1st PM Maliki Govt Pt 4 (2009)

Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from

George W. Bush to Barack Obama

Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance

Musings On Iraq review Iraq and the Politics of Oil, An Insider’s Perspective

Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism

Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement

Musings On Iraq review Turkey, the US and Iraq

Musings On Iraq review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents

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 Argument For Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman

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

 

2009

Jan 1 US military handed over control of Green Zone to Iraqi govt

Jan 1 British transferred control of Basra Airport to Iraqi forces

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

 

Jan 2 UN condemned assassination of two candidates in Ninewa and raids and attacks upon al-

Hadbaa Party before provincial election

Jan 2 Dawa’s Askari accused ISCI of attempting no confidence vote against PM Maliki Said there

was a meeting in Kurdistan between Kurds, Islamic Party and ISCI that discussed removing Maliki

 

Jan 3 PM Maliki went to Iran Met with Asaib Ahl Al-Haq and renewed ceasefire with it Maliki was

trying to use Asaib Ahl Al-Haq against Sadr

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Jan 3 Oil Min Shahristani said KRG exaggerating how much oil it was producing and claimed

most of it was smuggled

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad-Kurdistan Rivalry Continues)

Jan 3 Iraq opened up 2nd round of auctions for 11 oil and gas fields

 

Jan 4 Maliki govt took control of Diyala Sahwa Promised 33% jobs in ISF Higher than 20%

promised to Sahwa in Baghdad 2 Sahwa leaders had warrants out for them Maliki had used carrot and stick approach with them to break them up and then co-opt them before provincial vote

(Musings On Iraq Here Comes The Carrot For Diyala’s Sons Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

 

Jan 5 Female suicide bomber hit Shiite pilgrims outside Imam Kadhim shrine in Baghdad 40 killed

72 wounded

(Musings On Iraq The Rise of Female Suicide Bombers0

(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Jan 5 Report Iraqi human rights group counted 2899 deaths in 2008 6996 wounded Baghdad most

violent area during the year

 

Jan 8 Marine cmdr in Anbar said he failed because Baghdad didn’t rebuild Anbar after Awakening

helped reduce violence Blamed sectarianism

 

Jan 9 US general said violence in Iraq down 93% in last quarter of 2008

Jan 9 UN report 2.8 mil displaced 1.2 mil were displaced before 06 1.6 mil displaced 06-08

(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)

(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)

 

Jan 10 Iraqi Union of Industries said 90% of industries had closed since 2003 Said 36,000 small

and medium companies closed Blamed cheap imports lack of tariffs electricity shortages banks not giving loans and skilled workers leaving country as reasons

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Closed Factories)

Jan 10 National Democratic Front quit Iraqi Accordance Front that was now down to just 2 parties

 

Jan 11 KRG Pres Barzani interview Said PM Maliki becoming authoritarian Said power corrupts

and turned people into autocrats Claimed Maliki trying to remove Kurdish officers in ISF

 

Jan 12 4 MPs from Independent Democratic Gathering left Iraqi Accordance Front National

Dialogue Council and Independent Bloc already left list accusing Iraqi Islamic Party of domination

(Musings On Iraq Who Speaks For The Sunnis?)

Jan 12 Report Many sheikhs in Anbar were having their wives run as candidates in 09 elections to

meet quota for women candidates Meant weren’t serious about having women win seats Wife of Sheikh Hayes of Awakening running as candidate Said she didn’t want to but did it for her husband

(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)

Jan 12 Report Security better in Mahmudiya, Baghdad that used to be battleground Had no

services ISF were working with militias

Jan 12 Pres Barzani interview Said PM Maliki was becoming authoritarian

(Musings On Iraq Argument For Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

 

Jan 13 Spec Insp Gen Iraq Recon report Found projects over budget little oversight potential of

projects unfulfilled Warned Iraqis not willing or capable of maintaining many US funded projects KRG worked on $146 mil project to improve gas plants in south Brought rotors for gas compressors but didn’t install them Iraqis had no plans to install rotors Plant working at under capacity as a result Jan 05 Iraq ordered KBR to stop project to improve loading arms at Basra Oil Terminal Didn't want project and didn’t maintain improvements KBR made at facility US built power plant in Baghdad that Iraqis abandoned because turbines broke because Iraqis couldn’t operate them

(Musings On Iraq Iraqis Unwilling Or Incapable Of Maintaining U.S. Reconstruction Projects)

(Musings On Iraq Iraqis Unwilling To Accept Projects Big And Small From the U.S.)

Jan 13 Director of Rafidain Bank said if banks sign of economic progress Iraq would be behind Said

no personal accounts no safe deposits no dealings with foreign banks Rafidain tried to set up bank branches in areas where no banks in Iraq

 

Jan 14 Report New Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Danafar was a member of the Iranian Revolutionary

Guards Quds Force

(Musings On Iraq New Iranian Ambassador To Iraq Confirmed As Revolutionary Guards Member)

 

Jan 15 Report Iran wanted to increase economic ties with Iraq after it signed Status of Forces

Agreement with US Offered $1 bil loan Wanted to boost trade

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

Jan 15 Finance Min ordered that deposits at private banks be transferred to state run banks Move to

increase state control of economy when govt said it was promoting private sector

 

Jan 16 Report ISCI said it still wanted to create Shiite federal region in south Iraq Said wanted to win

Najaf in provincial elections and make that capital of new region Didn’t win Najaf

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

 

Jan 17 Report Not enough votes to carry out referendum on Basra federalism

(Musings On Iraq Basra Wants Another Shot At Becoming An Autonomous Region)

 

Jan 18 Report PM Maliki removed Wasit police chief after Dawa member accused police of tearing

down Dawa election posters and putting up Iraqiya ones Warrants also issued for officers but not followed through with ISCI that ran Wasit council rejected new Maliki appointed chief

 

Jan 20 Iraq Election Comm announced autonomy plan in Basra failed to gain enough signatures

to hold referendum on issue

(Musings On Iraq Basra Federal Region Plan Fails)

(Musings On Iraq Basra Wants Another Shot At Becoming An Autonomous Region)

Jan 20 VP Abdul Mahdi said PM Maliki was trying to be an autocrat Accused him of blocking

development in south Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Argument For Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

Jan 20 Pres Barzani attacked PM Maliki’s Tribal Support Councils again Said any Kurd that joined

one was a traitor Said council would not be allowed in KRG Compared Maliki to Saddam

(Musings On Iraq Disputes Over Tribal Support Councils)

Jan 20 New poll of Iraqis 73% said they would vote in 09 provincial elections 42% said would

vote for secularists 31% said supported religious parties

Jan 20 Report All the major Awakening heads Abu Risha Hayes etc were running in 09 provincial

elections against each other

(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

 

Jan 21 1st NSC meeting in Obama admin president said he wanted to withdraw from

            Iraq but preserve successes Wanted 3 options for Iraq policy

Jan 21 Samira al-Jassim called Mother of Believers arrested Accused of running ISI suicide

bomber cell Accused of training 80 women to carry out attacks 28 did so

(Musings On Iraq The Rise of Female Suicide Bombers0

(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Jan 21 New poll of Iraqis 23% said would vote for PM Maliki’s State of Law 12.6% Iraqiya 11.4%

ISCI Asked who would be best premier PM Maliki 23% Allawi 17% Jaafari 10%

Jan 21 Report Water Min said rain and snow down 1/3 Signed agreements with Turkey and Syria on

water flow down rivers to Iraq

 

Jan 22 El Salvador withdrew its troops from Iraq Were in Kut Wasit since 2003

Jan 22 Report govt workers in Basra said Fadhila intimidated them into signing Basra autonomy

petition

Jan 22 NGOs said many returning displaced lacked housing and services Received no govt aid

(Musings On Iraq Dec. 08-Jan. 09 U.N. Humanitarian Update – Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq February 2009 U.N. Humanitarian Report On Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)

 

Jan 23 Report Lots of stories of parties trying to buy votes by handing out food gifts etc

 

Jan 24 Basra Ops Cmd began crackdown in province before Jan provincial elections Continued

until Apr

(Musings On Iraq Massive Security Raids In Basra)

Jan 24 Yazidi MP accused 3rd Army Division of putting up posters for Kurdish parties in Ninewa

Jan 24 Report Integrity Comm found Basra oil workers stole up to 500K bar/day in oil in early

08 Head of Integrity Comm said corruption deterred foreign investment in Iraq PM Maliki declared 08 anti-corruption year then pardoned 1,023 govt officials who were investigated for corruption Included Interior Min officials who were collecting salaries of 50,000 fake workers and Defense Min official who skimmed money from arms deals

(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)

 

Jan 25 Report PM Maliki tried to remove Kurdish officers from 2 army divisions in Ninewa

Ninewa Ops Command twice said it would remove KDP Dep Governor of Ninewa from office

 

Jan 26 Yazidi MP from Ninewa accused KDP of attacking his family after he accused Kurds in 3rd

Army division putting up posters for Kurdish parties

Jan 26 Report 16 Tribal Support Councils set up in Qadisiya Run by Dawa member Each member

of council able to hire up to 20 and give them govt jobs Part of patronage system for PM Maliki before 09 elections

Jan 26 Report Late 07 and Dec 08 2 attempts at no confidence vote against PM Maliki Couldn’t

agree on who should replace him US also opposed

Jan 26 Iran’s Foreign Min confirmed that it’s new ambassador to Iraq was a member of the Iranian

Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force

(Musings On Iraq New Iranian Ambassador To Iraq Confirmed As Revolutionary Guards Member)

 

Jan 28 Early voting in provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Provincial Elections And Abuses)

(Musings On Iraq Information On Iraq’s Voting System)

Jan 28 Report 2005 Christians accused Kurds of preventing them from voting in Ninewa Qaraqosh

had no ballot boxes Neighboring town Kurds fixed the vote 

Jan 28 Finance Min asked international banks to open branches in Iraq and invest Said would clear

bureaucratic obstacles to doing business in Iraq Part of 2 day conference with banks from US England Turkey Iran Lebanon Jordan Bahrain No reforms ever made to Iraqi economy

Jan 28 Report Iraq was going to issue bonds for the 1st time Hoped to raise $5 bil Needed to raise money

because oil prices dropped threatening budget

 

Jan 29 Report parties offering money for votes in Dhi Qar Independent candidates asked to take

bribes and give votes to bigger parties

 

Jan 30 Report Sunnis boycotted 05 election giving Shiites control of Diyala govt Islamic Party

tried to co-opt Sahwa because didn’t have base Sahwa also important for party because used by US to distribute aid in Diyala Islamic Party took credit for US aid PM Maliki attempted to cut power of Islamic Party Created Diyala Support Council that only gave aid to Maliki allies Was given control of recruiting people into ISF US complained Council was undermining stability 08 Maliki created Tribal Support Council to take members away from Sahwa and divide and conquer Sunnis before 09 elections Maliki ordered raid on Diyala govt and arrested Islamic Party member then denied he was responsible Jun 08 Maliki launched offensive in Diyala that ended up going after Sahwa Arrested hundreds Next Maliki moved against Kurds in Khanaqin Dist demanding they leave

(Musings On Iraq Diyala Offensive Begins)

(Musings On Iraq Recent Government And Sons of Iraq Relations)

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish-Baghdad Tensions Over Diyala)

(Musings On Iraq Cold War Between Baghdad and Kurds Turns Hot)

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Ups the Ante on Kahanqin District of Diyala)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

Jan 30 Report Sewing machines blankets money food given out by parties to gain votes Some

promised jobs

Jan 30 US govt report Iraq needed 100,000 doctors Only had 15,500

 

Jan 31 Provincial elections held Saw heavy Sunni turnout Voter participation was still down to

51% vs 57% in Jan 05 and 76% in Dec 05

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Provincial Elections And Abuses)

(Musings On Iraq Information On Iraq’s Voting System)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s New Provincial Councils – Update)

(Musings On Iraq Governors, Heads of Councils, and Ruling Coalitions In Iraq’s Provinces)

Jan 31 1920 Revolution Brigade established truce with other insurgents in Diyala to conduct vote

Wanted representation

Jan 31 1000s couldn’t vote in provincial election Names weren’t on voter lists Some couldn’t find

their voting centers Kurds in Diyala and displaced complained

Jan 31 Election monitoring group said violations in Baghdad Ninewa Diyala

Jan 31 Higher Educ Min said 2,000 fake degrees held by govt officials and faculty 2,000 held by

individuals claiming to be college graduates

Jan 31 Foreign Min Zebari said he was proud of Iraq after Arab summit in Kuwait because Iraq had

finally been re-integrated into the region

 

Feb 2 Sheikh Hamid al-Hayes said he would burn Ramadi if Islamic Party won election in Anbar

Said he would start a tribal war against the party

Feb 2 Report Lowest voter turnout since 05 Jan 05 election 57% voted Dec 05 76% voted 2009 51%

voted

 

Feb 3 Report Displaced in Diyala were not allowed to vote Turnout was only 50% Kurds said

16,000 families in Khanaqin couldn’t vote 700 families protested in Baquba on election day because couldn’t vote

Feb 3 Report European election monitor said registration for displaced was flawed Many were

registered in home provinces not where they were displaced Christians in Ninewa said they were pressured to vote for Kurds Security guards told they would lose jobs if didn’t vote for Kurds Displaced said they were handed out money in return for votes

Feb 3 Women’s Affair Min Samarraie resigned Said she got no resources from govt

(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)

 

Feb 4 Gen Austin said Iran still supporting Special Groups and found munitions from Iran in 2009

(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)

Feb 4 Gilbert Burnham that led Lancet study that said 650,000 Iraqi civilians died Was questioned

by American Association for Public Opinion Research about his methods Burnham only gave partial responses Was censured by group for non-cooperation Study was widely refuted by experts

(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)

 

Feb 5 Report Sheikh Abu Risha said tribes would form own Anbar govt if Islamic party won Said

Islamic Party cheated 4 major parties formed from Awakening sheikhs Abu Risha made alliance with Islamic party before vote Sheikh Hayes said half the votes cast were fake

(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

 

Feb 6 Report ISCI won 55% of vote in 05 provincial elections Only got 5% in 09

 

Feb 7 Report Iraq offering jobs to former Saddam era soldiers Meetings began in Jordan

 

Feb 8 Sheikh Abu Risha said he formed ruling coalition in Anbar to keep Islamic Party out of

power Had talk with Mutlaq of Iraqi National Project who is also against Islamic Party

Feb 8 Report KRG PM Barzani accused PM Maliki of trying to move troops into Kirkuk to take it

over Complained about deployment of army’s 12th Div Asked U.S. to intervene

 

Feb 9 Report 30,000 displaced returning home per month Main problem occupied houses Govt had

no process to deal with issue Courts can’t handle it

(Musings On Iraq Dec. 08-Jan. 09 U.N. Humanitarian Update – Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq February 2009 U.N. Humanitarian Report On Iraq)

 

Feb 10 Sen Kerry went to Syria to try to improve relations as part of Obama’s new Iraq

policy of including neighbors in strategy

Feb 10 Report ISCI and Kurds biggest loser in 09 provincial elections ISCI lost in Baghdad and

south ISCI blamed for mismanagement and corruption Kurdish vote in Ninewa went from 75% in 05 when Sunnis boycotted to 25% in 09 Only got 17% in Diyala Maliki’s State of Law won in south but didn’t get a majority

Feb 10 Report Parties that ran on security and services did best over sectarian ones

Feb 10 World Bank Report Iraq’s economic performance better with improved security Cut

inflation Spending more of investment budget Govt slowly rebuilding Unemployment still high Services some of worst in Mideast

 

Feb 11 Iran’s Foreign Minister came to Baghdad to mediate between Dawa and ISCI after

provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

Feb 11 Report PM Maliki claimed reconciliation almost over Said US could no longer pressure Iraq

Said his govt had fixed all the problems US created since 03

Feb 11 Report Dir Gen of Iraqi Pipeline Co said 80% of pipelines had been degraded by insurgent

attacks and criminals

 

Feb 12 25 lists in Maysan said they would protest election results claiming cheating

Feb 12 Iraq-Iran signed new trade deal Iran wanted trade to go from $4 bil currently to $5 bil

Almost all Iranian goods going to Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

Feb 12 Report Syria said 300,000 Iraqi refugees left to go back to Iraq Observers said almost same

number left Iraq

(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)

Feb 12 Report Nawal Smarraiea Women’s Affairs Minister resigned Said she was given no real power

Said ministry was created to give more posts to Sunnis Had no staff and small budget Said women had no real role in govt

(Iraqi Women Before And After The 2003 Invasion, Interview With Prof Nadje Al-Ali Univ of London)

