Musings On Iraq review Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar
Musings On Iraq review Duty, Memoirs Of A Secretary At War
Musings On Iraq review Fallujah Awakens, Marines, Sheikhs, and the Battle Against Al Qaeda
Musings On Iraq review Fallujah Redux, The Anbar Awakening and the Struggle With Al-Qaeda
Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State
Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement
Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance
Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism
Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy
Musings On Iraq review The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda
Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Patriotic Ayatollahs, Nationalism In Post-Saddam Iraq
Musings On Iraq review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary
Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar
Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq, A View from the Ground Up
Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War
Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006
Musings On Iraq review The Unraveling, High Hopes And Missed Opportunity In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009
Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008
Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
Musings On Iraq interview with Reuters’ Parker on Maliki’s biography
Musings On Iraq interview with Inside Iraqi Politics’ Sowell on whether Maliki became a dictator
Musings On Iraq interview with Historian Phebe Marr comparing PM Maliki with MP Said
Musings On Iraq Argument for Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman
2007
Jan 1 ISF raided Al-Sharqiya TV station office in Baghdad after newscaster wore black day
after Saddam executed Govt claimed station promoted violence Owned by Bazzaz who ran TV and radio for Saddam
Jan 1 Report After 9/11 Bush admin turned to what it knew Iraq rather than what it didn’t
Al Qaeda as main threat to US
(Musings On Iraq Was Iraq An Imminent Threat To The West?)
Jan 2 Report US pre-Surge Iraq strategy failed US planned to withdraw and have Iraqis take
over security Problem was violence increased ISF was not up to task of securing country and many units were full of militiamen making situation worse Bush still talked about victory when plan was a withdrawal As early as 2005 State Dept and NSC officials wanted to review Iraq strategy but went nowhere Wasn’t until fall 06 Bush finally agreed that things were not working
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Jan 2 Iraqi govt reported 16,273 deaths in 2006 14,298 civilians, 1,348 police, 627 soldiers
Jan 3 Report Attacks doubled in Diyala since 05 US 4th Inf Div had largely withdrawn to
bases Allowed ISF to run province ISF accused of abuses Army and police generals both backed by Badr Diyala council dismissed police chief Accused of supporting death squads Sunnis boycotted Diyala govt until Iraqi army general replaced Insurgents held parade in Baquba neighborhood end of Dec Insurgents executed and expelled Shiites from Baquba
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Jan 4 Natl Sec Adv Hadley told Bush PM Maliki opposed to troop surge before video
conference between the two
Jan 4 Bush told Maliki Surge happening and he had to publicly back it and could not stop
US ops Maliki wanted US to only go after insurgents while he continued to protect Sadr and Mahdi Army
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Jan 4 Baathist leader Izzat al-Duri declared war on Sadr and Hakim
Jan 4 Report New Pentagon program opened one closed state owned enterprise factory in
Dec Had plans to reopen 9 more by end of Jan Hoping they would create 11,000 jobs
Jan 4 Report Intl Org for Migration recorded 40,000 Sunnis fled Baghdad to Anbar in 2006
to escape civil war
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Jan 5 American kidnapped by Mahdi Army at checkpoint in Basra Iraqis that were with \
American were found dead
Jan 7 ISI issued Baghdad defense plan Called for locals to create local defense units Divide
neighborhoods into sectors each with its own defensive plan Insurgents would launch offensive ops against Shiite areas
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Jan 7 Report Insurgent groups willing to talk with US Called off negotiations after Saddam’s
execution Dec 30 Demands were unreasonable such as dismissing Maliki govt and replacing it with a political and military council
Jan 8 Human Rights Watch report Militias killing torturing and dumping bodies with
protection of Interior Ministry
Jan 10 Bush and Maliki individually announced troop Surge in Iraq US would send 17,500
additional troops to Iraq Keep 4,000 Marines in Anbar Ask for $5.6 bil for extra troops, $1.1 bil for reconstruction and Provincial Reconstruction Teams Expand advisers for ISF PM Maliki said he would commit $10 bil for reconstruction Send 3 brigades to Baghdad Allow US to pursue militias Reform cabinet
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How The Civilian Surge In Iraq Didn’t Quite Meet Its Mark)
(Musings On Iraq review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jan 10 PM Maliki spokesman Dabbagh in response to Human Rights Watch report that
Interior Min was protecting militias said that not all the ISF were loyal to the govt
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Jan 11 Secretary of State Rice announced provincial reconstruction teams to head new US
civilian effort to rebuild Iraq’s govt economy and civil society to aid Surge
(Musings On Iraq How The Civilian Surge In Iraq Didn’t Quite Meet Its Mark)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)
Jan 11 US arrested 5 Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force operatives in Irbil as part of
new US crackdown on Iranians US tried to arrest Jafari deputy head of Iran’s NSC and Gen Frouzanda head of IRGC intelligence KRG complained about raid Jafari and Frouzanda had invitations from Pres Talabani and were to meet Pres Barzani
(Musings On Iraq 5 Revolutionary Guards Members Let Go By U.S.)
(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Jan 11 Joint Chief head Gen Pace accused Iran of sending weapons to Iraq that were killing
US soldiers
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Jan 11 Dawa and ISCI MPs voiced opposition to US troop Surge
Jan 14 Report $1.5 bil smuggled out of Baiji refinery Insurgents were thought to be taking
most of that Dep PM Salah said oil industry facing crisis due to crime Said govt encouraged corruption
Jan 14 UK Gen Lamb said PM Maliki picked Gen Qanbar to head Baghdad Ops Command
That he was a professional respected and non-sectarian US questioned Qanbar as being an unknown
Jan 14 Pres Bush at press conference said Quds Force provided EFPs to Iraqis Said didn’t
know whether had approval of Iran’s leadership
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
Jan 15 Report US military worried PM Maliki named Gen Qanbar to head new Baghdad Ops
Command Was from southern Iraq and hardly known by US
Jan 16 Bush said that his Iraq policy was heading for slow failure and that’s why he chose
new policy with Surge
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jan 16 Govt’s Article 140 comm said that any govt official unjustly fired in Kirkuk as part of
Arabization program of Baath would be reinstated PM Maliki didn’t sign order
Jan 16 Report UN said roughly 40% of Iraq’s middle class had fled country
Jan 17 Maliki claimed if ISF were better armed US forces could start withdrawing in 3-6
months Claimed he launched operation to clear Karbala of militiamen and arrested 400 Mahdi Army members Was not true
Jan 17 Mayor of Sadr City Daraji had 1st of 2 meetings with UK Gen Lamb on working out
understanding with militias to prevent confrontations in district Militias were afraid of major US operation in Sadr City as part of Surge Sadrists backed Daraji’s effort
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Jan 17 UK Intel report Sectarian violence increased in last 6 months Attacks on Coalition
reaching new high PM Maliki govt had no security strategy was uncoordinated problem with rivalries endemic corruption lacked capable bureaucracy
Jan 18 Baathist leader Izzat al-Duri offered to reduce insurgent attacks upon US forces if
US went after militias
Jan 19 Sadr ordered his MPs and ministers back to work Started boycott after PM Maliki met
with Bush and refused to demand US forces leave
Jan 19 US arrested Abdul al-Daraji and Ali Smaisin for running death squads for Sadr
Jan 19 Report Gen Abadi Deputy Chief of Staff of ISF said corruption was eating away at the
armed forces US got rid of Iraqi army commander in Fallujah who was connected to militias was stealing fuel and weapons and selling them on black market in Baghdad and taking pay from soldiers Iraqi govt report said that police were kidnapping people for money forging documents and gave info to insurgents
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Jan 19 Iraqi cabinet committee finished draft of Hydrocarbon Law Was never passed
Jan 19 US Amb met with Hakim and Abdul Mahdi of ISCI after Badr members arrested for
smuggling EFPs from Iran into Iraq Hakim and Abdul Mahdi said arrests damaged relations with US Sadrists and Special Groups exclusively blamed for EFPs Showed Badr also working with Iran on EFPs
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Jan 20 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard planned op attacked Karbala
Center and kidnapped and killed 5 US soldiers Was retaliation for US arrests of Iranian operatives in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)
(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Jan 21 2 officials claimed that US had convinced PM Maliki to stop protecting Sadr and
Mahdi Army Wasn’t true
Jan 21 Report Abu Dura leading militia leader in Baghdad Thought to have killed 1000s of
Sunnis Killed 1 of Saddam’s lawyers Ran ambulances to kidnap Sunnis Fought in Mahdi Army in Najaf in 2004
Jan 22 Maliki announced he would no longer protect the Mahdi Army from U.S. raids Didn’t
happen
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Jan 22 Mayor of Sadr City Daraji had 2nd of 2 meeting with UK Gen Lamb on working out
understanding with militias to prevent confrontations in district Militias were afraid of major US operation in Sadr City as part of Surge Sadrists backed Daraji’s effort
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Jan 23 Bush State of Union outlined the Surge
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Jan 23 US colonel said mortar rounds and mines with Iranian markings from 2006 were found
in Diyala
(Musings On Iraq A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)
Jan 24 Amb Khalilzad asked British to stop troop withdrawal plans UK Foreign Sec Beckett
said drawdown would continue
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Jan 24 UK intel report Mahdi Army and Badr behind most attacks upon Sunnis Were
powerful groups with positions in govt and influence in security forces Maliki wanted Sadr to rein in Mahdi Army so US didn’t go after militia Maliki opposed any major US ops vs Mahdi Army in Baghdad Maliki wanted to maintain his Shiite base which meant keeping ties to Sadr Maliki govt seen as linked to militias which hindered reconciliation with Sunnis
Jan 25 PM Maliki presented new Baghdad security plan as part of Surge Said he would go
after militias and protect human rights He didn’t Called on govt to recruit from all communities and be presented throughout bureaucracy to address complaints about marginalization as opening to Sunnis Sheikh Janabi asked why were parts of Baghdad under siege and said govt should be killing terrorists not civilians Demanded release of prisoners Said Iraqi intel should be reviewed by both Sunnis and Shiites Demanded end to deBaathification Maliki accused Janabi of being responsible for kidnapping 150 people Speaker Mashadani admonished Maliki for attacking a MP Live TV broadcast was quickly cut off
Jan 26 US arrested Sheikh Daraji Sadr’s media director in Baghdad
Jan 26 Report Bush authorized killing and capturing Iranians in Iraq Fall 06 In 2006 US had
arrested dozens of Iranians but released them Administration believed hitting Iran hard in Iraq would make it step back from its nuke program Summer 06 US officials decided to confront Iran more directly in Iraq Said Iran had to pay a price for interfering in Iraq and threatening US forces CIA Dir Hayden warned that new policy could just lead to Iranians to retaliate against US in Iraq Secretary of State Rice worried about policy escalating to direct confrontation with Iran Some officials wanted US to go after Iranian Revolutionary Guards in Iraq as much as Islamic State of Iraq
(Musings On Iraq 5 Revolutionary Guards Members Let Go By U.S.)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Jan 26 Fmr Cheney media aide Martin said Vice President dictated talking points to his Chief
of Staff Libby to use with reporters to discredit fmr Amb Wilson on Iraq-Niger uranium story Libby was also ordered to call reporters Libby talked about ways to discredit Wilson including leaking to reporters Cheney also ordered Martin to track news stories about Wilson Martin contradicted Libby’s claim that he found out Wilson’s wife’s name from journalist Novak Wife Plame was a CIA officer Wilson claimed he found no evidence of Iraq-Niger uranium deal Claimed Cheney knew about his findings and continued to lie about it Cheney didn’t hear about Wilson’s account
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
Jan 26 UK report Security in Basra deteriorated Basrawis lived in fear due to Mahdi Army
and other militias British and ISF not seen as reliable by public
Jan 27 Report more than 800 had volunteered for Anbar police due to Awakening in Dec
2006 Fmr Anbar Gov Gaood MP Salah al-Mutlaq both said they opposed Awakening
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Jan 28 Soldiers of Heaven started revolt in Najaf leaving 263 killed 210 wounded U.S. air and
ground forces had to be called in to help Iraqi forces defeat group
Jan 28 Baquba mayor fired for charges of working with insurgents 1500 police fired by new
provincial police chief for deserting posts in Nov 2006
Jan 28 Iran’s Amb to Iraq offered counter to Surge Said Iran would open banks fund major
reconstruction projects provide electricity and fuel train equip advise Iraqi forces
Jan 28 Sec State Rice sent letter to Senate Armed Service Comm saying that White House
told Maliki govt US backing was not open ended and expected Baghdad to pass certain laws Sametime said Maliki govt had not passed provincial election, oil or deBaathification law
Jan 28 ISI set of chlorine car bomb in Ramadi 16 killed
Jan 29 Report US officials skeptical whether Maliki would back Surge and go after Sadr US
didn't tell Maliki about raids on Sadrists because he would try to stop them Maliki got US to release arrested Sadrists US intelligence tapped Maliki’s conversation and confirmed he was telling his advisers he would back Surge
Jan 30 Bush said that if Iran escalated actions in Iraq against US forces US would respond
Jan 30 Gen Odierno said Iran supplying RGP-29s, Katyusha rockets, EFPs to Iraqi militias
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Jan 30 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report US struggling to increase capacity of Iraqi
ministries US turned over projects and Iraqis couldn’t maintain them One problem 3 Iraqi govts in short period of time New govt purged previous bureaucrats from ministries Parties hired people based upon nepotism and patronage rather than competence US didn’t have single group in charge of capacity building Meant no unified effort
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)
Jan 31 PM Maliki told CNN Iraq only needed a few more U.S. troops not Surge Bush called
for
Jan 31 Bush in interview said he’d authorized US forces in Iraq to treat Iranian agents as
combatants
Jan 31 Fmr Rep Hamilton and Fmr Attn Gen Meese testified to Congress that US hired
contractors to train Iraqi police that weren’t competent and didn’t have personnel for job Said Justice Dept should have led effort and police should have taken over training not military
(Musings On Iraq interview with Col Ted Spain on how US struggled to establish law and order in post-invasion Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Jan 31 Special Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report said some Iraqi ministries spent as little as 15%
of their budgets because couldn’t find companies to work in dangerous areas lack of skilled contracting officers ant-corruption rules hindered spending Said electricity production in 4th qtr of 2006 was below pre-war levels State Dept so embarrassed eliminated pre-war power production from a report to try to hide dip in output Said US lost $300 bil due to waste and corruption State Dept contracted DynCorp to build police camp in Baghdad Not used Spent $4.2 mil for VIP trailers and Olympic sized pool ordered by Interior Min and not authorized by US Spent another $36.4 mil on armored vehicles body armor communications that never showed up
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Savage on US reconstruction effort in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Reconstructing Iraq’s Budgetary Institutions)
Feb 1 Report Shiite officials were trying to blame Soldiers of Heaven uprising in Najaf on
Sunnis Claimed that its leader was a Sunni Wahabi from Basra Some claimed he was backed by ISI even though group was Shiite Soldiers of Heaven wanted to kill Shiite clergy in Najaf claiming it would lead to return of missing Mahdi
Feb 1 Report Mahdi Army leaders going to Iran and Syria to avoid Surge Militiamen told to
lie low to avoid confrontations with US forces
Feb 1 Experts said Foreign Affairs and Water Mins were stable and well run Oil and Finance
Mins had been purged and suffered from political infighting Some ministries run by parties that use them to further their political and sectarian goals more than govern like Health Min run by Sadrists
Feb 2 US Natl Intel Estimate ISF lacked training equipment skills to replace US forces If US
withdrew in 12-18 months violence would increase in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Feb 2 Def Sec Gates and Joint Chief head Gen pace said Iraqis behind schedule in sending
troops to Baghdad for Surge Said only 55-65% of promised troops were in Baghdad
Feb 2 Report Mar 06 CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid told Def Sec Rumsfeld Iran’s Quds
