Security In Iraq Sep 22-28, 2024

There was no activity by the Islamic State in Iraq during the 4^th week of September. Iraq’s Islamic Resistance however reached a new high in operations against Israel in response to its attacks upon Hezbollah in Lebanon.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 30 Qasim passed Agrarian Reform Law Broke up power of landlords who had ruled Iraq since Mandate

 

1922 PM Naqib Gaylani named new cabinet Was to pass new Anglo-Iraq Treaty before

            parliament formed so it wouldn’t be debated Ensured British control over Iraq

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 29 Def Sec Rumsfeld ordered review of all Iraq war plans

 

1914 Royal Naval dispatched ships to patrol Shatt al-Arab to protect Persian oil concessions

(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 - Sep 28 After invasion plan failed Saddam asked for ceasefire one week into Iran-Iraq War

 

1915 British attacked Ottomans at Es Sinn with frontal attack Ottomans held and then retreated at

night

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 27 US published letter from Al Qaeda to Zarqawi Warned him about vanity Said he had to consult with Al Qaeda more and cooperate with other insurgent groups

 

1915 Battle of Es Sinn began 1^st move by British to take Kut from Ottomans

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

Review I, Who Did Not Die, A Sweeping Story Of Loss, Redemption, And Fate

Haftland, Zahed & Aboud, Najah with Meredith May, I, Who Did Not Die, A Sweeping Story Of Loss, Redemption, And Fate, Regan Arts, 2017

 

I Who Did Not Die is a moving story about two soldiers on opposite sides during the Iran-Iraq War. Zahed Haftland was a 13 year old who joined the Basij because he didn’t get along with his father and wanted a direction in life. Najah Aboud was a businessman and ex-soldier who was drafted back into the army when the war began. By chance the two came across each other on the battlefield when Zahed helped Najah. They then had harrowing tales of being prisoners of war. The fact that the two not only survived their ordeals but were re-united decades later is why you should read this book.

This Day In Iraqi History – Sep 26 Bush told Def Sec Rumsfeld to secretly start Iraq war plans

 

1914 Gen Barrow at India Office said UK had to stop Turkish-Arab alliance and declaration

of jihad which could spread to Afghanistan and threaten India UK should make show of force in Shatt al-Arab to deter Arabs from backing Ottomans and if war started should seize Basra vilayet

(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 - Sep 25 KRG held independence referendum Iraqi forces would attack Kurds and seize disputed areas afterward

 

1913 US consul in Baghdad reported Basra Reform Society issued constitution Demanded autonomy

no foreign concessions recognition of Arabic language

Iraq Unveils Environmental Strategy

In September Iraq announced a six year national environmental strategy. While having backing of the international community it is unlikely to go anywhere like Iraq’s economic plans.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 24 UN inspectors found over 50,000 docs on Iraq’s nuclear program when it denied it had such a program

 

1920 British took Fallujah 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)

Security In Iraq Sep 15-21, 2024

Both the Islamic State and the Iraqi Islamic Resistance carried out operations during the third week of September in Iraq. Both are trying to make their presence known but at a very low level.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 23 Natl Sec Adv Rice said Iraq would be next stage in war on terror

 

1948 Shafiq Ades Jewish merchant in Basra hanged on accusation he smuggled weapons to

Palestine He sold scrap metal to Italy that re-sold it to Israel to make weapons Part of anti-Jewish feelings that spread after creation of Israel

(Musings On Iraq review Last Days in Babylon, The Exile of Iraq’s Jews, the Story of My Family)

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 22 Iraq invaded Iran starting Iran-Iraq War

 

1961 After Barzani’s forces overran army and police outposts and pushed back pro-govt Kurdish

tribes Qasim ordered counterattack Iraqi air force bombed 500 villages destroying 270 of them

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

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

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

(Musings On Iraq review Journey Among Brave Men, Travels in Kurdistan)

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

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 21 Coup plot by PM Razzaq vs Pres Arif discovered Led to Baathist purge from govt

 

1941 PM Midfai resigned over argument with Finance Min Kamal

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 20 Bush talked with Blair about seizing Iraq’s southern oil fields

 

1917 Sir Percy Cox made civil commissioner in Iraq

Review Once Upon A Time In Iraq, History of a Modern Tragedy

Bluemel, James and Mansour, Dr Renad, Once Upon A Time In Iraq, History of a Modern Tragedy, BBC Books, 2020

 

In the introduction to Once Upon A Time In Iraq, History of a Modern Tragedy James Bluemel and Dr. Renad Mansour say they wanted to provide a voice to ordinary Iraqis so they could tell how their lives were impacted by the Iraq War. Few books include Iraqi voices so this seemed like just the type of book that is needed. In reality however the book is a mix of Iraqi and American personalities. Not only that but the first half covers 9/11 to the end of 2003. The middle is about the two battles of Fallujah and the capture, interrogation and execution of Saddam Hussein which diverges from the stated goal of the authors. The last third quickly goes from 2005 when the civil war broke out to 2017 when the Islamic State was defeated. There are definitely good moments but there could’ve been more Iraqis and the authors could’ve spent less time on the early years of the conflict.

This Day In Iraqi History - Sep 19 Bush again asked for report on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties after already told none existed

 

1914 UK sent 3 gunboats to Shatt al-Arab to protect Persian oil fields

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