(Musings On Iraq Review What Kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq)

Feb 12 Displacement Min said it would no longer register displaced Meant couldn’t get govt aid

Said would focus upon returns

 

Feb 13 Asst sec gen of PUK who was also VP of KRG quit over disagreement on how to deal with

corruption within party

 

Feb 15 Iraq Election Comm said fraud took place in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces but only effected

small fraction of votes 30 ballot boxes thrown out No revote

(Musings On Iraq Voter Disenfranchisement In Provincial Elections)

Feb 15 UN report Unemployment 18% Underemployment 10% 28% of men 15-29 not working

Only 17% of women worked Warned that without development of private sector 450,000 new people would enter work force and not be able to find work

Feb 15 Transportation Min said budget cuts meant 10,000 workers would no longer have work but

would not fire them or stop paying them

 

Feb 16 Report US general in charge of training Iraqi army said still needed 3 yrs before it could

handle insurgency on its own Said logistics communications intelligence reconnaissance engineering all needed work Procurement also an issue as went up and down with oil prices

Feb 16 VP Abdul Mahdi said ISCI had dropped idea of no confidence vote against MP Maliki Was

focusing upon results of 09 provincial elections

Feb 16 Defense Min said it was send officials to Egypt Syria Yemen Jordan UAE to try to get

former Baath era officers to return to Iraq for jobs or pensions

 

Feb 18 Pres Talabani met with PUK officials like Kosrat Rasul and Barham Salah who wanted

reforms within party or were threatening to leave Talabani promised transparency

(Musings On Iraq Pres Talabani Heads Off Political Revolt Within The PUK)

Feb 18 Report Housing price and rent up in Baghdad with violence down UN expected 500,000

refugees to return in 09 63% were from Baghdad Will find it hard to find housing Baghdad had new elite that mostly made money through corruption and reconstruction contracts

Feb 18 KRG PM Barzani said PM Maliki had not kep promises to Kurds Said afraid PM would

move against Kurds after US withdrawal

Feb 18 MP Dani of Iraqi National Dialogue Front said govt had arrested 1 of his bodyguards and

his secretary in Feb Dani accused of mortar attack on Green Zone Bombing of parliament’s cafeteria Apr 07 Robbery Murder of 110 in Diyala

 

Feb 19 Provincial Election results announced PM Maliki’s State of Law won in 9 of 14 provinces

ISCI biggest loser as lost control of south

(Musings On Iraq Official Iraqi Election Results)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s New Provincial Councils – Update)

(Musings On Iraq Governors, Heads of Councils, and Ruling Coalitions In Iraq’s Provinces)

Feb 19 Electricity Min Wahid said power production passed pre-war levels Took 6 years

Production still didn’t meet demand

Feb 19 Report PM Maliki wanted to undermine Iraqi Islamic Party Said party couldn’t have both

vice presidency and speaker of parliament Thinks Islamic Party wanted no confidence vote against him along with Kurds and ISCI

Feb 19 US found new Iranian weapons in south Iraq dated 2008

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

Feb 19 2 Baath era generals in exile said they told officers not to take up PM Maliki’s offer to have

them rejoin into army unless deBaathification law nullified

 

Feb 20 Report US met with fmr Baath era army officers in Jordan to try to get them to return to

Iraq

Feb 20 ISF started Operation New Hope to secure Mosul Became main insurgent area after Surge

(Musings On Iraq Operation New Hope In Mosul)

(Musings On Iraq Operation New Hope In Mosul – Update)

Feb 20 Report Asaib Ahl Al-Haq was thinking of running in 2010 election to challenge Sadr

(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)

Feb 20 Report Iran said it would stop militia attacks upon British forces in Basra if London

accepted Tehran’s nuclear program

 

Feb 21 Report Gens Petraeus and Odierno thought US would be involved in Iraq for years Joint

Chiefs thought Iraq strain on troops and resources

 

Feb 22 Sadr renewed his freeze on Mahdi Army

Feb 22 Report US claimed ISF taking lead in operations US didn’t trust many Iraqi units Still

lacked training Still infiltrated by insurgents

Feb 22 Report 60 Minutes producer went over his kidnapping in Basra in Feb 08 by police who

were part of militia Said he was shown Hezbollah video Freed by Iraqi army

Feb 22 Islamic Party accused its opponents of assassination campaign 1 member escaped car

bombing in Tikrit Two killed in Baghdad in last 3 days

Feb 22 Intl Organization for Migration said govt had no plan to deal with displaced returning 1.6

mil displaced after Feb 06 Samarra bombing 300,000 returned Iraqi NGO said govt done little for displaced

(Musings On Iraq Dec. 08-Jan. 09 U.N. Humanitarian Update – Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq February 2009 U.N. Humanitarian Report On Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)

 

Feb 23 Report Ex-Salafi insurgent leader said Saudis funded his group from 03-06

(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)

Feb 23 Asst Dep Cmdr Saudi National Guard told US officials to marginalize PM Maliki because

he was an Iranian agent

(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)

Feb 23 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health did review of Lancet study Found survey

forms used in field were not those originally created by team Protocol said names would never be collected but they were 1 of Lancet authors at Johns Hopkins was suspended from being principal investigator in projects involving people

(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)

Feb 23 Agriculture Min Bahadi said growing season was going badly due to drought 30% less rain

than previous years

 

Feb 24 Iraqi police officer killed U.S. soldier, interpreter and 2 Iraqi police and wounded 2 police,

3 Iraqi soldiers and an interpreter in Mosul 3rd time ISF shot at U.S. troops since Nov 08

(Musings On Iraq Operation New Hope In Mosul – Update)

Feb 24 Kurdish Alliance and Iraqi Accordance Front agreed to coalition to rule Diyala Accordance

Front would get governorship Kurds the head of council PM Maliki would organize protests against new govt because his State of Law excluded

Feb 24 12 Iraqi police in Sadr city arrested for kidnappings and murders Killed sister of VP

Hashemi

Feb 24 Head of Iraq’s Chamber of Commerce said 24,000 factories were either closed or damaged

and govt aid not helping

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Closed Factories)

 

Feb 26 Iraqi Federation of Industries said 90% of factories closed since 1986

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Closed Factories)

Feb 26 Report Maliki govt put development projects on hold because pay raises on public workers

expansion of security forces and decline in oil revenues

 

Feb 27 Pres Obama announced withdrawal plan for US forces from Iraq by 2011 Obama would not

be keeping stay behind force as original planned and would not ask Iraqis about issue

(Musings On Iraq on Obama’s withdrawal announcement and US public opinion)

(Musings On Iraq review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents)

Feb 27 Incoming Ninewa Gov Nujafi said he would work with Kurds if they stuck to Ninewa issues

If not he would not cooperate Dep Ninewa Gov Goran said Nujafi’s Al-Hadbaa party wanted to get rid of Kurds in Mosul

(Musings On Iraq Al-Hadbaa Party Leader’s Vision For Ninewa)

Feb 27 Migration Minister Sultan said ministry ran out of money to pay refugees who returned to

Iraq Said govt had not helped refugees overall Said ministry lacked plans and resources to help refugees back to their original homes

(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)

 

Feb 28 UN report Avg 5 civilians killed per day in Feb 09 Down from avg 13 killed per day in 2008 In   2008 11,230 killed 4663 were civilians 18,251 wounded 12,660 were civilians

Feb 28 Report Farming biggest business after oil Suffered from neglect sanctions lack of investment

decay high salinity Many farm workers left for cities Drought hit wheat and barely crops PM Maliki announced $200 mil plan for farming Govt subsidized seed sales and support for livestock and dates US adviser said farming dysfunctional and broken Couldn’t compete with foreign products

 

Mar 1 Pro-PM Maliki Diyala Support Council organized 10,000 to protest against Accordance

Front and Kurdish Alliance creating new provincial council and excluding them

(Musings On Iraq Old And New Alliances Argue Over Control Of Diyala Provincial Council)

Mar 1 UNHCR reported 1.6 mil displaced and 2 mil refugees Since 2003 600,830 displaced

returned home along with 405,396 refugees

(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)

Mar 1 Sahwa in Kirkuk turned over to govt control One of last provinces to have transfer All

Sahwa supposed to be under Baghdad by April 1

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

 

Mar 2 Report Kurds asked US military to stay in Kurdistan because afraid PM Maliki would move

against them once Americans withdrew

Mar 2 Head of Iran’s Expediency Council Rafsanjani came to Iraq for 5 days Pushed Shiite parties

to reform United Alliance for 2010 elections

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

Mar 2 Report 100s of Sadrists protested in Diyala Claimed cheating in elections by Kurds and Iraqi

Islamic Party Joined by Fadhila politicians Claimed Shiites weren’t on voting lists and displaced couldn’t vote Shiites got 5 seats Before got 20 Was because Sunnis boycotted 2005 election

 

Mar 3 Report govt money for displaced returns caught up in bureaucracy and has not been

consistently paid out

(Musings On Iraq Dec. 08-Jan. 09 U.N. Humanitarian Update – Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq February 2009 U.N. Humanitarian Report On Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Refugees International Report On Iraq’s Refugees and Displaced)

 

Mar 4 Report PUK facing divisions Feb group of leading officials including Dep Sec Gen Rasul and 4

politburo members threatened to leave unless Pres Talabani passed reforms Wanted democratic practices ending corruption transparency 2 sides met in Baghdad and worked out deal Divisions started in 08 when fmr Dep leader Mustafa began criticizing party’s practices Dec 08 Talabani said he would start reforms Critics didn’t think any changes would be made because would lesson Talabani’s power

 

Mar 5 Iraq passed 2009 budget Govt facing economic crisis with declining oil prices Only cut 7%

from budget Was for $58.6 bil

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Failing To Invest In Its Future)

 

Mar 6 PM Maliki called for reconciliation with former Saddam era soldiers Came after talks with

former officers in Feb 09

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad’s Latest Reconciliation Effort)

 

Mar 7 2nd time PM Maliki called for amending constitution to strengthen power of central govt and

himself Also criticized govt quotas

Mar 7 Report Sex market in Baghdad selling teen girls to Syria Jordan and UAE Human rights

activists believed tens of 1000s of girls sold Govt did nothing

Mar 7 Report Govt arrested former Baathist era army officers At same time said wanted reconciliation

with Baathists 23 arrested in Baghdad recently

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad’s Latest Reconciliation Effort)

 

Mar 8 Suicide bombing in Baghdad killed 28 outside police academy

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

 

Mar 9 Turkey announced program to train Iraqi army in Turkey

Mar 9 Report poor mothers selling daughters into prostitution Some 11 yr olds sold for as much as

$30,000 Many sold to Syria Jordan Gulf States Men marry the women and then divorce them and force them into servitude Human/women’s rights groups believe tens of thousands of women being sold U.S. said govt doing nothing about issue

Mar 9 Report 2008 US had to intervene to stop ISF and Peshmerga fighting in Khanaqin Dist Diyala

PM Maliki sent forces into dist and told Kurds had to leave

 

Mar 10 Suicide bombing of tribal gathering with army in Abu Ghraib killed 33

(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Mar 10 Report Iraq producing 6,000 megawatts of power Was goal of CPA to be reached by June

2004

 

Mar 11 PM Maliki blamed all corruption in Iraq on Saddam Said his govt would work on being

transparent to counter graft

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Says More Transparency Needed But Takes No Responsibility For Corruption)

(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)

 

Mar 13 Report PM Maliki transferring Kurdish officers and units out of north Replaced army’s 4th

Div with 12th in Kirkuk Transferred Kurdish officers out of 2nd Div in Ninewa Welcomed by al-Hadbaa who complained 2nd Div mostly Kurds

Mar 13 Pres Barzani said as long as Oil Min had a bad policy KRG could follow its own

Mar 13 Report UK started talks with Hezbollah to try to get Asaib Ahl Al-Haq to release 5 Britons

it kidnapped from Finance Min in 2007 UK wanted them released before it withdrew from Iraq

(Musings On Iraq New Challenges To Sadr’s Leadership)

 

Mar 15 Report Iraq doesn’t have good investment rules Have to get okays from every ministry

involved in investment and they don’t have same rules Use paper system which means everything goes slowly Investments often get stuck in bureaucracy

Mar 15 Report Kurdish newspaper fined 10 mil dinars for story that Pres Talabani worth $400 mil

Editor fined 3 mil dinars for saying PUK got $30 mil/yr from KRG budget Examples of how politicians use defamation laws to silence critics

Mar 15 King Abdullah told US he didn’t trust PM Maliki because he was an Iranian agent

(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)

 

Mar 17 Report Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction believed 15-20% of $21 bil from

Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund wasted

(Musings On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)

 

Mar 18 Sadr issued statement calling on his followers to give up on violence

Mar 18 report CPA got rid of Iraq’s tariffs and opened door to flood of Iranian imports They

threatened sectors of Iraq’s economy from bricks to food

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

 

Mar 19 PM Maliki met with US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Austin Maliki worried US withdrawing too fast

and ISI would make a comeback US wanted police to take control of cities Maliki said he didn’t trust police, wanted army in the cities and was trying to control it by putting loyalists into command positions

Mar 19 Last UK cmdr in Basra city said Iran and Hezbollah involved in mortar attacks upon British

in city Said IEDs constant threat

Mar 19 Pres Talabani said he expected PKK to end fighting Turkey after intl meeting in Irbil of

Kurdish leaders

 

Mar 21 Mustafa formerly of PUK said KDP and PUK take $35 mil/yr from KRG’s budget

payments from Baghdad

Mar 21 Report Oct 08 Baghdad began taking over Sahwa Now controlled Sahwa in Diyala Kirkuk

Ninewa Wasit Babil Qadisiya Anbar Education and Health Ministries only ones offering non-ISF jobs to Sahwa

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

Mar 21 Fmr UK secretary to UN Ross told parliament there was pre-war intel that showed Saddam

not a threat Said told members of Blair’s cabinet no threat

Mar 21 Group of former Sadrists in Baghdad announced Clerics Advisory Opposed to Iran’s

influence over Sadr trend

(Musings On Iraq New Challenges To Sadr’s Leadership)

 

Mar 22 Report US released 100s of prisoners from Camp Bucca under SOFA ISF afraid releasees

will revive militias and insurgency Senior intel officer said some ex-detainees regrouping as special groups in Basra and Baghdad while others joining ISI cells in Baghdad and Anbar

 

Mar 23 Pres Talabani said PKK should stop fighting Turkey or leave Iraq

Mar 23 Turkish Pres Gul met KRG PM Barzani in Baghdad Pushed improved relations and fighting

PKK

(Musings On Iraq Possible End To The PKK-Turkish Conflict)

(Musings On Iraq review Turkey, the US and Iraq)

 

Mar 24 Sahwa commander in Salahaddin said that Ansar al-Sunna and ISI had

            created new alliance after mediation by Al Qaeda’s Zawahiri

Mar 24 Sahwa leader in west Baghdad arrested and put in secret Interior Min jail Accused of being

            an ISI leader Judge dismissed charges against him Released under US pressure

Mar 24 Report Sahwa group in Baghdad said not paid nor gotten promised govt jobs Only 5000

sahwa got jobs in ISF US general claimed 94,000 sahwa would have jobs by end of year Said Health Min agreed to hire 3000 Education Min 10000 Oil Min 500

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

Mar 24 Report Head of Al Hadbaa said it rejected Peshmerga in Ninewa 200 Kurdish soldiers and

commander in Ninewa deserted summer 08 during conflict between Baghdad-Irbil US said PM Maliki replacing Kurdish officers and sending them to other provinces

Mar 24 Report Iraqi schools deteriorating Shiite religious parties hiring staff adding religious

holidays that reduced schooling Lack enough schools and teachers Political parties threatened teachers

Mar 24 Pres Talabani said after international Kurdish conference PKK would give up fighting

Turkey PKK said not true and Talabani didn’t control it

 

Mar 25 Iraqi embassy in Jordan announced program to register former soldiers who wanted

            to return to Iraq

Mar 25 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen testified to Congress Iraq largest rebuilding

effort in history Largely failed Said US didn’t plan for postwar Iraq Rebuilding was largely ad hoc Responded to situation rather than following a plan Massive waste like large rebuilding projects in Basra and Fallujah without security 1 success rebuilding ISF

(Musings On Iraq Special Inspector General Testifies To Congress)

(Musings On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)

Mar 25 Pentagon created program to revive Iraq’s state owned enterprises Worked with 30

factories None making a profit

Mar 25 Report US military acknowledged militias won battle of Baghdad and carried out sectarian

cleansing with many Sunnis forced out Only 50,000 of 300,000 displaced families 16% returned