Force arming militias Aug 06 Dep chief of ops at Joint Chiefs Gen Barbero said Iran funding and arming militias Sep 06 Dep chief of staff of intel at Multi-Natl Force Iraq said Iranian explosives found with militias Gen Abizaid said US found weapons that probably came from Iran Said Hezbollah training militias in Iran 1 report 150 Quds Force and Iranian intel officers in Iraq Dec 06 US arrested 2 Quds Force members at Hakim’s home meeting with Badr’s Amiri Jan 07 5 Iranians arrested in Irbil Gen Odierno said Iranian weapons were captured
(Musings On Iraq A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Feb 3 Truck bomb in Baghdad market killed 137 wounded 305
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Feb 4 Report was debate within Bush admin over whether to back PM Maliki or replace him
with VP Adel Abdul Mahdi Decided to support Maliki
Feb 4 Govt’s Article 140 comm said anyone expelled form Kirkuk had right to return and
compensation payment Arabs moved into province during Arabization who wanted to leave would be compensated All Baath laws giving land to Arab settlers were annulled Led to protests by Arabs in Kirkuk PM Maliki did not sign decision
Feb 5 VP Cheney’s press officer Martin said that Cheney and Libby told press that fmr Amb
Wilson went to investigate Iraq-Niger uranium story because of his wife who worked at CIA Cheney angry that Wilson claimed VP sent him to Niger After Wilson wrote NYTimes OpEd July 03 Libby White House spokesman Fleischer and Karl Rove told 5 reporters Wilson’s wife sent him to Niger Dep Sec State Armitage was one that leaked Wilson’s wife name to Robert Novak
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)
Feb 5 Baghdad Operations Command created Answered to PM Maliki not Defense Min
Feb 5 Report police regularly sold their equipment to arms dealers for money ISF would also
sell seized weapons in raids to black market 2006 US reports said US weapons given to ISF were ending up with militants
Feb 6 Maliki told Al Hayat that ISF penetrated and needed to be purged Claimed ISI was
weak due to divisions and govt had penetrated group and found out its organization and leadership
Feb 6 PM Maliki said govt had not started new security plan in Baghdad well and was
hurting standing with public ISF commanders said some units slow to deploy to Baghdad Getting army and police to cooperate a problem
Feb 6 Iranian diplomat detained by Iraqi police commandos and accused CIA of
torturing him after his release
Feb 6 Bremer testified to Congress 1st time Questioned about missing $8.8 bil Bremer said
money given to Iraqi ministries but didn’t follow what happened afterward Disputed claims CPA staffed by young inexperienced Republicans Said pre-war planning bad
Feb 7 Report Jan 07 Sec State Rice said her dept was ready for civilian surge in Iraq Feb told
Sec Def Gates would need 6 months to find personnel and train them Asked military to fill 1/3 of 350 civilian spots on Provincial Recon Teams Infuriated Pentagon
(Musings On Iraq How The Civilian Surge In Iraq Didn’t Quite Meet Its Mark)
Feb 8 US-Iraqi raid arrested Dep Health Min Zamili Accused of hiring Mahdi Army members
into Health Ministry Embezzled money from ministry Used ministry for kidnappings and murders Used ambulances to ferry weapons and militiamen across Baghdad
Feb 8 ISI told new Baiji refinery director general that only Sunnis were to be hired at
the facility
Feb 8 Report US soldiers unsure of ISF units they worked with in Baghdad during Surge Iraqi
officers sold their soldiers uniforms ISF beat suspects at checkpoints Took bribes from suspects to be released Executed suspects
Feb 8 Report CPA financial adv Adm Oliver said he didn’t know if the $8.8 bil given to Iraqi
ministries in 03-04 was spent or not Said he didn’t care Said it was Iraqi money
Feb 9 Report Mahdi Army cleansing Sadiya Baghdad of Sunnis and Shiites moving in PM
Maliki protecting Sadr’s forces
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Feb 9 1920 Revolution Brigades offered negotiation terms to US Included cancelling
constitution and govt Releasing prisoners Recognition of resistance Direct talks with US Disbanding militias Bringing back Saddam’s army
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Feb 9 Pentagon Inspector Gen found DepDefSec Feith’s Office of Special Plans made its own
intelligence assessment that was inappropriate differed from intelligence community and wasn’t fully supported by intelligence Promoted story that 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intelligence in April 2001 Told White House intelligence community was wrong about Iraq-Al Qaeda ties
(Musings On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign
Policy Tragedy)
Feb 10 Gen Petraeus replaced Gen Casey as US commander in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Feb 10 Report US intel said Iran and Hezbollah providing weapons and training to Iraqi
militias Mehran border crossing major conduit US trying to crackdown on Iranian cells operating in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Feb 11 US military report said Iranian Rev Guard Quds Force providing EFPs money training
weapons to Iraqi militias Used Mehran and Mandali border crossings to deliver equipment Claimed 170 US dead and 620 wounded by Iranian supplied EFPs
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Feb 12 Gen Petraeus went to Anbar and endorsed Awakening and said model should be
copied in rest of Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Demise, But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Feb 12 Iranian Revolutionary Guard media source suggested militia attack on Karbala
operations command revenge for arrest of Iranians in Irbil in Jan 07 Attack planned by IRGC
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Feb 13 Baghdad Security Plan under Surge began Would place US and Iraqi forces in
neighborhoods set up combat outposts and focus upon protecting population
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Feb 13 Report Austrian sniper rifles Iran ordered showed up in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Feb 13 Al Qaeda head Zawahiri released audiotape saying Bush gambled on Iraq and lost
Feb 14 1st reports appeared that Sadr had left Iraq for Iran out of fear that Surge would target
him
(Musings On Iraq Sadr’s Leadership Or Lack Thereof)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Feb 14 Bush said that Iranian Rev Guards Quds Force was operating in Iraq aiding militias
and needed to be stopped
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Feb 15 Pres Talabani claimed Mahdi Army commanders had left Iraq for Iran because Sadr
supported the Surge and wanted Baghdad secured Sadr and militiamen had fled to avoid being arrested and killed by U.S.
Feb 15 Report Military displayed weapons captured that originated in Iran Feb 11 US officials
said highest levels of Iranian govt including Ayatollah Khamenei were behind Iran giving aid to militias Feb 14 Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace said US wanted to stop Iranian support for militias Feb 14 Bush said he didn’t know whether Iranian leadership had ordered Quds Force to operate in Iraq but it was working there
Feb 16 House of Reps passed bi-partisan non-binding resolution against Surge
Feb 16 Report Nov 06 EFP disc shop found in Baghdad by US Jan 07 EFPS were only 2.5%
of all IED attacks Nov 06-Feb 07 EFPs accounted for 15% of IED casualties amongst US Hezbollah used EFPs which led US to blame Iran for them showing up in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq A History Of Iranian Weapons Shipments To Iraq Interview With Arkenstone Blog’s Galen Wright)
Feb 17 3 car bombs in Baghdad killed 74 and wounded over 100
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Feb 17 VP Hashemi called for Mahdi Army to be placed on terrorist list by US
Feb 17 Report Mahdi Army staying off Baghdad streets as Surge started
Feb 18 Blair announced plans to cut British troop strength in Iraq from 7000 to 4000
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Feb 18 US forces began campaign to clear Ramadi block by block of insurgents
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Feb 18 1st living standards study since 03 Found 1/3 of Iraqis living below poverty level 40%
lacked good sanitation 50% lacked adequate water supplies Said free market reforms that cut subsides were lowering living standards for middle and working class families Said service projects should take precedent over reforms
Feb 18 Report ISI targeting US helicopters Shot down 7 in 3 weeks Set up ambushes for US
troops looking to rescue crews
Feb 19 VP Hashemi told Al Jazeera militia leaders told about Surge plan beforehand so they
could avoid it
Feb 19 2 suicide car bombs hit Awakening head Sheikh Abu Risha’s compound Ramadi
district
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq Demise, But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Feb 20 British turned over army base in Basra to Iraqi 10th Division as part of withdrawal
from province
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Feb 20 Report Officials claimed 80% drop in violence in Baghdad at start of Surge US
focusing upon Dora South Baghdad Sadr told Mahdi Army to stand down
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Feb 20 Report Sadrist mosques posted lists of Mahdi Army fighters expelled Sadr was trying
to purge and control militia
Feb 21 Blair announced England would begin withdrawing 1,500 troops from Basra
Feb 21 Report British lost politically and militarily in Basra by 2005 when Shiite religious
parties won provincial election and took control of security forces and economy
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Feb 21 Australia said it would keep its 1,400 soldiers in Iraq
Feb 22 Report security plan in Ramadi showed progress US and ISF setting up posts
throughout city Started working with tribes outside Ramadi to provide men to man checkpoints and join police
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Feb 22 After England said it would withdraw some of its forces from Iraq Denmark said it
would withdraw its troops serving in Basra Lithuania that had troops serving alongside Danes was considering pulling out Romania said it would make decision about its troops that were also in Basra
Feb 23 US Special Forces arrested Ammar Hakim on trip back from Tehran Was only
released upon protest of Gen Petraeus
Feb 24 ISI Car bomb hit Habaniya mosque in Anbar Killed imam that spoke out against ISI
along with Islamic Army Jaish al-Mujahadeen and 1920 Revolution Brigades members Total 39 killed 62 wounded
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Feb 25 Report ISI killing opponents in Anbar including imams and sheikhs that spoke out
against it
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Feb 25 Suicide Bomber detonated device inside Mustansiriya Univ Baghdad 41 dead 50
wounded
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Feb 25 Sadr spokesman called on the ISF to protect the Iraqi people and not accept aid from
U.S. Said no security plan could work under the occupation
Feb 25 Report Sadr purging Mahdi Army Suspended up to 40 commanders Sadr officials
claimed they were trying to purge those close to Iran and set up central control of militia Allowed some of his militia to be arrested by ISF
Feb 25 Maliki govt claimed Iran halted all aid to militias
Feb 26 Cabinet approved draft oil bill Unions Sunnis and Sadr all attacked bill Never passed
Feb 26 Report EFP cache found in Hillah and another in Diyala US military said proof that
Iran was providing weapons to Iraqi militias
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Feb 27 Bombing at Municipalities Ministry aimed at VP Mahdi 7 killed including Dep
Municipalities Min Anbari and 31 wounded Mahdi blamed Sadrists
Feb 27 Mahdi Army began attack on UK bases in Basra
Feb 27 Report US carrying out talks with factions of Mahdi Army Military and intelligence
sources said claims of rogue elements of Mahdi Army were not true and just used to excuse it actions
Feb 27 US National Intel Dir McConnell told Senate Iraq in civil war Security and political
trends in Iraq going in negative direction and would be nearly impossible for Iraqi leaders to change things Said Samarra bombing had increased polarization Said Iran training Iraqi militias in Iran and Lebanon
Feb 27 DIA Dir Gen Maples told Senate avg 180 attacks per day Jan 07 Same as previous
high in Oct 06 US officials claimed immediate decrease in violence when Surge started in Jan
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Feb 27 US announced it would meet with Iran and Syria to talk about Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Feb 27 Draft oil bill passed by cabinet Never approved by parliament
Mar 1 Fmr Dep Def Sec Feith set up website criticizing Pentagon Inspector General report
on his Office of Special Plans Claimed Report never said whether his criticism of the CIA was wrong Claimed report was trying to protect the CIA and Agency had made plenty of errors in the past Inspector General said that Feith’s intelligence on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties was unreliable
Mar 1 Report Bush said Iraq war would lesson terrorism April 2006 Natl Intel est on global
terrorism said Iraq had become motivation to jihadists Sep 06 Sec Def Rumsfeld said didn’t know whether more terrorism due to Iraq Jan 07 Natl Intel Dir Negroponte said didn’t think increase in jihadism because of Iraq Study found after Iraq War 7 fold increase in jihadist attacks in world If Iraq and Afghanistan excluded 1/3 increase in jihadist attacks Found Iraq war inspired Muslim youths to join jihadist groups
Mar 1 PM Maliki removed 16 army and National Police cmdrs Some for legitimate reasons like
corruption or poor performance Others were good officers Angered US and Iraqi politicians US general in charge of aid to ISF said Maliki removed cmdrs that went after Mahdi Army US colonel said ISF officers split by politics sect tribes Said officer corps was being politicized One Natl Police general removed by Bassima Jaidri from Maliki’s Office of Commander in Chief for going after militias National Police colonel arrested for collecting info on Mahdi Army
Mar 2 300 ISI attacked funeral in Amiriya Fallujah for Feb 27 bombing of mosque attended
by Awakening leader Led to major battle between ISI vs Awakening police and army
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Mar 4 Report Number of bodies found in Baghdad went from 35-50 a day to 20 Shiites in
Kadhimiya trying to take over Sunni Hurriya neighborhood north Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Mar 4 British and Iraqi forces raided National Intelligence Agency HQ in Basra Found 30
prisoners that had been tortured Intel office connected to attacks upon British kidnappings and murders
Mar 4 Report British army found missile that brought down helicopter in Basra in May 2006
came from Iran
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Mar 4 1,100 US soldiers and ISF conducted search in Sadr City Came after Sadr told PM
Maliki he supported Baghdad security plan Was no resistance
Mar 4 PM Maliki said he would change his cabinet including removing some Sadr ministers
Mar 5 Report Interior Min fired and reassigned 10,000 workers for torture taking bribes tied
to militias
Mar 6 ISI attacked Badush prison, Ninewa freeing 68 prisoners
Mar 6 Bombing in Hilla killed 120
Mar 6 Ret Gen Keane told VP Cheney that Petraeus had re-invigorated US mission in Iraq
Mar 7 Fadhila Party left United Iraqi Alliance over disagreements with leadership
Mar 7 Report last three weeks 125 bodies were found dumped on the streets
Mar 10 For 2 days ISI began burning homes in Muqtadiya Diyala causing dozens of families
to flee
Mar 10 Iraq hosted international conference of 13 countries U.N. Islamic Conference and
Arab League PM Maliki asked for help to fight terrorism
Mar 11 US Emb report 11 ministries and Central Bank of Iraq using Article 136(b) of
Criminal Code to block up to 48 investigations and corruption cases Sep 06-Feb 07 Said PM Maliki blocking corruption cases to help political allies
Mar 12 Report Sadr met with Ayatollah Sistani and asked what he should do about attacks
upon his movement Sistani told him he could withdraw or take the consequences Sadr ended up leaving for Iran
(Musings On Iraq Sadr’s Leadership Or Lack Thereof)
Mar 13 PM Maliki and Gen Petraeus went to military base in Ramadi met Awakening
sheikhs Petraeus said city example of successful counterinsurgency Maliki promised services and reconstruction for city Awakening sheikhs asked for new Anbar provincial elections so they could gain seats in govt
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Mar 13 ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi released tape refuting criticism of his group
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
Mar 13 Report CURVEBALL source of claim Iraq had mobile WMD was still under German
intel protection living outside Munich Fmr CIA’s Europe ops chief Drumheller claimed he tried to remove CURVEBALL info from Sec State Powell’s Feb 03 UN speech Drumheller claimed he met with Dep CIA Dir McLaughlin to complain about including CURVEBALL in Powell’s speech McLaughlin denied that Powell said he never heard any questions about CURVEBALL before his speech
(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claim That Iraq Had WMD)
(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)
(Musings On Iraq Story of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)
Mar 14 Iraqi military announced deaths down 80% in Baghdad since start of Surge NYTimes
found higher number of deaths but still big drop US military said deaths in Iraq down since start of Surge but deaths up in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Mar 14 Pentagon report to Congress on last Qtr of 06 Said PM Maliki promised reform and
reconciliation but did nothing Oct-Dec 06 most violent period recorded in Iraq since 2003
Mar 14 Report Dead bodies found in Baghdad down from more than 200 per week in Dec 06
to 80 per week start of Mar 07 Number of dead from bombings in Baghdad went from 528 in Dec 06 to 370 in Jan 07 Mahdi army off streets of Baghdad Many insurgents said to have withdrawn to Diyala
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Mar 15 Report when White House presented Surge said would be progress on political
benchmarks by Mar 07 Was none Cabinet approved draft oil law US officials said they were backing off pushing Maliki govt on changing deBaathification law in fear of backlash
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Mar 16 ISI set off chlorine bombs in Amiriya Fallujah Fallujah and Ramadi 2 Awakening
sheikhs killed
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview Lasting Lessons From The Anbar Awakening Interview with Carter Malkasian, Author of Illusions of Victory)
