Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices of Iraqi Refugees
Musings On Iraq review Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar
Musings On Iraq review Duty, Memoirs Of A Secretary At War
Musings On Iraq review Fallujah Redux, The Anbar Awakening and the Struggle With Al-Qaeda
Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008
Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State
Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance
Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism
Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy
Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement
Musings On Iraq review The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda
Musings On Iraq review Night Draws Near, Iraq’s People In The Shadow Of America’s War
Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Patriotic Ayatollahs, Nationalism In Post-Saddam Iraq
Musings On Iraq review The Prisoner in His Palace, Saddam Hussein, His American Guards and What History Leaves Unsaid
Musings On Iraq review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary
Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar
Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq
Musings On Iraq review The Struggle For Iraq, A View from the Ground Up
Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War
Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006
Musings On Iraq review The Unraveling, High Hopes And Missed Opportunity In Iraq
Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009
Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008
Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception
Musings On Iraq interview with Reuters’ Parker on Maliki’s biography
Musings On Iraq interview with Inside Iraqi Politics’ Sowell on whether Maliki became a dictator
Musings On Iraq interview with Historian Phebe Marr comparing PM Maliki with MP Said
Musings On Iraq Argument for Maliki Being Iraq’s Next Strongman
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi
Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition
2006
Apr 21 United Iraqi Alliance nominated Dawa’s Nouri al-Maliki as new PM Mahmoud
Mashadani of Accordance Front would become Speaker of Parliament
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Apr 22 Pres Talabani asked Maliki to form a new govt
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Apr 22 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey’s intel dir told him violence had shifted from Sunnis attempting to derail
politics and fight occupation to competition between sectarian groups for power
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
Apr 24 Zarqawi released video portraying himself as military commander in Iraq
Apr 24 Fmr CIA officer Drumheller said Iraq war was a policy failure by White House not intel one Said
Bush committed to war no matter what the intel Part of Washington political battle over faulty pre-war Iraq intel with White House and CIA blaming each other
Apr 24 Sunni politicians accused ISCI of taking over Interior Min and staffing it with Badr militiamen
and killing civilians
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Apr 24 Iraqiya MP said new Maliki govt wasn't national unity one but just Shiite
Kurdish and Sunni parties dividing up ministries
Apr 24 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey said fighting in Iraq about competition for political and economic power
instead of fighting US
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Apr 25 Ret Gen McCaffrey wrote memo for US Military Academy after trip to Iraq Said that Iraqi army
was making real progress but was badly equipped lacking armor air support etc Iraqi police heavily infiltrated by insurgents and militias Said that Al Qeada in Iraq had been defeated as a strategic threat to the Iraqi govt
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Apr 26 Maliki told Rice and Rumsfeld he was going to fight terrorism improve services
clean up police
Apr 26 Barham Salah said Maliki was step towards reconciliation
Apr 26 Amb Khalilzad took credit for creating new coalition that appointed Maliki
premier
Apr 28 New US military campaign plan issued continuing with withdrawal Said violence had shifted from
fighting US to sectarian conflict Acknowledged 2005 elections didn’t lead to reconciliation but division
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 19 The Iraqi Civil War Comes Into The Open, January-June 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Apr 30 Former Secretary of State Powell told British TV he advised CENTCOM
commander Gen Franks US needed more troops before invasion but advise ignored
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Apr 30 Pres Talabani said 7 insurgent groups might be able to be talked into joining
political process
Apr 30 US Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction report said attacks still
retarding rebuilding projects but real progress being made Said that attacks on
infrastructure down 60%
Apr 30 Audit found effort to protect power and oil infrastructure largely failed
Questioned 2 foreign security companies contracted to train guards
Apr 30 Class of new police recruits from Fallujah graduated Told they would serve outside
Anbar 600 refused to do so
May 1 Sen Biden and Council on Foreign Relations head Gelb published OpEd arguing for
federalism in Iraq based upon Sunnis Shiia Kurds regions
May 1 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Def Sec Rumsfeld formation of Maliki govt and continued
development of ISF meant US could continue with withdrawal
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
May 4 Zarqawi gave presentation saying Al Qaeda in Iraq needed to expand its base
from Anbar into Salahaddin and Diyala Said Ramadi was to be named capital of emirate
May 4 Fmr CIA National Intelligence Officer Pillar said that Bush admin manipulated
evidence to tie Iraq to Al Qaeda before invasion Part of CIA vs White House blame game against each other over prewar intel failure
May 5 Report 2004-05 MP Jabouri stole millions from tribal protection force for pipelines in Salahaddin
Made up 200-300 fake names Took first month’s salary for force Company owned by his son contracted to feed force Stole 4/5 of the money
May 6 British helicopter shot down over Basra killing 5 soldiers When British moved to
secure wreckage were attacked by 300 from Mahdi Army
May 7 New KRG government formed unifying KDP and PUK administrations after they
split during 90s civil war Massoud Barzani president Nechirvan Barzani premier
May 8 CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid sent memo to Def Sec Rumsfeld Said Iran’s Quds Force gave
military aid to militias who were attacking US forces Included EFPs Abizaid wanted complaint sent to Iran warning that US would do something in response No specifics on what
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
May 9 Soldiers from 101st Airborne Div executed 3 prisoners in Salahaddin Cmdr told unit all Iraqi men
were enemies and could be killed without identifying whether they were a threat or not
May 10 Several insurgent groups gave demands to US military Included unity of Iraq Cancellation of
Transitional Admin Law Holding new elections Purging army Recalling Saddam era officers
May 12 Bush invited 10 former Secretaries of State and Defense to ask them opinions
about Iraq war
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
May 13 US military report US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey Said Iran providing weapons safe haven to militias
(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 17 US commander in Iraq Gen Casey told NSC sectarian violence up in Iraq New
Baghdad security plan not working Casey told Bush Iran providing more EFPs to attack US forces
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
May 20 1st Maliki cabinet approved but with no Interior Defense or National Security Ministers Interior
Minister Jabr switched to Finance Minister because he allowed his Badr Brigade to take over Interior and its police under Jaafari govt
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
May 20 Maliki laid out 33 point program with terrorism fighting corruption and services top 3
May 20 Defense Min adviser said violence so bad in Basra murders were running free
May 20 Insurgent detainee said he knew Al Qaeda in Iraq head Zarqawi’s spiritual advisor Sheikh al-
Rahman Would help lead to death of Zarqawi
May 21 Report Iran thought to have trained 40,000 militia in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
May 21 Report US failed to adequately plan to rebuild Iraqi police After invasion went
through 3 failed plans By 2004 only sent 500 police advisers for all of Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Col Ted Spain on how US struggled to establish law and order in post-invasion Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
May 22 Bush said Iraq at a turning point and heading in right direction towards democracy
Said Maliki govt turning point for Middle East
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Future The aftermath of regime change)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
May 22 Report US failure to adequately plan for Iraqi police led to militia and criminal take
over 2004 US military took over police training and still inadequate Gen Eaton put in charge of effort in March 2004 and his budget was cut 20% Said that showed not priority in Washington Summer 2005 Gen Petraeus took over program and claimed he began meaningful reforms Audit found 5,000 Iraqi police had criminal records including taking part in insurgency Pre-war Bush admin thought Iraqi police not an issue and rejected Justice Dept plan to use 1000s of police advisers US initially hoped Basra police would be early success because back on duty in 03 and no insurgency but quickly taken over by gangs political parties militias Politicians appointed police chiefs in Basra who hired friends relatives tribesmen Came to be dominated by Badr and Mahdi Army Basra police carrying out sectarian violence and enforcing religious rules of militias Demanding kickbacks to join force Helping smugglers Summer 05 Basra police chief Gen Sawadi said he didn’t trust his own force and couldn’t control them Interior Ministry tried to reform Basra police but failed Started with Internal Affairs which turned into crime ring Trials failed against corrupt officers British Gen Mackay warned that unless Coalition regulated Iraqi police commandos they would become personal army for Interior Ministry Former Interior Minister Nakib warned Rumsfeld in April 2005 that Shiite parties were going to take over commandos with their militias Former Interior Minister Jabr denied any abuses by police and blamed other ministries Jabr let his Badr Brigade take over police and commandos US military played down sectarian killings and abuses by commandos
(Musings On Iraq interview with Col Ted Spain on how US struggled to establish law and order in post-invasion Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
May 22 Report corruption endemic in Iraq Transportation Min bought 2 planes for $3 mil each that
should have been less than $1 mil Defense Min made $1 bil in questionable arms purchases Interior Min had at least 1100 ghost employees costing $1.3 mil a month Of 3000 corruption cases only 780 went to court only few dozen got verdict Of 40 corruption cases against high ranking Iraqi officials only 1 got verdict for Interior Ministry official
(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 24 Joint Chiefs intel report said insurgency enduring despite political progress and
growth of ISF Said violence would increase into 2007
May 24 Report police and army full of militias insurgents and criminals carrying out abuses and
sectarian violence US officials and military apologized for former Interior Minister Jabr from ISCI and Badr saying they weren’t responsible for police abuses
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
May 24 Maliki said he wanted to reign in militias and demobilize them Went to Najaf to try
to get Ayatollah Sistani to make statements against militias
May 24 Iraqi Army’s 16th Brigade in charge of Dora south Baghdad ran death squads and
assassinations in conjunction with insurgents Killed its own commander
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
May 24 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey asked staff to see whether Iranian Rev Guard could be declared a hostile
force
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
May 26 Pentagon report to Congress on Iraq said insurgency had not started civil war
Said violence only in 4 provinces Said insurgency would decline in early 2007
May 26 Sec State Rice said 48 US govt workers signed up to work in Iraq Gen Casey said not
enough Rice told him he was out of line Def Sec Rumsfeld said Rice violated the chain of command and should not scold one of his generals
May 26 Report Maliki wanted to increase number of Iraqi forces from 250,000 to 325,000
by end of year Was trying to purge militias from Iraqi forces Maliki wanted Iraqi forces to control all of Iraq’s provinces except Baghdad and Anbar by end of 2006
May 27 US forces said they would hand over security of Baghdad to Iraqis by end of year Didn’t happen
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
May 30 Pentagon report to Congress said violence increased since 2004 from avg 400
attacks/wk spring 04 to 550 attacks/wk Aug 05-Feb 06 to 600 attacks/wk Feb-May 06
May 30 US-Iraqi team inspected 1st Natl Police Div Site 4 in Baghdad Found 1,845 prisoners who’d been
tortured and abused Juvenile prisoners used as sex slaves
May 31 Maliki declared one month state of emergency in Basra after 100 killed in
fighting between militias
Jun 3 Al Qaeda in Iraq kidnapped and killed 4 Russian diplomats in Iraq
Jun 5 Mass grave found with Shiite victims of 1991 uprising
(Musings On Iraq interview with National Univ of Singapore’s Fanar Haddad on the Impact of the 1991 Uprising)
Jun 5 State Dept paper said new Maliki govt ill prepared to rule No experience
Jun 5 State Dept paper argued for limited counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq with
limited troop increase
Jun 6 Interior Defense and National Security Ministers named in Maliki govt 6th months
after national elections
Jun 6 Report Oil industry under attack Pipelines and refineries hit Oil smuggling 1st attacks believed to
be done by insurgents Now gangs involved Tankers often work with gangs 30% of imported gas thought to be stolen Businesses and individuals sell fuel they get at subsidized prices on black market for profit Iraq imported large amount of fuel then sold it domestically at subsidized prices Oil Min said smuggling cost $2.5-$4 bil in 2005
Jun 7 Zarqawi killed by U.S. F-16 jet north of Baquba
Jun 8 Interior Defense and National Security Ministers named in Maliki govt 6th months
after national elections
Jun 10 Insurgents killed 60 police recruits in Ramadi U.S. forces cordoned off city and
1500 reinforcements sent
Jun 12 Health Dir for Diyala province kidnapped and believed killed by Mahdi Army
Jun 12 2 day meeting to review Iraq strategy started Iraq cmdr Gen Casey said conflict had switched from
insurgency against US to struggle for political and economic power amongst Iraqis Casey said longer US stayed the more dependent Iraqis would become so wanted to keep current strategy of transferring responsibilities to Iraqis so US could withdraw Frederick Kagan of Amer Enter Inst argued for a surge of troops Said ISF weren’t ready to take over security and ethnosectarian violence would continue Michael Vickers from Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments said US wasn’t going to defeat insurgency in next few yrs so US should take indirect approach Said 40,000 troops should be withdrawn and US shift to providing support to Iraqis
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Days Of Fire, Bush and Cheney in the White House)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Jun 12 After meeting Bush told advisers he believed turning over security to Iraqis not working
Jun 13 Bush made surprise visit to Baghdad told Maliki US stood behind him Meant 2 day meeting to
review Iraq strategy meaningless
Jun 13 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey told Bush US had to withdraw and make Iraqis take
more responsibility Bush did not agree but went along anyway
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Jun 13 New Al Qaeda in Iraq war leader al-Masri issued statement saying he would follow Zarqawi’s path
Continue attacking Shiites Still loyal to bin Laden
(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Jun 14 PM Maliki announced Op Together Forward to try to secure Baghdad and stop sectarian attacks
Failed Police involved in sectarian attacks and cleansing of Sunnis
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jun 14 Maliki said Sadr City and Shiite areas off limits to US forces
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Jun 14 After returning from Iraq Bush said inspired by meeting Maliki and US was
staying the course
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jun 14 Rumsfeld aide brought up Biden-Gelb idea of breaking up Iraq as possible exit
strategy for U.S.