(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)

Mar 25 Speaker of Iranian parliament Larijani came to Iraq Pushed Shiite parties to reform United

            Alliance for 2010 elections

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

 

Mar 26 US and UN sanctioned Muthanna Dhari for financing ISI 1920 Revolution

Brigade and Islamic Army of Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)

Mar 26 Report May 08 PM Maliki launched security op in Mosul Allocated $100 mil for

rebuilding Clashed with Ninewa govt over contracts Governor said unnecessary people hired Mosul govt said money wasted and nothing completed Governor tried to stop contracts

Mar 26 Report PM Maliki transferred 4th Div out of Kirkuk which was led by Kurds Replaced by

12th Div accused of harassing Kurds Demanded peshmerga and Kurdish intel leave Kirkuk Moved into disputed town and almost got into shootout with residence before US intervened

 

Mar 27 US Cmdr in Iraq Gen Austin said Iraq would ask US forces to stay in Baquba, Mosul and

Basra to help with security after deadline for US troops to leave cities PM Maliki didn’t ask

Mar 27 Study US occupation and insurgency destroyed education in Fallujah 35% of children were

illiterate and couldn’t write Only 20% passed school exams in 08

 

Mar 28 Counterterrorism Unit arrested Fadhil Sahwa leader in Baghdad on terrorism

            charges leading to firefight

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

 

Mar 29 Provincial election results announced State of Law won 126 of 440 seats 28% ISCI

            went from 200 to 50 seats

(Musings On Iraq Official Iraqi Election Results)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s New Provincial Councils – Update)

(Musings On Iraq Governors, Heads of Councils, and Ruling Coalitions In Iraq’s Provinces)

Mar 29 Maliki govt said in talks with Asaib Ahl Al-Haq to get 5 British hostages it kidnapped

released Iraq UK US Iran Hezbollah worked out deal to release Brits in return for AAH leaders Qais and Laith Khazali, 300 AHH members, Iranian operatives and Hezbollah’s Daqduq held by US

(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

(Musings On Iraq Sadr Tries To Reconcile With Breakaway League Of The Righteous)

(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 Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

Mar 29 PKK rejected call by Pres Talabani and Pres Barzani to disarm

Mar 29 Sahwa in Dora Baghdad protested over not getting paid by govt

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

Mar 29 US and ISF disarmed Sahwa in Fadhil Baghdad after fighting broke out day before

            when its commander arrested

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

 

Mar 30 Report 200 Sadrists broke away from Moqtada PM Maliki giving amnesty to Sadrists and

Special Groups Supposed to be for reconciliation but was Maliki trying to split Sadrists

Mar 30 PUK co-founder and media mogul Mustafa said his Change party would run in KRG

elections

Mar 30 Report PM Maliki had sahwa leaders in Baghdad and Diyala arrested

 

Mar 31 British ended military mission in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

Mar 31 Deadline for power sharing and provincial elections in Kirkuk passed with no progress

(Musings On Iraq Kirkuk Remains In Political Limbo)

 

Apr 1 National Reconciliation Committee said it began talks with Asaib Ahl Al-Haq AAH in talks

with Maliki govt over releasing 5 Brits it kidnapped Wanted its leaders and followers released from US prisons PM Maliki also wanted to use AAH against Sadr in 2010 vote

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Apr 1 Baghdad was supposed to take control of all Sahwa in Iraq from US forces

Apr 1 Report Baathist Naqshibandi now one of largest insurgent groups Got money from

Iraqi exiles in Syria

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Resurgent Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)

 

Apr 2 Arab Jabour Baghdad Sahwa leader arrested for killing ISI fighters as part of PM Maliki’s

crackdown on Sahwa

(Musings On Iraq Problems With Integrating Sons of Iraq Continue)

Apr 2 Report PM Maliki and Sadr agreed to shut out ISCI from most provincial govts after Jan

vote Agreed to joint rule in Babil Dhi Qar Muthanna Najaf Wasit

 

Apr 4 PM Maliki said that Baathists and ISI had infiltrated Sahwa

Apr 4 Sahwa leader in Baghdad said govt was out to destroy Sahwa Another leader in Muqdadiya,

Diyala arrested 3rd leader said 500 of his 1,000 men fired and no sign others would get govt jobs

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

Apr 4 Sheikh Abu Risha said he would run with State of Law in provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq Anbar’s Forgotten Sheikh)

(Musings On Iraq Anbar Sheikhs Reach Out To Shiites)

Apr 4 Report 2005-07 40% of development funds in Iraq given to insurgents as protection money

 

Apr 5 Basra Gov Waeli escaped IED probably done by Special Groups or Mahdi Army

 

Apr 6 PM Maliki had police raid 1st meeting of new Diyala council Had warrants for 6 members

accused of supporting insurgency and corruption US stopped arrests Came after Maliki’s State of Law not included in new provincial govt

(Musings On Iraq New And Old Provincial Councils in Diyala Embroiled In Controversy)

(Musings On Iraq Old And New Alliances Argue Over Control of Diyala Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq New Political Crackdown In Diyala)

Apr 6 Report Gangs running child trafficking rings Police said 15 kids sold a day Said increased

since 2005 Corrupt officials filled out paperwork for kids to leave country Many went to Europe and Mideast

 

Apr 7 Obama flew to Baghdad and met PM Maliki and Pres Talabani Said lots of political

            progress but still issues in Iraq

Apr 7 Report Schools falling apart across Iraq Wasit councilman said most money for schools

stolen by officials and contractors Principal in Baghdad said other principals kept money for themselves Education Min said it was Saddam’s fault

 

Apr 9 Sadr had mass rally in Baghdad to mark fall of Saddam in 03 and called for US withdrawal

Sheikh Hayes of Anbar Awakening participated Praised Sadr for his leadership

(Musings On Iraq Anbar Sheikhs Reach Out To Shiites)

Apr 9 Baghdad said it was committed to Sahwa but it would purge all those who were

            Baathist and ISI infiltrators

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

 

Apr 11 National Security Min Waili said Iraq Turkey US had new intelligence sharing

            agreement targeting PKK

Apr 11 Fahadawi elected governor of Anbar Backed by Iraq Awakening Alliance Fulfilled Sheikh

Abu Risha’s desire to control province

 

Apr 12 Al-Hadbaa party took all the leading positions in new Ninewa govt Nujafi

            became governor after elections Kurds boycotted

(Musings On Iraq Al-Hadbaa Party Leader’s Vision For Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

Apr 12 Sheikh Abu Risha of Anbar said he was open to alliance with Maliki in 2010

            national elections

(Musings On Iraq Anbar’s Forgotten Sheikh)

(Musings On Iraq Anbar Sheikhs Reach Out To Shiites)

 

Apr 13 Sinjar and Makhmour said they would not cooperate with Hadbaa led Ninewa

            council Both controlled by KDP

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Ninewa Struggles Between Arabs and Kurds Continue)

Apr 13 Maliki signed technical military cooperation deal while on visit to Russia

            Including fixing equipment and opened door to buying arms

 

Apr 14 Parliamentarians picked Iyad al-Samarraie to become new speaker

Apr 14 VP Abdul Mahdi said Sahwa had been infiltrated by ISI and that’s why govt was arresting

Sahwa Said Anbar Awakening was legitimate

Apr 14 Army had to take over 10 checkpoints in Iskandiriya after Sahwa walked off job

            because hadn’t been paid

 

Apr 15 US stopped Iraqi police from raiding Diyala prov council building and arresting

            new councilmen on orders from PM Maliki

Apr 15 Head of Sinjar said district should become independent and join Kurdistan to

            protest new Hadbaa controlled Ninewa govt

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Ninewa Struggles Between Arabs and Kurds Continue)

 

Apr 16 US military told NYTimes Maliki govt not going after sahwa Said got late pay fixed in

all provinces but Diyala Said only 9 out of 323 sahwa leaders in Baghdad and 7 out of 275 leaders in Salahaddin had been arrested Did say up to 200 fighters had been arrested Maliki was playing divide and conquer with sahwa and never integrated them as promised

 

Apr 18 US and British officials went to Jordan to talk with ex-Gen Hamdani to

            talk about reconciliation with former regime members

Apr 18 Report parliament looking into Trade Min for buying contaminated milk from China Parties

blocked no confidence vote against him Would be arrested few days alter Stole up to $400 mil to fund Maliki’s State of Law party 

(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)

 

Apr 19 Iyad al-Samarraie from Iraqi Accordance Front elected speaker of parliament

 

Apr 20 Suicide bomber in Iraqi army uniform attacked US soldiers visiting Baquba

            mayor killing 11

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Apr 20 Report Islamic Party agreed to not challenge PM Maliki with no confidence vote in return

for getting Samarraie elected parliament speaker Maliki was trying divide and conquer policy with Sunni parties

Apr 20 Iran opened power line to Diyala that would provide most of its needs Iraq agreed to pay

$34 mil/yr for electricity

 

Apr 21 Report VP Cheney Sec Def Rumsfeld pushed torture on captured Al Qaeda members to find

Iraq-Al Qaeda connections CIA told White House no connection but rejected

Apr 21 Senate Comm report said Abu Ghraib abuse not result of individual US soldiers but came

from top Interrogation techniques adopted after Def Sec Rumsfeld approved them for Guantanamo Jan 03 US forces put in charge of prisons used Rumsfeld’s list of techniques Sep 03 Lawyer warned techniques could violate Geneva Convention Were also used in other prisons by US forces

 

Apr 22 16 Kurdish towns in Ninewa threatened to not cooperate with new Hadbaa run

            Ninewa council calling it Baathist

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

 

Apr 23 KRG Premier Barzani criticized Hadbaa party for monopolizing all the seats

            on Ninewa council Gov Nujafi responded by saying Kurds were making situation worse

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Ninewa Struggles Between Arabs and Kurds Continue)

(Musings On Iraq Troubles Continue In Ninewa Over Results Of Provincial Elections)

Apr 23 Iraq claimed it captured IS leader Abu Omar Baghdadi Didn’t happen Coincided with new

wave of bombings in Baghdad Might have been PM Maliki’s attempt to claim his govt was doing something about new violence

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Responds To Renewed Violence Pt. 1: Al Qaeda’s Prince Arrested Or An Imposter?)

(Musings On Iraq on false story of arresting Baghdadi)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

Apr 23 AP est that 110,600 Iraqis died since 2003 invasion Said actual numbers might be 10-20%

higher 59,957 were killed during 2006-07 civil war Iraqi govt had 87,216 deaths since 2005

(Musings On Iraq How Many Have Died In Iraq And By What Means?)

 

Apr 24 2 suicide bombers targeted Baghdad’s Khadmiya shrine 60 killed 125 wounded

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Apr 24 Report PM Maliki trying to gain control of ISF Put them under direct control of his office

even though not part of chain of command Personally ordered arrests and security operations

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

Apr 24 Report 06 insurgents leaders told reporter they were defeated Were pushed by Al Qaeda in

Iraq militias and US They said militias would win because had backing of ISF Led to Sunnis to try to make deals with US forming sahwa PM Maliki now playing divide and conquer with Sunnis to enhance his power

Apr 24 Report Since 08 Foreign Affairs Min passed names of Iranian diplomats to US for vetting

Around 20% possible Quds Force/intelligence agents

 

Apr 25 Gorran List founded by former PUK leader Mustafa

Apr 25 State of Law organized protest in Khalis Diyala against new provincial council claiming it

included Baathists

Apr 25 Arab tribes in Makhmour and Qaraj met with Ninewa Gov Nujafi Demanded Asayesh

withdraw claiming harassment by Kurds

 

Apr 26 US audit Since 2005 US funded logistics for Def Min Ministry not taken responsibility for

maintaining its equipment and supplying its forces Instead continued to rely upon US Not enough Iraqis trained in maintenance because Ministry never sent enough soldiers Didn’t think Iraqi army could run its supply system by itself

(Musings On Iraq Iraqis Unwilling To Maintain Their Army)

(Musings On Iraq Centerpiece of Iraqi Army Maintenance System On Brink Of Failure)

Apr 26 US audit US turning over projects to Iraq with no plan/process Projects handed over

whether Iraqi govt can maintain them or not

(Musings On Iraq U.S. Reconstruction In Iraq Coming To An End)

 

Apr 27 PM Maliki announced Iraqi forces captured ISI’s Abu Omar al-Bahgdadi Didn’t happen

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Responds To Renewed Violence Pt. 1: Al Qaeda’s Prince Arrested Or An Imposter?)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

Apr 27 PM Maliki condemned US raid in Kut that killed 2 civilians calling it a crime

Apr 27 PM Maliki blamed recent ISI mass casualty bombings on US releasing prisoners as part of

withdrawal Earlier Maliki had demanded releases

Apr 27 Basra police chief escaped IED laid by either Mahdi Army or Special Groups

Apr 27 Report Maliki govt going after sahwa leaders US officer said Baghdad wanted to arrest

leaders so fighters would leave

 

Apr 28 Report Anbar Sheikh Sulaiman organizing tribal meeting to make demands of Maliki govt

Said he would burn anyone who said Iraq a democracy Was likely done to counter his decline in standing in Anbar Was supporter of Maliki before

(Musings On Iraq Anbar’s Forgotten Sheikh)

 

Apr 29 Police sent by Integrity Commission to arrest Trade Min Sudani for corruption got

into shootout with guards in Baghdad $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

Apr 29 Interior Ministry said ISI had successfully penetrated ISF and used agents to

            carry out attacks

 

Apr 30 Muthanna last to name new govt after Jan provincial elections PM Maliki’s State of Law

won in 9 of 14 provinces Got ruling coalitions in Babil Baghdad Basra Dhi Qar Qadisiya Wasit Maysan Najaf Karbala

(Musings On Iraq All Of Iraq’s New Provincial Councils Named (UPDATED))

(Musings On Iraq Breaking Down Iraq’s New Provincial Councils)

Apr 30 Report Maliki govt claimed displaced/refugees going home Not true Migration Min said

only 1% of refugees had returned to Iraq 18% of displaced had returned home Were still 1.2 mil refugees just in Syria

Apr 30 Report PM Maiki concentrating power Appoints loyalists as ISF commanders Create

separate intel service Controls Anti-Terror Unit and Baghdad Brigade Surrounded himself with family and small group of Dawa members

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

Apr 30 US report attacks at lowest level since 2003 Violence down 90% since Surge

Apr 30 UK held ceremony announcing all combat operations over in Iraq

Apr 30 US govt report As of Apr 1 5000 sahwa given jobs in ISF Sep 08 Baghdad took over sahwa

Mar and Apr 09 govt didn’t pay sahwa because budget didn’t include salaries

 

May 1 Op Promise of Good II started by ISF in Diyala

(Musings On Iraq Local Criticism of New Security Operation In Diyala)

(Musings On Iraq New Political Crackdown In Diyala)

 

May 2 Sadr made first public appearance in 2 years in Turkey to meet followers Had

            fled Iraq over fear of US assassination during Surge

(Musings On Iraq Sadrist Sighting In Turkey)

 

May 3 Integrity Comm issued warrants for Trade Min Sudani his two brothers Grain Board Dir Dir

Gen of Foodstuffs Trading Company $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

May 3 2 Iraqi soldiers opened fire at U.S. troops at an outpost in Mosul killing 2

            and wounding 3 Americans

May 3 Sahwa in Iskandiriya Babil walked off job for not being paid in 4 months

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

 

May 4 Sadr said he had given up on armed struggle against US and wanted to

            focus upon politics

(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)

May 4 ISCI MP from Diyala said that no one trusted ISF or new Op Promise of Good II in

province Said false info being used to conduct arrests Another MP demanded that Gen Ghidan in charge of operation resign

(Musings On Iraq Local Criticism of New Security Operation In Diyala)

 

May 5 Iraq Central Bank turned down Maliki asking to use surplus to cover budget deficit

May 5 Report Kellogg Brown and Root connected to most fraud cases in Iraq Connected to $13 bil

in overcharges KBR got 43% of contracting $ in Iraq $553 mil in payments blocked because auditors thought invalid charges

May 5 Comm to Protect Journalists protested to KRG over lawsuits and arrests of reporters Sep 08

new law passed that took rights away from reporters Since Jan 09 31 lawsuits against media

 

May 6 Sahwa leaders in Ghaziliya Baghdad and northern Kirkuk said men were leaving because

not paid by govt Arrests of sahwa leaders continued as well

(Musings On Iraq Budget Problems Affecting Integration of Sons of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

May 6 Dawa MP said new offensive in Diyala would fail because insurgents had fled to Kurdistan