(Musings On Iraq interview Fallujah Redux Interview With Daniel Green On Fallujah During The Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review Fallujah Awakens, Marines, Sheikhs, and the Battle Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review Fallujah Redux The Anbar Awakening and the Struggle With Al Qaeda)
Mar 16 2 PM Maliki aides said premier had told Sadr to stand down Mahdi Army start of
Surge In return Maliki would push U.S. to focus upon insurgency rather than militias
Mar 16 Sadr called on followers to resist U.S. occupation 1000s of Sadrists marched
Mar 17 Report Education Min run by Shiite United Iraqi Alliance refused to give any aid or
support to schools in Sunni areas of Baghdad
Mar 17 Gen Odierno said Baghdad belts key to securing Baghdad
Mar 17 Report captured ISI docs said 06 decided to move into Baghdad to fight militias and
wanted to force Shiites from west Baghdad and attack Shiites in Anbar Diyala Salahaddin Mahdi Army took initiative and pushed insurgents out of large parts of Baghdad Insurgents now operating out of Baghdad belts more than Baghdad itself
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Mar 18 ISI set off chlorine bombs in Ramadi, Fallujah, Amiriya Fallujah
Mar 19 ISI surrounded two police stations in Dhuluiya Salahaddin Told policemen to repent
and give loyalty to ISI then blew up stations 3 other stations destroyed in town in last 2 weeks
Mar 19 BBC Poll 50% of Iraqis said things worse in Iraq then before 2003 US invasion 53%
said Maliki govt was doing bad job 53% said security bad
Mar 20 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s leader Qais Khazali along with his brother Laith and Hezbollah
commander Ali Musa Daqduq were captured by the British in Basra Documents captured in raid showed that Iran funding Asaib Ahl Al-Haq $750,000-$3 mil per month Showed Iranian Rev Guard Quds Force helped provide intelligence for Jan 07 Karbala raid by Asaib Also showed that Hezbollah’s Daqduq planned Jan 07 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq raid on Karbala command center
(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)
(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Mar 20 ISI launched 2nd large attack upon Amiriya Fallujah in two weeks to battle
Awakening forces
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Mar 21 Report 2 Mahdi Army commanders said Iran had been paying militiamen since 05 to
break away from Sadr Said Iran trying to get Sadrists to join Asaib Ahl Al-Haq Said Iranian backed groups tried to assassinate Sadr City mayor Said militia receiving training from Hezbollah and Iranian Rev Guard in Iran Many militiamen also went to Iran to escape Surge
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Mar 22 Mahdi Army and insurgents fought in 5 Baghdad neighborhoods Came amidst many
western reports that Mahdi Army had withdrawn from streets
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Mar 22 Lord Butler told UK parliament UK and US didn't have conclusive intel on Iraq’s
WMD UK intel said in Aug 02 that it knew little about Iraq’s WMD since 1988 yet Blair told govt intel was extensive and authoritative
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Mar 22 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon issued review US reconstruction Said Pentagon had no
strategy before and after invasion No unity of effort Little oversight and coordination between US agencies
(Musings On Iraq review Losing Iraq, Inside The Post War Reconstruction Fiasco)
(Musings On Iraq review State of Denial, Bush At War, Part III)
Mar 22 Sadrists attacked Electricity Dist Dept and burned Fadhila HQ in Basra Came after
former director of Electricity Dist Dept who was a Sadrist was arrested by British Sadrists claimed Fadhila behind arrest Former director accused of corruption and fraud Tribes and Sadrists accused Basra governor from Fadhila of corruption nepotism running oil smuggling rings
Mar 22 SCIRI HQ in Kut Wasit hit by mortars as SCIRI-Sadr rivalry increased in city
Mar 22 GAO Report Hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of tons of munitions were left
unguarded by US after 2003 invasion Much of it looted by insurgents US expected friendly environment after invasion which was why left depots unguarded
Mar 23 US House of Reps voted to set deadline for US withdrawal by 8/31/08
Mar 23 Iran captured 15 UK Marines in Basra and offered to trade them for release of Asaib
Ahl Al-Haq leader Qais Khazali
(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
Mar 23 Dep PM Zubaie wounded in ISI assassination attempt with a car bomb and suicide
bomber that was one of his own bodyguards
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Mar 23 Sadrist website accused Dawa and SCIRI of selling it out to U.S. during Surge
Mar 23 Former Najaf police chief said he was forced to hire 400 officers by Shiite parties Said
none of them were trained One officer fired for smuggling weapons used to attack British Was returned to work and given promotion on orders from Baghdad Said torture was routine and police went after political rivals Dhi Qar police chief said he couldn’t get rid of rogue officers because they were protected by political parties
Mar 23 Report Mahdi Army back on streets of Ghaziliya and Shula Baghdad Fired mortars at
Mansour and Yarmouk
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Mar 23 Insurgents out on streets of Haditha Demanded residents take down satellite TV
dishes claiming they spread vice and immorality
Mar 23 Report PM Maliki offered $200 to returnees to Baghdad and said he would evict
squatters as part of Baghdad security plan Baghdad Migration Ministry bureau director said he refused to tell families to return because of on going violence
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Mar 23 Report State Dept gave DynCorp $800 mil contract to train Iraqi police It hired Iraqi
company that hired an Italian company Businesses took most of the money with little going to actual training
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Mar 24 Report DynCorp contracted by US govt to provide sandbags police and training camps
Regularly overpriced work Iraqi contractors repeatedly failed to do job DynCorp contracted to fill sandbags at Najaf police dept Paid $67k then contracted Iraqi company for $23k to do job Sandbags were useless and job had to be redone Built police camps in Baquba Basra Ramadi Fallujah Najaf all considered bad mostly due to subcontractors Built camp in Mosul for $2.1 bil that should have cost $600k Camp got bad review Air conditioners didn't work Used cheap furniture Foam instead of real mattresses Another police camp cancelled after spent $43.8 mil on it
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Mar 25 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 The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Mar 26 PM Maliki and Pres Talabani announced Accountability and Justice bill would
change deBaathification process Wouldn’t pass until 2008 due to opposition
Mar 26 Report Amb Khalilzad held talks with 1920 Revolution Brigades and Islamic Army in
2006 No breakthroughs Insurgents made unreasonable demands like dismissing govt and suspending constitution US also had talks with insurgents in 2005 Maliki govt upset with talks claiming Khalilzad sectarian and trying to undermine Shiite majority rule
Mar 27 Anbar council said no oversight of border crossings and 40% of tariffs stolen due to
corruption
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Mar 27 ISI killed al-Dhari head of 1920 Revolution Brigade in Anbar after he refused to give
it allegiance
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Mar 27 2 car bombs killed 152 wounded 200 in Tal Afar Ninewa
Mar 27 Report fighting between Islamic Army and 1920 Revolution Brigades vs ISI in Anbar
and Abu Ghraib and Taji areas of Baghdad over tactics and ISI trying to dominate insurgency Also splits in Diyala
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Mar 27 US Mil intel report that Iranian intelligence working with Badr and Mahdi Army to
assassinate Industry Ministry officials
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Mar 27 Report 1st EFP attack Aug 2003 Aug 05 Natl Sec Adv Hadley said Iran probably
behind EFP attacks Oct 05 UK Amb to Iraq said Iran giving aid to militias to attack British forces Apr 06 EFP attacks began increasing then dropped start of 07 Bush admin struggled over what to do with attacks Decided upon raids and media briefings EFPs supplied by Iran and Hezbollah
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq on Iran training Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Mar 28 ISI set off chlorine bomb at Fallujah government center
Mar 28 2 truck bombs hit market targeting Shiite Turkmen in Tal Afar leaving 152 dead 347
wounded Militias and police went through Sunni district of town dragging people out of homes and executed up to 70 in the streets wounded 30 and kidnapped 40 Iraqi army arrived and got into shootout with police until revenge killings ended
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Mar 28 Report Iraqi observatory group said one prison in Mahmudiya held 705 Built to hold
75 Another prison at Muthanna Air Base held 272 built for 50 Said ISF making mass arrests under Baghdad security plan but few releases leading to overcrowding
Mar 28 Saudi King Abdullah at Arab summit said Iraq was under an illegal foreign
occupation
Mar 29 Operation Alljah launched to clear insurgents from Fallujah
Mar 29 ISI began withdrawing from Ramadi leading to large drop in attacks
Mar 29 2 suicide car bombs at Baghdad market killed 82 and wounded 100
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Mar 29 National Police kidnapped 5 British security guards from Eastern Baghdad
Mar 29 New US Amb Ryan Crocker arrived in Iraq
Mar 29 Justice Min Shibli said govt approved recommendation that Article140 by
implemented on future of Kirkuk Nothing came of it
Mar 30 Op Call to Freedom ended effectively clearing Ramadi of insurgents
Mar 30 Report Ali Salah WBaghdad only had 3 Sunni families left after militias forced out
rest in March despite US and Iraqi units in area during Surge
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Mar 31 PM Maliki made 1st trip to Anbar and met with tribal leaders and provincial council
who complained about Baghdad’s neglect
Mar 31 PM Maliki endorsed plan to relocate 1000s of Arabs settled in Kirkuk province
during Arabization program Said would get money and land for leaving Iraqiya opposed plan Never implemented
Mar 31 1920 Revolution Brigades commander said ISI killed one of its leaders leaving it to
either fight ISI or work with US
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 1 PM Maliki told Integrity Commission head Radhi charges against ministers cabinet
and presidential staffs had to be okayed by PM office as way to block investigations
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with anti-graft US official Vincent Foulk)
Apr 1 Report VP Hashemi and Pres Talabani in talks with insurgents in Jordan Anbar
Salahaddin Diyala Talabani said insurgents came to govt for talks 1920 Revolution Brigades Islamic Army Jaish al-Rashideen Omar Brigades Rayat al-Sood talking about breaking with ISI
Apr 1 Anbar Salvation Council in talks with tribes in Amiriya Fallujah to split from ISI
Apr 1 Report Zoba tribes started fighting ISI Reports of clashes between Islamic Army and
ISI in Dour Samarra Tuz Kharmato and Dhiliya in Salahaddin 2 tribes fighting ISI in Diyala
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Apr 2 Ayatollah Sistani said he opposed US plan to reform deBaathification and allow former
Baathists back into govt Came after Sistani met with deBaathification Comm head Chalabi
Apr 2 Report Islamic Army joined al-Rashideen Army Omar Brigades and Black Banners to
fight ISI
Apr 3 Integrity Comm head Radhi said Iraq lost $8 bil since 2004 due to corruption $2 bil for
electricity disappeared Former Electricity Min Samarraie convicted of corruption but fled Iraq for US Radhi said ministers blocking investigations into $55 mil in missing funds
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Apr 3 Report 8 Mahdi Army commanders dismissed for insubordination and crimes
Apr 4 Report US arrested Dep Health Min Zamili in Feb Accused of taking kickbacks for
equipment orders at ministry with money funneled to Sadrists 15 warrants for ministers for corruption not served MP Jabouri in hiding accused of stealing $7 mil for pipeline security force he created Allawi Defense Min Shaalan facing $1 bil in corruption charges
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Apr 5 Islamic Army condemned ISI for imposing Islamic law and attacking other insurgent
groups Also attacking civilians and stealing women Forced women to cover themselves Banned satellite TV
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)
Apr 5 Al Qaeda told Ansar al-Sunnah that its complaints about ISI were unbelievable
and it was still under Al Qaeda’s leadership
Apr 6 Op Black Eagle US and Polish forces fought Mahdi Army in Diwaniya
Apr 6 Report ISF claimed control of Ghaziliya and Amiriya in Baghdad but not true
Ghaziliya surrounded by ISF for a week Split between Sunni area run by insurgents that imposed Islamic law and Shiite area run by Mahdi Army Khadra also surrounded by ISF and split between Sunni-Shiite areas ISF didn’t allow young men into district during day At night insurgents had free reign Amiriya under ISI control ISF raided area and claimed it was cleared because arrest few Clashes along border of Amiriya and Abu Saifan run by militias
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Apr 7 Islamic Army said it had tried working with ISI but failed Blamed ISI for
killing anyone that didn’t follow it
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 8 1000s of Sadrists held anti-U.S. occupation march in Najaf
Apr 9 Barzani said Kurds main reason Iraq stayed unified
Apr 9 1920 Revolution Brigades said ISI was killing civilians and other insurgents
Apr 9 Islamic Army commander killed in Salahaddin for talking with govt ISI blamed
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 9 40 religious scholars formed Council of Ulema of Iraq in Jordan to be religious
body for insurgents
Apr 9 Abu Wael declared his Sharia Council was breaking away from Ansar al-Sunnah
Apr 9 Report militias burned Sunni neighborhoods in Babil Insurgents burned Sunni and
Shiite homes in Diyala
Apr 10 Islamic Army accused ISI of killing 30 of its members and members of
Mujahadeen Army and Ansar al-Sunna
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Apr 12 Sunni MPs led by Speaker Mashadani carried out bombing of parliament’s cafeteria in
Baghdad
Apr 12 Islamic Army announced it was no longer working with ISI Didn’t agree with
declaration of Islamic State and ISI attacking its men
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 12 Pres Talabani announced govt in talks with 5 insurgent groups
Apr 13 9 insurgent groups joined together to fight ISI including Islamic Army Ansar al-
Sunna 1920 Revolution Brigades Islamic Army called on bin Laden to intervene
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 14 Report Mujahadden Army fighting against ISI in Diyala Set up checkpoints in
Baquba More than 100 ISI arrested in Buhriz and Tahrir in province
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 15 Insurgents gave Christians in Dora Baghdad 24 hrs to convert to Islam or face death
Led to exodus of families Called Christians Crusaders
(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Apr 15 Sunni families in Ghaziliya Baghdad asked for help to stop Mahdi Army taking their
homes
Apr 15 Insurgents told Sunni Turkmen to stop entering Shiite areas of Tal Afar and leave
mixed parts
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Apr 15 Weekly Standard column claimed there was long time cooperation between Iraq and
Al Qaeda going back to 1990s Used a lot of refuted evidence
Apr 15 Report Mahdi Army commanders gone to Iran and basing operations out of there Also
training camps for militia near Tehran
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Apr 15 Anbar Salvation Front held meeting of sheikhs Called for cooperation with US and
Iraqi forces
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Apr 16 Sadrist ministers boycotted cabinet to protest US occupation
Apr 16 3,000 protested in Basra over lack of services Demanded governor resign
Apr 16 Report Mahdi Army moved into southwest Diyala Thousands of Shiites killed and
displaced from Baquba Sunnis kicked out of Baghdad by militias moved into Baquba US repeatedly reported ISF attacking Sunnis in Diyala
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
Apr 16 Ret Gen Sheehan Wash Post OpEd on why he turned down Iraq-Afghan manager in
Bush White House Said after talking with officials found no Iraq strategy Said 3 separate views going on at once One was making incremental improvements over long period Another was focusing upon security with time constraint Third was placing Iraq within overall Middle East strategy
Apr 16 Lavin Mag editor arrested for writing about about Pres Talabani being sick and who
might replace him Ordered by Talabani’s office
Apr 17 Islamic Army of Iraqi complained ISI was trying to take over Diyala by threats
and killings
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
Apr 17 ISI head Abu Omar Baghdadi issued message calling for unity amongst insurgents
Said that Islamic State would remain despite any criticism
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Apr 17 3rd day of protests against Basra governor over lack of services and corruption Set up
tent city outside of governor’s office
Apr 17 UN Report 70% of Iraqis lacked clean water 80% lacked toilets with clean water
Diarrhea and respiratory infections accounted for 2/3 of children under 5 deaths 70% of critically injured patients die in hospitals due to lack of staff equipment drugs Violence driving away nurses and doctors
Apr 17 Saudis agreed to forgive 80% of Iraq’s $15 bil debt Most came from Iran-Iraq War
Apr 17 Interview ISCI head Hakim said Badr turned into a civil organization in 2003 and no
longer a militia Said Iran gave ISCI political support but no money Said fmr Interior Min Jabr had nothing to do with police abuses and Badr didn't run secret Jadriya prison discovered by US forces in Baghdad Said Baathists not Badr controlled police Denied that Badr head Amiri said militias would exist until ISF could protect public All these claims were false
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq history of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)
Apr 18 5 car bombs in Baghdad killed 171 wounded almost 200
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Apr 18 PM Maliki said ISF would take over security for entire country by end of year Didn’t