Jun 15 Marine report murder of Iraqi civilians was covered up by unit and commanders
didn’t show any interest in investigating
Jun 16 Mujahedeen Shura Council kidnapped 3 US soldiers in Baghdad in revenge for
US troops raping Iraqi girl and killing her and her family Kidnapping derailed Iraq’s Operation Together Forward to secure Baghdad
Jun 16 Bush told Iraq Study Group PM Maliki was going to solve problems in Iraq and
Gen Casey had situation under control
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Jun 16 Battle of Ramadi began with setting up 2 combat outposts in southern section of
city
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Jun 19 Bodies of 2 US soldiers kidnapped by Mujahedeen Shura Council in Baghdad
found
Jun 20 Fmr head State Dept Intel Bureau Carl Ford said pre-Iraq war intel showed failure
of tradecraft and analysis of US intel US got reports of things like Iraq-Niger uranium story and aluminum tubes and failed to analyze and question them thoroughly
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
(Musings On Iraq How A Contested Aluminum Tubes Story Became The Basis For War With Iraq)
Jun 20 Fmr Dep Dir CIA McLaughlin said that Feith’s Counter Terror Group found lots of
Al Qaeda-Iraq meetings but no control or operational connections Thought Feith’s group was put together to counter CIA’s intel on Iraq-Al Qaeda
Jun 20 Fmr CIA bin Laden desk chief Scheuer said Iraq war devastated CIA’s counterterrorism office by
draining resources Said CIA didn’t see any threat from Iraq compare to Al Qaeda Said Deputy Secretary of Defense Feith’s office was set up to counter the CIA’s reporting no ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda Scheuer headed CIA’s report on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties and found no relationship
Jun 20 Michael Maloof who was on Pentagon’s Policy Counterterrorism Group interview aired on
Frontline said Al Qaeda’s Libi and INC reported Iraq provided training to Al Qaeda Feb 04 Libi recanted his story which was given under torture Claimed back in 1990 Ansar al-Islam was working on WMD in Kurdistan Ansar not created until 2002 Said Iraq supported Ansar al-Islam Was not true Said Iraq ran terrorist training camp in Salman Pak with a plane fuselage next to a WMD facility raising fears Iraq giving terrorists WMD Was no active WMD facility in Salman Pak but there was a terrorist camp Stories were spread by INC before war Said he believed 9/11 hijacker Atta met with Iraqi intel in Prague in 2001 and never disproven Dec 2001 Czech intel said Atta-Iraq intel story untrue CIA FBI 9/11 Commission never found evidence of meeting Claimed 2002 National Intelligence Estimate was attempt by CIA to win back debate on Iraq to WMD instead of terrorism Said didn’t know why the report was ever made Was written upon request from Congress on U.S. intelligence on WMD
(Musings On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy
Tragedy)
Jun 20 Gen DeLong Gen Frank’s deputy commader at CENTCOM said he believed Iraq
working with Ansar al-Islam and Al Qaeda in Kurdistan pre-invasion
Jun 21 Saddam’s lawyer kidnapped by men in police uniform and executed
Jun 21 Zalmay Khalilzad sworn in as new US ambassador to Iraq
Jun 21 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey told Joint Chiefs plan to transfer security to Iraqis in 18 months
except Anbar Wanted to draw down US brigades in Iraq from 15 to 10 by end of yr Told Joint Chiefs he wanted only 5-6 US brigades in Iraq by Dec 07
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Jun 22 US Cmdr in Iraq General Casey told press that Iran giving weapons and training to militias
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Jun 23 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey briefed Bush on withdrawal plan Bush approved
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Jun 24 US military noted Sunni citizens feared Interior Min Mahdi Army Badr death squads
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jun 25 PM Maliki announced national reconciliation program Included Reconciliation Council National
Dialogue Plan fighting terrorism Reviewing Debaathification Commission Amnesty for prisoners not involved in terrorism Compensation for terrorism and Saddam victims and IDPs Improving services Dealing with militias Fighting poverty and joblessness Nothing came of it
Jun 25 Health Ministry recorded over 50,000 Iraqi deaths since 2003 from terrorism and
military clashes
Jun 25 Report CIA officer Drumheller warned Agency before Bush’s Jan 03 State of the
Union and Powell’s Feb 03 UN speech not to use story Iraq had mobile WMD labs Drumheller warned that source of mobile labs story Iraqi named CURVEBALL held by Germans was unstable and story not verified Germans warned CIA that CURVEBALL was unreliable and refused to allow Agency access to him CIA Dir Tenet told Powell it had multiple sources confirming Iraq mobile lab story while preparing Powell’s UN speech but CURVEBALL was only real source Right before Powell’s speech CIA Dir called CIA officer to fact check speech Told Tenet not to use mobile labs claim
(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claim That Iraq Had WMD)
(Musings On Iraq Look Who The LA Times Dug Up – CURVEBALL)
(Musings On Iraq Story of CURVEBALL And Iraq’s Mobile Biological Weapons Labs)
(Musings On Iraq review Curveball, Spies, Lies, And The Con Man Who Caused A War)
Jun 26 Al Qaeda in Iraq robbed $7 mil from Rafidain bank branch in Ramadi
Jun 27 Under pressure Maliki revised amnesty offer made 2 days before to just those that
had not killed anyone
Jun 29 VP Cheney stood by his claim that the insurgency was in its “last throes” in 2005
Said people would look back at 2005 as a turning point in Iraq US underestimated the insurgency and that damage Saddam’s rule did to Iraq
Jun 29 US military said most captured foreign fighters in Iraq came from Egypt, Syria,
Sudan, Saudi Arabia in that order
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Jul 1 Truck bomb Sadr City killed 62 wounded 120
Jul 1 Sunni female parliamentarian and 8 bodyguards kidnapped in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 1 PM Maliki visited Saudi Arabia then went to UAE and Kuwait to try to re-integrate Iraq into Arab
world
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jul 2 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey extended tour of 172nd Stryker Brigade because
violence too high in Baghdad
Jul 3 US Baghdad command said Natl Police were serious problem in Op Together Forward II taking part
in sectarian violence and cleansing of Sunnis Said Wolf Brigade went through neighborhoods at night kidnapping and killing Sunnis Sometimes burned homes
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Jul 4 Bush told US troops they were winning war in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Jul 4 Abu Risha tribe in Ramadi district made first police recruiting drive
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq)
Jul 4 Gunmen kidnapped and released Electricity Minister
Jul 5 Saudi King Abdullah told US Amb to Iraq Khalilzad that if Saddam restored to power would return
civility Said there was currently no hope in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Jul 6 In coordinated attacks across central Iraq insurgents took down every power line to Baghdad Part
of campaign to deprive capital of electricity
Jul 7 Bush said Americans were wondering if US could win Iraq war Said US was
winning
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Jul 7 Integrity Commission head Radi said weak institutions and lack of punishment led to
uncontrolled corruption
Jul 7 Gen Casey given investigative report on Marines killing Iraqi civilians in Haditha
Jul 9 PM Maliki announced Op Together Forward 2 to try to secure Baghdad again Failed in days ISF
actively involved in sectarian civil war attacking Sunnis and allowed militias to expel Sunnis
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jul 9 Mahdi Army in Jihad Baghdad pulled Sunnis from cars attacked market invaded homes Killed at least
50 in retaliation for mosque being bombed day before
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 9 Dep PM Zobai accused Defense and Interior Ministries of working with militias to carry out attacks
Jul 9 Article on State Dept report on Interior Min Said corruption human rights abuses
sectarian violence connections to insurgents and militias undermined ministry
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Jul 9 US officials said Jadriya prison in Baghdad run by Mahmoud Waeli called Badr’s
intel head and renegade faction of Interior Ministry Wasn’t renegade
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Jul 9 Federal court charged 4 soldiers from 101st Airborne Div with rape and murder of 14 year old Iraqi
girl and killing 3 of her family members
(Musings On Iraq review Black Hearts, One Platoon’s Descent Into Madness In Iraq’s Triangle Of Death)
Jul 10 Retaliation for suicide bombing of mosque Mahdi Army set up checkpoint in Jihad Baghdad
Stopped Sunnis Put them on bus and executed at least 36 Attacked Sunni mosque in Amiriya
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 10 Mujahadeen Shura Council released video of 2 US soldiers it had kidnapped tortured murdered Said
retaliation for US soldiers raping and killing Iraqi girl in Mar 06
Jul 10 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey review of Op Together Forward Said Maliki govt didn’t comprehend
strategic planning Found violence down in areas US troops took lead but not where ISF took lead ISF not stopping death squads attacking Sunnis
Jul 11 Amb Khalilzad said hadn’t seen security improvement from Baghdad security plan
Op Together Forward yet
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Jul 11 Brookings’ Pollack told House committee not enough US and Iraqi forces to secure
Baghdad during Op Together Forward
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Jul 11 Islamic Army claimed responsibility for suicide bombing in Green Zone as revenge for US soldiers
raping and killing Iraqi girl in Mar 06
Jul 12 Militia abducted 20 people from bus station and executed them in Muqtadiya Diyala
Jul 13 For the first time in Iraq US military turned over security in a province to Iraqi forces
Happened in Muthanna
Jul 14 When asked was the US winning in Iraq US Army Chief of Staff Gen Schoomaker
told congressional aids U.S. wasn’t losing in Iraq Said war was getting more difficult and was more at start of conflict than end
Jul 16 UK Gen Fry wrote War on Terror and Iraq War in conflict Fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq alienating
Sunnis and rejection of politics and leading to more terrorism
Jul 16 Police kidnapped head of Olympic Committee and 35 staff members Was originally blamed upon
insurgents
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 17 Insurgents attacked market in Mahmudiya Baghdad Killed 70
Jul 17 SAS arrested Mahdi Army commander in Basra City
(Musings On Iraq review Task Force Black, The Explosive True Story Of The SAS And the Secret War In Iraq)
Jul 18 Ayatollah Sistani condemned violence in Iraq
Jul 18 Suicide bomber hit Kufa Najaf near Shiite shrine 45 killed 88 wounded
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Jul 18 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey emailed CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid and Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace
Said violence had shifted to Shiite groups attempting to gain control of Sunnis areas in Baghdad Basra Diyala Kirkuk Casey worried change in violence meant US wouldn’t be able to withdraw Casey said as long as US forces in Iraq would be no reconciliation
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Jul 19 Report Iraqi govt told civilians in Baghdad to check IDs of ISF to make sure they
were real not death squads or insurgents
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 19 NSC memo Maliki govt struggling to implement policy and deal with security Said Interior Min
making violence worse Called for review of US Iraq strategy Suggested troop increase might be necessary
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Jul 19 UK Intel report Violence more complex with multiple actors Violence spiraling out of control of
Iraqi govt Highest levels of violence since 2003 Insurgent commitment to violence unchanged
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.5 June 2006 To 27 June 2007)
Jul 20 Bush told violence moving from insurgency to sectarian Overwhelming evidence Maliki
govt ISF involved in sectarian violence
Jul 20 UK Amb to Iraq Patey said Coalition facing strategic failure in Iraq Civil war or division of Iraq
possible Happened despite political progress in Iraq but that also increased sectarian divisions UK needed to push Iraqi govt into lead and ensure it has monopoly of force
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.5 June 2006 To 27 June 2007)
Jul 21 Natl Sec Adv Hadley began review of Iraq strategy would take 6 months to complete
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Jul 21 Report sectarian cleansing going on in Baghdad’s Ghazilya and Sadiya neighborhoods
Sunni gunmen told Shiites to leave in Sadiya Inter Min police took away 10 Sunni men in Ghaziliya Bodies later found
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Jul 21 UK Gen Shireff wrote Maysan not as good as reported by UK officials Basra lacked security UK
had to win battle of Basra by defeating Mahdi Army and death squads
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
Jul 22 1st meeting of National Reconciliation committee with Pres Talabani PM Maliki Sunni and Shiite
officials Talked about amnesty law
Jul 22 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said Maliki took no responsibility for anything Trying to take control of
ISF Casey said Maliki blocked 5 ops in Sadr City to protect Mahdi Army Maliki gave him list of 10 Shiite notables that could not be touched by US Sadr and aides at top of list Said Maliki wanted militias to gain more control over Baghdad Said Shiite politicians not serious about limiting Mahdi Army or death squads Said US forces clearing areas in Baghdad but Iraqis couldn’t hold them said US had no political strategy for Iraq since Dec 05 elections
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Jul 22 US Iraq Amb Khalilzad said Sunnis and Shiite not accepted each other as equals
not willing to cooperate
Jul 22 National Security Adviser Hadley told Bush US had no security strategy for
Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 22 Natl Sec Adv Hadley submitted questions from his Iraq aides McGurk and O’Sullivan about Iraq strategy to US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey Casey resented questions from civilians and continued with his strategy
Jul 24 Report US 4th Div carried out mass incarcerations abused Iraqi prisoners while
stationed in Salahaddin 03-04
Jul 24 Report Inter Min fired all Anbar police during 2004 Battle of Fallujah and police
never rebuilt No police in Rutba Ana Haditha few in Rawa
Jul 24 City wide battle started between Al Qaeda in Iraq ISF and US forces in Ramadi with insurgents
beaten back
Jul 24 Karrada Baghdad attacked by insurgents and forced out most Shiites
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 25 Op River Falcon to secure Sayifiya south of Baghdad started
Jul 27 Iraq and UN announced International Compact to help develop country
Jul 27 UK Amb to Iraq Patey said that de facto division of Iraq and civil war more likely
than transition to democracy
Jul 27 Al Qaeda in Iraq leaders Abu Salih al-Saudi Abu Abdullah al-Saudi and 14 fighters killed in airstrike
north of Ramadi Disrupted group’s operations in Ramadi
Jul 31 Displacement Min said 182,154 had been displaced since Askari shrine bombing
in Feb 2006
Jul 31 Police in 15 SUVs kidnapped 25 people from Iraqi American Chamber of Commerce
and Rawi telephone company in central Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Jul 31 Iraqi Health Min and Baghdad Morgue reported avg 110 Iraqis killed per day in July Mostly at hands