(Musings On Iraq Local Criticism of New Security Operation In Diyala)

May 6 Integrity Comm head Judge Ogaili said law allowed ministers to stop corruption cases

Politicians and parties interfered and gave immunity to people 2008 Interior Min had most corruption cases with 736

(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)

May 6 Trade Min Sudani said he replaced all Trade Min officials with warrants for corruption

Sudani had warrant for himself $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

 

May 7 US found Abu Omar al-Baghdadi’s real identity Hamid Dawood Mohammed Khalil al-Zawi

after claiming he was an actor

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

 

May 8 Gov Nujafi stopped by Peshmerga from going to hot air balloon festival in Bashiqa

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

May 8 KRG said they would start exporting oil from Taq Taq and Tawke fields after Oil Min

okayed connecting them to Turkish pipeline Oil Min said it wouldn’t pay oil companies however

(Musings On Iraq Breakthrough On Oil Deal Between Baghdad and Kurdistan? Not Quite)

(Musings On Iraq Companies Exporting Oil From Kurdistan Without Getting Paid)

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish Oil Exports To Start Again)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Kurds Claim They Can Produce 1 Million Barrels Of Oil A Day)

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish Oil Exports Still On Hold)

(Musings On Iraq Oil Companies Exporting From Kurdistan May Not Be Paid For Years)

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

May 8 Report ISF lacked men equipment logistics Suffered from corruption and political

interference US set up programs to train Iraqis in logistics but largely failed Relied upon US for intelligence air support medical care

May 8 Trade Min Sudani’s brother arrested on corruption charges Caught in Basra with $150,000

in cash Tried to bribe police to let him escape

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen on Iraq’s fight with corruption) 

 

May 9 US general said Iran continued to train Iraqi militias but at lower levels than before

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq interview with former anti-corruption official Vincent Foulk)

May 9 PM Maliki called for anti-corruption campaign Did nothing afterward

 

May 10 National Sec Min Waili said IS leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was not who govt said

Hamid Dawood Mohammed Khalil al-Zawi Waili was wrong

 

May 11 Report 4 Tunisians in ISI responsible for Apr bombings that killed 370 1 captured

 

May 12 PM Maliki had head of Ghazilia Baghdad Sawha arrested Was tortured by ISF

May 12 Tribal march in Mosul for Hadbaa list and against Peshmerga and Asayesh presence in

province

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

May 12 Mass grave in Qadisiyah found with 100 Kurds killed during Anfal campaign

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Anfal Campaign And The Destruction Of The Kurdish Opposition)

May 12 Report PM Maliki set pattern of turning on his allies Started with Sadr in 08 Sadr put him

in power Then turned on Kurds Sent army into disputed area of Diyala Both aimed at increasing Maliki’s nationalist credentials Created Tribal Support Councils that angered ISCI and Kurds

(Musings On Iraq Disputes Over Tribal Support Councils)

 

May 13 Denmark latest European country to start deporting Iraqi refugees

(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)

May 13 Hadbaa party was in talks with Baghdad to try to force Kurds to participate in

            Ninewa council that they were boycotting

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

May 13 ISCI’s Hakim said he wanted the United Iraqi Alliance reformed before the 2010 elections

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

(Musings On Iraq United Iraqi Alliance Ready To Be Reconstituted)

(Musings On Iraq Trying To Revive the United Iraqi Alliance)

May 13 US general in charge of training/supplying ISF said it was underfunded Air Force didn’t

have money to guy jets or train pilots 70% of Defense Min budget went to salaries

May 13 Maliki govt repeated claim that it had captured ISI head Abu Omar al-Baghdadi Was

response to recording Baghdadi released Govt said it was a fake Story was false

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Responds To Renewed Violence Pt. 1: Al Qaeda’s Prince Arrested Or An Imposter?)

(Musings On Iraq on false story of arresting Baghdadi)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

 

May 14 Trade Minister Sudani resigned before having to appear before parliament for corruption

charges $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

May 14 Fmr Sec of State Powell’s chief of staff Wilkerson said that VP Cheney pressured Al

Qaeda interrogators to find connections with Iraq Army psychiatrist at Guantanamo Bay said interrogators were looking for Iraq-Al Qaeda connections

May 14 Report Maliki’s State of Law won most seats in 09 election but mismanaged victory Said

would pick technocrats and most able to be governors but chose Dawa loyalists Wasn’t able to get all its governors elected Led to disputes with other parties

May 14 Iranian Pres Ahmadinejad visited ISCI’s Hakim Pushed for Shiites parties to reform United

Iraqi Alliance before 2010 vote

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

 

May 15 Mass grave found in Najaf with 3,000 Kurds killed during Anfal

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Anfal Campaign And The Destruction Of The Kurdish Opposition)

May 15 Oil Ministry said it wouldn’t pay oil companies exporting oil from KRG

(Musings On Iraq Oil Companies Exporting From Kurdistan May Not Be Paid For Years)

May 15 PM Maliki called for majority government and ending sectarian quota system

May 15 PM Maliki claimed US releasing terrorists from prisons resulting in increased in

violence 2008 Maliki govt had negotiated quicker release of prisoners by US

 

May 16 PM Maliki promised major crackdown on corruption Nothing happened

 

May 17 Head of parliamentary integrity committee said Trade Min Sudani covered up his brothers’

involvement in corruption at ministry Min Sudani denied his brother worked at ministry but did Sudani’s son and nephew got $40 for every pound of sugar imported Trade Min inspector general had evidence against them but was threatened

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

May 17 Report Iraq’s hospitals lacked basic supplies Couldn’t do routine tests Usually asked

patients’ families to get supplies Put in orders to Health Min but nothing showed up Ministry stole drugs Bought expired medicine and unnecessary equipment for kickbacks

May 17 Kurdish protest in Shikhan against Al-Hadbaa led Ninewa government

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Ninewa Struggles Between Arabs and Kurds Continue)

(Musings On Iraq Troubles Continue In Ninewa Over Results Of Provincial Elections)

May 17 Oil Minister criticized KRG oil deals Said KRG gave excessive profits to companies

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

 

May 18 Report Integrity Commission official said Def Min officials charged $500 to join army

            Trade Min sold food rations to businesses

(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)

May Report US officials thought 25% of Defense Ministry payroll stolen

May 18 Head of Islamic Party in Diyala and Sawha leader arrested on terrorism charges as part of

Op Promise of Good II Warrants for 3 other members of Diyala council issued by PM Maliki dropped due to protests by parliament Arrests part of Maliki’s crackdown on Sunnis before and after provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq New Political Crackdown In Diyala)

May 18 Baghdad released tape of man they claimed was ISI leader Baghdadi confessing Was not

Baghdadi

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Responds To Renewed Violence Pt. 1: Al Qaeda’s Prince Arrested Or An Imposter?)

(Musings On Iraq on false story of arresting Baghdadi)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

 

May 19 Pentagon said foreign fighters still coming to Iraq from Syria and Iranian

            weapons still being found

(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) 

May 19 US organized meeting between Sahwa and Maliki govt after 17 Sahwa leaders arrested

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

May 19 Iraqi govt survey found 23% of Iraqis living in poverty Poverty highest in Muthanna 49%

Babil 41% Salahaddin 40% lowest in Dohuk 10% Irbil 3% Sulaymaniya 3%

(Musings On Iraq Survey Finds 23% of Iraqis Live In Poverty)

 

May 20 Report only 17,000 of 94,000 Sahwa given govt jobs so far

May 20 Peshmerga stopped Ninewa police chief from entering disputed area Part of dispute

between Kurds and Hadbaa party

May 20 Car bomb in Baghdad killed 35 wounded 72

May 20 PM Maliki sent leader to ISCI leader Hammoudi about reviving United Iraqi Alliance for

09 elections

(Musings On Iraq United Iraqi Alliance Ready To Be Reconstituted)

(Musings On Iraq Trying To Revive the United Iraqi Alliance)

 

May 21 3 Iranians and Iraqi arms smuggler arrested in Wasit bringing weapons from Iran into Iraq

(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) 

May 21 DNO said it could start exporting oil from KRG Connected Tawke field to Turkish pipeline

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

May 21 Report Samarraie new speaker Dawa didn’t support him Thought Islamic Party too strong

Had all senior Sunni positions in govt PM Maliki wanted Sunnis fractured and weak

 

May 22 Report Iraqi army auditing forces 24% not qualified 15% illiterate Only had 50% of

needed officers and 60% of NCOs

May 22 China National Petroleum Company started work at Wasit oil field 1st foreign company to

get deal since 03

 

May 25 PM Maliki accepted resignation of Trade Min Sudani charged with corruption $4-$8 bil

missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

 

May 26 Head of parliament’s integrity comm attacked PM Maliki for allowing Trade Min Sudani to

resign Said it helped him escape questioning for corruption $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

May 26 Baghdad Brigade raided HQ of National Dialogue Front headed by Salah al-Mutlaq

Arrested Baghdad party leader

 

May 27 US Army Chief of Staff Gen Casey said US could be fighting in Iraq for next 10 yrs

May 27 Iraq signed 2 year deal with IMF for $7 bil to help with budget deficit due to decline in oil

prices

 

May 28 Protest in Tal Afar to make it independent of Ninewa Complained about Gov Nujafi and

neglect Part of Kurd-Al Hadbaa dispute

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Troubles Continue In Ninewa Over Results Of Provincial Elections)

May 28 Report Asaib Ahl Al-Haq demanded release of its members from jail and to run in

elections in return for releasing 5 Brits it kidnapped

(Musings On Iraq Sadr Tries To Reconcile With Breakaway League Of The Righteous)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

May 28 PM Maliki said he gave up with outreach to Saudis Said futile and made Iraq look weak

(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)

May 28 Last British troops withdrew from Iraq

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

 

May 29 Video emerged of Trade Min Sudani and brothers drinking with prostitutes

            talking about Maliki Sudani from Dawa

 

May 30 Ex-Trade Min Sudani tried to leave Iraq but plane turned around and arrested at Baghdad

airport on corruption charges $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

May 30 ISI head Abu Omar al-Baghdadi said claim Baghdad had arrested him was a lie to

bring him out in public Said he would only appear when he wanted to

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

 

May 31 Ex-Trade Min Sudani placed in Samawa prison for trial after arrested trying to leave

country $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

 

Jun 1 Ex-Trade Min Sudani appeared in court to answer questions on corruption

charges $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

Jun 1 Defense Ministry claimed it captured leader of Ansar al-Sunna Mohammed Hardawi

Jun 1 Gun battle between Peshmerga and pro-Al Hadbaa tribes in Sinjar Ninewa 5 wounded

(Musings On Iraq Troubles Continue In Ninewa Over results Of Provincial Elections)

Jun 1 KRG began exporting oil for 1st time with OK of Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq Talk of Renewed Kurdish Oil Exports)

(Musings On Iraq Companies Exporting Oil From Kurdistan Without Getting Paid)

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish Oil Exports To Start Again)

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish Oil Exports Still On Hold)

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

 

Jun 2 VP Cheney told Fox never any evidence of Iraq-9/11 connection Some unconfirmed reports

of 9/11 hijacker Atta meeting Iraqi intelligence in Prague Claimed CIA said there was Iraq-Al Qaeda relationship Before Cheney said Atta story was a fact when it was debunked CIA said Iraq had meetings with Al Qaeda but no connections Was trying to refute his past claims and blame CIA

 

Jun 3 UN said Iraq not ready to accept refugee returns Said people should not be forced back to Iraq

 

Jun 4 Iranian arrested trying to plant IED in Basra

 

Jun 6 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s Laith Khazali released and AAH released bodies of 2 British

bodyguards they kidnapped and killed AAH said it would give up violence take part in politica Didn’t happen

(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)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

 

Jun 7 Inter Min said it would investigate torture charges in prisons in Maysan and Qadisiyah

Nothing happened

 

Jun 9 Shootout between Peshmerga and Iraqi police in Zummar as Ninewa Councilman visited

area Part of Kurd-Al Hadbaa List dispute

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Update On Political Dispute In Ninewa)

Jun 9 Egypt announced new ambassador to Iraq 1st one in 4 yrs after Al Qaeda in Iraq kidnapped

last ambassador

 

Jun 10 Def Min Obeidi said he wanted US forces to stay in Iraq for the next 5 years

Jun 10 Mass grave with 500 Kurds killed by Saddam found in Basra

Jun 10 Oil Ministry said it would not pay oil companies working in KRG

(Musings On Iraq Oil Companies Exporting From Kurdistan May Not Be Paid For Years)

Jun 10 Diyala govt issued warrants for 2 fmr dep governors and head of provincial council for

stealing money

(Musings On Iraq Open Season On Out-Going Provincial Officials)

(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)

 

Jun 11 Report PM Maliki adv said Asaib Ahl Al-Haq head Khazali was a problem for US not his

govt Maliki attempted to reconcile with Khazali to undermine Sadr

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Jun 11 Report DNO not paid for oil exports from KRG yet Said if didn’t get paid would threaten

future investments Oil Min said it wouldn’t pay oil companies in KRG because said KRG contracts and exports illegal

(Musings On Iraq Oil Companies Exporting From Kurdistan May Not Be Paid For Years)

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

Jun 11 Army told Kurdish parties had to evacuate HQs in Jalawla Diyala Attempt by PM Maliki to

challenge Kurds in disputed areas

 

Jun 12 Harith Obeidi recently elected head of Iraqi Accordance Front assassinated likely by ISI

Jun 12 Sadrists criticized Asaib Ahl Al-Haq for negotiation with govt to get its leader Qais Khazali

released

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

 

Jun 13 Kurdish List in Ninewa said it was thinking of creating alternative administration of

districts that refused to work with provincial govt Part of Kurd-Al Hadbaa dispute

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Update On Political Dispute In Ninewa)

 

Jun 15 Gen Odierno said foreign fighters coming to Iraq down and Syria trying to

            regulate border

 

Jun 16 43 police had been arrested for abuse in prisons Done to placate Sadrists

            complaining about abuse of their followers

 

Jun 17 US held talks with Syria to try to stop foreign fighters travelling through country

            to Iraq

 

Jun 19 Speaker of KRG parliament said KDP and PUK taking $30 mil of KRG budget

            for themselves

Jun 19 2 British guards kidnapped and killed by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq returned to British

            embassy In return AAH members released from prison

(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)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

Jun 19 Report PM Maliki and ISCI met and agreed to revive the United Iraqi Alliance before 2010

elections Maliki wanted it called State of Law and he would be its leader Didn’t work out

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

(Musings On Iraq United Iraqi Alliance Ready To Be Reconstituted)

(Musings On Iraq Trying To Revive the United Iraqi Alliance)

Jun 19 Weatherford signed $224.4 mil deal with Maysan Oil Company to develop Bazargan field

Involved kickbacks over production

(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)

 

Jun 20 Head of Kurdish list in Ninewa told Bashiqa teachers they should stop teaching

            in Arabic and switch to Kurdish Dispute with Hadbaa

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

(Musings On Iraq Update On Political Dispute In Ninewa)

Jun 20 ISI bombed Shiite mosque killing 73 in Taza Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)

Jun 20 Report After Promise of Peace security op in Maysan PM Maliki promised $100 mil for

rebuilding Money not spent well and still few services Sadrist officials in Maysan were refusing to help with projects Maliki created 17 tribal support councils in Maysan Were patronage networks used in 2010 election

 

Jun 21 Mayors in some Ninewa districts threatened to join KRG Hadbaa dispute

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

Jun 21 Interview with Ninewa Gov Nujafi Said Kurds had to accept new status quo with his al-

Hadbaa party in power Said Peshmerga would withdraw from Ninewa and allow ISF to take over Kurds called al-Hadbaa Baathists

Jun 21 Report Jan 03 UK memo Bush and Blair agreed UN inspectors probably wouldn’t find WMD

Bush suggested flying US plane with Un colors over Iraq hoping Iraq would shoot at it and thus provide excuse for war Bush hoped a defector would come forward with info on WMD showing Iraq in violation of UN resolutions Said maybe Saddam would be assassinated Bush said 2nd UN resolution not needed for war Bush said war set to start Mar 10 2003 Bush and Blair decided to finalize war plans

 

Jun 22 US commander in Diyala said govt had not paid 1000 Sahwa in province nor

            integrated them into govt

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

Jun 22 US turned over security in Anbar to Iraqi forces

Jun 22 Report MPs got $125,000/yr salary almost 20 times more than avg Iraqi

 

Jun 23 Report UK urgently tried to get US to release Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members from prison to get

3 remaining UK hostages released by group PM Brown said he would do anything to get them back 2 hostages released Both dead 5 Brits kidnapped in Iranian planned op

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

 

Jun 24 KRG passed draft constitution Said disputed areas of Kirkuk Ninewa and Diyala were part

of Kurdistan and peshmerga had right to operate in districts UN US and Iraqi parliament all objected to constitution

 

Jun 25 Report PM Maliki using ISF against his opponents Arrested Diyala councilman in May

Arrested 6 candidates right before Jan 09 election US cmdr in Iraq Gen Odierno tried to get Maliki to stop After Jan vote Sadrists complained 70 of their members arrested 

(Musings On Iraq Argument For Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

(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)

 

Jun 28 Battalion from Iraqi army’s 7th Div moved towards Makhmour disputed area of Ninewa

Stopped by Peshmerga Led to 24 hr standoff Ended with US mediation

 

Jun 29 Iraq auctioned eight oil and gas fields to international energy companies Only Rumaila

received a winning bid Auction was considered a failure at first hurting standing of Oil Minister Shahristani who parliament was trying to remove

(Musings On Iraq 1st Oil Bidding Round Flops In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Continued Attempts To Develop its Oil Industry)

(Musings On Iraq Was The Iraq War About Oil?)