happen for several more years
Apr 19 ISI announced that Abu Ayub al-Masri was War Minister
Apr 19 Sheikhs met in Ramadi to announce province wide Awakening Council
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Apr 20 ISI sent letter to Ansar al-Sunna apologizing for past attacks and asking for
unification Ansar said no
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Apr 20 Ramadi sheikhs said they would turn Awakening into political party to run in
09 provincial elections
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
Apr 20 Abu Sheibani captured by US Was deputy head of network that delivered EFPs
from Iran to militias
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Apr 20 Report Sadr came out against Basra Gov Waeli Called for his followers to join
demonstrations against governor Mahdi Army and Fadhila militia clashed in city in recent weeks
Apr 22 ISI stopped bus and took 23 Yazidis off and executed them in Bashiqa, Ninewa
Apr 23 Report KRG starting nationwide ad campaign in US to promote Kurdistan as the \ “Other Iraq”
Apr 24 Report Anbar Salvation Front expanding from Ramadi to Amiriya Fallujah with
alliance with Albu Issa tribe
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Apr 25 Sheikh Abdul Aziz Fahadawi held meeting of his Albu Fahad tribe in Anbar and told
them not to cooperate with ISI anymore
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Apr 26 Congress passed bill calling for US withdrawal from Iraq by 10/1/07 Was
vetoed by Pres Bush
Apr 27 Report ex-CIA Dir Tenet’s new book said White House made him scapegoat for Iraq
war and bad intel on Iraq’s WMD Said officials like Cheney Rice and National Sec Adv Hadley tried to blame him Said White House never had serious debate about Iraq threat Claimed Cheney and Pentagon officials like Wolfowitz and Feith were pushing for war at end of 2001 Said CIA opposed White House argument on Iraq-Al Qaeda connection
Apr 28 Report ex-CIA Dir Tenet’s book said WMD not main reason why US invaded Iraq but
that Bush wanted democratic change in Middle East Said Pentagon officials like Wolfowitz and Feith focused on Iraq before 9/11 Said on 9/11 Def Adv Board member Richard Perle said Iraq responsible for attack and had to pay Said State and Pentagon at war with each other over Iraq Said US had no postwar plan for Iraq other than to put Chalabi in power Said White House ignored warnings about insurgency and failing policies in Iraq in 03 Said White House called CIA defeatists
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
Apr 28 ISI set off bomb in front of Karbala shrine 58 killed 170 wounded
Apr 29 US troops went to investigate torture cell run by Mahdi Army in Khadimiya Baghdad
Got into gun battle with Mahdi Army and Iraqi soldiers Afterward parliament voted to keep US forces 1 mile away from shrine
Apr 29 Report Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon looked at 8 US projects 7 were not operating or
had major problems Power station for Baghdad airport had $11.8 mil spent on generators $8.6 mil worth not operating Hospital in Irbil had incinerator for waste locked and key lost Dumped waste into sewage system contaminating local water system Water purification system at hospital broke Oxygen system not used by staff that didn’t know how it worked Special Forces barracks in Baghdad had 4 generators broken due to no maintenance and supply pipes had been stolen Spec Insp Gen had warned that US was leaving projects for Iraqis that could not be maintained and were waste of money
Apr 30 Parliament voted to keep US troops away from Khadmiya shrine Baghdad after US
got into gun battle with Mahdi Army and Iraqi soldiers in district PM Maliki didn’t sign bill
Apr 30 Anbar Awakening claimed to have killed ISI War Minister Masri Didn’t happen
Apr 30 Report PM Maliki and ministers using Article 136B of Criminal Code to block
corruption investigations
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Apr 30 Report Maliki using PM and Commander in Chief offices to remove and arrest army
and National Police commanders for going after Mahdi Army or being Sunni US officers complained Maliki politicizing officer corps
May 1 Fmr Def Sec Hoon said UK disagreed with US decision to disband Iraqi military and
deBaathification Said UK too optimistic about aftermath of invasion Said neglected Sunnis
May 1 Kurdish MPs said they opposed draft oil law because most oil reserves would be
under control of National Oil Company
May 1 Iraq claimed it killed ISI’s Minister of War Masri Wasn’t true
May 2 Islamic Army Mujahedeen Army faction of Ansar al-Sunna and al-Fatihin Army
formed Reformation and Jihad Front to fight ISI
May 2 Karki and Shimour tribes signed peace deal in Diyala promised to fight ISI
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
May 2 Fmr head Intl Recon Fund Facility for Iraq Bell said US and UK went about
reconstruction wrong way Said should have built institutions and personnel first instead of large infrastructure projects Said lack of security undermined rebuilding and led to brain drain that meant Iraq couldn’t maintain projects
May 3 International Compact with Iraq meeting held in Egypt organized by PM Maliki and
UN Was to create strategy and benchmarks for Iraqi rebuilding reconciliation good governance Privately countries complained about Maliki govt
May 3 Association of Muslim scholars called on bin Laden to fix rift between Sunnis and ISI
Called Awakening leader Sheikh Abu Risha a U.S. stooge
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
May 3 Anbar Awakening demanded all tribes in Anbar to stop supporting ISI
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
May 3 Reformist and Jihad Front formed out of Islamic Army Mujahadeen Army Ansar al-
Sunna Called on 1920 Revolution Brigades tribes and former soldiers to join Was challenge to ISI
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
May 3 Report ISI issued fatwa in Dora Baghdad for Christians to convert leave or be killed
Families immediately started leaving
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)
May 4 US Cmdr in Ramadi said that ISI defeated there
May 4 Anbar Salvation Council member said that Anbar Governor Alwani was a dictator and
PM Maliki was powerless
May 4 US broke up arms smuggling ring in Sadr City bringing in EFPs and other arms from
Iran into Iraq
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
May 4 Iraqi Accordance Front said joining politics was a disaster Said it agreed to join politics
based upon promises of constitutional reform and reconciliation but didn’t happen
May 5 Iraqi Accordance Front and VP Hashemi threatened to withdraw from govt over
Maliki govt not fulfilling promises including amending constitution
May 7 VP Hashemi said meeting with PM Maliki was productive silencing talk that Iraqi
Accordance Front would withdraw from govt
May 12 Report US GAO found 100,000-300,000 bar of oil missing each day Worth est $5-
$15 mil Smugglers likely culprit
May 12 Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq dropped revolution from its title
Also said that it would look towards Ayatollah Sistani more than Ayatollah Khamenei Party was trying to distance itself from its pro-Iran history
May 13 Abu Musah arms supplier to Iranian backed Special Groups arrested
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
May 13 Jihad and Reform Front got into gun battle with ISI in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
May 13 Fmr CPA head Bremer wrote OpEd in Wash Post defending decisions to ban Baath
Party and disband military Said Iraqi army had disbanded itself and Shiite and Kurdish leaders wanted it gone Said right to ban Baath Party US was only doing what it did in Germany with Nazis after WW2 Said it was Iraqis that abused deBaathification but CPA stopped them
May 14 Prison riot at Camp Bucca almost took over facility
May 14 UN reported number of prisoners held by Iraqis went from 3,500 in Jan 07 to 20,000
in Mar US held 3,000 prisoners in Feb 19,500 in May Increase due to Surge Prisoners overwhelmed Iraqi judicial system Prisons would become recruiting and organizing centers for insurgents
May 15 Sadr returned from Iran to give sermon in Kufa Dismissed number of officials he felt
were disloyal Then went back to Iran
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
May 15 Constitutional Review Committee submitted draft of changes with no major issues
dealt with Told political parties they had to do rest Deadline for final draft to include all issues extended until 7/31/07
May 16 200 insurgents attacked prison in Mosul with 6 suicide car bombs and IEDs laid on
surrounding streets to block ISF response units Also attacked house of Ninewa police chief and deputy governor
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
May 16 Iraqi army security sweep through Diwaniya looking for militiamen led to 7 hr battle
with Mahdi Army Also fighting between Mahdi Army and ISF in Nasiriya
May 17 2nd day of fighting between Mahdi Army and Iraqi soldiers in Diwaniya started by
security sweep vs militias
May 19 US killed Asaib Al Ahl-Haq’s Karbala commander Dulaimi in raid
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
May 20 Report Sadr set up reconciliation committee and held talks with Sunni politicians
and insurgents including 1920 Revolution Brigades Also sent representative to Syria Egypt and Persian Gulf for talks
May 23 Dep PM Zubaie wounded by suicide bomber
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
May 23 Bush said in Jan 05 bin Laden told Zarqawi to create a cell to plan attacks upon US
homeland Counterterrorism officials contradicted claim
May 23 ISI assassinated Sheikh Issawi from Albu Issa tribe Member of the Awakening Part of
campaign to kill Awakening leaders
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Fallujah Redux author Daniel Green on Fallujah during the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
May 23 Constitutional Review Comm told parliament it had draft report on amending
constitution Then asked for 1 month extension to gain consensus Nothing came of it
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
May 24 Funeral for Sheikh Issawi from Awakening hit by suicide car bomb in Fallujah 34
killed 66 wounded Part of ISI targeting Awakening sheikhs
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Fallujah Redux author Daniel Green on Fallujah during the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
May 25 Ret Gen Keane told VP Cheney Surge needed to be sustained until 2008
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
May 25 UK killed Mahdi Army commander for Basra Abu Qader leading to 2 days of fighting
in city
May 25 Sadr gave Friday sermon forbidding attacks upon Sunnis and Christians His Mahdi
Army was still cleansing Sunnis from Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
May 28 US-Iran meeting US demanded Tehran stop supporting militias Nothing came of
talks
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
May 29 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq kidnapped 5 Brits from Finance Ministry in Baghdad 4 would be
killed Ransomed 5th Op planned by Iranian Revolutionary Guards
(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)
(Musings On Iraq New Challenges To Sadr’s Leadership)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
May 29 Insurgents in Amiriya Baghdad told US they were going to attack ISI and needed
help Gen Petraeus said he would support them Became Sahwa
(Musings On Iraq Demise, But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
May 30 US turned over security for Kurdistan to Peshmerga
May 30 Op Alljah started to clear Fallujah
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Green on Fallujah during the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review Fallujah Redux The Anbar Awakening and the Struggle With Al Qaeda)
May 30 Graffiti appeared in Baghdad’s Amiriya saying down with ISI It attacked a mosque
associated with Islamic Army in retaliation killing its local commander Islamic Army then attacked an ISI mosque leading to 4 hr gun battle
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
May 30 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq arms supplier Abu Abdullah captured by U.S. forces
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
May 31 2nd day of fighting between ISI and Islamic Army in Baghdad’s Amiriya 1920
Revolution Brigades and US unit joined to help Islamic Army would lead to Sahwa being formed
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
May 31 White House spokesman said US wanted long term military presence in Iraq to
support ISF
Jun 1 Islamic Army spokesman went on Al Jazeera accusing ISI of belligerence since it
declared its state
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jun 1 Def Sec Gates and Gen Odierno said they supported a long term US military presence
in Iraq and would ask for a status of forces agreement between US and Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Duty, Memoirs of a Secretary At War)
Jun 1 Dep US Iraq commander Gen Odierno said he’d authorized his commanders to offer
local reconciliation agreements with insurgents Said he thought 80% of insurgents and militiamen were reconcilable
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
Jun 2 ISI’s Abu Omar al-Baghdadi told local commanders in Baghdad to stop fighting
Islamic Army of Iraq Dispute would be mediated
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jun 3 US claimed Iranian arms shipments to militias in Iraq increasing including
large caliber rockets
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Jun 4 Report Mahdi Army trying to expel Sunnis from Baghdad’s Rasheed Police working
with militia National Police commander in area replaced three times since March
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Jun 4 Report US intel photographed life size mock up of Karbala Joint Operations Center in
Iran used to plan for Asaib Ahl Al-Haq raid on complex
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
Jun 5 Report head of Islamic Army went to Saudi Arabia to ask clerics there for fatwa against
ISI Didn’t get one
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
Jun 6 Islamic Army and ISI announced truce after killings and accusations Didn’t last
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jun 6 UK intel report on ISCI/Badr Said ISCI frustrated with PM Maliki Wanted to be
dominant Shiite party Badr said turning into political party was false Was still militia trying to control ISF Had control of much of police and trying to take over army Said Badr members in ISF loyal to militia more than govt ISCI still aligned with Iran but independent
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Jun 9 Report US troops organized insurgents from Islamic Army in Amiriya into Baghdad
Patriots to fight ISI Allowed patriots to arrest people Iraqi army gave them ammunition US also organized 2,000 fighers in Abu Ghraib
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
Jun 11 Report Gen Petraeus and staff decided to spread Awakening model to Baghdad
Diyala Babil Salahaddin Talks with 1920 Revolution Brigades to fight ISI in Anbar and Diyala PM Maliki adviser didn’t like policy
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise, But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jun 11 130 sheikhs in Salahaddin agreed to set up sahwa unit
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
Jun 11 Report Sheikh Suleiman broke from Anbar Salvation Council Called Sheikh Abu
Risha a traitor who sold out for money Suleiman said he would form his ow rival Awakening group
(Musings On Iraq Anbar’s Forgotten Sheikh)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Jun 11 Speaker Mashadani voted out of office by Iraqi parliament Iraqi Accordance Front
boycotted parliament in protest
Jun 11 Sadr spokesman said Sadr had replaced 11 leaders in attempt to regain control of
movement Said Sadr rejected violence but Mahdi Army still trying to expel Sunnis from Amil and Baya in Baghdad and fighting U.S. and British forces
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Jun 11 Gen Lynch in southern Iraq said 7 of 9 national police brigade commanders and 14 of
24 battalion commanders replaced due to abuses and sectarianism Said many of the Iraqi police in south were corrupt Iraqi politicians constantly ordered prisoners released Said US wanted to set up provisional police in south including arming Sunni tribes
Jun 12 1920 Revolution Brigade turned on ISI in Diyala after made deal with US
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Jun 13 ISI bombed Askari shrine in Samarra 2nd time Used agents in Iraqi police Ayatollah
Sistani and Sadr called for calm Some Sunni mosques attacked in Baghdad and Basra in retaliation
June 13 US told PM Maliki to send seasoned ISF unit to Samarra after bombing He rejected
idea and sent unprepared unit because mostly Shiite Disintegrated when arrived in city
Jun 13 Sadrists began boycott of parliament and pulled ministers from cabinet when
Maliki refused to set withdrawal date for US
Jun 13 Gen Dempsey said 25% of Iraqi soldiers on leave 25% stayed home when units
deployed to other areas Injured soldiers kept on payroll when couldn’t serve Corrupt officers created ghost soldiers to steal salaries US found 13,000 ghost police Karbala and Najaf hired 1000s more police than needed as job program and to steal salaries
Jun 14 US Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baquba Pushed insurgents out of city with
help of 1920 Revolution Brigade
Jun 16 Operation Phantom Thunder which was overreaching name of a series of operations
began to clear Baghdad Belts Suburbs and towns around Baghdad city US deployed 4 brigades for operation going along Tigris River near Arab Jabour in south known for producing car bombs and had not had US forces in 3 years US cleared Salman Pak in west and tried to stop insurgents from moving to Baquba in Diyala in the east US forces in Taji in north tried to stop insurgents fleeing Baghdad to Salahaddin Also operations in Adhamiya Rasheed Mansour neighborhoods of Baghdad
Jun 17 Report PM Maliki complained to US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Petraeus about Sahwa program
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq The Conspiratorial Mind of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jun 18 US started Operation Arrowhead Ripper to clear Baquba
Jun 19 Iraq ranked No 2 on failed states list by Fund for Peace/Foreign Policy due to civil
war Was No 4 in 2006
Jun 19 Maj Mowle fmr Iraq cmdr adv said summer 04 military drew up 1st campaign plan for
Iraq Didn’t include goals of insurgency or how Iraqis would react Thought Iraqis would do what was best for the US and everything would go exactly as planned Didn’t expect Iraqis react negative to 1st Battle of Fallujah