of militias and death squads rather than insurgents
Aug 3 CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid told Senate Iraq could fall into civil war if
violence continued
Aug 3 Report outgoing UK Amb to Iraq said Iraq would be unstable for 5-10 yrs Said
Iraq could breakup along ethnosectarian lines Said had to stop Mahdi Army from becoming like Hezbollah
Aug 3 Inter Min Bolani said rogue elements within his ministry Told parliament new
uniforms and IDs would be made to distinguish between real and fake police Inter Min only ordered 25,000 new uniforms for force of 145,000 Bolani said he would root out corrupt police and those accused of torture and would show results by end of August
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Aug 3 Report some neighborhoods in Baghdad set up checkpoints and refused to allow
police in without US troops accompanying them
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 3 Report of 14,000 planned reconstruction projects in Iraq more than 500 had not
been started Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction said start of US
reconstruction effort was confused overwhelming lacked coordination and planning
Aug 4 Secretary of State Rice said US making progress Iraq strategy not failing US had
to stay the course Privately Rice thought strategy failing
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Aug 4 Sadr organized protest in Baghdad against US occupation
Aug 5 Secretary of State Rice told Bush Iraqis pulling their country apart
Aug 6 Report ISF not able to secure Baghdad and US doubling troops in city from 7200 to
14200 to help Iraqis
Aug 6 PM Maliki created committee to implement Article 140 of constitution that would hold
referendum on future of Kirkuk Never completed its work
Aug 7 US-Iraqi Op Together Forward II started to secure Sunni areas of Baghdad Only 2 of 6 Iraqi army
battalions deployed ISF took part in sectarian cleansing of Sunnis Op failed
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Aug 7 Bush said US had a strategy for Iraq Privately Bush thought wasn’t working
and wanted new one
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Aug 7 Iraq-US raid into Sadr City looking for Mahdi Army commander led to major gun battle Maliki
condemned raid Said wouldn’t happen again
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Aug 8 Meeting Marine Expeditionary Force I Cmdr Gen Zilmer Ramadi Cmdr Col
MacFarland and others Said Battle for Ramadi in trouble Outposts surrounded and forces largely consigned to protecting them rather than counterinsurgency operations
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Aug 10 US cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said more civilians killed by Shiite militias than
insurgents in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 12 Report audit of Iraq’s finances by Ernest & Young found system a wreck Iraqi ministries
and offices counted sums differently Put funds into wrong accounts Couldn’t accurately report how much oil exported
Aug 13 Bombing in Baghdad’s Zafaraniya set off gas explosion 58 killed 148 wounded
Aug 13 US forces raided Health Min run by Sadrists after report of kidnapping Health
Min went on strike to protest raid
Aug 13 Report June health director for Diyala called for meeting at Health Min and not
seen again Mahdi Army kidnapping people at Baghdad Morgue and taking them to Health Min
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 14 PM Maliki told US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey civil war was easier to deal with then Baathists who were
attempting to overthrow his govt
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Aug 14 US police training program offered plan to crack down on death squads and
kidnappings by Interior Min Each police battalion would be reviewed
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Aug 14 After threat by insurgents only around 100 of Fallujah’s 1700 police showed up to
duty
Aug 14 Protest in Basra over lack of electricity during summer heat Clashed with police
Aug 14 Zafaraniya Baghdad attacked by insurgents who forced out most Shiites
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 16 Report Mahdi Army and insurgents fighting for control of Diyala Raiding villages
and forcing people out Mahdi Army trying to drive Sunnis out of Khan Bani Said Set up checkpoints robbed trucks kidnapped and murdered people on highway Many soldiers in Diyala were members of the Mahdi Army Others supported the militia US didn’t trust Iraqi forces in Diyala because of militia infiltration
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
Aug 16 Followers of Mahmoud al-Hasani protested in Karbala Nasiriya Hillah against Iran
and claimed Ayatollah Sistani was Iranian puppet
Aug 16 Bani Assad tribe stormed Basra governor’s office accusing Fadhila party of assassinating head of
tribe
Aug 16 Pentagon review of Iraq war found US used too much force in civilian areas
angered Iraqis and didn’t form alliances with them Providing safety and security for Iraqis was not a priority
Aug 16 Marine intel report US not lost militarily but defeated politically in Anbar Cited
lack of US troops and no functioning Iraqi govt in province Said Al Qaeda in Iraq most powerful force in Anbar
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Aug 16 Report Bush told Middle East experts he did not support partition of Iraq Said he
would make no policy changes in war
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Aug 17 US Iraq cmdr in Gen Casey briefed Bush on Op Together Froward II Said Iraqis might not be up to
task of securing Baghdad VP Cheney asked if US should take bigger role instead of stepping back Bush asked if strategy was working Casey said yes and Def Sec Rumsfeld backed him Bush said if Iraqis couldn’t handle things US would
Aug 17 Bush held national security meeting to rethink Iraq strategy Bush told staff Iraq
Policy was going bad and he wanted a new one Would take 5 months
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Aug 17 US Marine report Starting Dec 05 Al Qaeda in Iraq started marginalizing and
co-opting other insurgent groups Was mad so many insurgents backed Dec 05 elections Wanted revenge
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Aug 17 Report 80% of insurgent attacks against Coalition 80% of casualties were Iraqi
civilians Car bombs and IEDs doubled from 2004 to 2005
Aug 18 Report 2 Iraqi army divisions in Anbar short 5,000 troops Soldiers not getting paid
Defense Min could not supply them
Aug 21 2nd trial started for Saddam accused of genocide during Anfal campaign
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Anfal Campaign And The Destruction Of The Kurdish Opposition)
Aug 21 Sheikh Abu Risha’s Anbar Emergency Council declared war on Al Qaeda in Iraq in Ramadi Drew
fighters from tribes Jaish al-Haq Numan Brigade 1920 Revolution Brigades
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
(Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq)
Aug 21 Al Qaeda in Iraq destroyed new Jazeera police station in Ramadi with suicide car bomb Killed head
of Albu Jassim tribe who aligned with US and provided tribesmen for Ramadi police Beheaded him and left body in desert
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Aug 21 Bush said Saddam had relations with Zarqawi Disputed by CIA who said no ties
between two
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
Aug 22 Sheikh Abu Risha met with US and asked for more financing and more raids on
insurgents
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq)
Aug 22 Sheikh Abu Risha met with 1920 Revolution Brigades leader in Anbar and convinced him to turn
on Al Qaeda in Iraq
Aug 23 Gen Barbero Joint Chief deputy chief of ops said Iran training funding arming Iraqi militias
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Aug 23 UK Intel report Said Maliki govt unable to deal with militias because afraid of break up of United
Iraqi Alliance
Aug 24 Maliki banned TV channels from showing bloodshed caused by the war
Aug 25 Iraqis looted base exited by British in Maysan before Iraqi forces could take it over
Aug 25 Head of Association of Muslim Scholars Sheikh Dhari said he was willing to meet
with Ayatollah Sistani to talk about ending national crisis
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Aug 25 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Def Sec Rumsfeld Baghdad would quickly be under ISF
control Said Leahy Amend might be invoked to stop US support for National Police due to widespread human rights abuses
Aug 26 National conference of Sunni sheikhs backed Maliki govt condemned violence
called for people to participate in politics
Aug 27 Maliki told CNN violence was going down in Iraq no civil war but
reconciliation MP Mutlaq said no democracy developing because of violence
Aug 27 National reconciliation meeting ended with 700 sheikhs Talked about creating
committees to negotiate with insurgency
Aug 27 US Gen Thurman said Operation Together Forward II was reducing violence in
Baghdad It wasn’t
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Aug 27 Khalis Diyala 22 shot in café Judge’s home raided brother killed IED at market
killing 6 Part of sectarian fighting between militias and insurgents for control of province
Aug 28 Dep PM Salah said Iraqi parties agreed on oil revenue sharing with money being
distributed to provinces based upon population and needs Still no agreement over signing oil contracts or making major decisions Oil law never passed
Aug 28 ISF raid in Diwaniya led to major gun battle with Mahdi Army and other militias
Captured Iraqi soldiers were executed in a public square More than 40 killed and 90 wounded US military said Diwaniya battle was a major victory for the ISF but was actually ended by political deal with Sadr
Aug 28 Report around 100 Iraqi soldiers from 10th Division in Maysan refused to deploy
to Baghdad for Operation Together Forward II Not 1st time ISF units had refused to leave their home base
Aug 30 Bush said if US left Iraq before job done would become terrorist state and undermine US
leadership
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Aug 30 Report Mahdi Army seized Sunnis in Baghdad hospitals and executed them Health Min run by
Sadrists Inspector General said investigation into matter found nothing IG was from Dawa who cooperated with Sadrists
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Aug 31 Albu Diab Albu Assaf Albu Ali Jassim Albu Julib Abu Risha tribes met and declared war against Al
Qaeda in Iraq in Ramadi
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
Aug 31 US commander in Iraq Gen Casey said Baghdad security progressing US forces clearing
areas but Iraqis not holding them Said Iraqi forces could take over security in 12-18 months
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Aug 31 PM Maliki told Iraq Survey Group security problems caused by Baathists and Al Qaeda
Claimed the problem with the Iraqi police were there were too many former regime members in force
Aug 31 Report Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Reconstruction said 30% of 56 projects inspected
didn't meet standards and some were failures Said US should have started using Iraqi companies for work to speed process and help Iraqi economy
Sep 1 National Security Adviser Rubaie told Iraq Survey Group insurgency had to be
destroyed but militias legitimate because political
Sep 1 Report Sunnis and Shiites fighting over north and south entrances to Baghdad in
Sadr City Dora and Sadiya
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 2 20 Anbar sheikhs told US forces they were forming Emergency Council to fight
Al Qaeda in Iraq Said would work with US and wanted Anbar governor dismissed
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Sep 2 Iraq CIA station chief told Iraq Survey Group Interior Ministry running death squads
and torturing people
Sep 2 Fin Min Jabr told Iraq Survey Group corruption under control due to Board of
Supreme Audit
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Sep 3 US officer reported that Sheikh Abu Risha’s Anbar Emergency Council and its armed wing Anbar
Revolutionaries ready to work with US in Ramadi
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq)
Sep 3 US Dep Iraq Cmdr Gen Chiarelli told Iraq Survey Group US needed reconciliation and
political not military solution
Sep 3 US Cmdr training ISF Gen Dempsey told Iraq Survey Group needed reconciliation
otherwise training useless
Sep 4 Report Dora south Baghdad 1st area Op Together Forward II started in Deaths down
dramatically Question of whether area could be held by Iraqi forces National Police brigade to take control but had little to no training
Sep 5 Bush speech said US had to stay the course in Iraq or would regret it later
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Sep 6 Judge Radhi head of Integrity Comm said $4 bil had gone missing due to
corruption Said included 25% of reconstruction funds Said endemic throughout govt and country
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Sep 6 PM Maliki sent Judge Radhi head of Integrity Comm letter accusing him of corruption and
unaccounted expanses at commission Part of Maliki’s attempt to hinder corruption investigations
Sep 7 US captured Al Qaeda in Iraq leader in Ramadi Abu Bakr setting back group in district
Sep 7 New Al AQaeda in Iraq War Min Abu al-Masri released 1st statement Called for each member
to kill an American and every Sunni to kill a Shiite in next 15 days to see who was with the group and who was not
(Musings On Iraq review The ISIS Reader, Milestone Texts of the Islamic State Movement)
Sep 7 Iraqi govt took control of armed forces command and 8th Division based in Qadisiya
Sep 8 Report US military said sectarian deaths in Baghdad down 52% from July to
August Did not count victims of car bombs and mortars
Sep 8 Health Min said it was going to build 2 branch morgues in Baghdad to deal with
bodies from civil war Morgue reported 1,536 bodies received in August 2006 Many dead not taken to morgue so only partial count
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Sep 8 US military said IEDs four times higher in summer 2006 vs January 2004
Sep 9 Sheikh Abu Risha and other sheikhs representing 11 of Ramadi dist’s 21 major tribes announced
formation of Anbar Salvation Council Said they would fight Al Qaeda in Iraq Wanted Anbar governor removed
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review The Marines Take Anbar, the Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review A Soldier’s Dream, Captain Travis Patriquin and the Awakening of Iraq)
Sep 9 US army unit in Ramadi said they would stand with the Anbar Salvation Council but Anbar governor
could not be replaced except through elections
Sep 10 Report US delinked Shiite death squads from political parties they came from to
not confront Iraqi govt
Sep 10 ISCI renewed calls for law to allow southern province region Opposed by Sadr
Fadhila Iraqiya Iraqi Accordance Front
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Sep 10 Sheikh Abu Risha met with Mohammed Mahmoud Latif cmdr 1920 Revolution Brigades in Anbar
and Hamas Iraq Agreed to stop fighting US and turn on Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 21 Hope In Ramadi)
Sep 11 Bush speech US being tested like Cold War and withdrawing from Iraq would
be catastrophe US strategy at time was to withdraw from Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Sep 11 Wash Post report Marine intel reported US losing in Anbar due to lack of troops no
functioning Iraqi govt Caused US politicians to question war
Sep 11 Cheney told Meet The Press insurgency had gone on longer than expected May 2005
Cheney said insurgency in “last throes” Defending invasion of Iraq saying Saddam supported terrorism and would have restarted WMD programs if not for US Blamed fmr CIA Dir Tenet for bad pre-war intel on Iraq
Sep 12 Report Sadr losing control of Mahdi Army US worried about Badr control of police US was