Jun 29 Report ISF kidnapping Sahwa members and holding them for ransom Sahwa leader from

Baghdad taken by ISF and held in secret jail and told he had to pay $50,000 to be released Another Sahwa leader in Baghdad told by Def Min he would be arrested unless paid $15,000

 

Jun 30 US withdrew forces from Iraqi cities

(Musings On Iraq Iraq After The U.S. Withdrawal)

Jun 30 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq said 2 UK hostages it kidnapped and turned over died from natural causes

Autopsy showed they were shot

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

 

Jul 1 Report After 1st auction of Iraq’s oil and gas fields only got 1 winning bid Asian oil company

official said contracts offered were bad Said companies only interested because of amount of oil in Iraq

Jul 1 Report Energy Intelligence group said Iraq’s 1st auction of oil and gas fields was a disaster Iraq

didn’t understand business realities when offered contracts

 

Jul 2 State Dept listed Abu Muhandis and Kataib Hezbollah as global terrorists

(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)

Jul 2 Report FBI interview with Saddam from 06 released Saddam said Al Qaeda were zealots he

would never work with Said Iran number one threat Reason why he never fully cooperated with UN inspectors because had to maintain image Iraq had WMD to deter Iran

Jul 2 Baghdad Ops Command issued order restricting US movement in Baghdad Said no joint

patrols with US

Jul 2 French PM FIllon visited Iraq Tried to renew arms sales

 

Jul 4 PM Maliki told VP Biden reconciliation was domestic affair and rejected US role Biden

warned Maliki if he didn’t work on reconciliation US wouldn’t support his govt

 

Jul 5 China National Petroleum Corp signed deal for Ahdab oil field in Wasit 1st foreign oil

company to sign deal with Iraq since 2003

 

Jul 7 ISI head Abu Omar al-Baghdadi called other insurgent groups phonies who were trying to

overlook ISI Said period of nationalism patriotism Baathism had ended which was what other groups were calling for Said PM Maliki formed a rejectionist Shiite govt that embraced Khomeini and was aggressive towards anything Sunni Arab Said Shiites were using all the tricks Persians were famous for throughout history including democracy to establish Shiite state Said Awakening were collaborators with Shiite project

(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)

 

Jul 8 US unit hit by IED in Najaf planted by police Previous Najaf police chiefs fired for

connections to militias

Jul 8 MP on farming committee said farmland decreased by 60% Main reason decline of water from

            neighboring countries

 

Jul 9 U.S. released 5 Iranians it captured in 2007 including head of Iranian Rev Guard Quds Force

Zafr Command Ali al-Lami frm deBaathification head 3 militia cmdrs also released Part of deal to get 5 Brits kidnapped by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq released

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

(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) 

 

Jul 10 KRG parliament agreed to postpone referendum on new constitution that laid claim to

disputed areas and would have given Pres Barzani greater powers

(Musings On Iraq Kurds Agree To Suspend Vote On Controversial Constitution)

Jul 10 Report Major security op and Sunni Arab victory in 09 election did not reduce violence in

Mosul Locals not aiding ISF to reduce insurgency Last 3 months avg 1 policeman killed a day 7 police arrested for helping militants Foreign fighters continued to enter Ninewa from Syria

Jul 10 Report Asaib Ahl Al-Haq executed 2 Brits it kidnapped because thought 1 of their men had

been tortured and UK ignoring its demands US released 5 Iranians to try to get release of other Brits still held Brits kidnapped after group’s leaders Qais and Lath Khazali arrested in Basra Mar 07

(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

(Musings On Iraq 5 Revolutionary Guards Members Let Go By U.S.)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

 

Jul 11 Courts issued warrants for 2 Accordance Front members of Diyala council Part of PM

Maliki’s on going campaign against party in province

 

Jul 12 VP Hashemi said Baghdad would fight PKK and would form special units to do so Meant

            to appease Turkey

Jul 12 Sadr video Said Mahdi Army untrained and caused lots of damage Said infiltrated by groups

Some corrup Said some factions were fighting each other Condemned attacks on civilians Condemned sharia courts Sadrists created Claimed he had nothing to do with fighting during Charge of Knights against his militia

Jul 12 KRG PM Barzani said regional govt starting transparency program for finances

Jul 12 5 attacks on churches in Baghdad Christian official assassinated in Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)

 

Jul 13 IED on US Amb Hill’s convoy in Dhi Qar likely by a militia

(Musings On Iraq The Return Of The Special Groups)

 

Jul 14 Iraq offered 15 bil cubic meters of natural gas a year by 2015 for Nabucco gas pipeline from

Turkey to Austria Never happened

 

Jul 15 PM Maliki said Iraq ready to export 15,000 cubic meters of natural gas to Europe Govt

spokesman Dabbagh said Iraq wasn’t ready to export gas anytime soon Never happened

Jul 15 Report Christians attacked again 5 churches in Baghdad bombed and assassination in Kirkuk

 

Jul 16 Sadr visited Abdul Hakim in Tehran and said he was willing to rejoin the United Iraqi

Alliance Came as a result of Iranian lobbying to re-unite the Shiite lists for upcoming elections

(Musings On Iraq United Iraqi Alliance Ready To Be Reconstituted)

(Musings On Iraq Trying To Revive the United Iraqi Alliance)

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

Jul 16 Brookings Institute est 110,578 Iraqi civilians and 9,136 ISF killed since 2003

 

Jul 17 Report villages in Ninewa emptying of people due to drought 60 of 150 villages in Tal Afar

dist deserted Shepherds selling herds Agriculture Min said 90% of livestock died in Al-Tal

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s 2009 Drought)

Jul 17 Report DNO started independent oil exports for KRG in June with no payment plan set up

Addax Petroleum and Genel Energy also didn’t have pay deal

(Musings On Iraq Companies Exporting Oil From Kurdistan Without Getting Paid)

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

Jul 17 Report KRG PM Barzani and Pres Barzani said KRG and Baghdad closer to war than ever

before due to PM Maliki PM Barzani said only US stopped fighting

 

Jul 18 KRG began producing oil at Khurmala Dome Kirkuk Went to new refinery in Irbil

 

Jul 19 Report US officials said new wave of attacks on US forces by Special Groups Blamed Asaib

Ahl Al-Haq Kataib Hezbollah Promised Day Brigades

(Musings On Iraq The Return Of The Special Groups)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)

Jul 19 Report Kurds said unless problems with al-Hadbaa resolved would set up own administration

in 16 of Ninewa’s 37 districts Gov Nujafi said that would be illegal

 

Jul 21 Report US Amb Hill told Iraqis that Obama admin wanted to have normal diplomatic

relationship with Iraq rather than be involved in all Iraqi affairs

Jul 21 Report UN asked KRG to stop referendum on constitution that laid claim to Kirkuk and

disputed areas Said it could lead to violence

Jul 21 ISF arrested 2nd in command of sahwa in Adhamiya Baghdad 2008 commander of sahwa unit

arrested

 

Jul 22 Report State Dept wanted to cut back staff at US Embassy in Baghdad and end Provincial

Reconstruction Teams Another step back from Iraq by Obama admin

 

Jul 23 Report PUK in trouble Pres Talabani criticized for not being responsible to party members

Factions formed members quit Talabani refused to hold party congress to discuss issues Feb 09 4 senior officials quit Talabani also sick KDP might eclipse PUK

Jul 23 Report 09 KRG elections counted entire region as one voting district Hurt small parties who

had to win across entire region Meant KDP-PUK controlled election process because picked MPs not voters

 

Jul 25 KRG held parliamentary and presidential elections Kurdistan List of KDP-PUK won 57% of

vote Gorran 23% Pres Barzani won 69% of vote for presidency

(Musings On Iraq Implications of the Kurdish Elections On Iraq’s Parliamentary Vote)

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish Election Results And Implications)

(Musings On Iraq Full Kurdish Election Results)

(Musings On Iraq Ruling Kurdish Parties Try To Co-Opt And Intimidate Opposition)

 

Jul 26 Report USAID suspended $644 mil contract with Intl relief and Development company for

Iraqi jobs program Mar 08 Audit found fraud over billing ghost Iraqi employees Baghdad Provincial Reconstruction Team member said some money going to insurgents and corrupt officials 4 fmr employees said $10 mil questionable spending like on fake projects USAID said program created 45,000 jobs but couldn’t be confirmed

(Musings On Iraq Corruption In Iraq An Interview With Stuart Bowen Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Trouble Fighting Corruption Interview With Vincent Foulk Former US Anti-Graft Official)

Jul 26 Report Power shortages increased Electricity Min blamed Iran for cutting electricity exports

Kuwait was sending less gas for power plants Turkey cut water limiting hydroelectric power from dams

Jul 26 Sahwa security chief and neighborhood leader in Adhamiya arrested Part of PM Maliki

crackdown on sahwa

(Musings On Iraq Sons of Iraq Integration Update)

 

Jul 27 Report KDP arresting Christians in Qaraqosh Ninewa KRG funded projects in town to win

loyalties

Jul 27 Industry Minister said public employees only worked avg 2 hrs per day 

Jul 27 Report Sadr lived in Tehran Went to Qom for religious training to become learned religious

scholar Never finished

Jul 27 VP Abdul Mahdi’s bodyguards robbed state run Rafidain Bank in Baghdad Stole $6.8 mil

Executed 8 guards

Jul 27 Kurdistan Islamic Union HQ in Irbil attacked by KDP followers

 

Jul 29 Results of KRG election Barzani re-elected president with 69% of vote KDP-PUK list won

57% of parliamentary vote Change 23%

(Musings On Iraq Kurdish Election Results And Implications)

(Musings On Iraq Full Kurdish Election Results)

(Musings On Iraq Ruling Kurdish Parties Try To Co-Opt And Intimidate Opposition)

Jul 29 Report US cmdr in Iraq Gen Odierno said when US withdrew in 2011 Iraq wouldn’t be able

            to defend its airspace

Jul 29 Report Cabinet passed law setting up National Oil Company Couldn’t be created until other

oil laws passed Parliament didn’t pass law until 2018

 

Jul 30 Report that Salahaddin Army Islamic Army of Iraq Baathists and ex-military met Agreed to

work together

Jul 30 US released 2 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq cmdrs Part of deal with UK and Iraq to free 10

cmdrs in return for 5 Brits kidnapped by group 4 were already dead killed by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq

(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)

Jul 30 US govt report 17,000 sahwa given jobs 13,000 in ISF None hired since Apr 09 Number given

jobs in other ministries drastically declined 41 leaders arrested Nov 08-July 09

Jul 30 Report 900 sahwa in Adhamiya Baghdad Army unit in area arrested 7 sahwa Jul arrested 2nd

in command security chief neighborhood leader Mar-Apr 2 dozen sahwa leaders arrested by Maliki govt Fewer arrested in May due to US complaints

Jul 30 Report Iraq would have to import 70% of its food 08-09 twice as many dusty days as

previous 4 yrs Agriculture Min est 90% of land either desert or suffering from desertification Arable land eroding at 5%/yr Rainfall down 80% in 08 09 expected to be down 50%

Jul 30 Police arrested gang that robbed $6.8 bil from Rafidain bank in Baghdad Killed 8 guards

Members of VP Abdul Mahdi’s bodyguard were involved

 

Aug 2 Maliki govt transitioned 1st batch of 3,331 sahwa Were assigned to ministries and had to

apply for jobs instead of given them as promised

Aug 2 PM Maliki went to Kurdistan Met Pres Barzani Ended war of words between two over

KRG’s oil policy

 

Aug 3 Report PM Maliki met with Asaib Ahl Al-Haq Claimed group renounced violence and

wanted to run in 2010 elections Agreed to release AAH members held by US Part of plan for Maliki to undermine Sadr before vote

(Musings On Iraq Sadr Tries To Reconcile With Breakaway League Of The Righteous)

(Musings On Iraq League Of Righteous Breaks Off talks With Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Aug 3 VP Abdul Mahdi criticized Interior Min for announcing his bodyguards robbed Rafidain

Bank Claimed he led to their arrests They stole $6.8 mil and killed 8 guards Hid money in Abdul Azzi al-Hakim’s office

 

Aug 4 Report Iraq in 4th yr of drought according to UN Rainfall expected to be down 50% Wheat

crop expected to be down 40% Would have to import 4 mil tons of wheat to meet 5 mil ton demand

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s 2009 Drought)

 

Aug 7 ISI document said that it negotiated contract with Communications Ministry to give deal to

local leader in Mosul In return ISI got % of the contract Also had concact with Dep PM’s chief of staff

Aug 7 ISI bombed Turkmen Shiite mosque in Mosul Killed 44 More than 200 wounded

(Musings On Iraq Political Parties Playing Into Hands Of Insurgent Attacks)

(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)

 

Aug 8 KRG election results Barzani won 69.6% of votes for president Kurdistan List (KDP-PUK)

won 59 seats in KRG parliament Gorran 25 seats Reform and Services list 13 seats

 

Aug 9 Suicide bomber hit Mosul mosque killing 23 wounding 130

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

 

Aug 10 2 truck bombs hit Shabak town of Khazan Killed 35 wounded 200

(Musings On Iraq Political Parties Playing Into Hands Of Insurgent Attacks)

Aug 10 Report 26th Army brigade from Diyala tried to move through Makhmour Stopped by KDP

Peshmerga who said they would’ve fired on soldiers if didn’t stop US had to mediate to defuse situation

Aug 10 Report Govt hired 1000s of extra workers to keep unemployment low Went to Baghdad

power plant Supposed to have 2500 workers Had 4370 Few showed up Govt wanted foreign companies to buy state owned businesses and make them profitable Could lead to 1000s being fired Industry Min said govt workers only worked avg 2 hrs/day Govt workers distorted labor market because no one wanted to work in private sector

 

Aug 11 PM Maliki claimed VP Abdul Mahdi turned over $6.8 mi his bodyguards stole from bank

Supposed to turn over robbers Didn’t happen

Aug 11 Report State Dept struggled to get money for expanded role after US military withdrawal

end of 2011 Sep supposed to take over police training Consolidated 16 provincial reconstruction teams to 5 Needed $400 mil more than planned Never filled vacuum left by withdrawal

Aug 11 Iraqi Chief of Staff Gen Zebari said ISF wouldn’t be ready to defend Iraq until 2020

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Military Requests U.S. Forces Stay Until 2020)

Aug 11 KDP sued magazine for 500 mil dinars after editor called for more press freedom

 

Aug 14 PM Maliki told reporters that they had to cooperate with govt and not criticize it

Aug 14 KRG said Al-Hadbaa ruling party in Ninewa supported ethnic cleansing of Kurds and

Christians Blamed it for insurgent attacks in province and 2000 deaths

(Musings On Iraq Tit For Tat In Ninewa)

(Musings On Iraq Arab-Kurdish Divide Over New Ninewa Provincial Council)

 

Aug 16 Report 1/3 of female suicide bombers came from Diyala Most lost male relative to violence

Many come from small Islamist communities Most sent by ISI

(Musings On Iraq The Rise of Female Suicide Bombers)

(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Aug 16 Aug 3 mass casualty bombings of Shabaks and Yazidis in Ninewa by ISI Shabaks blamed

Kurds for attacks because refused PM Maliki plan to form Shabak defense force KDP official said Shabak militia would lead to civil war Said peshmerga would protect Shabaks Claimed Shabaks were Kurds Blamed al-Hadbaa run Ninewa govt for violence Governor Nujafi said Ninewa govt couldn’t protect disputed areas until Peshmerga left