Jun 19 Leon Panetta of Iraq Study Group said found no coordination within White House
and within military on Iraq Military commanders said they were getting nothing from Washington
Jun 19 Philip Zelikow adv to Nat Sec Adv/Sec State Rice fmr Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey’s
campaign plan didn’t have a strategy or operational instructions for military Washington gave no direction to military in Iraq When Rice announced Clear Hold Build policy in Oct 05 didn’t have strategy on how to carry it out Jun 06 State pushed Bush to get hands on involved in Iraq Didn’t happen Bush didn’t get hands on until winter 06
(Musings On Iraq 2006 Clear Hold Build: An Iraq Strategy That Wasn’t A Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Jun 19 Ret Col Krepinevich Adv to Army said US had no strategy in Iraq until Surge What
Washington said about the war didn’t match what it was actually doing Didn’t commit resources to win
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jun 19 Ret Gen Keane architect of Surge Bush always talked about winning and victory in
Iraq but he never understood what the actual strategy was US never had a winning strategy before the Surge The policy was to hold elections and turn security over to the Iraqis so the US could leave That had nothing to do with defeating the insurgency
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Jun 19 Fred Kagan architect of Surge US strategy pre-07 was to withdraw and have Iraqi
politics deal with insurgency Didn’t work because many Sunnis rejected politics Said Bush wasn’t hands on with Iraq policy until Surge
Jun 19 Fred Kagan Surge strategy was to establish security in Baghdad and surrounding
areas Then go to Shiite parties and ask them to make compromises with Sunnis
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jun 21 Report VP Mahdi tendered resignation Complained PM Maliki not including
president and vice presidents in decision making United Iraqi Alliance also complained Maliki only consulted with Dawa advisers
Jun 25 ISI suicide bomber killed Sheikh Gaood of Albu Nimr tribe Sheikh Rifai al-Fahdawai
of Albu Fahad Sheikh Azziz al-Fahadawi Sheikh al-Assafir head of the Albu Assaf tribe in Baghdad hotel before meeting with US officials Were all Awakening members
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jun 25 US cmdr Op Arrowhead Ripper in Baquba said ISF not capable of holding areas
cleared by US General in southern Baghdad said same thing
Jun 26 US gen in charge of advisers warned ISF years away from being able to handle
security Warned against early withdrawal of US forces as a result
Jun 26 Culture Min Hashemi from Accordance Front had warrant issued for him in
connection with 05 assassination attempt on politician Hashemi went into hiding
Jun 27 PM Brown took power in UK Wanted withdrawal from Iraq
Jun 27 UK intel report on ISF Maliki govt working on national security strategy but unlikely
to change situation without reconciliation Maliki govt had multiple committees on security that competed and didn't’ cooperate and ineffective Army developing slowly Police full of insurgents and militias and probably unreformable Said ISF couldn’t operate without US support
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.6 28 June 2007 To April 2008)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Jun 29 Bush speech on Iraq at Naval War College mentioned Al Qaeda 27 times Said Al
Qaeda attacked US on 9/11 and was now in Iraq Part of White House media campaign to gain support for Surge US military press releases on Iraq mentioned Al Qaeda 33 times in a week
Jun 29 Iraqi Accordance Front ministers boycotted cabinet Demanded investigation into
Culture Min who had warrant for attempted assassination of a politician
Jun 30 Battle of Donkey Island US destroyed ISI force planning to attack Ramadi Was first
major attack upon city since district secured by Awakening
Jul 1 Iraqi govt announced 1,227 civilian deaths in June lowest monthly total in 2007
Jul 2 US general accused Iranian leadership through Quds Force and Hezbollah of instigating
attacks in Iraq Said that Iran behind Jan 07 attack on Karbala operations center that killed 4 US soldiers Ran training camps in Iran for militiamen supplied weapons and up to $3 mil a month
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Jul 2 Mahdi Army fired more than 70 rockets at Coalition Base Echo in Diwaniya
Jul 3 Cabinet passed new draft energy bill Cabinet approved another energy bill in February
Neither made it through parliament
Jul 4 US forces captured ISI’s media emir Mashadani Fed them disinformation that Abu
Omar al-Baghdadi was fake and ISI was still under Al Qaeda Helped contribute to Americans to continue to call the group Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
Jul 4 Bush speech Said Al Qaeda in Iraq was same group that attacked US on 9/11 Said US
withdrawal wrong Would be terrorist victory and would attack US next Said insurgents could take over Iraq and use its oil to blackmail the US Part of PR campaign to gain support for Surge
Jul 4 US accused Iran of using Hezbollah to train Iraqi militias based upon arrest of Ali Musa
Daqduq Daqduq sent to Iraq in 2006 by Iran Rev Guard Quds Force Said Hezbollah trainers worked with Iraqi militiasin 3 camps near Tehran Said Quds Force gave up to $3 mil/mo to militias Daqduq also said Iran planned Jan 07 attack upon US base in Karbala
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Jul 5 Al Qaeda’s Zawahiri released video Called for people to rally around ISI Same time ISI
had to find unity with Iraqis Was acknowledgement insurgent groups were splitting with ISI
Jul 8 Report Sadr had gone back to Iran after short stay in Iraq in May Sadr fled to Iran in
February believing that US would target him during Surge
Jul 10 US GAO report Pentagon could not account for weapons it gave to ISF from Jun 04 to
Dec 05 Around 190,000 weapons were unaccounted for US still didn’t have accounting process in place by 2007
Jul 10 Gen Petraeus and Gen Odierno briefed Presidency Council on Sahwa Pres Talabani
supported program VP Abdul Mahdi asked whether Sahwa were loyal to govt US general warned council that there was no reconciliation going on in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jul 11 CIA Dep Dir Natl Intl Fingar testified to House saying PM Maliki only taken small
steps to unify Iraq Said sectarian violence polarized politics Shiite parties not united Services below prewar levels Said Surge effective violence but not enough to lead to reconciliation
Jul 11 Ret Gen Landry from Natl Intel Council said ISF infiltrated and lacked logistics
Jul 12 Bush claimed US making progress on 8 of 18 congressional benchmarks set for Surge
Created constitutional review committee but it had taken no action Passed regions law but no implementation Election Commission formed Supported Surge Reduced sectarian violence Were more ISF Passed budget No progress on reconciliation or relations with Iran and Syria or economic growth No reforming deBaathification No energy law No provincial election law or provincial powers law No amnesty law No disarmament of militias Hadn’t stopped political interference in ISF Not enforced law and order Not taken on militia influence in ISF
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jul 13 Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace said more training of ISF wasn’t needed Needed more US
forces embedded with ISf response to White House report that number of Iraqi battalions able to operate independelyt dropped from 10 to 6 in first 6 months of 2007
Jul 14 Maliki said Iraqi forces were ready to take over security when US left
Jul 14 Fmr State Dept reconstruction coordinator said impact of Provincial Reconstruction
Teams were negligible because of lack of security
Jul 15 Report 45% of foreign fighters in Iraq came from Saudi Arabia More Saudis had been
suicide bombers than any other nationality US tried to not talk about issue because Saudis allies
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jul 16 Suicide truck bomb hit PUK compound in Kirkuk killing 85 Insurgents in army
uniforms rounded up people in Adwala Diyala executed 49 left 4 wounded
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jul 16 Report ISF in Abu Ghraib raided and arrested members of Sahwa Also carried out
random arrests and beat and killed prisoners
Jul 16 Report Mahdi Army forced out almost all the Sunnis from West Rasheed Baghdad
Sold stolen cars Involved in weapons trafficking and kidnapping Extorted money from local businesses Rented homes of Sunnis who they forced out and sold their property
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Jul 17 Truck bomb in Amerli Salahaddin killed 156
Jul 18 US announced it captured ISI Information Min Mashadani who fed disinformation to
US that ISI front for Al Qaeda and Abu Omar al-Baghdad didn’t exist
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
Jul 19 1920 Revolution Brigades Ansar al-Sunna Iraqi Hamas announced front group
Political Office for the Iraqi Resistance Said willing to negotiate a US withdrawal Attacked ISI for sectarian killings and suicide bombings vs civilians
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Jul 19 US Embassy memo on US-Iraq anti-corruption council Said it was irrelevant and
manipulated by PM Maliki
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Jul 24 US-Iran held 2nd talks about Iraq US accused Iran of sending weapons and training
militias Iran accused US of occupation
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Jul 25 Iran gave PM Maliki his own personal jet
Jul 25 US commanders in southern Baghdad meeting on reconstruction Found Shiite areas
had plenty of water provided by govt Sunnis areas were facing huge water shortage US had to provide water to Sunni areas Talked about pressuring Maliki govt but it was unresponsive because made decisions on sectarian basis
Jul 26 Truck bomb in Baghdad’s Karrada market killed 92 wounded 127
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 26 US general said militias more accurate in targeting Green Zone because of training
from Iran
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Jul 26 Audit Bechtel only finished half of its contracts Other half either canceled cut back or
didn’t finish US only had 2 people to oversee contracts
Jul 27 KDP and PUK renewed strategic power sharing agreement
Jul 27 Report Jan 07 Saudis told US Amb to Iraq Khalilzad that PM Maliki an Iranian agent
and helped Sadr Bush officials said Saudis not helping with Iraq Financing Sunni groups Majority of suicide bombers Saudis 40% of foreign fighters in Iraq Saudis Saudis asked Gulf States to help it finance Sunni groups opposed to Maliki US didn’t publicly criticized Saudis because of alliance
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jul 27 State Dept report US angry at Saudi Arabia for giving financial support to PM Maliki’s
rivals
Jul 28 US Inspector General found from 2005-07 Iraqi govt only accepted 435 out of 2797
reconstruction projects Since Maliki govt took power in 06 had accepted few if any projects Finance Min Jabr blamed for not releasing money to take over projects US spent $90 mil to fix 2 turbines at Dora power plant Iraqis didn’t know how to work turbines and used wrong fuel Iraqi govt wouldn’t accept project Meant US turning over projects to provincial and city govts that didn’t have money or know how to run them Problem was US didn’t include Iraqis in projects who had no say in what was built
(Musings On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)
Jul 28 Maliki ratified dismissal of Basra Gov Waeli who received no confidence vote led by
ISCI over corruption Waeli refused to step down and referred issue to Supreme Court
Jul 29 Report PM Maliki said he couldn’t work with Gen Petraeus Said that if US kept using
sahwa he would arm militias Maliki ally Askari said Petraeus biased against Shiites
(Musings On Iraq The Conspiratorial Mind of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Jul 30 Oxfam found Maliki govt spent 22% of its development budget and 99% of its salary
allocation in 2006
Jul 30 Cabinet passed new draft energy bill Cabinet approved another energy bill in
February Neither made it through parliament
Jul 30 Report Interior Ministry split between Dawa, Badr, Kurds Badr and Kurds fighting for
control of intel service Kurdish dep min faced death threats from Badr dep min Almost all Sunnis purged from ministry Interior Min trying to purge militias from ministry
Jul 30 Fmr Amb to Iraq Khalilzad said that Saudis were undermining US effort in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jul 30 State Dept report PM Maliki claimed Accordance Front boycott of his cabinet was
backed by outside Arab countries meaning Saudis
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jul 31 VP Cheney said that he was wrong when he said insurgency in its last throes in 2005
Said that benchmarks didn’t reduce violence and insurgency stronger than he thought
Jul 31 2/3 of US casualties in Iraq were caused by militias in July
Aug 1 Iraqi Accordance Front withdrew its 6 ministers from cabinet claiming Maliki was
excluding them from govt that PM was sectarian and no reconciliation
(Musings On Iraq Sunni Accordance Front Returns To Maliki’s Government Amidst Recriminations and Challenges)
Aug 1 US intel report Iraq polarized State and ISF weak Increased extremism US needed to
increase ISF loyal to govt Sectarian politics likely to continue Iraqi elite unlikely to agree upon reconciliation Shiites insecure about holding power Leads to mistrust and lack of reconciliation Many Sunnis don’t accept minority status Sunnis think Shiites Iranian tools ISF short on equipment and couldn’t handle security
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Aug 1 US Govt Accountability Office found Pentagon couldn’t account for $19.2 bil worth
of equipment it gave to ISF Pentagon also said it only delivered 1/3 of equipment meant for Iraqi army and less than half of equipment for police
Aug 1 Saudi Prince Faisal said Saudi delegation would go to Baghdad to talk about re-
opening embassy that had been closed since 1990 Didn’t happen
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Aug 2 Saudis told Sec State Rice and Def Sec Gates that they were not funding Iraqi
insurgency Said wouldn’t support Iraqi govt Said Iraq was a threat because terrorists could come from there into Saudi Arabia
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Aug 3 Reports Iraqi parties talking about replacing PM Maliki after Iraqi Accordance Front
and Sadrists boycotted cabinet and parliament
Aug 3 Report Maliki govt intentionally releasing lower casualty figures for violence in Iraq
to downplay insurgency Govt said 25 dead and 100 wounded in car bombing in Baghdad Later local officials said 92 dead and 127 wounded
(Musings On Iraq Iraq Suppressed Deaths To Make PM Maliki Look Good)
Aug 6 KRG passed its own oil law Condemned by Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Aug 6 Iraqiya’s 4 ministers started boycott of cabinet Were now 17 ministers total not going
to Maliki cabinet
Aug 6 US audit found couldn’t account for 190,000 rifles and pistols it gave to the ISF
Aug 7 Report Basra split between political parties and their militias Fadhila controlled
governorship provincial council Oil Police oil infrastructure and export terminals Sadrists controlled local police Facilities Protection Services Basra Port Authority Sadrists and Iraqi Hezbollah split customs police ISCI controlled intelligence service and police commandos Police said 3-10 political killings and kidnappings a day
Aug 8 2 studies found Saudis accounted for largest percentage of suicide bombers in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Aug 8 US said that militias becoming larger threat to US forces in Iraq 99 EFP attacks upon
US forces in July 07 73% of US casualties in Baghdad in July due to militias Militias received EFPs from Iran
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Aug 9 Ayatollah Sistani aide assassinated in Najaf Was 4th such killing in province since July
Aug 11 Police chief and ISCI governor of Qadisiya killed by an EFP laid by Mahdi Army Sadr
vs Hakim rivalry
Aug 11 Sahwa leader in Adhamiya wounded in IED attack by ISI 1st Sahwa leader in
Baghdad targeted
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
Aug 12 National Sec Min Waeli told US Amb Crocker and Gen Petraeus that he met with
Pres Ahmadinejad and Iran Rev Guard Quds Forces Cmdr Gen Suleimani during trip to Iran Suleimani wanted Asaib Ahl Al-Haq leader Khazali released and in return Quds Force would draw back on ops in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
Aug 14 4 suicide truck bombs hit Kahtaniya and Jazeera in Sinjar district killed 796 Yazidis
and wounded almost 1,500 Was deadliest bombing in Iraq since 2003
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Aug 14 100 soldiers kidnapped Oil Ministry officials from govt compound in Baghdad
including Dep Oil Minister
Aug 15 Gen Petraeus given intel briefing Said Maliki govt taking part in civil war to solidify
power and refusing to reconcile Challenged Surge assumption that better security would lead to political compromise Said US should be more neutral towards PM Maliki and attempt to mediate between govt and Sunnis
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Aug 16 With 17 ministers boycotting PM Maliki’s cabinet new ruling coalition announced of
Dawa, ISCI, KDP, PUK US helped put coalition together
Aug 16 Report Mahdi Army took over intimidated infiltrated army units in West Baghdad
Jan 07 Defense Min allowed Sadrists to create army unit in Kadhimiya Mahdi Army bribed and intimidated army units to allow it to attack Sunni neighborhoods Army gave vehicles for Mahdi Army to use Army units in Hurriya and Ghaziliya either controlled or working with Mahdi Army to force out Sunnis US organized Sahwa unit in Ghazilyia that was supposed to monitor army there Control of army in Hurriya also allowed Mahdi Army to attack U.S. units there Mahdi Army expanding into Washash Iskan Fadil with help of army
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Aug 19 US general accused Iran of training Shiite militias in Iraq to attack US forces Said 50
Iranian Revolutionary Guard members in South Baghdad Last 3 months found 217 weapons in 4 provinces suspected of coming from Iran Said most going to Mahdi Army
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Aug 20 ISCI governor of Muthanna assassinated by Sadrists Sadr-Hakim rivalry
Aug 20 Report Mahdi Army fighters said they’d gone to Lebanon to train with Hezbollah