pushing Iraqi parliament to pass law to try to disarm militias Were playing down connections between death squads and Iraqi ruling parties as a result
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Sep 13 MP Maliki visited Iran signing agreement to facilitate immigration exchange intelligence expand
trade
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Sep 13 Speaker Mashadani said that SCIRI plan for federal region in south was dead Bill on
federalism would be postponed indefinitely
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Sep 13 NSC met on what to do about Iran’s ops in Iraq Decided on info campaign vs Iran and plans to
counter Quds Force
Sep 14 Anbar Salvation Council presented program Wanted new elections for Anbar
hiring tribesmen into ISF Condemned terrorism Wanted talks with Baathists Rebuild provincial economy Claimed 35 tribes and 25 sheikhs involved but was really only Albu Risha Albu Dhiab Albu Ali Jassim tribes
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Sep 14 US military spokesman said that violence had increased in Baghdad despite Operation
Together Forward II 22 killed by death squads 60 bodies found day before
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Sep 15 US and Maliki govt announced new plan to cut weapons and bombs entering
Baghdad with checkpoints at entrances and trench around city
Sep 15 Bush speech Said he was listening to his generals who said things were working in
Iraq Privately Bush had decided Iraq strategy not working and wanted new one
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Sep 15 Report US Army battalion expelled a Special Forces unit working with Albu Nimr
tribe in Hit Anbar because felt Special Forces were not sharing information on their activities Shut down tribal outreach and recruitment into ISF
Sep 15 Report Sept 02 Iraq’s Foreign Min Sabri told CIA Iraq had no ties to al Qaeda Info
was not given to White House Sabri said that Iraq was working on nuclear and WMD programs and that was given to White House
Sep 15 Last 5 days 142 bodies found executed
Sep 16 Article US officials said they were impatient with Maliki govt Needed to take
action on suppressing sectarian violence and moving towards reconciliation
Sep 16 Ret Gen Keane met with Def Sec Rumsfeld Said US facing defeat in Iraq Advocated for
counterinsurgency strategy
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Sep 16 Ret Gen Keane met with Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace Told him he had an F because he had no idea
what was going on in Iraq
Sep 17 Anbar Salvation Council issued ultimatum for Al Qaeda in Iraq to leave Anbar
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Sep 17 Report Inter Min didn’t have political backing to purge police of militias US
commander said 5-6 of 27 National Police battalions were sectarian and criminal US began reform of National Police giving each battalion an inspection and training Maliki govt stopped Iraqi-US inspections of Iraqi prisons No officials charged with prisoner abuse despite lots of evidence Interior had fired 1500 police since June 2006 Fingerprint campaign found 1,228 police and Inter Min workers had been convicted of violent crimes under Saddam
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Sep 17 Report Pentagon tried to hire Republicans to staff CPA Hired many unqualified
personnel Thomas Foley in charge of privatizing state owned enterprises was a Republican Donor who went to college with Bush Foley put Jay Hallen former real estate agent in charge of Iraq’s stock market Hallen tried to reform market that Iraqis didn’t want so change rejected
Sep 18 US turned over central Salahaddin to Iraq’s 4th Division Was second such handover
to ISF
Sep 19 Bush speech at UN said that Maliki govt had to rise to the challenges and make
difficutl choices in Iraq to ensure future
Sep 19 CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid said US found weaponry in Iraq that probably came from Iran
including RPG-29s and rockets Said Hezbollah were training Iraqi militias in Iran
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
Sep 19 Rep Lee Hamilton of Iraq Study Group said that Maliki govt needed to make decisive
action in next 3 months situation so critical in Iraq
Sep 19 US commander in Ramadi got Marine division commander in Anbar to back Awakening
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Sep 19 Fmr Vice Army chief of staff Ret Gen Keane told Rumsfeld US close to strategic
failure in Iraq Said US strategy was to withdraw not defeat insurgency Told Rumsfeld US needed more troops in Iraq to protect population otherwise change impossible
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Sep 19 Pres Talabani told Bush security problem was US not arming ISF sufficiently and
needed less US troops in Iraq
Sep 20 US commander in Iraq Gen Casey gave his support to Anbar Awakening
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Sep 20 Chief judge in Saddam’s trial removed by cabinet for saying Saddam was not a
dictator
Sep 20 Intel report to Rumsfeld Iraq breaking up more Iraqi politicians stuck in
ethnosectarian camps
Sep 20 Head of Iraqi police training mission Gen Peterson said Iraqi govt Interior Min nor Badr Brigade
involved in running death squads in Baghdad Said Mahdi Army behind most death squads Interior Min and Badr were running death squads since took over ministry in 2006 Part of US policy not to blame Maliki govt
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Sep 20 Report Pentagon public opinion poll found 75% of Sunnis supported insurgency Up
from 14% in 2003
Sep 20 Report Maliki attempting political deal with Sadr to deal with Mahdi Army Same
time objecting to any US raids on militia
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Sep 21 US Cmdr Iraq Gen Casey said war shifting from insurgency against US to war between Iraqis for
power
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Sep 21 US military turned over 2nd province to the Iraqi forces, Dhi Qar
Sep 21 US and Iraqi forces conducted raids on Sadrists in Najaf and Baghdad Arrested Najaf
spokesman Sheikh Salah al-Obaidy Mahdi Army mobilized in Najaf in response
Sep 21 UN reported 3,590 civilians killed in Iraq in July and 3,009 in August
Sep 22 Ret Gen Keane told Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace he was failing and his only priority
should be winning in Iraq Gen Pace agreed to set up staff to go over Iraq strategy afterward Keane suggested Gen Petraeus should be new US Iraq Cmdr to Gen Pace
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Sep 22 US military said militias in Baghdad earning up to $1 mil/day via kidnapping
extortion black market blackmail running Petrol stations
Sep 22 3000 demonstrated in Tikrit calling for Saddam to return to power
Sep 23 Army chief of staff called Gen Petraeus to review Iraq policy
Sep 23 Defense Policy Board member Adelman told Rumsfeld he was a failure as Defense
Secretary and never took responsibility for Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Sep 23 Report only 1000 of promised 4000 Iraqi soldiers deployed to Baghdad for Op
Together Forward II Iraqi troops refusing to leave their home provinces
Sep 24 Report National Intel Estimate said that Iraq war led to new generation of Islamic
radicalism Said Iraq war made terrorism worse
Sep 25 U.S. Joint Chiefs started review of Iraq strategy
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Sep 25 Report Iraq had replaced Afghanistan as main training ground for terrorists Insurgents
from Iraq had gone to Afghanistan and Pakistan and imported tactics such as car bombs
Sep 25 Report ruling parties agreed to deal to delay autonomous southern region plan for 18
months
Sep 25 Report DIA found 2005 elections increased sectarian tensions in Iraq Assessment by
50 counterinsurgency experts in August found US forces relied too much on force alienating Iraqis
Sep 25 Mujahadeen Shura Council issued statement saying it could fight the Hamza battalions organized
by Albu Mahal tribe in Qaim because they were enemies of Islam
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After The Awakening Pt IX: Sheikh Sabah Aziz Of The Albu Mahal)
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
Sep 26 Awakening of Anbar conference held in Ramadi Issued 11 point program Called for
talks with Baathists reviewing make-up of ISF Securing highway through Anbar Stand against terrorism No arms unless okayed by govt Condemned tribes working with insurgents Wanted to rebuild economy Strengthen sheikhs Respect rule of Law New Anbar govt
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
(Musings On Iraq review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Navy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)
Sep 26 US brigade from 1st Armored Div extended tour in Ramadi by 6 weeks Would be
crucial to support Awakening and secure city
Sep 26 NSC report Interior Ministry carrying out extra judicial killings
Sep 26 Bush forced to release parts of secret intel report after it was leaked to the press on
international terrorism that said Iraq was creating new generation of jihadists and created resentment in Muslim world against US
Sep 26 UN report said that Iraq war providing recruits and training for Al Qaeda Said
inspiring Taliban Said new IEDs used in Iraq were found in Afghanistan less than month after first use
Sep 27 British and ISF announced plan to purge Basra city of militias as part of Op Sinbad
Was to last until Feb 07 and prepare for British withdrawal from Iraq
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
(Musings On Iraq review A War Of Choice, The British In Iraq 2003-9)
Sep 27 US Gen Zahner dep intel chief said elements of Mahdi Army and Badr under
Iranian influence and becoming surrogates Said Iran sending EFPs to militias
(Musings On Iraq How Iran Used Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) To Influence events In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Sep 27 Anbar sheikhs met with PM Maliki asked that Anbar Salvation Council replace
Anbar provincial council Maliki aide later said PM didn’t trust Awakening or US helping them
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Sep 27 Joint Chiefs created Council of Colonels that would in part review Iraq strategy
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Sep 27 State Dept poll almost ¾ of Iraqis would feel safer if US forces left Iraq 65%
wanted immediate US withdrawal Univ Maryland poll 71% wanted Iraqi govt to ask Coalition to leave within a year Most thought US would refuse 77% said US wanted permanent bases in Iraq Sunni support for US withdrawal dropped from 83% in Jan 06 to 47% in Sep 06
Sep 27 Report West Point published letter by Al Qaeda leader Attiya l-Jazari to Zarqawi
Told Zarqawi he had to look at bigger picture in Iraq instead of just military strategy Had to unite insurgency Reach out to Sunnis and tribes Needed to consult with Al Qaeda before making major decisions Said didn’t do that before starting attacks upon Shiites and bombing in Jordan Also called for greater cooperation with fellow Islamist insurgents like Ansar al-Sunna Warned vanity led to defeat of Algerian insurgency in 1990s
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Sep 28 UK Op Sinbad in Basra began focusing on police and reconstruction Didn’t get support of PM
Maliki
Sep 28 Al Qeada in Iraq kidnapped brother of Sheikh Jassim Suwaidawi and 3 tribesmen from Albu Soda
and executed them in Anbar Would lead tribe to turn against Al Qaeda in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
Sep 28 Gen Zahner deputy chief of staff for intelligence Multi-National Force Iraq said explosive found
with militias came from Iran
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Sep 28 Report UK Def Min think tank said that Iraq war radicalized disillusioned young
Muslims and led them to Al Qaeda War was recruiting tool for jihadist groups
Sep 28 Report Around 240,000 Iraqis had registered as IDPs Feb-Jul 06
Sep 28 Report death squads mostly from Mahdi Army returned to Baghdad’s Ghaziliya after
cleared by US during Op Together Forward Iraqi police were letting militiamen back in
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Sep 28 Report US military complained about Maliki govt not allowing it to go after Mahdi
Army in Baghdad US said death squads were major problem with sectarian violence Aug and Sep US went after Mahdi Army commanders in Najaf and Baghdad and Maliki objected Maliki also cancelled planned US-Iraqi joint op to move into Sadr City Maliki had list of figures including Sadrists and Mahdi Army members US couldn’t arrest in Baghdad Govt spokesman Dabbagh said unfair to treat militias like insurgents Said US should go after insurgents first
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Sep 28 Report Maliki govt tried to send ISF units to Diyala US said they couldn’t until
committed 4000 troops promised for Op Together Forward in Baghdad Diyala site of major sectarian fighting for control of province with ISF helping militias
Sep 28 Report US intel officer said Mahdi Army splintering Said 6 militia leaders had broken
away Sadr appointed 4 different leaders to try to control militia in Basra
Sep 28 Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction report Baghdad Police College just completed a
disaster 1 entire building had to be shut down due to leaking pipes warped floors human waste flooding areas Was built by Parsons Corp that had series of corrupt and fraudulent contracts throughout Iraq since 2004 Report said Iraq had lost $16 bil in potential oil sales Jan 04-Mar 06 due to insurgent attacks Even without those attacks Iraqi oil would be plagued by criminals oil smuggling and poor infrastructure
Sep 29 Sadr told Mahdi Army commanders they needed temporarily disarm Cut size of their
units to make them more manageable All militiamen to go through orientation and be issued new IDs
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Sep 29 Sadrist cleric gave sermon in Kufa saying patience running out for Maliki to bring
about security and stability
Sep 29 Report Senior British officers were lobbying Blair govt to withdraw forces from Iraq
Said forces could achieve little and frustrated with slow development of new ISF
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Sep 29 Report 3 Iraqi reporters in south arrested for accusing a governor a judge and
police officers of being corrupt
Sep 29 Special Inspector Gen Iraq Recon Bowen testified to Congress Said 13 of 14 projects
by Parsons Corp were substandard and had serious problems Also criticized projects by KBR and Bechtel
Sep 29 Accordance Front head Dulaimi’s bodyguard arrested on suspicion he was
planning bombings within the Green Zone
Oct 1 Health Ministry released partial figures for 1,089 civilian deaths in Aug 06 Passed
previous high of 1,065 in Jul 06 UN counted 6,559 deaths from July-Aug 06
Oct 1 Natl Sec Adv Hadley ordered drafting of new strategy for Iraq
Oct 1 Report US public and private assessments of Iraq different Publicly said things improving Privately
talked about violence increasing into 07 Had been getting message Iraq getting worse since 04 and yet had no strategy to win war and being told that was only possible outcome
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Oct 1 26 workers at a shop kidnapped in Amil neighborhood 10 of their bodies later found
Police said 50 bodies found in Baghdad in 24 hours 22 Sunnis from Rashid Baghdad kidnapped by 2nd Natl Police Div
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Oct 3 Report Albu Mahal tribe fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq in Qaim
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After The Awakening Pt IX: Sheikh Sabah Aziz Of The Albu Mahal)
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
Oct 3 Report various Anbar sheikhs Iraqi army general and Association of Muslim Scholars
all criticized the new Awakening Claimed it would only lead to more violence Were just going to kill other Sunnis and were puppets of the U.S.