Aug 16 Report UN said Iraq oil didn’t need to be controlled anymore Legacy of UN sanctions 08

Audit of Iraqi accounting of oil industry found major problems Lack control of accounts receipts good accounting End of 08 only 1/3 of oil industry metered Finance Min lacked modern techniques and technology Monthly oil revenues were filled with errors North Oil Company burned 1.4 mil/bar of condensates that it couldn’t store Damaged oil fields by reinjecting oil into them Couldn’t account for 698,000 bar of oil Believed stolen Oil Min had 6 mil/bar less oil than South Oil Company said it produced State Oil Marketing Org kept $3 bil in oil revenue that was supposed to be put in bank Fined $24.4 mil for delinquent oil loading Hadn’t collected $9.1 mil from Jordan for oil sales Hadn’t collected $26.2 mil form Shell for shipping

(Musings On Iraq How Much Oil And Refined Petroleum Products Does Iraq Actually Produce? No One Knows)

 

Aug 17 PM Maliki visited Syria and promoted closer ties between the two Also talked about Syrian

support for insurgency Asked Assad to turn over 179 insurgents

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

 

Aug 18 PM Maliki told US officials he didn’t want sectarian alliance in 2010 election because

would lead Iraq towards being like Lebanon and parties would be backed by foreign powers

Aug 18 Report US Cmdr Gen Odierno said more Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members would be released PM

Maliki promised all Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members would be freed Said made deal with group to stop attacks in exchange for prisoners being let go Said Asaib Ahl Al-Haq had truce with US Part of deal to get 5 kidnapped Brits released Maliki also wanted to use Asaib Ahl Al-Haq vs Sadr

(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)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken In Iraq) 

 

Aug 19 ISI set off 3 car bombs in Baghdad hitting Finance and Foreign Ministries and Rashid

Hotel killing 101 and wounding 565 PM Maliki blamed Baathists and Syria even though it was ISI Iraq withdrew its Syrian ambassador day after Maliki had visited Damascus 1st of 3 mass casualty bombings ISI would carry out in Baghdad during the year

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

 

Aug 22 Iraqi govt said it was arresting Baathists involved in Aug 18 Baghdad bombings when it

was actually ISI

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

 

Aug 23 Baghdad Operations Command aired taped confession of man who said he was a Baathist

and involved in Aug 19 Baghdad bombings Said attack ordered by Syria Was actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

 

Aug 24 Sadrists ISCI and Jaafari announced creation of National Alliance

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Role In The Revival Of The United Iraqi Alliance)

(Musings On Iraq The New National Alliance And Other Political Maneuverings)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Shiite Parties Unite To Sideline Allawi, Up Next Maliki)

Aug 24 KRG parliament passed regional constitution Was to be approved by referendum that never

happened

 

Aug 25 Iraqi govt demanded Syria turn over 2 Baathists accused of involvement in Aug 19

Baghdad bombings and expel all terrorists Iraq and Syria ended up withdrawing their ambassadors Ended Maliki’s reconciliation with Syria

Aug 25 ISI claimed responsibility for Aug 19 Baghdad bombings

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

 

Aug 26 Head of Qadisiya reconstruction comm said previous provincial govt issued $43 mil in

frivolous projects Some went to tribal figures others to corrupt persons others were political favors

Aug 26 Report Lack of water threatening 2 mil people in south Iraq Losing electricity and drinking

water Nasiriya power production down 50% Basra hit with high salinity due to lack of fresh water 3000 people evacuated from north Basra due to lack of drinking water Dams in Turkey Syria Iran to blame

Aug 26 Report Oil production and exports hit post-03 high in July Iraq exported 2.08 mil/bar/day

 

Aug 29 Interior Min announced it arrested 14 ISI members behind Aug 18 Baghdad bombings

PM Maliki had blamed Baathists and Syria

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

Aug 29 Report Aug PM Maliki met with Syria’s Assad 2 days later Baghdad bombed Govt played

tape confession of man who said bombing done by Baathists in Syria Iraq demanded Syria stop supporting terrorists and pulled Iraq’s ambassador Baathists denied responsibility for attack while ISI said it did it Syria asked why after Maliki visited they would support a bombing right afterward

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

 

Aug 30 Govt poll 78% optimistic about future of Iraq 67% said would vote in 2010 election 67%

supported strong central govt 69% against ethnosectarian quotas in govt

 

Aug 31 Iraqi TV show had ISI member who said Syrian intel trained foreign fighters Said got

money from Syria and Saudi Arabia

(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)

Aug 31 Baghdad Ops Command said Aug 19 Baghdad bombers were ISI members not Baathists

like PM Maliki claimed

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

Aug 31 Aug Iraq was not getting the water it needed from the Euphrates and Tigris Water flow

dropped during month Turkey promised more water but didn’t do anything Land used for rice farming cut in ½ due to water shortages and salinity Increased food imports

Aug 31 UN said Iraq had worst cereal harvest in a decade and wheat crop was going to be down as

well

 

Sep 1 US negotiated joint Iraqi-Kurdish-US patrols in Ninewa after series of mass casualty

bombings Meant to fill security gaps in disputed areas and help Baghdad-Irbil relations

(Musings On Iraq Joint US-Iraq-Kurdish Patrols Okayed In Ninewa Objected To In Kirkuk)

(Musings On Iraq Joint US-Iraq-Kurdish Patrols In Disputed Areas Remains A Political Football)

 

Sep 2 Report lack of water in Euphrates and Tigris increasing saline level in Shatt al-Arab Basra

agricultural dir considered declaring it a disaster area

Sep 2 Gorran head Mustafa accused KDP and PUK of firing 1630 govt workers for not following

parties

(Musings On Iraq Ruling Kurdish Parties Try To Co-Opt And Intimidate Opposition)

 

Sep 3 PM Maliki accused Syrian intel of meeting with Baathists and insurgents on July 30 which

led to Aug 19 Baghdad bombing ISI did bombing not Baathists

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

(Musings On Iraq Syria-Iraq Dispute Could Be Ending)

(Musings On Iraq Request For UN Investigation Into August Baghdad Bombings Said To Be Turned Down)

Sep 3 Integrity Comm arrested Dep Transportation Min Ubaidi Took $100,000 bribe Security firm

owed $2 mil by Baghdad Ubaidi asked for bribe to get contract renewed

Sep 3 Report Rafidain Bank in Baghdad robbed of $4.3 mil 4 of 9 robbers arrested Sentenced to

death Robbers led by bodyguards of VP Abdul Mahdi VP said he found money Didn’t turn over his bodyguards Abdul Mahdi said only 1 robber was a bodyguard Turned out to be 5 of 9 Report said that some of VP’s bodyguards were released in deal with Interior Min Bolani Fled Iraq

Sep 3 Iraq met with Turkey and Syria about dams and increasing water flow down rivers Made no

deals

Sep 3 Protest in Wasit over lack of electricity and fuel

 

Sep 4 3rd British guard kidnapped and murdered by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq had body released

(Musings On Iraq 2007 Political Kidnappings In Iraq Involving Asaib Ahl Al-Haq)

(Musings On Iraq League Of Righteous Breaks Off talks With Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Sep 4 Iraq Turkey Syria signed agreement to monitor water levels on the Euphrates and Tigris Did

nothing for Iraq

 

Sep 5 500 demonstrated in Hawija against joint Iraq-Peshmerga-U.S. patrols in town Said

            only army should be doing security in district

Sep 5 PM Maliki sent 1000s of ISF to Syrian border Accused Syria of supporting Baathists and Aug

Baghdad bombings Was actually done by ISI

Sep 5 During ceremony for martyrs of Saddam’s regime PM Maliki claimed Baathist-Takfiri plot to

destroy his govt

Sep 5 Report Iraq-Shell deal to exploit natural gas in Basra delayed until after 2010 elections Deal

signed in Sep 08

(Musings On Iraq Shell Natural Gas Deal Held Up By Iraqi Politics)

 

Sep 6 Dep Transportation Min arrested for taking bribe from security contractor

(Musings On Iraq Corruption In Iraq An Interview With Stuart Bowen Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Trouble Fighting Corruption Interview With Vincent Foulk Former US Anti-Graft Official)

 

Sep 7 Report US brokered 1st talks between al-Hadbaa and Kurdish Ninewa Brotherhood List Kurds

boycotted provincial council after elections and Hadbaa took all the provincial offices

(Musings On Iraq U.S. Holds Talks Between Al-Hadbaa And Kurds In Ninewa)

Sep 7 Report After provincial elections Basra govt started Islamist policy Ordered dress codes

gender segregation alcohol ban

(Musings On Iraq The Islamist Side Of Maliki’s Dawa Party)

 

Sep 8 Report Executive from Talisman Energy said oil companies exporting oil from KRG wouldn’t

be paid until after 2010 elections Might take years to work out payments DNO Genel Energy Addax exporting oil without being paid

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

Sep 8 Report ISF had no medical support Soldiers and police had to pay out of pocket for health

care

Sep 8 Report 3 companies bringing in illegal Asian workers Started in KRG but now bringing in

workers to rest of Iraq

 

Sep 9 Iraq and Syria agreed to stop media attacks upon each other return ambassadors after PM

Maliki accused Baathists and Syria for Aug bombings in Baghdad Was actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Can’t Get Its Story Straight On Aug 18 Bombings)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq-Syria Dispute Update)

Sep 9 Iraq-Russia signed deal to build 2 natural gas pipelines Never happened

 

Sep 11 Report sea water pushing up Shatt al-Arab due to low water flow down Euphrates 2,000

villagers in Basra left villages as a result

 

Sep 12 Report Najaf and Karbala businesses complained that Iraqi parties close to Iran like ISCI

gave Iranian companies monopolies over religious tourism in two cities

(Musings On Iraq Najaf and Karbala Complain About Iranian Business Deals Surrounding Religious Tourism)

 

Sep 13 2008 Annual report by Integrity Comm $1.3 bil in corruption cases pardoned mostly from

Defense Min Were 2,772 pardons under 2008 Amnesty Law vs only 397 convictions Article 136B allowed ministers to block investigations Used it 210 times most from Oil Mini

(Musings On Iraq Integrity Commission Report On Iraqi Corruption)

(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)

Sep 13 Report Dec 08 Human Rights Watch said Iraqi prisons run like Saddam era Lack of political

will meant wouldn’t change US has been releasing prisoners to Iraqis but only prisons under Justice Min Think ones run by Interior and Defense Mins bad Prisoners held for long periods before trials Trials mostly based on confessions obtained through abuse

Sep 13 Report Iraq faced 3 yrs of drought Iraqi officials said population growth lack of water policy

drought main causes of water shortages Also Turkish Syrian Iranian dams Iraq believed water need would grow 50% by 2015 while water flow would drop Turkish dam reduced water on Euphrates by 20% New Turkish dam expected to affect 1/3 of Iraq’s arable land Basra farmers complain about unusable land due to salinity Sep Iraqi officials met with Turkey and Syria over water but didn’t get any promises

(Musings On Iraq Two Provinces Respond To The Drought)

Aug 4 Report Iraq in 4th yr of drought according to UN Rainfall expected to be down 50% Wheat

crop expected to be down 40% Would have to import 4 mil tons of wheat to meet 5 mil ton demand

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s 2009 Drought)

 

Sep 14 Report 1.6 mil displaced in Iraq Unemployment in the 90%s in Kirkuk Qadisiya Basra Wasit

Children in Anbar leaving school to support families More than ½ said afraid would lose homes because couldn’t pay rent

 

Sep 16 US closed Camp Bucca prison which had served as recruiting ground for

insurgents

 

Sep 18 Report Norway investigated insider trading involving KRG Natural Resource Min Hawrami

and DNO that had oil contract in KRG Oct 08 DNO sold 43 mil shares for $29.7 mil to Genel Energy with Hawrami acting as middleman

(Musings On Iraq Oil Scandal Hits Kurdistan)

Sep 18 Anbar Awakening Sheikh Abu Risha and Interior Min Bolani announced formation of Unity

of Iraq Alliance Abu Risha wanted power in Anbar and Baghdad

 

Sep 19 Report PM Maliki blamed Syria for Baghdad bombings to divert attention away from his

failure to provide security before 2010 elections US and Iraqi officials skeptical about Maliki’s claims Baathists in Syria behind bombings Was done by ISI

 

Sep 21 KRG suspended work of DNO for 6 wks Claimed it hurt KRG’s reputation Came after KRG

Natural Resource Min Hawrami implicated in insider trading deal involving DNO

(Musings On Iraq Oil Scandal Hits Kurdistan)

(Musings On Iraq Kurds Will Suspend All Oil Exports)

(Musings On Iraq Norwegian Company Has Final Word In Kurdish Oil Scandal)

 

Sep 22 PM Maliki told US Amb Hill Iran giving heavy weapons to Sadr Syria still supporting

Baathists and terrorism in Iraq

 

Sep 24 US Amb Hill cable PM Maliki complained that Iran trying to control parliament Said if he

didn’t back Iran it would support militias against him Said Saudis most difficult country to deal with Saudis didn’t trust Shiites Saw them as Iranian US didn’t talk about Saudis because allies Saudis funded Sunni parties and tribes to oppose Shiite parties

(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)

Sep 24 State Dept cable Iraqi National Alliance under heavy pressure from Iran to get PM Maliki to

join Maliki refused

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Shiite Parties Unite To Sideline Allawi, Up Next Maliki)

Sep 24 Report During Surge US cut all kinds of deals with Sunnis to bring down violence such as

sahwa Jan US passed control of sahwa to Maliki govt Mar ISF raided Fadhil sahwa and arrested leader

 

Sep 25 Report Sadr was attempting to reconcile with Asaib Ahl Al-Haq before 2010 elections

AAH was to send delegation to Iran to meet with Sadr

(Musings On Iraq Sadr Tries To Reconcile With Breakaway League Of The Righteous)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Sep 25 Report Companies complained had to partner with companies connected to Barzanis and

Talabanis to do work in KRG Meant corruption wouldn’t end

(Musings On Iraq Corruption In Iraq An Interview With Stuart Bowen Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Trouble Fighting Corruption Interview With Vincent Foulk Former US Anti-Graft Official)

 

Sep 26 PM Maliki released 23 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members in deal where group said it would

renounce violence and wound run in 2010 election Didn’t do either

(Musings On Iraq League Of Righteous Breaks Off talks With Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

 

Sep 29 Report Basra govt wanted to declare province disaster area because of high salinity levels in

water that was forcing people to leave

Sep 29 Report PM Maliki appointed his office director Najm as head of Iraqi intel service Another

move to control govt offices

 

Sep 30 PM Maliki released over 100 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members in deal where group said it

renounced violence and would run in 2010 elections Didn’t do either

(Musings On Iraq League Of Righteous Breaks Off talks With Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Sep 30 Poll by Integrity Comm 79% said they had to pay bribes to officials 20% said they offered

money to officials

Sep 30 Report Sahwa complaining about govt arresting members Said US abandoned them Maliki

govt said only arresting criminals Member of National Sec Council claimed power struggles within sahwa leading to members quitting

Sep 30 Protest in Mosul against Peshmerga being in Ninewa

Sep 30 Report Sadrists said they were against 2nd term for PM Maliki

 

Oct 1 PM Maliki announced new State of Law list to run in 2010 elections without any prominent

Sunni member Would not join other Shiite parties in National Alliance

(Musings On Iraq Malik’s New State Of Law List May Not Be Enough)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Shiite Parties Unite To Sideline Allawi, Up Next Maliki)

Oct 1 US Iraq cmdr Gen Odierno said when US military left in 2011 probably couldn’t declare

victory in Iraq Said would take 5-10 years afterward to tell how Iraq turned out

Oct 1 Report Oil Min told China’s Sinopec would be excluded from next oil field auction Told

SKorea’s SK Energy couldn’t buy oil from Iraq anymore Was because both did work in KRG

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Ready To Blacklist Major Chinese Oil Company and Maybe South Korean One As Well)

 

Oct 2 Report PUK fired hundreds of members of peshmerga and security forces for voting for

Gorran

(Musings On Iraq Ruling Kurdish Parties Try To Co-Opt And Intimidate Opposition)

Oct 2 Report Basra governor said when he was elected he would make province like Dubai Now

said no money for infrastructure Couldn’t attract investment Unemployment up

Oct 2 Report 100s of families left villages due to drought and low water levels in rivers coming

from Iran Couldn’t farm Blamed Iranian dams Couldn’t afford to pump water into fields

 

Oct 3 Dep Electricity Min said by 2012 Iraq would have completed power projects and there would

be no more power shortages Didn’t happen

 

Oct 5 UN report 71% of Iraqis live in urban areas Of those 57% lived in slum conditions

(Musings On Iraq Almost Half Of Iraqis Live In Slum Conditions)

 

Oct 6 DNO said KRG allowed it to restart work KRG suspended it after Natural Resource Min

Hawrami implicated in insider trading scandal involving DNO

(Musings On Iraq Norwegian Company Has Final Word In Kurdish Oil Scandal)

Oct 6 Sahwa in southwest Kirkuk held protest for not being paid for 3 months

Oct 6 Ayatollah Sistani publicly came out for open list system in next election that allowed voters

to pick candidates instead of just parties

(Musings On Iraq Ayatollah Sistani’s Influence On The Open/Closed List Voting System Debate In Iraq)

 

Oct 8 Report US set up neighborhood/local councils throughout Iraq Future up in the air Councils

said felt abandoned by US PM Maliki’s State of Law said it would disband some in Baghdad

 

Oct 9 Iraq signed deal with Iran to provide drinking water to help during drought

Oct 9 KRG Natural Resource Min Hawrami said it would stop exports for Baghdad in latest

breakdown in oil deals

(Musings On Iraq Kurds Will Suspend All Oil Exports)

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

 

Oct 10 Report Electricity Min said it lacked money to fulfill new deals and didn’t have fuel leading

to power shortages Said it increased capacity by 10,000 megawatts but couldn’t produce that much Drought had cut hydroelectric power

Oct 10 Report Najaf banned alcohol citing holy city Aug Basra banned alcohol

Oct 10 200 protested in Baghdad over lack of electricity and water

 

Oct 11 Insurgents attacked Anbar provincial council building in Ramadi 23 killed 65 wounded

 

Oct 12 US spokesman said attacks in Iraq down 51% from 2008 Said lowest number of attacks since

January 2004

Oct 12 Consortium of Italy’s ENI US’s Occidental Petroleum Korea Gas Corporation agreed to work

on Zubayr oil field in Basra

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Continued Attempts To Develop its Oil Industry)

(Musings On Iraq Was The Iraq War About Oil?)