Sadr said there was a formal alliance between the two groups
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Aug 20 Protest in Baghdad’s Ghazilyia against Sahwa there Ghazailya Guardians Said they
were former insurgents
Aug 21 ISI killed Sheikh Alayawia of Abu Jassim tribe of Ramadi for supporting govt
Aug 21 ISI blew up new police station in Jazeera, Anbar
Aug 21 Report 3 attempts to replace PM Maliki including from ISCI within his own Dawa
and from Allawi U.S. trying to prop up his govt
Aug 22 1920 Revolution Brigade leader killed by ISI in Baquba His mosque was destroyed
and 15 people kidnapped as well
Aug 24 National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq said security improving unevenly No
reconciliation
Aug 24 Report Pentagon plan to restart state owned enterprises by getting US businesses to
buy Iraqi products failed
Aug 24 Iraqi Red Crescent and International Organization for Migration reported that
number of displaced grew during Surge from 499,000 in Feb 07 to 1.1 mil in Aug 07 100,000 fleeing per month
Aug 26 PM Maliki Pres Talabani and VPs announced deal on provincial powers law and
deBaathifcation Maliki also agreed to share decision making with Presidency Council
Aug 26 Report insurgents were extorting money from companies that got contracts to work
with Anbar Awakening
Aug 27 After meeting of PM Maliki Pres Talabani VP Hashemi VP Mahdi KRG Pres Barzani
deal announced to reform deBaathification law and release prisoners Wouldn’t pass until 2008 because of opposition
Aug 27 Badr run police got into argument with Sadrists outside Karbala shrine That night
police arrested 20 Sadrists at Sadr run mosque in city
Aug 28 After confrontation and arrests between Badr run police and Sadrists day before
Mahdi Army attacked police in Karbala 50 killed 200 wounded Fighting spread to 5 Baghdad neighborhoods and Diwaniya
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Aug 28 PM Maliki headed forces to arrest Sadrists in Karbala after fire fight with Badr
Brigade
Aug 28 Bush said if US withdrew from Iraq Iranian backed militias wound run country
Aug 29 Sadr announced freeze of Mahdi Army after fighting with Badr in Karbala Sadrists
said some Mahdi Army following Iran and freeze would allow purge
(Musings On Iraq Sadr’s Leadership Or Lack Thereof)
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Aug 29 Petraeus wrote about Anbar Awakening and Sahwa and how they improved security
in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Aug 30 Report draft review of Maliki govt by US embassy said corruption and abuses the
norm and govt not trying to stop them Said Interior and Defense Mins the worst Interior Min kidnapped and executed people Took bribes Acted like a mafia Oct 06 Interior Min officials killed brother of VP Hashemi Integrity Comm afraid to investigate Interior because afraid would be assassinated US advisors at Defense have protected officials from investigations $850 mil missing from Defense budget and no effort to investigate Sadrists stealing from Trade Min and blocking investigations Different parties stealing from Transportation Min One party stole vehicles another party stole grain being shipped by ministry Oil Min couldn’t keep track of oil production or stop gangs militias insurgents from smuggling oil Integrity Comm officials needed armed guards to enter some ministries PM Maliki against investigations Cut funding and interfered in cases involving Shiites Maliki tried to gain control of inspector generals in ministries and filled staffs with Dawa Maliki brought back old law that said corruption cases couldn’t proceed without permission of ministries Maliki forbid any investigation of top officials without his permission Maliki ordered hacking of Integrity Comm website Integrity Comm staff under siege Head of commission lived in hiding US Embasy not helping fight vs corruption
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Corruption)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Aug 30 Draft US GAO report on Surge leaked Said Iraq only passed 3 of 18 benchmarks
Passed protecting minority parties autonomous region agreed to spend $10 bil on reconstruction even though hadn’t spent much US agencies differed on whether sectarian violence down Attacks against Iraqis changed little PM Maliki govt not passed any major laws ISF not ready and infiltrated by militias Politicians interfered in military operations
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Aug 31 Report US commission said that Iraqi police should be completely scrapped and
started over Said police sectarian supported militias sometimes attacked US forces Pentagon rejected proposal said its training program was fixing problems 9 police brigade and 17 battalion commanders had been relieved
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Sep 1 UK Gen Jackson head of British army during 03 invasion said US postwar plans
“intellectually bankrupt” Said Rumsfeld responsible
Sep 2 Bush admin official said US now working around PM Maliki because he was unwilling
to reconcile Said US pushing for elections Maliki opposed US focusing on local reconciliation
Sep 2 Report Head of Natl Reconciliation Comm Safa said afraid US creating Sunni militias
with sahwa that would fight govt UK Gen working on reconciliation said insurgents reluctant to join sahwa because afraid Maliki govt would turn on them
(Musings On Iraq The Conspiratorial Mind of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Sep 2 UK Gen Cross said he raised concerns about postwar planning with Sec Def Rumsfeld
who dismissed warnings Told Rumsfeld reconstruction should be internationalized and said more troops needed Said US war plan fatally flawed
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
Sep 3 Baghdad took control of Basra Palace as British troops withdrew from central Basra
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Sep 3 Bush made surprise visit to Anbar Met PM Maliki Anbar Governor and sheikhs
including Abu Risha of Awakening Anbar governor attacked Maliki for neglecting Anbar Sheikhs also criticized Maliki
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
Sep 3 PM Maliki said new deBaathification law would be sent to parliament Law wasn’t
passed until 2008
Sep 4 Report US shifting from national to local reconciliation because PM Maliki govt not
making changes US started directly paying Awakening because Baghdad refused to do so Trying sahwa amongst Shiite tribes to counter militias Still hoped govt would eventually start reconciliation
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Sep 4 Report number of divisions operating independently dropped from 10 to 6
Congressional report found couldn’t determine capabilities of ISF Interior and Defense Ministries don’t know how many personnel they have Don’t know how many employees show up each day Pentagon claimed 65% of ISF show up each day Analysts believe it’s around 50% ISF paid in cash and get days off to go home and deliver money
Sep 4 US signed up more than 1,000 into Sahwa in Abu Ghraib Attacks in district dropped
2/3 as a result Local Iraqi army battalion tried to arrest members of Sahwa in April and US had to intervene US tried to enroll 2400 sahwa into Interior Min Ministry accepted 1,700 but changed the names of 23% of them
Sep 4 After draft of book released that said Bush didn’t know the Iraqi army was going to be
disbanded Bremer released letter from May 03 he sent to Bush saying the military was going to be disbanded
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
Sep 5 US GAO report US military not consistent in reporting Iraqi deaths Used different
methodologies resulting in different numbers Each US news agency also gave its own death counts all of which were different
Sep 5 Report Attacks in Anbar dropped from around 2,000 in March to 450 in August ISF
grew from 24,000 to 40,000 in province US changed reconstruction policy to only pay for projects that both Awakening sheikhs and provincial govt agree upon to connect Awakening with local govt
Sep 5 Report US provided services to Sunni areas because Maliki govt was not US officers
said Maliki govt made decisions on sectarian basis Gave water to Shiite areas in south Baghdad and not Sunni ones US officials worried Iraqis becoming dependent upon US aid
Sep 5 Reports White House shifting terms of Surge success Maliki govt was not reconciling
so US emphasizing local progress like Anbar Awakening
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Sep 5 Report Sunni cleansing of Baghdad continuing despite drop in violence ISF and Mahdi
Army working to expel Sunnis from Sadiya Displacement increased during Surge
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 6 Integrity Commission head Judge Radhi resigned after 2 rocket attacks upon his house
Said PM Maliki had tried to stop his work
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Sep 6 Ramadi mayor hosted race through city center Sign of improved security
Sep 6 Dep Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction told House committee provincial
reconstruction teams failing Expanded from 10 to 25 during Surge Only 29 of 610 workers Arab experts/speakers Problems coordinating between PRTs and US military PRTs not getting orders from leadership Poor coordination with Iraqi govt
(Musings On Iraq How The Civilian Surge In Iraq Didn’t Quite Meet Its Mark)
Sep 6 Bremer wrote NYTimes OpEd Said most major decisions by CPA made in Washington
and he got blamed Disbanding Iraqi army came from DC DeBaathification came from Pentagon
Sep 6 Jones report on ISF Said not ready to protect Iraq Army wouldn’t be ready until 2018
Could carry out counterinsurgency more and more Lacked logistics leadership Police lacks equipment Infiltrated by militas insurgents gangs National Police most sectarian Recommended replacing more than half National Police Corruption in both Interior and Defense Ministries
Sep 7 Gen Petraeus wrote letter to his commanders saying he was disappointed in lack of
reconciliation by Maliki govt Hoped Surge would lead to changes during summer but didn’t happen
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Sep 7 Report Mahdi Army trying to purge Sunnis from Jihad Baya Amil Sadiya
neighborhoods of Baghdad Did not find drop in violence in Baghdad as US and Iraq claimed Interior Min official said PM Maliki govt releasing lower death counts to show progress
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 7 Report US CENTCOM cmdr Adm Fallon opposed Surge Fallon sent admiral to
Baghdad during summer to collect info on Surge which led to his plans for ending Surge and withdrawing US troops
Sep 8 Iraqi National Dialogue Front ended boycott of parliament Had 11 MPs Said PM
Maliki agreed to work on oil law security and give money to displaced
Sep 8 PM Maliki govt reported violence cut in half by Surge Deaths went from around 4000
civilians killed in Dec 06 to around 2000 in Aug 07
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Sep 10 Gen Petraeus and Amb Crocker began 2 days of testimony to Congress on progress
under Surge Petraeus said violence down and achieving military goals Crocker said political change slow and Iraq may never meet 18 benchmarks set by Congress
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Sep 10 Gen Petraeus said sectarian violence went from 2200 deaths in Dec 06 to 1000 in
Aug 07 Iraqi ministries reported deaths went from 2,075 in Dec 06 to 1773 in Aug only 15% decrease raising questions about what US was and wasn’t counting
Sep 10 Report Mahdi Army didn’t sign ceasefire in Basra after British withdrawal Claimed it
drove British out and Basra city now theirs Mahdi Army in Baghdad seen with US rifles Raised questions ISF gave militia weapons
Sep 10 Report by former State Dept official from Baghdad embassy US only counting
sectarian violence missing 35-65% of attacks
Sep 10 Report Iraqi police helped Mahdi Army in Baghdad’s Amil Sunnis only holding on to
sliver of neighborhood Constant fighting in Sunni area Shiite area has businesses open US trying to protect Sunni enclave US official said decline in deaths in Baghdad due to Mahdi Army winning civil war and forcing Sunnis out Fewer areas now contested meant fewer deaths
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 13 ISI assassinated Sheikh Abu Risha leader in Awakening in bombing in Ramadi Was
start of ISI campaign to eliminate Awakening leaders
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Sep 13 Bush gave televised speech saying Surge was making progress in Iraq Jan 07 Bush
said US would hold Maliki govt accountable to 18 benchmarks Sep said govt wasn’t meeting benchmarks
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Sep 13 Talks over Feb 07 oil bill collapsed Kurds wanted regional control which Oil
Ministry opposed Sunnis withdrew from talks after Kurds signed new oil deal
Sep 14 White House report on benchmarks said Iraq making progress on areas not included
in benchmarks Said violence down Sunnis turning on ISI PM Maliki accepting Awakening and Sawha ISF continued to develop Said satisfactory on 12 of 18 benchmarks
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Sep 14 Defense Secretary Gates said US could get down to 100,000 troops by end of 08
Petraeus complained too fast
(Musings On Iraq review Duty, Memoirs of a Secretary At War)
Sep 14 ISI statement bragged about killing Awakening leader Abu Risha Said it was creating
special committee to hunt down and kill other sheikhs
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
Sep 15 GAO said Iraq met 3 partially met 4 not met 11 of 18 total benchmarks set by
Congress for progress during Surge
Sep 15 Sadrists withdrew from United Iraqi Alliance Claimed shut out of decision making
and Maliki govt didn’t investigate Mahdi Army-Badr clash in Karbala in Aug 07
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Sep 15 ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi announced Ramadan offensive named after Zarqawi
Sep 16 Blackwater guards fired at car in west Baghdad killing 17 civilians and wounding 20
Sep 16 Report US tried to expand sahwa to southern Shiite tribes to counter militias
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
Sep 17 Report Mahdi Army had 17,000 men in Basra Controlled hospitals police schools
ports oil terminal electricity Received food from Iran that it sold for a profit ISCI and Badr controlled customs police intelligence border crossings to Iran and Kuwait that it kept duties from Fadhila party controlled governorship force protection police PM Maliki appointed new Basra commander and division commander in bid for power Competition between parties increased with UK withdrawal
Sep 18 Report Shiite religious parties in Basra city banned public parties selling music CDs in
stores and alcohol Criticized artists Put up signs telling women to cover themselves
(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)
Sep 19 Report Red Crescent and Intl Org for Migration report displacement increased during
Surge Over 1 mil have fled Baghdad Sunnis moved west and south Iraq Shiites to the south Christians moved to Kurdistan Syria and Jordan have started kicking out Iraqi refugees
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 19 Iraqi Lawyers Association sent letter to parliament Said govt held prisoners
incommunicado Said some held for up to 3 yrs with no info released about them Many tortured
Sep 20 US arrested member of Iranian trade delegation to Sulaymaniya who was commander
of Iranian Rev Guards Quds Force Ramadan Corps Nasr command 1 of 3 regional commands to run ops in Iraq including smuggling weapons and training militias Pres Talabani objected and demanded his release
(Musings On Iraq 5 Revolutionary Guards Members Let Go By U.S.)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Sep 20 2 Ayatollah Sistani aides assassinated in Basra and Diwaniya 4 other aides killed in
Najaf from June to August Other followers threatened and went into hiding
Sep 21 Mahdi Army commander assassinated in Baghdad’s Washash neighborhood Militia
retaliated killing 5-20 Sunnis and driving 30 Sunni families out Violence continued into next day
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 23 ISI accused Hamas of Iraq and 1920 Revolution Brigades of killing its members
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Sep 25 ISI bombed meeting of police sheikhs and leaders of Hamas of Iraq and 1920
Revolution Brigades in Baquba
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Sep 25 PM Maliki told Council on Foreign Relations he had stopped sectarian war in Iraq
Said reconciliation needed time Wanted long term US military presence Said Iran and Syria no longer interfering in Iraq and all Iranian support for militias had ended Said Anbar Awakening were sons of Iraq
Sep 25 2nd class of Sahwa in Abu Ghraib graduated from police training Now 1,550 new
police 1 policeman complained Shiite Muthanna Brigade in district were blocking sahwa from operating there
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Sep 25 US and ISF arrested 59 soldiers at Defense Ministry’s military academy in Baghdad
for carrying out bombings kidnappings murders Dean led gang at academy Killed academy’s director in 2005 New director was kidnapped by group Received EFPs from Iran
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
Sep 26 Transparency International report found Iraq 3rd most corrupt country in world Same
as in 2006
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Corruption)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with anti-graft US official Vincent Foulk)
Sep 27 Report Sep 07 US arrested commander of Baha Araji battalion created by Sadrist and
run out of Defense Ministry for expelling Sunnis from Baghdad Soldiers were mostly Mahdi Army Battalion was disbanded in May 07 Soldiers-militiamen sent to other units Commanders from one of army’s top battalions arrested for working with Mahdi Army in Baghdad for killing and kidnapping civilians
Sep 29 PM Maliki repeated claim that he got promise from Tehran to stop Iranians arms
shipments to Iraq Never happened
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Sep 30 Report Sahwa expanding 30,000 tribesmen organized by US so far including 8,000 in
Mansour and Abu Ghraib in Baghdad 3,500 in Diyala
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Oct 2 National Security Adviser Rubaie told Secretary of State Rice US had to tell Sunni
politicians they couldn’t play politics and violence at same time Said Maliki would take care of Sadr and Mahdi Army
Oct 2 United Alliance told US to stop sahwa program Claimed some were terrorists killing
and kidnapping people
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
Oct 2 Hamas in Iraq accused ISI of beheading civilians for violating its fatwas Condemned
ISI’s chlorine attack upon Amiriya Fallujah