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Oct 3 Interior Min Bolani ordered commander 8th Natl Police Bgd and unit suspended
Officer arrested for suspected involvement in kidnapping of 26 workers in Amil Baghdad 10/1/06 10 later found dead
Oct 3 US military said 50-70 foreign fighters enter Iraq each month Jan-Sep 06 US-ISF
captured 630 foreign fighters Total number of foreign fighters in Iraq est 800-2,000 Most from Saudi Arabia Egypt Syria
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Oct 3 Car bomb on Industry Min motorcade in Baghdad killed 14 wounded 75
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Oct 3 Intl Org for Migration 9,000 people fleeing per week 190,000 displaced in central
and southern Iraq
Oct 3 Natl Sec Adv Hadley asked his deputy Crouch to come up with new strategy for Iraq Wouldn’t be
finished until Dec
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Oct 4 Report US military said Mahdi Army running death squads out of hospitals and
Baghdad morgue Murdered patients Using ambulances to move men weapons hostages around Sadr Health Min Shammari said he welcomed any investigation into his ministry
Oct 4 US military said bomb attacks in Baghdad had reached all time high
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Oct 4 Report British forces in south found no evidence of Iranian weapons crossing into
Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Oct 5 UK Intel report on Maliki govt Coordination within govt poor Maliki wanted to keep Shiite
support Opposed Coalition action vs militias as a result Wanted political solution to that problem Little progress on reconciliation program Govt full of distrust Sunni ministers feel excluded Shiite and Kurdish ministers question whether Sunnis willing to give up violence
Oct 5 Sunni leaders told Sec State Rice Iraq breaking apart They were victims of
sectarian violence and no one protecting them
Oct 5 SCIRI head Hakim told Sec State Rice Shiites tried to work with Sunnis but they
were obstructionists
Oct 5 Sec State Rice told Maliki if there was no reconciliation US would leave and
Maliki would end up being hung
Oct 5 Al Jazeera played tape by Islamic Army offering talks with US Said Iraq facing
occupation by US and Iranians and latter worse Said Zarqawi had made mistakes in Iraq
Oct 5 Al-Bubaz tribe in Baghdad Diyala Salahaddin said it was going to start working with
Al Qaeda in Iraq
Oct 5 Report Maliki govt sent envoys to Syria Egypt UAE Jordan to try to stop support for
insurgency
Oct 5 Displacement Min 80,000 displaced registered with ministry July-Aug 40,000
families asked for govt aid last 7 months Officials said real numbers higher Head of Intl Org for Migration said most displaced had no plans to return
Oct 6 Bush told Maliki had to ignore news coming out of US because domestic politics
Maliki said he couldn’t ignore US news like talk about dividing Iraq or immediate withdrawal Maliki told Bush he was going to push reconciliation fighting terrorism and militias
Oct 6 US Amb Khalilzad said US had acted arrogantly rebuilding Iraq Ignored Iraqis
Oct 8 Political parties agreed to Maliki’s plan for Central Comm for Peace and Security to
help secure Baghdad would have reps from each major party and coordinate with ISF and premier’s office
Oct 9 Ruling parties agreed to have equal number of Sunni and Shiite ISF at Baghdad
checkpoints to try to stop sectarian attacks Part of PM Maliki’s security plan
Oct 9 Accordance Front demanded investigation into sectarian violence in Baquba Accused
ISF of sectarian arrests looting homes Said Shiite parties were promoting attacks
Oct 9 Police killed Genearl Hashemi brother of VP Tariq Hashemi in his home
Oct 9 Interior Min Bolani announced new uniforms to be issued to police Said couldn’t be
copied Meant to distinguish police from death squads dressed as police Wouldn’t stop police in death squads
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Oct 9 US raid into Diwaniya to arrest militiaman led to gun battle with Mahdi Army 30
militiamen killed
Oct 10 US brought Anbar Gov Alwani and Sheikh Abu Risha together for meeting Two had heated
argument Abu Risha wanted Alwani replaced
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Oct 10 Meeting of ruling parties over ending sectarian violence in Baghdad broke up when
Sunnis accused Shiite militias of killing VP Hashemi’s brother Fadhila MP and National Dialogue Front MP said parties lost faith in each other Meetings would descend into Sunnis and Shiites blaming each other for violence
Oct 11 Parliament voted on law allowing for formation of federal regions Backed by SCIRI
Sadrists and Fadhila didn’t vote on bill
(Musings On Iraq history of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Oct 11 NSC aide Luti presented paper to Natl Sec Adv Hadley calling for surge of troops to secure Baghdad
Diyala Anbar
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Oct 11 Bush said reason violence up in Iraq because US and Iraqi forces were on the
offensive
Oct 11 US Iraq Amb Khalilzad said US didn't have forces to make new Baghdad
security plan work
Oct 11 Report in Lancet estimate approx 655,000 Iraqi deaths due to US invasion from Mar
2003-Jun 2006 Report gained huge press coverage Has since been thoroughly debunked 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)
Oct 11 Displacement Min Sultan said more than 300,000 Iraqis had been displaced since 03
AP estimated 890,000 Iraqis fled to Jordan Iran Syria since 03
Oct 11 Report Maliki govt barred Baghdad morgue and Health Min from reporting on Iraqi
deaths US military claimed Iraqi govt figures were too high
Oct 11 US Embassy estimated 5-30 Iraqis were kidnapped each day
Oct 11 Report 135 judges removed for corruption and Baathist ties Judges said crime rate far
higher than official figures because most incidents not reported Judges had been killed and no one arrested
Oct 11 Iraqi soldiers arrested 17 other soldiers in Baghdad for raiding Sunni home Were on secret mission
for PM Maliki who demanded they be released or brigade commander in charge of arrests would be arrested
Oct 12 Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace said Iraq forces increasing but violence going up Contradicted US
strategy for Iraq
Oct 12 US military said attacks on Coalition up from 14 per day at start of Aug 06 to 36 per day
in mid-Sep 06
Oct 12 New UK Army Chief Gen Dannatt said England should withdraw its forces because only
causing problems in Iraq Called PM Blair’s Iraq policies “naïve”
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
(Musings On Iraq review A War Of Choice, The British In Iraq 2003-9)
Oct 12 Al Qaeda in Iraq’s Mujahedeen Shura Council joined 6 tribes to create Mutayibeen Coalition
(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)
Oct 12 Special Insp Gen for Iraq Recon found major problems with construction of Mosul Police HQ
Didn’t have number of contracted facilities like toilets Tree was cemented over and included in foundation
Oct 12 Sunni parties criticized passage of federalism law SCIRI’s Hakim attacked them as Baathists
Saddamists and Takfiris
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Oct 12 Men in police uniforms attacked Shaabiya TV station Executed 11 workers
Oct 13 Mujahedeen Shura Council became ISI Announced Islamic State in Baghdad
Anbar Diyala Kirkuk Salahaddin Ninewa Babil
(Musings On Iraq How The Islamic State’s Caliphate In Iraq Was Originally Ignored)
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
Oct 13 Islamic State of Iraq Announced Abu Omar al-Baghdadi as emir of Islamic State
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval War College’s Prof Whiteside on ISI leader Abu Omar al-Baghdadi)
(Musings On Iraq interview with former CIA analyst Nada Bakos that tracked Zarqawi)
Oct 13 Report splits within ISI between Zarqawi’s lieutenants and followers of military chief Masri
Oct 13 Report Talk of PM Maliki stepping down and 5 man council ruling Iraq and declaring martial
law
Oct 13 Interior Min Bolani said he had PM Maliki’s backing to purge his ministry of sectarian actors
Same time denied its forces were involved in sectarian killings Blamed Facilities Protection Service and imposters using police uniforms
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Oct 13 Report Sadr complained about Shiite death squads using the name of Mahdi Army and backed
by Iranian Rev Guard and Hezbollah
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
Oct 13 Insurgents kidnapped 26 Shiite workers from Balad Bodies were found decapitated in
neighboring Dhuluiya Was retaliation for ISI commander being killed in Balad Shiite elders in Balad called on Mahdi Army in Baghdad to send fighters to take revenge
Oct 14 After 26 bodies of men from Balad found in Dhuluiya Mahdi Army began arriving in Balad from
Baghdad Shiite gunmen set up checkpoints in Balad and started killing Sunnis Shiite mosques began broadcasting messages that Sunnis needed to leave
Oct 15 Mujahedeen Shura Council again announced the Islamic State of Iraq Said it was
in Baghdad Anbar Diyala Kirkuk Salahaddin Ninewa and Babil Said its goal was to govern
Oct 15 Report auditors found ¼ of US funded water projects had broken down since being turned over
to Iraqis
Oct 15 Reconciliation conference indefinitely postponed due to weekend violence Setback for PM
Maliki’s reconciliation plans
Oct 15 2 days Shiite gunmen killed 47 Sunnis in Balad in retaliation for 26 dead Shiites being found in
Dhuluiya
Oct 15 6 car bombs in Kirkuk killed 10 and wounded dozens 52 killed in attacks in Baghdad
Oct 15 500 Sunni sheikhs held meeting condemning federalism plan by ISCI objected to breaking
up Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Oct 15 Islamic Party accused Interior Min of Oct 9 murder of VP Hashemi’s brother
Oct 16 PM Maliki called Bush said he was worried US had set 2 month deadline for him to control
sectarian violence Said deadline and talk of dividing Iraq were undermining his govt Bush said he supported Maliki
Oct 16 Report US Cmdr Iraq Gen Casey was worried that ISF couldn’t take over security as planned
Start of 07 Casey said US could have substantial troop drawdowns but had to increase US forces by 10,000 due to violence in Baghdad
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Oct 16 PM Maliki interview said his govt wouldn’t disarm militias until end of 06/early 07 Said US
forces would start large withdrawals start of 07 Rejected US operations vs Mahdi Army in Sadr City
Oct 16 Iraq Body Count criticized Lancet casualty report Said meant 500,000 death certificates were
issued but not recorded by govt Would mean thousands of Iraqis were wounded and never went for medical help Would mean only 1/10 of Iraqi deaths were recorded
(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)
Oct 16 Sunni tribesmen fired mortars into Balad 13 vehicles stopped at police checkpoint south of
Balad and people taken away by insurgents after 2 days of killings by Shiites for 26 Shiites killed in Dhuluiya Total of 80 bodies arrived at Balad morgue
Oct 16 ISI Car bomb hit Sheikh Abu Risha’s compound head of Anbar Awakening in Ramadi
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
Oct 16 Interior Min issued arrest warrant for Harith al-Dhari head of the Muslim Scholars Association
for inciting violence
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Oct 17 NSC started review of Iraq strategy to come up with new one
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Oct 17 Interior Min fired 3,000 police for human rights abuses corruption connection to militias 1 Police
Commando commander and a public order brigade commander removed for ties to militias
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Oct 17 After 4 days of sectarian fighting Iraqi army and US forces deployed to Balad Almost entire
Sunni population had fled
Oct 17 Sheikh Abu Risha head of Anbar Awakening met with Anbar Governor Alwani Was US attempt at
reconciliation between two Abu Risha wanted Alwani removed
(Musings On Iraq Anbar Before And After the Awakening Pt X, 2005-09 Governor Mamoun Alwani)
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
Oct 18 ISI held march in Ramadi to declare it capitol of Islamic caliphate and mark its new name
Oct 18 CENTCOM briefing said Iraq heading towards chaos Increased sectarian violence despite U.S.