 

Oct 13 Report some politicians worried about PM Maliki’s concentration of power over ISF Dec 08

arrested 23 high ranking Interior Min officials Sep 09 fired several police generals Put Dawa member in charge of Natl Sec Min Appointed officers in army Worried that these were moves to strengthen his position before elections

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)

Oct 13 Report UN found 100,000 fled homes in KRG due to drought that lasted 4 yrs

 

Oct 14 Report Oil Min Shahristani said oil companies had to hire Iraqis for 85% of jobs Said Iraq

didn’t have qualified personnel so corporations had to create schools to train them Oil industry suffered from corruption No oil law Lack of infrastructure Concerns over contracts UN audit found North Oil Company couldn’t account for 698,000 bar of oil which were probably stolen Oil Min inspector general found rampant oil theft Only 17 of Iraq’s 80 oil fields producing Oil Min said it needed $50 bil to reach 6 mil/bar/day in production by 2017

Oct 14 Report Iraq reduced taxes on oil companies Made them more likely to agree to Iraq’s oil deal

terms Before companies were to pay 35% tax on profits and money they received to cover their costs Now only taxed on fee for increased production BP and CNPC were only companies to win contracts in 1st bids for oil fields

Oct 14 Report Govt official said rainfall down 40% and Turkish dams cut water levels on Euphrates

and Tigris by 60% 1 MP said Iraq reaching disaster conditions Water Resource Min said Iraq in 3rd yr of water shortages Blamed Syria Iran and Turkey plus lack of rain and snow Iraq held up economic agreement with Turkey until water resolved Turkey agreed to increase water down Euphrates MP said Turkey wanted cheap oil in return for water deal

Oct 14 Report Arabs proposed they get 44% of govt jobs in Kirkuk Kurds 32% Turkmen 22% Kurds

and Turkmen refused idea Groups couldn’t decide who would get dept heads

Oct 14 Human Rights Min report Counted 85,694 civilians and ISF members killed 147,195

wounded from 2004-Oct 08

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Ministry Counts 85,000 Dead From 2004-Oct 2008)

 

Oct 15 Sadrists held primary election meant to rally support for 09 provincial elections

(Musings On Iraq The Sadrist Primaries)

Oct 15 Ex-MP Dani arrested in Malaysia using fake passport Fled Iraq after accused of involvement

in bombing parliament’s cafeteria in 07 and murder of National Dialogue Front MP

Oct 15 2008 PM Maliki called for professionals to return to Iraq 1500 teachers and professors

returned Asked for jobs with Education Min Around 800 hired 200 didn’t get paid

 

Oct 16 PM Maliki speech said political corruption undermined Iraq Defense Min said all officials in

ministry barred from association with political parties to avoid corruption Maliki blocked corruption investigations Defense one of most corrupt in govt

(Musings On Iraq Corruption In Iraq An Interview With Stuart Bowen Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Trouble Fighting Corruption Interview With Vincent Foulk Former US Anti-Graft Official)

 

Oct 17 ISCI head Hakim said party no longer pushing southern federal region

 

Oct 20 Report Japanese consortium of Nippon Oil Inpex JGC Corporation signed contract for

Nasiriya oil field 2nd since 03

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Continued Attempts To Develop its Oil Industry)

(Musings On Iraq Was The Iraq War About Oil?)

 

Oct 21 Report Head of Election Comm charged with cheating in 2009 election Accused of changing

voter lists and helping certain parties Accused of stealing money

 

Oct 22 Report Interior Min intel head said ISF needed to be cleansed of criminals and militia Said

he fired 60,000 police in 2009 for criminal records 15,000 dismissed in 2008 1,500 police were hired in 2009 by political parties None were qualified Oct 09 Baghdad jewelry store robbed by police who killed 8 wounded 9

 

Oct 23 US hosted investment conference for Iraq Declined since 2006 Mostly gone to oil Iraq still

considered unsafe Bureaucracy hindered business Bad investment laws

 

Oct 25 ISI bombed Justice Ministry and Baghdad govt building 155 dead 271 wounded 2nd mass

casualty bombing by ISI in Baghdad in 2009

(Musings On Iraq Fall 09 When Maliki Blamed Islamic State Bombings In Baghdad On Baathists)

Oct 25 Iraq Communications and Media Comm gave satellite news channels 24 hrs to get license for

their trucks or be banned Was way to control media and extort money from them

 

Oct 27 Iyad Allawi announced he was joining with Salah al-Mutlaq and VP Hashemi to create Iraqi

National Movement for 2010 election

 

Oct 30 Iraq said Syria and Baathists behind Oct 25 bombings of Justice Min and provincial

council in Baghdad Was done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Returns To Blame Game Over Baghdad Bombings)

Oct 30 US govt report Attacks in Iraq down 85% from 2007-09 Went from 4064 attacks in Aug 07

            to 594 in Aug 09 ISF deaths down 79% Ethnosectarian deaths down 88%

Oct 30 US govt report Iraq ranked near bottom in every category of governance from

            accountability to political stability to effective govt rule of law corruption

 

Oct 31 Iraqiya list announced with Allawi and Mutlaq as co-heads Included VP Hashemi and Iraqi

Islamic Party Deputy PM Issawi Osama Nujafi List put together with help of Turkey and Saudi Arabia

 

Nov 1 Report Top positions in ISF like battalion commanders and squad leaders were up for sale for

thousands of dollars

Nov 1 US said Maysan main gateway for Iranian weapons into Iraq Militiamen still being trained in

Iran as well

(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) 

Nov 1 Date industry hadn’t recovered from 2003 invasion Lacked funding Mismanaged

Neglected Before 2003 Iraq produced 900,000 tons of dates/yr 2009 only produced 350,000 tons Quality declined President of date authority said industry had declined since 1960s Drought also a factor US and UAE tried to help business

 

Nov 2 Oil Min signed deal with Eni Occidental Petroleum and KOGAS for Zubayr oil field Eni said

it would invest $10 bil Oil Min Shahristani said he expected $35 bil Didn’t happen

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Moves Ahead With Oil Deals)

 

Nov 3 Intl Org for Migration report said 1.6 mil displaced since Feb 06 Samarra bombing 1.5 mil

refugees Baghdad Diyala Ninewa saw 90% of the displacement 58,000 returned since Feb 06

(Musings On Iraq Number of Displaced Returning Likely To Increase, Will Iraq Be Ready?)

(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)

(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)

 

Nov 4 BP and CNPC singed 20 yr deal to develop Rumaila oil field in Basra

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Moves Ahead With Oil Deals)

Nov 4 2 Hezbollah members captured in Baghdad Hezbollah used by Iran to support militias

(Musings On Iraq Iranian Parliamentary Speaker’s Visit Raises Questions About Tehran’s Influence In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)

Nov 4 Report Interior Min director for explosives said bomb detectors worked Claimed they were

responsible for drop in bombings in 2007 Director was later given 4 yrs in prison in 2012 for buying devices Nov 2009 Baghdad Ops Command still using devices

Nov 4 Speaker of Iran’s parliament Larijani arrived in Baghdad to try to pressure PM Maliki to

rejoin Shiite parties for 2010 election Didn’t work

Nov 4 Report Iraq bought 1500 bomb detectors for between $16,000-$60,000 each Oct 25 Baghdad

car bomb killed 155 went through at least 1 checkpoint with devices US general in charge of police training said didn’t believe in devices Head of Interior Min Gen Dir for Combating Explosives said devices worked Said they were responsible for drop in bombings in 07 Interior Min inspector gen said bought 2 batches of devices for $32 mil and then $53 mil Nov 09 Baghdad Ops Command said bought 100 more devices Devices had no power source Users told to walk in circles to create static power for devices

Nov 4 Report Some members of State of Law talked about ending ethnosectarian quotas in govt and

creating majority govt PM Maliki called for majority govt in 2008 Also wanted to increase power of PM

 

Nov 5 Oil Min signed deal with Exxon and Shell to develop West Qurna 1 field in Basra Won

auction in Jun 09

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Moves Ahead With Oil Deals)

Nov 5 Report Major oil companies agreed to low compensation terms with Iraq because of huge

reserves in country Iraq would later have problems paying those terms and would be major reason why western companies would leave country

Nov 5 Report US spent reconstruction money to promote Anbar Gov Fahadawi in financial

magazine run by Financial Times

Nov 5 Communications Min said media would have to pay new $5000 license fee Some thought

part of crackdown on media after reported on major insurgent attacks Violence damaged PM Maliki’s image before election NINA reporters attacked by soldiers when tried to report on bombing in Baghdad Reporters from Al Sumaria threatened by soldiers when looking into attack in Ramadi Interior Min ordered all ministries and depts to boycott Al-Sharqiya TV for being anti-govt

 

Nov 6 Parliament increased their salaries and pensions Gave their families passports and land

Increased staff to 30

 

Nov 8 Parliamentary election law passed expanding number of seats to 325

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Parliament Finally Does Its Job – Passes Election Law)

 

Nov 9 Sahwa leaders in Dora Baghdad and Baquba Diyala arrested Part of PM Maliki’s crackdown

on Sahwa

(Musings On Iraq Problems With Integrating Sons of Iraq Continue)

Nov 9 Report Talks between Iran-Iraq over water failed

 

Nov 10 Human Rights Watch report After 03 Kurds kicked out Arabs around Mosul Helped lead

to insurgency in Ninewa Insurgents targeted Christians Yazidis Shabaks Oct 08 insurgents tried to drive Christians out of Mosul 40 killed 12,000 fled Kurds tried to co-opt Ninewa minorities via patronage intimidation threats attacks

(Musings On Iraq Human Rights Watch: Ninewa’s Minorities Under Pressure From Both Sunni Insurgents and Kurds)

(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)

Nov 10 Sahwa leader in Baghdad arrested for killing 5 ISI members in 2007 Was planning on

running in 2010 elections

 

Nov 11 Guardian paper fined £52,000 in Iraqi court for Apr 09 article saying PM Maliki was

acting like an autocrat

Nov 11 KRG Pres Barzani gave speech to European parliament Said Oil Min failed so KRG didn’t

have to follow it Said KRG would not share its oil revenues with Baghdad Claimed KRG could produce 100,000 bar/day of oil now and that could rise to 1 mil/bar/day by end of 2011 KRG never reached those levels

(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)

Nov 11 Qais Khazali’s deputy Akram al-Kaabi said after Battle of Najaf Khazali decided to create a

new group Asaib Ahl Al-Haq

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

 

Nov 12 PM Maliki told sheikhs in Sadr City that enemies of Iraq were going to use 2010 elections

to undermine country

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Returns to Sectarian Politics)

Nov 12 Report Official in president’s office said president and VPs got $160,000/mo for expenses

President got $8,000/mo salaries and $45,000 in allowances

 

Nov 13 US Embassy memo Said objective of US should be to provide alternatives to Iraqi

govt that would gradually counter Iranian influence Said Iran paying $100-$200 mil/yr to its allies in Iraq $70 mil/yr went to ISCI/Badr

 

Nov 15 PM Maliki said that Baathists would use 2010 elections to return to power but he would

never let that happen Maliki had been emphasizing Baathist threat since Aug Baghdad bombings which were actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Returns to Sectarian Politics)

Nov 15 Soldiers arrested 6 in Abu Ghraib Baghdad Found shot in the head in field 7 other bodies

found from same area

 

Nov 16 PM Maliki said Baathists would not be allowed to run in 2010 elections Maliki had been

emphasizing Baathist threat since Aug Baghdad bombings which were actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Returns to Sectarian Politics)

Nov 16 NY Times editorial by US economist Gunter said unemployment in Iraq 17.3%

Underemployment 29.4% for total 46.7% Men aged 15-29 yrs had unemployment rate of 28% Problem was govt couldn’t employ young population and private sector to small to contribute Warned could lead to social unrest

(Musings On Iraq Former US Economic Adviser Warns Of Impending Jobs Crisis In Iraq)

Nov 16 Report 2 state run banks dominated industry Controlled 86% of banking assets Credit from

private banks jumped 80% in last yr Western banks still scared by lack of security in Iraq Most banks only gave 2 yr loans because afraid of risks

 

Nov 17 Transparency Intl ranked Iraq 4th most corrupt country in world Was #3 in 2008

(Musings On Iraq Iraq Moves Down List Of Most Corrupt In The World)

(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 17 Displaced families in Diyala protested against election law which said displaced could

only vote in their home provinces Threatened a boycott

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Displaced Forgotten In Debate Over Election Law)

Nov 17 CEO of Total said Iraq claims that it could reach 10-12 mil/bar/day in oil production after it

signed deals with intl companies “crazy” Said potential for 7-8 mil/bar/day Iraq never reached either estimate 

Nov 17 Report Dams cut fresh water flowing into Shatt al-Arab in Basra Salt water levels rising

Destroyed farms Killed livestock Forced families to leave Basra Agriculture Dir said Al Faw peninsula a disaster area 2008 US study found salinity in Euphrates more than doubled since 1973 Iran began sending ships with fresh water to Basra

 

Nov 18 VP Hashemi vetoed parliamentary election law saying it would reduce Sunni seats

Kurdish Alliance State of Law ISCI amended law to cut possible seats for Sunnis

(Musings On Iraq VP Hashemi Shoots Himself In The Foot With Veto Of Iraqi Election Law)

Nov 18 ISF arrested 73 IS suspects for Oct 25 Baghdad bombings Maliki govt claimed it was

Baathists

 

Nov 19 Report US cmdr Gen Odierno and Amb Hill met with Quds Force cmdr Gen Suleimani in Sep

at Pres Talabani’s office in Baghdad Talked about security as US withdrew Warned Iran not to interfere

 

Nov 20 ISCI head Hakim said Baathists should be able to take part in Iraqi politics if didn’t have

blood on their hands Was counter to PM Maliki increasingly talking about Baathist threat before 2010 elections

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Returns to Sectarian Politics)

Nov 20 Fadhil Baghdad Sahwa head Mashhadani sentenced to death for murder during civil war

Part of PM Maliki’s crackdown on Sahwa

(Musings On Iraq Fadhil Sons of Iraq Leader Sentenced To Death)

 

Nov 21 Report on failed US funded reconstruction projects $270 mil water plant in Nasiriya only

worked at limited capacity because too sophisticated for Iraqi workers $4 mil maternity hospital in Hilla didn’t have staff or enough supplies Iraqis never trained on equipment US installed $98 mil wastewater treatment plant in Fallujah only reached 1/3 of homes because govt doesn't deliver fuel $7.9 mil hospital in Baghdad didn’t have staff or supplies so it was closed $165 mil Basra Children’s Hospital was $115 mil over budget