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Oct 4 Fmr Integrity Comm head Judge Radhi testified to House Comm Said corruption had
cost Iraq $18 bil over last 3 yrs $500 mil stolen from Oil Min by insurgents and militias and used to fund violence Couldn’t investigate Oil Min because of threats of violence Ministers could stop any investigations Said PM Maliki blocked investigations into top officials by demanding all cases be okayed by him first 31 members of Comm and 12 of Judge’s family members had been killed for their work
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Corruption)
Oct 4 Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen testified to House Comm Said US wasn’t
doing much to help fight or investigate corruption in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Oct 4 State Dept official told House Comm State had issued orders that none of its officials
could publicly criticize Maliki govt out of fear it would harm US-Iraq relations
Oct 4 National Security Adviser Rubaie told Pentagon officials Maliki opposed to Sahwa
plan and wanted to control them
(Musings On Iraq The Conspiratorial Mind of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Oct 4 Report Def Sec Gates Joint Chiefs head Adm Mullen Dep Def Sec England Under Sec
Of Intel Gen Clapper all thought Iraq drain on US military and distracting from Afghanistan Adm Mullen said Iraq war might not improve Middle East
(Musings On Iraq review Duty, Memoirs of a Secretary At War)
Oct 4 Report Izzat al-Duri announced Unification Congress of 22 insurgents groups leading
to Supreme Command for Jihad and Liberation Duri named its leader Said insurgents needed to be recognized as legitimate voice of Iraq Called for US withdrawal All soldiers to be returned to duty Duri’s Naqshibandi only major group listed in membership
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Resurgent Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)
Oct 5 Natl Sec Adv Rubaie said that Iran increased arms shipments to militias and
infiltrations into Iraq Said number of arms found by US was only tip of iceberg Said sending more advanced weapons Policy ordered by Ayatollah Khamanei Said Iranian influence pervasive throughout Iraq Came week after PM Maliki claimed Iran stopped all support for militias
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Oct 5 Report ISI carrying out assassination campaign vs Anbar Awakening leaders
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Oct 6 Sadr and Hakim announced truce after months of fighting between Mahdi Army and
Badr topped off by Aug battle in Karbala that left 250 casualties Didn’t stop the fighting Deal brokered by Iran
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Oct 7 Gen Petraeus said Iran causing violence in Iraq by arming militias Said Iranian
ambassador to Iraq member of Iranian Revolutionary Guard
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Oct 10 Police and Mahdi militiamen fired rockets at Camp Victory in Baghdad killing 2 US
soldiers
Oct 11 6 insurgent groups formed Political Council for the Iraqi Resistance Was accused of
being secular by Islamists
Oct 15 State Dept official told reporters corruption in Iraq was systemic and hindering govt
Claimed PM Maliki was dealing with it He Wasn’t
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Oct 15 Report Gen Odierno said ISI had been degraded by 60-70% Gen McChrystal wanted to
declare victory vs ISI
Oct 16 Report US stopped UK withdrawal from Basra for 5 months During time 25 UK
soldiers killed and 58 wounded US said Iran would move into city if UK pulled out too soon British said Iraqi nationalism would hold Iran in check PM Maliki sent general to Basra to tell UK it should leave to reduce tensions
Oct 16 Report Dec 06 US Embassy memo said every Iraqi ministries plagued by corruption
Singled out Interior Min as one of the worst Health Min run by Sadrists who extorted doctors and private clinics and stole drugs
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Oct 16 Report US organized 34 Sahwa units in central Iraq 25 were Sunni 9 Shiite
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Oct 20 US Special Forces raid into Sadr City looking to arrest Mahdi Army cmdr Abu Dura
turned into large gun battle
Oct 21 PM Maliki complained to US about Oct 20 US raid into Sadr City Called it barbaric
Said mostly civilians killed by US Maliki restricted US raids into Sadr City afterward
Oct 22 bin Laden message to Iraq said insurgency was winning Had to overcome differences
and not work with US Said insurgency would undo the division of the Ottoman empire and a new Islamic age was coming
Oct 22 Report Sadiya Baghdad used to be majority Sunni Now 60% Shiite Mahdi Army
worked with Inter Min Wolf Brigade to cleanse neighborhood of Sunnis Sunnis turned to ISI US then organized Sadiya Guardians in Sep 07 Mahdi Army shelled Guardians Was protest by Shiite against Guardians claiming they were killers Sunnis held counter demonstration PM Maliki said he wanted Shiites to join Guardians but they objected
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Oct 22 Report US campaign plan now had militias bigger threat to Iraq than insurgency
Couldn’t defeat militias so hoped that reconciliation would happen Dropped legislative benchmarks as sign of progress
Oct 23 State Dept official said Iranian Revolutionary Guard working in Iraq under orders of
Tehran’s leadership
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Oct 23 Report State Dept couldn't account for $1.2 bil contract with DynCorp to train Iraqi
police $4 mil that was supposed to build a police facility spent on an olympic size pool and VIP trailers $4 mil spent on X-Ray machine never used Part of State Dept’s bad contracting in Iraq
Oct 23 Mahdi Army fought Iraqi police in Basra City despite Sadr’s freeze upon his militia
Oct 24 Fighting broke out between Mahdi Army and Badr in Karbala despite Sadr’s freeze on
his militia and Iranian brokered peace deal between Sadr and Hakim signed Oct 6 City was shut off to try to keep militias out Each accused the other of being an Iranian tool
Oct 26 Islamic Army fought ISI outside Samarra Salahaddin
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Oct 26 Report US and ISF targeting insurgent finance networks in Mosul Found kickbacks
overbilling illegal sales real estate deals black market gas and propane sales earned $40-$60 mil for insurgents over last few years
Oct 27 Gen Petraeus said ISI no longer had any strongholds in central Baghdad Said ops in
Baghdad Belt responsible Said harder to root out militias
Oct 27 Report Winter 06 Sadiya Baghdad was being cleansed of Sunnis by Mahdi Army and
Interior Min’s Wolf Brigade Half population fled US troops arrived during Surge Were attacked by police US hired Sunnis into police PM Maliki govt objected
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Oct 28 Report Interior Min refused to train senior officers at Habaniya Police Center aimed at
incorporating Awakening into ISF US pushed govt to hire 6,000 Diyala Sahwa into ISF but Interior Min refused Interior Min did hire 548 that were mostly Shiites Interior Min sent 663 Shiite police to Tal Afar Ninewa police chief said that disrupted effort to have more balanced provincial police force Anbar proposed 9,000 Awakening be hired into police Interior Min okayed 5,000
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Oct 28 US commander northern Iraq Gen Mixon complained PM Maliki agreed to hire 6,000
Diyala Sahwa into police in April 07 but never happened
Nov 1 Report Baghdad’s Rasheed used to be majority Sunni Now 70% Shiite Hurriya home
to many Shiites driven out of Adil by insurgents Sunnis expelled from Hurriya Sunni cleansing of Ghazaliya largely ended due to US presence
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Nov 2 Head of Anbar council said Baghdad not providing enough support to province for
police and services and some of that was intentional due to ruling parties
Nov 3 Judge said enough evidence to put ex-Deputy Health Min Zamili and ex-Health Min
Facilities Protection (FPS) chief General Shammari on trial for kidnappings and sectarian killings Were awaiting okay from Health Minister to move forward Zamili and Shammari organized 150 man unit within FPS to move weapons in ambulances and carry out killings and kidnappings from 05-07 Sunni patients and relatives at 3 Baghdad hospitals were killed Relatives that went to morgues were killed Mahdi Army tried to force Sunni doctors to quit Told doctors at 1 Baghdad hospital to not treat any Sunni patients Diverted money from Health Min to Sadrists Officials that opposed Sadrists were killed and threatened
Nov 3 US found diary of ISI leader in Balad Said once had 600 men but was down to 20 or
less Lost weapons and allies Angry at tribes for creating Sahwa Finances from illegal businesses had also dried up
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Nov 4 Court issued arrest warrants for Sadrist leaders in Karbala blaming them for clash with
Badr controlled police in city in Aug 07 Sadrists blamed ISCI saying they controlled the provincial govt
Nov 4 Report 3100 families returned to Baghdad in 3 months due to decreasing violence
Some were displaced, some came from Syria Numbers were being inflated by govt
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Nov 4 60 Minutes found identity of CURVEBALL who claimed pre-03 that Iraq had mobile
WMD labs Was Rafid Ahmed Alwan who sought asylum in Germany in 1998
(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claim That Iraq Had WMD)
(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)
(Musings On Iraq Story of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)
(Musings On Iraq review Curveball, Spies, Lies, And The Con Man Who Caused A War)
Nov 5 Sadrists accused PM Maliki Dawa and ISCI of going after its followers in Karbala and
Diwaniya using militias Had been clashes between Mahdi Army and Badr in Oct
Nov 5 Report British Army report from 06 said Iraq invasion and occupation badly planned
Didn’t think of options or implications Said lack of postwar plans meant Iraq fell into chaos 3 months after invasion
Nov 6 US said it would release 9 Iranian Rev guard members it captured in Iraq Said number
of Iranian weapons flowing to Iraq were down due to US raids
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
Nov 6 100,000 more Iraqis became displaced 16% increase according to Iraq Red Crescent
Displacement up since Surge Dep head of Red Crescent said PM Maliki had not given aid to displaced as promised
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
Nov 6 Gulf Keystone signed kickback deal with KDP politburo member to get contract to
develop Shaikhan oil field in KRG
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on Iraq’s fight with corruption)
(Musings On Iraq interview with former anti-corruption official Vincent Foulk)
Nov 7 ISCI controlled police arrested Sadrists in Diwaniya Sadrist dep governor of Karbala
fled after clashes between ISCI police and Mahdi Army despite Sadr freeze on militia PM Maliki appointed police chief in Karbala survived assassination attempt in Basra
Nov 7 US cmdr in Baghdad said reduction in violence in capital sustainable Said ISI no
longer had foothold in city IEDs down 70% Death squad killings down 80%
Nov 8 Basra education director from ISCI escaped IED as Shiite factions vied for control of
province
Nov 8 ISCI controlled Karbala police chief accused Mahdi Army of 668 murders from 2004-
07 including 62 police along with dozens of robberies and kidnappings Part of on going struggle between ISCI and Sadrists for control of south
Nov 9 Islamic Army accused ISI of killing for of its leaders led to 2 days of fighting between
two groups in Samarra
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Nov 10 Lions of Adhamiya Sahwa group announced in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
Nov 10 2nd day of fighting between Islamic Army and ISI in Samarra after ISI blamed for
killing 4 Islamic Army leaders
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Nov 11 PM Maliki speech Said security improvement was remarkable and would allow Iraq to
move past sectarian war Talked about amnesty for those that supported insurgents but didn’t commit crimes
Nov 11 PM Maliki put a freeze on hiring sahwa into govt fearing insurgent infiltration
(Musings On Iraq The Conspiratorial Mind of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Nov 11 PM Maliki announced 18,000 militiamen including Badr members were to be
integrated into the ISF
Nov 11 Head of police intel in Karbala from Sadrists arrested Accused of planning to kill
Karbala police chief who was from ISCI Part of on going feud between two parties in south
Nov 11 US Gen for south Iraq said ISI losing ground due to Sahwa Iranians weapons still a
problem
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Nov 11 Report US contracted with Iraqi businessman in 2004 to provide arms for police Sold
weapons on the side US didn’t follow procedures on contract Police sold their own weapons US then contracted with American company that also sold weapons on the side
Nov 12 Interior Min claimed ISI War Min Masri killed Wasn’t true Said 75% of insurgent
leaders dead Admitted to using torture to get confessions
Nov 12 Report US organized Sahwa of former insurgents in Babil’s Jurf al-Sakhr Based upon
Janabi tribe many of which were in Islamic Army Made deal with Mahdi Army in nearby Musayib to halt attacks
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Nov 12 Sahwa in Baghdad’s Adhamiya claimed ISI driven out of district
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
Nov 13 Karbala fired 340 police linked to Mahdi Army Part of conflict between ISCI and
Sadrists for control of south
Nov 13 Report Still sectarian fighting in Baghdad’s Sadiya and Salam Amil Baya Jihad
Shurta Rabia ceasefires made between Sunnis and Shiites Bodies found civilians killed car bombings all down since start of 07 Life returning to central Baghdad Shops re-opening
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Nov 14 Sunni Endowment closed offices of Muslim Scholars Association in Baghdad
claiming they stood with ISI
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Nov 15 Maliki said referendum on Kirkuk’s future would be held on this date Didn’t happen
Nov 15 Report 42 women killed in Basra Jul-Sep 07 Provincial police chief said women
facing repression Islamist parties and militias going after women that didn’t cover themselves those who were working etc
(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)
Nov 15 US general said number of bombs used/found in Iraq went from 3,239 in Mar 07 to
1,560 in Oct 07 Was fewest number since Sep 05 Also fewer Iranian arms shipments being found/used
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Nov 17 US and ISF started Op Lion’s Leap targeting Mahdi Army in Diwaniya
Nov 19 US-Iraqi raids on Sadrists in Diwaniya and Najaf Dozens of Mahdi Army members
arrested 70 police in Diwaniya dismissed for connections to militia Was part of Op Lion’s Leap vs Mahdi Army Came after fighting between Mahdi Army and Badr
Nov 19 Report Maliki govt denied services to Baghdad’s Ghaziliya Neighborhood split
between Sahwa Ghaziliya guardians and police connected to sectarian killings
Nov 19 US military spokesman said violence in Iraq at lowest level since summer 2005
Nov 20 Captured ISI financier from Mosul said he had $6 mil budget and 500 men in his unit
Got money from extortion kidnapping and from Syria Said ISI had connections to most businesses in Mosul Said most joined for money not cause
(Musings On Iraq Analyzing The Finances Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Interview With RAND’s Patrick Johnson)
(Musings On Iraq Analyzing The Finances Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Interview With RAND’s Patrick Johnson)
Nov 20 Report 46,000 refugees returned to Iraq in Oct 07 Displaced Min said 10,000 went to
Baghdad US commander in Baghdad said displacement in city mostly ended Nov 07 UN said not yet time for Iraqis to return Still 2.3 mil displaced Govt was inflating return numbers
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Nov 21 Gen Petraeus said number of foreign fighters coming to Iraq down by about 1/3 in
part due to greater interdiction by Syria
Nov 22 Report captured ISI docs from Sinjar showed 80-110 foreign fighters entered Iraq
each month first half of 2007 41% were Saudis followed Libyans at 18%
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Nov 22 Report Saudi Arabia and Libya biggest source of foreign fighters to Iraq Doc in IS
papers captured in Anbar Found list of 700 foreign fighters that came to Iraq since Aug 06 Said 80-110 foreign fighters came into Iraq each month 1st half of 07 Went down to 60 per month during summer 41% came from Saudi Arabia 18% from Libya 39% came from NAfrica
Nov 23 Iran backed Special Groups believed to have been behind bombing of Baghdad
market to stoke sectarian tensions
Nov 24 Oil Min Shahristani said oil deals signed by KRG were illegal and companies
would be blacklisted Said made deals with neighboring countries not to export oil from KRG Aug 07 KRG passed its own oil law and signed 15 deals with 20 companies
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Nov 24 Report more Iraqis returning to Iraq then leaving Oct 07 43,799 Iraqis returned from
Syria Was 5 times higher than Iraqis leaving Syria Jordan Lebanon Egypt put new restrictions on Iraqi refugees Govt said it would start bus convoys to bring Iraqi refugees back from Syria Only lasted 2 trips because govt unprepared for returns 60,000 displaced returned to Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Nov 24 Sadrists held march in Sadr City against U.S. for crackdown on Mahdi Army in
Karbala and Qadisiya
Nov 24 Special Groups bombed pet market in Baghdad Killed 15 Wounded 56
Nov 25 Natl Sec Adv Rubaie suggested banning sahwa south of Baghdad except in Hillah
over fears of US recruiting Shiites
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Nov 25 DeBaathification bill introduced in parliament Sadrists objected Bill withdrawn to be
amended Bill was agreed upon in Aug by major parties
Nov 25 Report Surge was supposed to improve security and lead to political reform and
reconciliation Didn’t happen so Bush admin dropped benchmarks to show progress Hoping Iraq would spend budget and hold provincial elections as signs of progress
Nov 26 US and Iraq signed declaration of principles to start negotiation for Status of Forces
Agreement to maintain US troops and ties to Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Iraq Asks US To Draw Up Withdrawal Plans: Move Towards Autonomy, Electioneering, Or Brinkmanship by the Maliki Government?)