security plan
Oct 18 Badr Maysan police chief killed by IED likely by Sadrists
Oct 19 IED killed Amara police chief from Badr Police arrested brother of suspected bomber from Mahdi
Army 2 days of fighting started Mahdi Army stormed 3 police stations manned by Badr in Amara
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Oct 19 US military spokesman said Op Together Forward II failed to reduce violence in Baghdad Said
attacks up 22% since start of Ramadan US forces returned to Dora after it was touted as first area cleared during operation
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
Oct 19 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey US Amb Khalzad gave press conference saying Op Together Forward
II in Baghdad working It wasn’t
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
Oct 19 PM Maliki ordered US to release of top Sadrist arrested Oct 18 for taking part in sectarian fighting
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Oct 19 Report over 20 militias operating in Baghdad Mahdi Army splintering
Oct 19 Report police unit blamed for killing 26 Sunnis at food factory in Baghdad’s Amil Unit was
suspended
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Oct 20 Mahdi Army Badr and officials from PM Maliki’s office worked out ceasefire to end fighting in
Amara 10 police 15 militiamen killed 160 wounded
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Oct 21 ISF and US forces patrolling Amara to enforce ceasefire between Mahdi Army and Badr Suweira
Mahdi Army and Badr clashed Mahdi Army blamed for bombing ISCI office in Hamza al-Sharqi
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Oct 21 Inter Min Bolani met with Sadr in Najaf to try to get him to reign in Mahdi Army
Oct 21 Insurgents started two days of attacks on police base in Baquba Up to 80 police killed
Oct 22 Report criticized Lancet report that est 400,000-800,000 Iraqi deaths since 2003 Lancet
claimed 40 consecutive households were questioned within one day Public health researcher Hicks didn’t think that possible One Lancet author Roberts said 80% of deaths recorded had a death certificate and that deaths had been underreported Report criticized for main street bias only surveying main streets where violence more likely Lancet author Burnham said off streets were included Then said he actually didn’t know how survey was conducted Lancet author Roberts said some of the raw data was destroyed to protect people’s safety Also said that findings could easily be replicated by other studies
(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)
Oct 22 Report US in talks with Islamic Army in Amman
Oct 22 Fmr Finance Min Allawi said $750-$800mil in defense spending under PM Allawi stolen Ziad
Cattan head of military procurement convicted in absentia for stealing from defense deals
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Oct 22 2nd ISI car bomb at Sheikh Abu Risha’s compound head of Anbar Awakening in Ramadi
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part III Sheikh Ahmed Sattar Al-Rishawi Abu Risha)
Oct 23 Natl Sec Adv Hadley told UK officials Op Together Forward II failing Said Iraqi army hadn’t sent
enough troops Iraqi police couldn’t hold areas cleared Said Maliki govt didn’t fully support plan
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
Oct 23 White House said US policy was not to stay the course in Iraq despite Bush repeatedly using that
phrase Said U.S. had a flexible policy in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Oct 23 Report UN recorded 1.6 mil refugees 1.5 mil displaced 40,000 Iraqis arriving in Syria per month
365,000 new refugees since Samarra bombing in Feb 06
(Musings On Iraq January 2009 U.N. Report On Iraq Refugee Returns)
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Oct 23 US soldier Taie kidnapped by Mahdi Army in Baghdad Turned over to Asaib Ahl Al-Haq Was then
executed
(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)
Oct 24 US Cmdr Gen Casey and Amb Khalilzad announced new timetable for US goals in Iraq Said
ISF should take over security in 12-18 months Govt had to demobilize and integrate Shiite militias, Draft bill to divide oil revenues End deBaathification Hold provincial elections Revise constitution Set no date for when goals had to be achieved or any consequences for not meeting them
Oct 24 SCIRI head Hakim gave sermon in Baghdad Called for 8-9 province federal region in south
Said would not mean partitioning of Iraq Condemned a strong central govt Said southern region supported by history when south was Basra province in Ottoman era
(Musings On Iraq history of Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)
Oct 24 US forces cordoned off Sadr City after US soldier went missing there Violence dropped 50% in
district as a result
Oct 25 Bush speech Iraq challenge of our time Knew people weren’t happy with Iraq war and neither
was he Bush speech said US winning in Iraq Bush said he didn’t believe in timetables for Iraq but Gen Casey and Amb Khalilzad issued a timetable the day before Said they were benchmarks and not a timetable At time he thought strategy failing and working on new one
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Oct 25 CNN poll found 34% of Americans supported Bush on Iraq, 64% disapproved
Oct 25 Maliki criticized US timetable for his govt Said no one had right to impose deadlines on Iraqi
govt Said timetable was created for US consumption before Nov elections Amb halilzad said Maliki agreed to idea of a timetable
Oct 25 U.S. and ISF raided Mahdi Army areas in east Baghdad Maliki complained about raids saying
they wouldn’t happen again
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq The Life Of Nouri al-Maliki An Interview With Journalist Ned Parker)
Oct 25 US Cmdr Gen Casey and Amb Khalilzad announced new timetable for US goals in Iraq Said ISF
should take over security in 12-18 months Govt had to demobilize and integrate Shiite militias, Draft bill to divide oil revenues End deBaathification Hold provincial elections Revise constitute Set no date for wen goals had to be achieved or any consequences for not meeting them
Oct 25 Report British military wanted to withdraw from Iraq within a year British officials told US that
British military near breaking point with long deployments to Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
(Musings On Iraq review A War Of Choice, The British In Iraq 2003-9)
Oct 25 Special Insp Gen for Iraq Recon audit found some US reconstruction contracts had 55% overhead
costs Main reason was long delay between signing contracts, assembling teams and actual work starting US wrote poor contracts bad to no oversight needless delays poor practices
Oct 25 Report US raid in Washash Baghdad found Mahdi Army papers listing 65 houses that had Sunni
families in them replaced by Shiites Also draft of threats to Sunnis to drive them out
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Oct 25 Report Feb 05 Gen Casey said US would transfer security to ISF by end of 05 Jun 06 Casey sent
plan to White House saying that US troops would start withdrawing by Sep 06 and have 50% out by Dec 07 Oct 24 Casey said that ISF would take over security in 12-15 months
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Fiasco: The American Military Adventure In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Oct 26 Maliki interview refuted US timetable for Iraq Said ISF could take over security in 6 months
not 12-18 US set out Said he didn’t agree to timetable Said he met with Sadr and they agreed greatest threat to Iraq was Al Qaeda in Iraq and Baathists not militias
Oct 26 Rumsfeld said US had not gotten Maliki to agree to crackdown on militias Said Maliki would
work towards US benchmarks but would be no deadlines or penalties if he didn’t
Oct 28 Maliki-Bush talked 50 min to overcome rift after Maliki objected to Amb Khalilzad’s benchmarks
for Maliki govt Agreed to create committee to speed up training of ISF and turning over security to Iraqis
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Oct 28 ISI launched first chlorine bomb
Oct 28 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report US hadn’t trained enough Def and Interior Min personnel
to handle logistics Didn’t think ISF would be ready to handle own logistics by Jan 08 deadline it set
Oct 28 During UK Op Sinbad Iraqi 10th Division only contributed two dozen soldiers PM Maliki opposed
operation
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
Oct 29 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon report US didn’t track hundreds of thousands of weapons it
bought for ISF and didn’t provide spare parts maintenance personnel training manuals 14,331 assault rifles sub machine guns and pistols went missing
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Oct 29 Anbar Awakening members met PM Maliki in Baghdad Maliki said Awakening a legitimate group
Oct 29 Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey called Gen Chiarelli that PM Maliki ordered roadblocks around Sadr City
taken down Roadblocks were aimed at Mahdi Army
Oct 30 Militias killed 17 Sunni police near British run training center in Basra
Oct 30 VP Hashemi Anbar Gov Alwani tried to convince US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey that Ramadi sheikhs
should join an Islamic Party tribal council under Alwani to counter Anbar’s People Comm formed by 1920 Rev Brigade Ramadi cmdr and a dozen sheikhs and notables Casey rejected idea and told them they should take advantage of Ramadi sheikhs
Oct 30 Secretary of State Rice aide told her little chance for US success in Iraq Another said Iraq heading
towards genocidal violence Rice talked about giving up reconciliation in Iraq and just worrying about stability
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Oct 31 Iraq’s Health Min reported 3,590 civilians killed Jul, 3,009 in Aug, 3,345 in Sep, 3,709 in Oct
2006
Oct 31 ISI’s Furquan Institute for Media Production made its first release
Oct 31 State Dep memo to Sec State Rice said ISF not capable of controlling violence Meant Clear
Hold Build impossible Said Maliki talked about being national leader but was proving sectarian
(Musings On Iraq 2006 Clear Hold Build: An Iraq Strategy That Wasn’t A Strategy)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
Oct 31 Iraq spokesman at donor-UN conference in Kuwait said Iraq needed $10 bil for rebuilding over
4-5 yrs Said oil production not high enough to pay for reconstruction
Oct 31 Report US soldier killed in ambush by Iraqi police in Shula Baghdad earlier in Oct Head of US
military training team said 70% of Iraqi police infiltrated by militias Junior Iraqi police officers talked about militia control of police force in Baghdad neighborhoods
Oct 31 PM Maliki ordered US to remove checkpoints around Sadr City set up few days before after US
soldier kidnapped
Oct 31 Sadr ordered start of strike in Sadr City against U.S. checkpoints Mahdi Army members
enforced strike
Nov 1 White House meeting Sec State Rice said US should focus on narrow natl security interests and Iraq
Doubted US could check Shiite parties White House staff argued US couldn’t ignore sectarian violence Bush said he stood by PM Maliki
Nov 1 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey had video conference with Sec Def Rumsfeld where he questioned Op
Together Forward in Baghdad
Nov 2 Joint Chiefs briefing US Iraq strategy not working US running out of time to change things
Said US not winning in Iraq meant US losing
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 3 Vanity Fair talked with neocon supporters of Iraq who now said war was a failure Richard
Perle formerly of Defense Policy Board said he was shocked by violence in Iraq Said that Bush made wrong decisions because opponents of war within admin Said neocons made no bad decisions because had no authority over Iraq Said Bush ultimately responsible for problems in Iraq Bush speechwriter David Frum said US failing at protecting Iraqis Kenneth Adleman also of Defense Policy Board said Bush national security team incompetent and dysfunctional
(Musings On Iraq review The Road to Iraq, The Making of a Neoconservative War)
(Musings On Iraq review America at the Crossroads, Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy)
Nov 4 Abu Alwani tribe joined Anbar Awakening
Nov 5 Saddam convicted on charges of killing 148 people in Dujail 1982 and sentenced to death
Nov 5 VP Cheney’s Natl Sec Adv Hannah met with Badr head Amiri Complained about Shiite death squads
Amiri blamed former regime members and US for sectarianism Denied Iran had anything to do with Badr
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
Nov 6 Bush appointed Dep Natl Sec Adv Crouch to come up with new Iraq policy
Nov 6 Defense Secretary Rumsfeld memo to White House Iraq not working and needed change Said US
should set benchmarks for Iraqi govt Increases trainers Imbed US forces with ISF Start closing US bases and slow US withdrawal Only help Iraqi provinces that cooperate with US Stop rewarding Iraqis for bad behavior Position US forces along Syrian and Iranian borders to stop infiltrations
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Nov 6 Report insurgent intimidation campaign against ISF and officials in Fallujah U.S. officers said
not enough forces to secure city
Nov 7 Interior Ministry charged almost 100 police including 18 officers and a general for torturing
prisoners at east Baghdad Site 4 detention facility Held 1,431 people
Nov 8 NatlSecAdv Hadley memo to Bush on Iraq trip Said Maliki had good intentions Said Maliki either
didn’t know what was going on in Iraq was lying about it or didn’t have power to do what he wanted Asked whether Maliki was able to rise above sectarianism PM talked about ethnosectarian cooperation but was moving towards Shiite control of state Asked if US and Maliki wanted same thing Said Maliki wanted to be a good leader but didn’t seem like he knew how Stopped raids against militias and encouraged raids on insurgents Removed good ISF commanders based upon sect Only listened to small group of advisers Said US should embed forces with ISF and give Maliki more control over them Supported Gen Casey’s plan to speed up transfer of security to Iraq Mentioned sending more troops to reduce violence in Baghdad but left it up to Casey to decide Said success relied upon Maliki promoting reconciliation and reforming ISF something Hadley doubted Maliki could o