(Musings On Iraq More On Wasted Reconstruction Projects In Iraq) 

(Musings On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)

Nov 21 Report Oxfam found 90% of Iraq’s 180 hospitals didn’t have basic supplies

 

Nov 22 Baghdad aired video confession of 3 men claiming they were Baathists behind Oct 09

Baghdad bombings Was actually done by ISI

(Musings On Iraq Maliki Returns to Sectarian Politics)

Nov 22 Report police brigade in Diyala Had 130 HUMVEES Needed 650 Didn’t have enough radios

or ammo Given mortars with no ammo Problem was with Interior Min

 

Nov 23 ISF arrested 2nd Dep Gov of Diyala from Accordance Front Report that PM Maliki made

arrest to force Accordance Front to stop investigation into Maliki and Oil Ministry

 

Nov 24 UK started Chilcot Inquiry into causes of Iraq War Sir Patey head of Foreign Office’s

Middle East Dept said Feb 01 heard US officials pushing for regime change in Iraq Def Min Dir Gen of Ops Webb discussed regime change with US officials but didn’t think it was serious Head of Joint Intel Comm Ricketts said some US officials believed Al Qaeda and Iraq linked Rickets didn’t believe there was any Rickets believed Iraq was trying to revive its WMD and missile programs in early 2000s

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

Nov 24 Report Govt workers in Baghdad created fake workers and pocketed $20 mil in salaries

Nov 24 Report US and UK officers differed in tactics in Iraq 2004 US wanted British to confront

militias in Basra UK wanted talks UK ended up giving Basra to militias

 

Nov 25 Sir William Ehrman director of international security at Foreign Office testified to Chilcot

Inquiry Said British intel on Iraq WMD was spotty before the invasion No strong evidence of Iraq-Al Qaeda relationships

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

Nov 25 Tim Dowse head of counterproliferation at Foreign Office testified to Chilcot Inquiry that

no evidence Iraq was going to give its WMD to terrorists No evidence of relationship with Al Qaeda Said Saddam didn’t want to associate with it Thought Iraq’s nuke program dismantled by inspectors in 90s

Nov 25 England got intel report that Iraq’s chemical weapons had been dismantled Dismissed

because British thought Iraq was lying and hiding its WMD

 

Nov 26 Former UK Amb to US Meyer testified to Chilcot Inquiry Said US decided on Iraq war

before UN weapons inspectors returned in Nov 02 Said US already had invasion plan with war starting Jan 03 which was pushed back to March Meyer said UN inspectors had no time to finish their work US and UK only wanted a smoking gun to justify war Meyer said hours after 9/11 Natl Sec Adv Rice said she believed Al Qaeda behind 9/11 but she was looking into Iraq role

(Musings On Iraq Former British Diplomat Confirms that U.N. Inspectors Were Means To War With Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

 

Nov 28 Report People in Basra complained that Mahdi Army returned to city Went after Iraqis that

worked with UK 2 alcohol stores attacked Minorities also reported attacks for not following Islamic rules ISF said no problem with militia

 

Nov 29 Chilcot Inquiry Letter from Attny Gen Lord Goldsmith to PM Blairn Jul 02 that invasion of

Iraq would be illegal UN only allowed self-defense and UK couldn’t use previous UN resolutions Goldsmith threatened to resign because Blair didn’t listen to him

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

 

Dec 1 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq ended talks with PM Maliki over running in 2010 elections because

leader Qais Khazali not released

(Musings On Iraq League Of Righteous Breaks Off talks With Baghdad)

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Dec 1 Chilcot Inquiry Head of UK MidEast Dept Foreign Office Chaplin said US believed

everything would be fine in Iraq after invasion Wanted to give power to exiles like Chalabi UK warned US Chalabi had little standing Disappointed US didn’t do more postwar planning

Dec 1 Report Oil companies accepted Oil Min terms after auctions for fields even though didn’t

offer much profit Hoped that they would get better terms later on Many Western majors would later leave Iraq over this issue

 

Dec 3 Adm Boyce chief of defense staff 2001-03 testified to Chilcot Inquiry Said Def Sec Rumsfeld

told him all the talk at the UN was just alk and US and UK would go to war with Iraq Told by Def Sec Hoon military couldn’t make any preparations other than planning for Iraq war until Nov 02 because afraid of public reaction Meant many British units not ready for Iraq invasion Said US and UK failed to plan for postwar Iraq Said US didn’t want to do peacekeeping Rumsfeld wanted withdrawal after invasion Dep of Intl Development sent officials to Iraq but were ordered by Min Short to do nothing

 

Dec 4 Activist shot and wounded in Sulaymaniya Gorran claimed incident was start of attacks upon

followers by PUK

 

Dec 5 Parliament’s integrity comm said political parties were interfering in case of Trade Min

Sudani tried to delay investigation Said Maliki’s office directly involved $4-$8 bil missing from ministry Bought expired food and charged Ministry full price Bought food and kept it for themselves to sell on black market Bought goods for double the prices Sudani signed contract with company owned by his son for $50 mil of old tea that was only worth $20 mil Bought contaminated milk from China Found $8 mil in expired food in warehouse Sudani’s brother and nephew got $40 in kickbacks from every ton of sugar imported by ministry Sudani used some of money to fund PM Maliki’s State of Law in 2009-10 elections

(Musings On Iraq Half Of Corruption Cases Against Iraq’s Former Trade Minister Dropped)

(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)

 

Dec 7 Chilcot Inquiry Gen Cross told PM Blair in March 03 Iraq invasion should be postponed due

to lack of postwar plans Cross singled out Intl Dev Min Short for not allowing her ministry to work on postwar plans

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

Dec 7 Chilcot Inquiry Edward Chaplin ex-UK Amb to Iraq 2004 Said Southern Iraq never got much

reconstruction money Said south felt neglected just like under Saddam Thought US ignored south because was secure

Dec 7 Ghabban adv to PM Maliki and fmr Oil Min said 6 mil/bar/day in oil production by 2015-16

was realistic Didn’t believe Iraq could reach 10-12 mil/bar/day by 2017 which was claimed in 09 after signed deal with major oil companies Iraq didn’t reach either mark

 

Dec 8 ISI set off 4 car bombs hit Finance Justice Foreign Ministries in Baghdad killing

127 wounded 448 3rd mass casualty bombing in Baghdad US and Interior Min warned Baghdad Ops Cmd in morning of an impending car bomb PM Maliki blamed Baathists and Syria

(Musings On Iraq Terrorists Strike Baghdad With Massive Bombings For Third Time)

(Musings On Iraq Islamist Terrorists Return To Sectarian Attacks)

(Musings On Iraq Incompetence Of the Iraqi Security Forces Before the December 8 Baghdad Bombings?)

Dec 8 PM Maliki dismissed Baghdad security chief Gen Qanbar and called for Interior Min Bolani

to resign after Baghdad bombings Dawa tried to blame Bolani for attacks

(Musings On Iraq Baghdad Bombings Set Off Political Bickering Amongst Iraqi Elites)

Dec 8 Parliament demanded to question Interior Defense National Security ministers head of Iraqi

intelligence head of Baghdad Ops Cmd and PM Maliki over Baghdad Maliki refused saying would only help his enemies

Dec 8 Chilcot Inquiry MI6 analyst Hollow said claim Iraq could launch WMD in 45 min came from

Iraqi officer that heard it from a taxi cab driver Said MI6 had questions about info used in Sep 03 dossier on Iraq’s WMD but Downing St pushed for it to be used

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

Dec 8 Chilcot Inquiry UK Joint Intel Com chief Scarlett said Iraq had no missiles that could reach

Israel and none that could carry WMD as Blair govt claimed He rejected claim Iraq could launched WMD in 45 mins

Dec 8 Chilcot Inquiry Sir Ehrman fmr dir intl sec at Foreign Office said intel on Iraq WMD always

questionable UK thought Iraq still working on WMD in 2002 but intel was poor

 

Dec 9 Chilcot Inquiry Sir Meyer UK Amb to US Said timetable for invasion decided before UN

inspectors went to Iraq Meant impossible to finish inspections before US would demand war Said US military told to be ready to invade Iraq by Jan 03

Dec 9 Chilcot Inquiry Gen Viggers Sr UK military rep in Iraq 03 Said UK didn’t’ know much about

Iraq before invasion Hadn’t done research Said only planned for humanitarian crisis Speed of invasion caught Coalition by surprise Said no sense of direction for occupation

 

Dec 11 Oil Min started second auction for international energy companies to invest in oil fields 3

bids accepted

(Musings On Iraq First Day Of New Bidding Round On Iraqi Oil Fields)

(Musings On Iraq 2nd Round of Bidding On Iraq’s Oil Fields Ends As A Success)

 

Dec 12 Iraq ended 2nd auction for international energy companies to invest in oil fields 4 more

bids accepted for total of 7 Oil Min Shahristani claimed Iraq could reach 12 mil/bar/day in capacity in 6 yrs Would only reach a quarter of that mark

(Musings On Iraq Will New Oil Deals Provide Jobs For Iraqis?)

(Musings On Iraq 2nd Round of Bidding On Iraq’s Oil Fields Ends As A Success)

(Musings On Iraq Analysts Say Impossible For Iraq To Reach Oil Production Goals)

Dec 12 Blair said he would still have removed Saddam without WMD and that

            Saddam was a threat to world no matter what

(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)

(Musings On Iraq Hans Blix Replies To Tony Blair)

Dec 12 Maliki questioned by parliament over Baghdad bombings starting in August

            MPs complained about lack of coordination by ISF

Dec 12 Gorran member assassinated and another shot both in Sulaymaniya

 

Dec 14 Fmr head UN weapons inspector Hans Blix replied to Tony Blair interview where he said

he would have invaded Iraq without WMD because Saddam was a threat Blix said UK was more interesting in invading Iraq than disarming it

(Musings On Iraq Hangs Blix Replies To Tony Blair)

Dec 14 US Embassy report Iraqi National Alliance formed by Iran to help ISCI in 2010 election

Badr still close and working with Iran Najaf police chief Badr member working with Iran Tehran still assassinating Iraqi pilots from Iran-Iraq War 180 killed so far Ayatollah Sistani didn’t allow some Iranian students to enroll in his seminar fearing spies

(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Shiite Parties Unite To Sideline Allawi, Up Next Maliki)

 

Dec 15 UN report during 2009 elections candidates attacked in Babil Baghdad Diyala Ninewa 6

killed

 

Dec 17 Dep PM Shahristani accused KRG of smuggling 75,000 bar/day of oil KRG said it was

exporting 175,000 bar/day for Baghdad but was only exporting 100,000 bar/day

 

Dec 18 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq issued fatwa on Syria War saying it wasn’t about defending Sayid

Zeinab shrine but fighting infidels and defending Islam

(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)

Dec 18 Iranian soldiers occupied Well No 4 in Fauqi oil field in Maysan Foreign Min said Iran and

Iraq would talk about border soon

(Musings On Iraq Disputed Oil Field Leads To Flare Up Between Iraq And Iran)

(Musings On Iraq More Questions Than Answers On Iran-Iraq Oil Field Dispute)

 

Dec 20 Iran said it withdrew its troops from Well No 4 in Fauqi oil field in Maysan it occupied 2

days later but Iraqis said they were still on Iraqi territory

(Musings On Iraq More Questions Than Answers On Iran-Iraq Oil Field Dispute)

(Musings On Iraq Disputed Oil Field Leads To Flare Up Between Iraq And Iran)

Dec 20 Fmr dep Transportation Minister got 8 years in jail for taking bribe

(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)

 

Dec 22 Report Finance Min blocked govt from opening bank accounts with private banks Govt was

supposed to be supporting private banks but in practice wasn’t

Dec 22 Report PM Maliki met with Pres Mubarak in Egypt Asked him to be mediator between Iraq

and Saudi Arabia King Abdullah refused to meet with Maliki claiming he had shut Sunnis out of govt Saudis rejected Shiite rule in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)

 

Dec 23 Protest in Pirmargrun Sulaymaniya turned into a riot after mayor said population didn't

appreciate his improvements to the community People complained about corruption and lack of services Asayesh and riot police called out

(Musings On Iraq Anti-Government Protests In Both Southern and Northern Iraq)

Dec 23 Protests in Karbala and Anbar against Iranian troops occupying Well No 4 in Fauqi oil

field in Maysan

(Musings On Iraq More Questions Than Answers On Iran-Iraq Oil Field Dispute)

Dec 23 Chilcot Inquiry Gen Viggers UK military representative in Baghdad said UK had no idea

what Iraq was like before invasion Said didn’t do much planning or research Sir Ricketts UK Foreign Office official said US thought Iraq would be fine after invasion Had no real postwar plan Led UK to create its own planning group but did little Dept of Intl Dev against war so didn’t do planning After invasion Blair govt didn’t hold any meetings on postwar Iraq Sir Sheinwald Blair’s foreign policy advisers said UK had no plans for Basra and didn’t want to control it 3 UK officials said CPA and Bush Admin didn’t listen to its suggestions

Dec 23 Report 2008 Integrity Comm only made 97 convictions for corruption 135 cases were

stopped by senior officials with Oil Ministry stopping the most 1,552 cases dropped because of amnesty law

(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)

Dec 23 Pres Talabani told US officials he believed Saudis were blocking Iraq’s outreach to Arab

world

(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)

Dec 23 Report ISI conducted 3 massive bombings in Baghdad on 8/19/09 10/25/09 12/8/09 Deadliest

since 2007 Killed 362 Wounded over 1233 ISI wanted to destabilize Iraq and rally Sunnis behind it

Dec 23 Pres Talabani told US officials that Saudis were blocking Iraq’s outreach to Arab world

 

Dec 24 2nd day of protests in Pirmargrun Sulaymaniya over mayor and lack of services PUK

guards broke up demonstration using gunfire

(Musings On Iraq Anti-Government Protests In Both Southern and Northern Iraq)

Dec 24 3 senior officials in Trade Min given short jail terms of 1-2 yrs for embezzling millions of

dollars from food ration system

(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)

 

Dec 26 Pilgrims to Karbala launched protest against PM Maliki over corruption and Iranians

stealing oil

(Musings On Iraq Anti-Government Protests In Both Southern and Northern Iraq)

Dec 26 Report Maliki govt was to integrate all sahwa by end of 2009 Delayed until after March

2010 election Never happened

 

Dec 27 Barzani held meeting to create Peshmerga Ministry in attempt to unify KDP and PUK’s

forces Never fully integrated

(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Divided Kurds, Political Divisions Amongst The Peshmerga Interview With Wladimir van Wilgenburg)

Dec 27 Dep US Cmdr in Iraq said govt integration of Sahwa would have to wait until after 2010

elections Maliki govt originally agreed to integrate them by end of 2009

(Musings On Iraq Integration Of Sons Of Iraq Delayed Until Mid-2010)

Dec 27 Some turned Ashura ceremony into protests against MP Maliki Accused him of corruption

 

Dec 30 British hostage Peter Moore released by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq in return for release of leader

Qais Khazali Moore and 4 bodyguards kidnapped from Finance Min in Baghdad in May 2007 Op planned by Iran’s Rev Guard Brits were held in Iran for most of 2 year captivity 4 bodyguards were killed

(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)

(Musings On Iraq Iranians Planned Kidnapping And Held British Captives Taken 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)

Dec 30 Report Asaib Ahl Al-Haq got US UK Maliki govt to agree to release its members in return for

releasing 5 Brits it kidnapped from Finance Min in 07 Aug US announced it would free all Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members it held After 300 released Asaib Ahl Al-haq returned body of Alec MacLachlan in Sep

Dec 30 2 suicide bombers hit provincial council building in Ramadi killing 27 and injuring 100

including Gov Fahadawi

(Musings On Iraq Voter Dissatisfaction Growing In Anbar?)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

Dec 30 US got charges dropped against Baiji refinery director Obaidi who was accused of corruption

by corrupt officials who were under investigation Week later Obaidi was charged again for supporting insurgency by same corrupt officials 

Dec 30 Change MP had office burned down likely by PUK

 

Dec 31 US military report Rockets fired at Green Zone Kataib Hezbollah carrying out around 2

rocket attacks per month upon Green Zone

 

 

 

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Review The Ins & Outs Of Mesopotamia

Lyell, Thomas, The Ins & Outs Of Mesopotamia , Washington DC: Westphalia Press, 2016   Thomas Lyell was a magistrate during the Brit...