Nov 26 US general in charge of southern Baghdad said Iraq wanted to start paying Sahwa
Govt spokesman Dabbagh said he didn’t know of any such plan
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Nov 26 Maliki told Bush he was afraid insurgents were infiltrating the sahwa
(Musings On Iraq The Conspiratorial Mind of Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki)
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Update)
Nov 26 Report govt was inflating return numbers Counted every Iraqi crossing border from
Syria as return whether refugee or not Nov Iraqi general said 46,030 refugees had returned and 28,017 displaced in Oct 07
Nov 26 US general in charge of northern Baghdad said attacks down 75% but EFP attacks by
Iranian supported militias increased in Oct 07 2 Iranians captured in Nov
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Nov 26 Report Islamic Army faction in Mosul condemned sahwa Said would continue
fighting US
Nov 26 US general in charge of training ISF said turning over all Iraqi provinces to Baghdad
by end of 2007 not possible Said ISF still lacked leadership logistics and suffered from sectarianism Situation in each province would determine when handed back to Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Nov 27 77,542 sahwa in total in 192 groups US said they planned on capping sahwa at
100,000 Dep Natl Sec Adv Hussein said worried what would happen after US stopped running program Said Interior and Defense Mins couldn't hire them all
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Nov 28 Report Jamiya Baghdad used to have Sunni majority with insurgents and ISI
Govt completely absent No police US recruited sahwa for security Shiite army unit objected and sahwa withdrawn US made deal where sahwa could man checkpoints US doing all the reconstruction Some resident threatened for working with US
Nov 28 Report Oil Min said Peshmerga stopped it from working on Khurmala Dome oil field
in Kirkuk Source said KRG was given control of field Nov Natural Resource Min Hawrami said he signed service contract for field Hawrami said KRG was entitled to Khurmala Dome
Nov 29 Car bomb found outside offices of Accordance Front leader Adnan Dulaimi Would
lead to him being placed under house arrest
Nov 30 US Govt Accountability Office report US designating ISF units as independent and
fully independent meaningless because still completely relied upon US for logistics intel and other services
Nov 30 US military complained govt had no plan to help returning displaced/refugees No
plans to settle property disputes in Baghdad after major population changes No plans for aid shelter or services
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Dec 1 Iraqi Red Crescent 25,000-28,000 Iraqi refugees returned from Syria since 9/15/07
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Dec 1 PM Maliki put head of Accordance Front Dulaimi under house arrest on terrorism
charges Car bomb was found outside his office Accordance Front boycotted parliament as a result
Dec 2 Gen Petraeus and Gen Odierno met with PM Maliki PM agreed to 103,000 Sahwa
20,000-30,000 would be integrated into ISF US believed was step towards reconciliation Maliki got concession to end all Sahwa in south Iraq because he feared they would compete with Dawa
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Dec 2 Report Common for people to pay $500 bribe to join police Policeman said that
everyone in his class of 850 recruits paid bribes His commander collected salaries of ghost police as well
Dec 3 ISI’s Abu Omar al-Baghdadi issued tape announcing campaign against Awakening
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Dec 5 Report 60,000 refugees returned to Iraq but only 2.4% of total Sep and Oct 07 had
highest rate of returns but then dropped in Nov Govt stopped telling refugees to return because couldn’t handle them Many refugees couldn’t return home and became displaced Some refugees were never able to come home for various reasons like working for US or being Baathists
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Dec 5 Iraqi Red Crescent displaced down 4.8% in Oct 07 by 110,000 people First large drop in
2 yrs Still 2.1 mil displaced
Dec 5 Report US began going after Iranians in Iraq late 06 Uses Quds Force to operate in Iraq
Sent in operatives into Iraq right after invasion Backed Badr Mahdi Army Sheibani Network Broken off parts of Mahdi Army and formed Special Groups Quds Force set up Ramazan Corps to coordinate Iraq ops Ran 3 bases in Iran along Iraqi border
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Dec 6 Basra police chief said he couldn’t secure the province after the British withdrawal at
end of year Said there were hundreds of police that didn’t answer to him and didn’t know who they answered to
Dec 6 Report Surge and Awakening pushed insurgents out of Anbar and Baghdad into Mosul
including ISI War Min Masri
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Dec 6 Report PM Maliki announced 2008 as “Year of services” Promised $15 bil for
rebuilding
Dec 6 Report Insurgents forced out of Anbar and Baghdad to north Iraq Violence in Mosul
never changed during Surge Samarra and Baiji in Salahaddin and Muqdadiya in Diyala had increased insurgent activity Extorting businesses for finances
Dec 7 Pentagon audit couldn’t account for $5.2 bil spent on training ISF
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency,
Civil War, 2003-2006)
Dec 7 UN warned parts of Iraq too dangerous for refugees to return Aug-Nov 07 125,000
refugees had returned from Syria but 97,000 had left Iraq Iraq govt was promoting returns with TV ads
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Dec 7 Gen Petraeus praised Sadr’s ceasefire for helping to reduce violence in Baghdad Said
US in talks with Sadr movement
Dec 7 US proposed job program for Sahwa since Maliki govt reluctant to fulfill promise to
hire them
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Dec 7 Report 2 Lancet reports most controversial on Iraqi deaths Authors wouldn’t release
household data and computer code used to analyze them making it impossible for others to replicate results Believes 1st Lancet report inconsistent Included Fallujah data in some analysis and not in others President Amer Statistical Assoc said response rate in 2nd Lancet not credible
(Musings On Iraq Comparing Surveys of Iraqi Deaths During The War)
(Musings On Iraq Major Flaws With The Lancet Reports On Iraqi Deaths Part I)
(Musings On Iraq Major Flaws With The Lancet Reports On Iraqi Deaths Part II)
(Musings On Iraq New Survey On Estimated Deaths In Iraq Refutes Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mark Van Der Laan on Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Michael Spagat on Lancet reports)
Dec 7 Report Mahdi Army set up special unit to take care of troublemakers within militia Went
after Baghdad cmdr who was enriching himself 1 of many attempts by Sadr to gain control of militia
Dec 9 Report Kurds squatting in Kirkuk city said they were told by Kurdish officials in 03 if
they didn’t move back to city they would have their govt aid and support cut
Dec 10 Fmr Dep Def Sec Feith speech said original US plan was for US to quickly turn over
power to Iraqis after invasion Said Bremer’s long term political plan angered Iraqis and started insurgency Said deBaathifiaction was good idea but had problems with implementation
Dec 10 Def Sec Gates told NSC Pres Talabani called PM Maliki intolerable and said US
should help remove him Bush decided to stick with Maliki
Dec 10 Babil police chief assassinated Tried to stand up to militias and political pressure
Dec 11 Bremer responding to Fmr Dep Def Sec Feith claim that Bremer’s long term policy
for political transition in Iraq responsible for problems said it was Bush who okayed his strategy
Dec 11 Report ISCI’s Hakim appealed to Iran who assured him they would rein in support for
Sadr after series of clashes between Mahdi Army and Badr across south Iraq
Dec 11 Report US military wanted to reform National Police rather than disband it as
suggested by US Jones report ordered by Gen Petraeus because of role in sectarian violence
Dec 11 Report Sadr tried to gain control of Mahdi Army during freeze Wanted to vet fighters
Had special groups that went after rogue elements Had them march in Baghdad and south to keep them in public eye
Dec 13 Report on returning refugees in Baghdad Sunnis complained govt only helping
Shiites Many found homes destroyed Neighborhoods changed with sectarian cleansing
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Dec 13 Al Qaeda in Iraq’s security emir for northern Iraq and the emir for security in Mosul
captured in the city
Dec 13 3 car bombs in Maysan killed 27 wounded 150 Province had seen fighting between
Mahdi Army and Badr for control
Dec 14 UN Survey of Iraqi refugees in Syria 78% came from Baghdad 35% fled Jul-Oct 07
during Surge 30% fled in 06 More than 50% said threatened or survived bombs 54% had dead or missing relatives Most were highly educated and said they would not leave Syria
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Dec 15 Report more than 6 mass graves found in last two months Half of them in Baghdad
Thought to be victims of militias
Dec 15 Islamic Army spokesman said insurgent activity down due to fighting with ISI Said
ISI had declared war on insurgency and it was fighting back
Dec 16 Iraq took control of Basra province from British
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Dec 16 Report Iraq Red Crescent said 25,000 Iraqi refugees returned from Syria since Sep 07
Iraqi govt said 60,000 back from Syria and Jordan Govt was inflating figures Nov 28 govt bused 30 Iraqi refugee families from Syria Only 1/3 returned to their homes Rest moved to other parts of Baghdad because homes looted destroyed occupied Govt stopped busing program because couldn’t handle returns Buses were set up by Def Min without consulting with Transportation Min
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Dec 16 Zawahiri called on insurgency to reconcile with itself Was in response to fighting
between ISI and other groups
Dec 17 Bush told staff that some of them wanted PM Maliki to go but that wasn’t what US
was going to do Said took 6 months to pick Maliki and if Iraq went through that again for a new PM would destabilize Iraq in middle of Surge
Dec 17 Report Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was a fake played by actor and Masri real leader of ISI
Was misinformation spread by ISI to deceive US and Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
Dec 17 Maliki govt spokesman Daggabh said Iraq would need help of foreign troops for 10
years but wouldn’t accept permanent bases
Dec 17 Mar-May 07 Pentagon audit found couldn't account for 12,000 weapons and 2,100
generators in Iraq US command in Iraq couldn’t protect money for ISF from waste and mismanagement
Dec 17 Day after Basra turned over to Iraqi control Iraqi army officer said British legacy was
gangs corrupt police and open borders Said Baghdad was planning operation to rid Basra of death squads 14,000 of 17,000 police there linked to militias Christians being targeted by militias
(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)
Dec 17 Report Basra police chief Gen Khalaf said British had left province in chaos with
militias and gangs
Dec 18 Sec State Rice met with Pres Talabani and VP Abdul Mahdi Both said Maliki was a
problem Rice told them US sticking with Maliki
Dec 18 Sec State Rice told PM Maliki his govt was failing Said he had to follow Aug
agreement to share decision making with Presidency Council Maliki said others in govt were obstructionists
Dec 18 White House report Attacks in Baghdad down 80% since Nov 06 Murders down 90%
Car bombs down 70% Dec avg just below 600 attacks per wk down from 1,600 per wk in Jun
Dec 18 Turkey bombed PKK positions in Kurdistan Then 300 troops moved 3km into Iraq
US provided intel and targeting to Turkey In return Turkey agreed to recognize KRG
Dec 18 Report by US Military Academy ISI defeated on tactical and operations level in
Baghdad and Anbar Trying to rebuild in north and along Syrian border Iraqis turned on ISI Foreign fighters dropped ISF more competent Police retrained but still had issues Army much better Corruption in ISF endemic ISF still lacking in counterinsurgency logistics maintenance medical units artillery armor No air force Iraqi govt dysfunctional Economy slowly recovering US military acting as de facto Iraqi state on the ground Many Sunnis now working with US against ISI No Sunni leadership Mahdi Army consolidating control of Baghdad areas conquered Political parties act like mafias US had to continue to develop ISF US couldn’t continue to act as Iraqi govt
Dec 19 West Point study of captured ISI docs Largest group of foreign fighters were Saudis
41% Most were 24-25 yrs old 43% students Strength of ISI was able to constantly draw upon young recruits
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Dec 20 Report Govt bus program to return refugees from Syria only lasted 2 trips Sunni
refugees/displaced afraid to sign up with govt for aid out of fear of retribution No process to handle property disputes after forced displacement
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
Dec 22 ISI leader Baghdadi described the Awakening as agents of the cross and called on
followers to kill them
Dec 22 Ghazilya Guardians sahwa group bombed Blamed militia and Iraqi army Said they
wanted retaliation
Dec 22 Anbar Sheikh Suleiman claimed Islamic Party using Sahwa to regain popularity and
claimed he would form Awakening group loyal to Baghdad
Dec 22 Def Min Obeidi said that after fighting over Sahwa would be disbanded Govt told US
it would integrate 25% of Sahwa into ISF and rest given jobs Interior Min agreed to hire 10,000 Sahwa
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Dec 22 Top State Dept official on Iraq said that Iran had decided to cut back support for
militias Evidence was reduction in EFP attacks upon US
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
Dec 23 Shootout in Baghdad’s Dora between Sahwa and Mahdi Army
Dec 23 Dep Natl Sec Adv Hussein said that if Sahwa continued would lead to civil war with
militias Said half of Sahwa were insurgents and contacting Baathists
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
Dec 23 Report US said Maliki govt promised $155 mil for job programs for sahwa Govt
actually had no plan for how to use money
Dec 24 Report US general in charge of northern Iraq said most people in Sahwa were there
for $ Of 15,000 Sahwa in north only 20% wanted to join ISF In some areas more people were volunteering for Sahwa then needed Iraqi economy didn’t have enough jobs for Sahwa after US money for program ended
Dec 24 US military said violence in Iraq down 60% from Jun to Dec 07
Dec 26 Car bomb hit Sahwa-army checkpoint in Baiji killing 25 Suicide bomber hit funeral
of Sahwa fighter in Baquba Part of ISI campaign against Sahwa
(Musings On Iraq What’s In The Future For The Sons of Iraq?)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Dec 26 Iraqi soldier shot 5 US soldiers, 2 died at military outpost in Mosul
Dec 26 Kurds agreed to delay implementing Article 140 on referendum on Kirkuk for 6
months Constitutional review committee would miss Dec 31 deadline to amend constitution 4th time missed deadline
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
Dec 26 Report Sadrist-ISC/Dawa rivalry in south increasing ISF mostly controlled by ISCI
arrested 100s of Sadrists in Baghdad Karbala Qadisiya Babil ISCI used Mahdi Army freeze to take advantage
Dec 27 Report Islamists running many US prisons Camp Bucca indoctrinating prisoners into
Islamism ISI members went after Anbar tribal members in prison blaming them for Awakening
Dec 27 Report Basra police chief said militias controlled Basra ports Said police couldn’t
investigate attacks on women for not following Islamic rules because done by militias
(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)
Dec 29 Bin Laden video said that insurgency had to rally around ISI Criticized Awakening
and those undermining the jihad
Dec 30 Basra police chief escaped 2 IEDs Was 7th attempt on his life since Jun 07
Dec 30 Al Qaeda in Iraq forced out of Baghdad during Surge Relocated to Diyala Salahaddin
Kirkuk and Ninewa
Dec 31 Iraqi govt reported 16,232 civilian deaths in 07 up from 12,360 in 06
Dec 31 Deadline to hold referendum on future of disputed territories under Constitution’s
Article 140 passed
Dec 31 Deadline for committee to revise Iraqi constitution missed Was 4th time delayed
Never finished job
(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq, Guide To Law And Policy)
Dec 31 Report Govt hired 150,000 police from Sep to Dec 07 8 provinces asked for
45,000 more police Most had no training Interior Min only agreed to 12,000
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