Nov 8 Bush announced Rumsfeld out as Secretary of Defense in large part because of Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Nov 9 Spec Insp Gen for Iraq Recon Bowen told BBC Iraqi corruption could cost $4 bil a year Said
lack of skilled staff in Iraqi govt meant $8-$10 bil of budget couldn’t be spent
Nov 9 Head of Iraqi Red Crescent Dr Azawi kidnapped by police in front of his house Was released for
ransom
Nov 10 Bush formally asked his staff to review Iraq strategy because not working Led to new review by Dep
Natl Sec Adv Crouch
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 10 Iraq Health Min estimated 150,000 deaths since 2003 Previous Iraqi counts were 45,000-50,000
Refuted Lancet study that estimated 655,000 deaths
(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)
Nov 10 Report After rejecting a US timetable for ISF to take over security in Iraq PM Maliki wanted
one that would have Iraqi forces assume control of most of Iraq by end of 2006 which was in original US plan
Nov 10 Dawa MP Adeeb said that including Sunnis in govt was mistake Accused Iraqi Accordance
Front of being front for insurgency Said Sunnis wanted to seize power in a coup Accordance Front MP Hayali said Shiites didn’t want to share power Didn’t follow through with promises to remove militias from ISF Committee was supposed to work out differences within govt after election but never happened Sadrist MP Shanshal said parties were told national unity govt was only way to save Iraq but didn’t work
Nov 12 AP estimated avg of 45 killed per day in Baghdad UN estimated 100 violent deaths per day in
Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Nov 12 2 suicide bombers hit crowd of police recruits in Baghdad Killed 35 wounded 56 Baquba In
Baquba Diyala 50 bodies found
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Nov 12 120 Albu Alwan tribesmen following Sheikh Raad Sabah al-Alwani volunteered
for Anbar police
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Nov 12 PM Maliki told MPs his govt was weak because political parties had forced ministers on him
Some were incompetent
Nov 12 Report Cmdr Iraq 5th Div in Diyala came into office with list of Sunnis to arrest from Maliki
govt US commanders believed 5th Div going after Sunni sheikhs and politicians to stop community organizing politically US also accused ISF of running death squads in Muqdadiya
Nov 13 Bush met Iraq Study Group Said Iraq part of ideological struggle in world Said US needed to
back Maliki Group didn’t think Bush knew what victory in Iraq meant besides platitudes
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with US Cmdr Iraq Gen Casey who said Iraqis had to eventually take
control of own affairs Said sectarian violence problem in Iraq but Maliki only talked about Baathists
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review Night Draws Near, Iraq’s People In The Shadow Of America’s War)
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with US embassy charge d’affaires Speckhard Said Op Together Forward in
Baghdad would rally Iraqis behind Maliki govt and move politics forward
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with US ground forces cmdr Gen Chiarelli Said providing services as
important as security Warned Health Transportation Agriculture ministries controlled by Sadr
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with Gen Peterson who ran police training Denied police were corrupt and
full of militia Study Group thought he was delusional
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with PM Maliki Blamed all of Iraq’s problems on Baathists
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with VP Hashemi Said terrorism militias Interior Min biggest problems in
Iraq Said US had to go after militias
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met with ISCI head Hakim Said reconciliation not needed because Iraq had unity
govt Said would never reconcile with Baathists Said Shiites were paying back Baathists for killing them under Saddam Said US had to deal with Sunnis
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met Dep PM Mutlaq Said distrust between Sunnis and Shiites debilitated govt
Said Shiites had to learn to share power Sunnis had to realize they weren’t going to return to power Said US didn’t have enough troops in Iraq
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met CIA Dir Hayden who said Maliki govt only talked about Baathists not
sectarian violence Said stable and democratic Iraq may not be possible
Nov 13 Iraq Study Group met foreign newspaper bureau chiefs Said Iraq de facto being divided between
Shiites and Sunnis State and Defense delusional in claiming enough troops in Iraq
Nov 13 Dep Cmdr US forces in Anbar said Baghdad wasn’t paying police in province and Anbaris felt
Baghdad neglecting them Maliki govt claimed ghost police hindered paying forces
Nov 13 Weekly Standard had two OpEds by Frederick Kagan criticizing Bush admin for not sending
enough troops to Iraq and calling for temporary troop surge to stabilize country Kagan helped draft plan that would lead to Surge
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Nov 13 Report KRG said constitution gave it right to sign independent oil contracts and develop
fields Oil Min Sharhistani said all contracts had to be reviewed by Oil Min Nov 05 DNO began drilling in KRG Discovered oil Spring 06 May KRG created Natural Resource Min Jul KRG passed investment law Oct passed own oil law Signed 4 more contracts with oil companies
(Musings On Iraq Iraqi Kurdistan’s Failed Independent Oil Strategy)
Nov 14 National Police arrested 159 people from Higher Educ Min in Baghdad 70 were never seen
again and presumed killed 5 senior police officers and an army general were arrested for kidnapping but nothing happened Ministry was run by Iraqi Accordance Front PM Maliki initially said event was due to militia rivalries Then denied police or militias involved Maliki also claimed only 39 taken and 37 of them freed Was done by Asaib Ahl Al-Haq members of Natl Police
(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 US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Nov 14 Anbar council agreed to 8 new members picked by Awakening
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Nov 15 Amb Khalilzad said Maliki should be given more control over Iraqi forces and US should push
him towards reconciliation
Nov 15 White House staff began first day of Iraq strategy review Would lead to Surge
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 15 Senate Armed Services Com CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid said that changing troop levels
wouldn’t fix Iraq’s problems Said large US presence stopped Iraqis from taking responsibility Said new strategy needed but didn’t want Congress to set withdrawal timelines Same time said he was sending more troops to Anbar Said that Iraqi forces might be able to take charge of security in less than 12 months Advocated for shifting US forces from combat to training and advising ISF to support US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey’s plan. DIA Dir Gen Maples said things could get worse in Iraq due to weak governance growing insecurity lack of reconciliation CIA Dir Gen Hayden said that even if Baghdad gained more popular support unlikely govt could carry out meaningful reforms CIA and DIA directors said that attacks had gone from 70 per day in January to 100 per day in May and 180 in October
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 20 Baghdad Burns, Summer-Fall 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Night Draws Near, Iraq’s People In The Shadow Of America’s War)
Nov 15 US Iraq cmdr Gen Case presented new plan to Sec Def Rumsfeld who was lame duck Casey said
turning over security to Iraq and withdrawal was feasible this time and could be done faster Rumsfeld said that rather than speeding up withdrawal Bush was leaning towards staying in Iraq for the remainder of his term Said Bush wanted success to push back against his critics Casey rejected any troop increase and wondered whether PM Maliki could carry out any meaningful reconciliation Gen Chiarelli explained new strategy was based upon training Iraqi forces while US carried out strategic strikes
Nov 15 Group of Health Min workers kidnapped
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Nov 16 49 vehicle convoy bringing supplies from Kuwait to Iraq stopped at Safwan 5 western security
guards and 9 Asian drivers kidnapped 19 trucks taken
Nov 16 White House leaked to press that it was thinking of a troop surge in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 16 Def Sec Rumsfeld asked Gen Casey what was going on with National Police Casey said training
was doing good but not their performance
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Nov 17 Maliki spokesman Dabbagh denied claim by Interior Min that it had arrest warrant for Harith al-
Dhari head of Muslim Scholars Association Said Dhari under investigation Interior Min said Dhari only wanted for questioning
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Nov 17 Unknown group showed video on Iranian TV claiming responsibility for kidnapping 5 western
security guards and stealing 19 trucks bringing supplies from Kuwait on Nov 16
Nov 17 State Dept memo suggested US should pull back from Iraq and have same relationship as all
other states Argued against a surge in troops in Iraq to help quell violence
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 18 Pentagon and Joint Chiefs papers on Iraq said US should follow Gen Casey plan to withdraw
turn things over to Iraqis Joint Chiefs paper said Iraq falling into civil war US strategy not working
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Nov 18 US intel report on Iraq said US had no good options in Iraq
Nov 18 VP Cheney’s office memo on Iraq said US should back Shiites and Kurds and forget about
Sunnis
Nov 19 Police kidnapped Dawa Dep Health Min Saffar Made video of him repeating insurgent
demands Then executed him Done by Sadrists to silence Saffar who was attempting to stop them using ministry to run death squads
Nov 19 Suicide car bomb hit day laborers in Hillah killing 22 wounding 44 3 car bombs hit bus station
east Baghdad killing 10 injuring 45
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
Nov 19 Iraqi Islamic Party said warrant for Dhari head of Muslim Scholars Assoc ended Maliki’s
reconciliation program Iraqi Accordance Front demanded warrant be withdrawn 1,000 protested in Adhamiya against warrant
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
Nov 19 AP reported more Iraqis died in first three weeks of Nov than all of Oct Nov 1-19 1,319 dead vs
1,216 in Oct
Nov 19 Syrian Foreign Minister visited Baghdad 1st high ranking Syrian official to visit since 2003 Said
Assad backed Maliki govt and wanted foreign troops to withdraw
Nov 20 Bush ordered NSC to do Iraq review
Nov 20 Joint Chiefs told to prepare plan for surge in troops in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 20 Pentagon claimed US carried out Marshall Plan in Iraq and accomplished minor miracle
rebuilding country
(Musings On Iraq review Hard Lessons, The Iraq Reconstruction Experience)
Nov 20 Sec Def Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs were resistant to acknowledge insurgency in Iraq
when it started
Nov 20 Anbar Awakening met with Anbar Gov Alwani deputy PM and Min of Defense officials
Nov 20 Report Lancet study on Iraqi deaths said used same method as US and UN in other conflict areas
Claimed researchers could go to graveyards and morgues to see whether estimates right or not Then said morgue reports are not reliable Claimed media and morgues only captured small percentage of deaths in Iraq Iraqi health system could not be relied upon for stats on violence Lancet said that majority of people surveyed had death certificates which meant govt did have records that could support Lancet Report said pre-invasion death rate was 5.5 per 1,000 UN said it was 10 per 1,000 1 Lancet author said households randomly picked so didn’t stick to main streets where most violence took place Was not how Lancet report said did survey Report said started on 1 block and then worked way down 2-3 more blocks Meant 1st block would provide majority of houses Could mean did have main street bias
(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)
Nov 21 Iraq and Syria announced renewal of diplomatic relations which were broken during Iran-Iraq
War
Nov 21 UN reported 3,709 civilians killed in Oct 06 was highest since 2003 invasion
Nov 21 Report US training mission for Iraqi forces full of problems Officers leading teams poorly
picked Many hadn’t seen combat Didn’t understand mission and weren’t prepared Didn’t have standardized guidelines for mission Didn’t get support from US military Didn’t get supplies and enough interpreters Didn’t get full teams
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Nov 22 Commander of US forces in Iraq Gen Casey told Joint Chiefs troop surge would not work
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
Nov 22 Council of Colonels presented findings to Joint Chiefs Outlined 3 options which surge of troops or
cut troops to reduce losses and make Iraq more politically acceptable in US or complete withdrawal
Nov 22 UN said over 100,000 Iraqis left country each month mostly going for Syria and Jordan Many
were professionals Shiite death squads and militias operating within police Police accused of kidnappings torture murder bribery theft extortion
(Musings On Iraq review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)
Nov 22 Report Anbar Awakening forced ISI out of area west of Ramadi Dhari head of Association of
Muslim Scholars condemned the Awakening
Nov 23 6 car bombs and mortars by ISI hit Sadr City killing 215 and injuring 257
Nov 23 Insurgents launched 2 hour attack upon Health Ministry in Baghdad run by Sadrists Militias
fired mortars upon Abu Hanifa mosque offices of Assoc of Muslim Scholars and 2 Sunni neighborhoods in retaliation
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
Nov 23 Sheikh Jassim Suwadawi of Abu Soda tribe in Sufiiya warned by ISI to take down his
checkpoints and stop working with US or be killed
Nov 24 Militias carried out retaliatory attacks upon Sunnis in Hurriya Ghaziliya Baquba Kirkuk for 6
car bombs the day before in Sadr City that killed 215 5 mosques in Hurriya burned another shot at another declared a Shiite husseiniya by Mahdi Army Total 19 killed 29 wounded Militias expelled Sunni families from Hurriya and threatened 90 more families to leave
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Nov 24 After funeral processions for those killed Nov 24 in 6 car bombs Sadrist imams blamed US for
insecurity and demanded US withdrawal from Iraq Sadrists threatened to walk out of parliament and cabinet if PM Maliki met with Pres Bush in Jordan
Nov 24 Sunni imams in Ghaziliya Amiriya Adhamiya called on followers to protect neighborhoods and
attack Mahdi Army and police if they entered
Nov 25 ISI attacked Albu Soda tribe in Sufiya outside Ramadi for setting up checkpoints Tribe called US
for help and fought off insurgents Sheikh Suwadawi of Abu Soda tribe joined Anbar Awakening afterward
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
(Musings On Iraq The Demise But Not Death of Al Qaeda In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq How A Change In Perceptions Led To The Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq interview with author Carter Malkasian on Anbar Awakening)
(Musings On Iraq review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)
(Musings On Iraq review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)
(Musings On Iraq review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)
Nov 25 1st Inf Div Cmdr Gen Ham in charge of US training mission in Iraq said previous effort was
“hit and miss” US did poor job picking soldiers for mission No standardized training program for Iraqis Lacked support
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
Nov 26 Bush held meeting to revise Iraq strategy Dep Natl Sec Adv Crouch said many US
assumptions about Iraq either no longer applied or never did Before US said political progress would reduce insurgency Now said could be no political-economic progress without security Before said majority of Iraqis would support US effort to build democracy in Iraq Now said most Iraqis disillusioned with Coalition Before US thought talks with insurgency would reduce violence Didn’t work Before said other countries would support stable Iraq Arab states didn’t support Iraqi govt Before said ISF were gaining strength Now said not ready to handle security Sec State Rice and Def Sec Rumsfeld were against troop surge Both said Iraqi govt needed to take more responsibility Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace questioned whether more troops would make a difference Natl Sec Adv Hadley said US should surge troops into Iraq to bring down violence Bush said he would consult with everyone and decide on a new Iraq strategy in Dec 06
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
Nov 26 NYTimes got Jun 06 US govt report Said insurgency now self-financed via crime Raised est
$70-$200 mil/yr $25-$100 mil from oil smuggling $36 mil from kidnapping 05 Foreign govts including France and Italy paid $30 mil in ransoms 03 insurgents financed by Baathists 04 were funded by foreigners By 05 self-financed
(Musings On Iraq Analyzing The Finances Of Al Qaeda In Iraq Interview With RAND’s Patrick Johnson)
Nov 26 Militiamen attacked 2 Sunni mosques and market in Baghdad’s Ghaziliya Up to 45 killed
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Nov 26 TV comedian Walid Hassan was gunned down in Baghdad
Nov 26 Al Qaeda in Iraq attacked Albu Soda tribe in Anbar for opposing it Sheikh Jasim head of tribe
called for US help which was given
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
Nov 27 Fighting between Al Qaeda in Iraq vs Albu Soda and US in Anbar ended 55 Albu Soda and 68 Al
Qaeda in Iraq killed
(Musings On Iraq Understanding Anbar Before And After The Awakening Part V Sheikh Jassim Mohammed Salah al-Suwaidi And Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Janabi)
Nov 27 Dep Natl Sec Adv Crouch presented idea of Surge
Nov 27 Joint chiefs told Bush was leaning towards a troop surge in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 27 Frederick Kagan wrote 3rd OpEd in Weekly Standard calling for a troop surge in Iraq Kagan
helped draft plan that would become the Surge
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
Nov 27 Sec State Rice and Asst Sec State Near East Welch said US wanted Saudi Arabia Egypt
Jordan to push Iraqi parties to back PM Maliki so he would move away from Sadr Also wanted Arab countries to pressure insurgents to reduce violence
Nov 27 England said it would pull out most of its 7000 troops in Iraq by end of 2006 Poland and
Italy said all their forces were withdrawing
Nov 28 CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid and US cmdr in Iraq Gen Casey said they opposed troop surge
Said it could only last 6-8 months and better to shift forces within Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 28 Report US intel official said 1000-2000 militiamen had gone to Lebanon for training by
Hezbollah organized by Iran Summer 06 a Mahdi Army commander said he’d sent 300 of his men to Lebanon US officials said Iran providing IEDs and training to militiamen Iran might have directed some attacks by militiamen
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias)
Nov 28 Report after Sadr City bombings Sunni militias had expelled Shiites from Dora and allowed
Sunnis kicked out of north Baghdad into homes
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Nov 28 Report Ninewa Dep Gov said 70,000 Kurds fled Mosul due to violence Fed Police cmdr in
Diyala’s Khanaqin said sectarian civil war going on there Local Khanaqin councilman said around 100 killed there a week Was gun battle between Sunni and Kurdish police in Jalawla when Kurds refused new Sunni Arab police chief
Nov 28 Report on US Marine intel report on Anbar Said that Sunnis were fighting for survival Shiites
carrying out “pogroms” against Sunnis in Iraq and was forcing Sunnis into hands of ISI Said Sunnis believed that Iran was taking over Baghdad and Anbar and Sunnis marginalized Said Sunnis couldn’t rely upon US because thought it was going to leave Said no economic revival in Anbar Govt offices had disintegrated Baghdad not paid salaries of Anbar officials and ISF Said US needed 15,000-20,000 more troops and billions in aid to change situation Said violence would be worse without US troops
Nov 29 Report Maliki wanted more control over ISF increased US training and bigger weapons Said
couldn’t disarm militias when Iraqis didn’t trust ISF and U.S. Said his govt would collapse if he moved against militias Said he would find a political solution to problem
Nov 29 Adv to Saudi govt said would be a massive intervention by Riyad to save Iraq’s Sunnis from
Shiite militias if US withdrew
Nov 29 Interior Min announced it was creating monitoring unit that would take legal action against
media that reported fake news Quoted AP story of 6 men burned to death in Baghdad mosque Claimed police captain in story didn’t exist AP had talked to police captain for 2 years and been in his office Also found 3 witnesses to story and more people came forward afterward
Nov 29 Sadrists walked out of parliament to protest PM Maliki meeting with Bush in Jordan
Nov 29 NYTimes published memo by Natl Sec Adv Hadley Asked whether PM Maliki had same vision as
US Said PM said what US wanted to hear Didn’t have control of army Didn’t provide services to Sunni areas Stopped ops vs Shiites Supported attacks on Sunnis Removed ISF commanders for sectarian reasons Wanted to ensure Shiite rule Only listened to small group of Dawa advisers US intel said Maliki trie dot stand up to Shiite parties Said Maliki was either ignorant of what was happening or misrepresented his intentions Said Maliki weak and US needed to shore up support for him
Nov 30 Bush met Maliki Said he wanted more control over ISF and command over them Maliki
presented plan for Iraqi forces to take control of Baghdad Bush said no Bush told Maliki he had lost control of Baghdad and about to lose Iraq Maliki agreed Bush told Maliki US was going to have troop surge Maliki had to back it and agree to reconciliation Also said had to go after Mahdi Army Maliki said yes Bush said Maliki was his man
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Nov 30 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Bush ISF not capable of controlling Baghdad and worried PM Maliki
was allowing death squads to force Sunnis out
Nov 30 Sec State Rice told Natl Sec Adv Rubaie that US perception was that PM Maliki was sectarian
Dec 1 Report State Dept proposed dropping reconciliation because not going to happen and US should
just focus upon Shiites and Kurds Amb Khalilzad and US military opposed proposal Said bringing insurgents into political process critical and US couldn’t be seen as taking sides in civil war
Dec 1 Report Lancet published methodology and findings on death est report Said in 2004 interviewed 30
households in 3 hrs Would be 6 min each Didn’t think that was enough time Thought could compromise results Called for Lancet authors to fully release methodology and raw data 2006 2nd Lancet est 600,000 excess deaths after 03 invasion Said 2006 interviewed 40 houses/day Thought very high rate compared to other surveys Est 1 team could survey for 10 straight hrs/day Worked out to 15 min per house Had to go from house to house meant less than 15 mins each Public health researchers said didn’t think teams could do 40 houses/day When Lancet authors tried to explain what happen only added to controversy 1 author said 2004 teams interviewed 30 houses in 3 hrs Meant interviews only took 6 min/per house Author then said 1 team did 2 clusters in 1 day Meant 60 houses plus travel time meant less than 6 min/per house Made story improbable Teams would also have to randomly find a cluster and then do 40 houses would leave less than 6 mins/interview Even if took 15 mins/interview would not be practical Wanted details on how teams could do survey in 3-6 mins Teams had to walk from house to house Knock on door Wait for answer Introduce themselves Explain survey Gain consent to survey home Ensure private Then had to get details on each family from number of people sexes list all names deaths births who moved etc Every house that had a death led to additional questions about details of incident Speculated either fewer interviews were done than claimed or teams didn’t follow protocols Info on start and end times of surveys all common info and should be released to prove case
(Musings On Iraq Comparing Surveys of Iraqi Deaths During The War)
(Musings On Iraq Major Flaws With The Lancet Reports On Iraqi Deaths Part I)
(Musings On Iraq Major Flaws With The Lancet Reports On Iraqi Deaths Part II)
(Musings On Iraq New Survey On Estimated Deaths In Iraq Refutes Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mark Van Der Laan on Lancet Reports)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Michael Spagat on Lancet reports)
Dec 3 Bush said that withdrawing from Iraq was not realistic National Sec Adv Hadley on NBC said
that withdrawing was the same as cutting and running and the president rejected that US strategy at the time was to train Iraqi forces to take over security and withdraw Showed disconnect between strategy and how Bush envisioned war
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
Dec 3 Report Def Sec Rumsfeld memo said that US strategy in Iraq not working and needed new one
Said administration had to lower public expectations of what US could do in Iraq Was frustrated with Iraqis Said Iraq needed to do more Laid out plans for either withdrawing troops or redeploying them within Iraq Said US should think of setting benchmarks for Iraq Went against public statements of US govt against withdrawals and benchmarks
Dec 3 Report doctor at Baghdad hospital said staff had been infiltrated by Mahdi Army Patients were
mysteriously dying and then records lost or changed Thought they were being murdered and orders were coming from Sadr controlled Health Min
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
Dec 3 Report Sadrists paid doctors and nurses money to identify Sunnis in hospitals so that they could be
killed Also used porters and janitors to collect info on Sunni patients Changed medical records to cover up killings Shiites soldiers also kidnapped Sunnis from hospitals
Dec 4 UN Sec Gen Annan said violence in Iraq worse than Lebanese civil war Said worse than life
under Saddam Said Iraqi govt unable to provide security
Dec 4 Paul Bremer said Pentagon ignored calls for more troops to maintain order in Iraq after
invasion Said military slow to develop counterinsurgency strategy Said military thought ISF could take over security in Iraq quickly US and Iraqi govts failed to counter rise of Sadr and Mahdi Army Not providing security biggest failure of US in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
Dec 4 New ops cmdr Gen Odierno briefed on US strategy in Iraq Consisting of moving out of Iraqi cities
Deploying to border Transition to Iraqi control Let ISF fight in cities
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
Dec 5 PM Maliki said he was sending envoys to regional countries to discuss conference on Iraq
US Abdul Hakim and Pres Talabani all rejected idea Nothing came of it
Dec 5 Outgoing US gen Chiarelli briefed incoming Gen Odierno on Op Together Forward in Baghdad
Chiarelli said clear hold build was good strategy but Iraqis not up to the task Malliki protected Sadr and Mahdi Army and seemed intent upon Shiite dominance of Baghdad which was driving Sunnis towards ISI Said sectarian war would continue until Iraqis decided they needed reconciliation
Dec 6 Iraq Study Group report issued Backed many points of Gen Casey’s withdrawal plan Said Iraqis
needed to eventually take over security Needed to increases quantity and quality of Iraqi units Said US needed to increase its aid to Iraqi forces and move away from combat Called for all US combat brigades to be out of Iraq by start of 2008 US special forces should focus upon taking down Al Qaeda in Iraq US couldn’t have open ended commitment to Iraq Baghdad needed to set reconciliation goals and if not met US would cut aid
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
Dec 6 Iraq Study Group found U.S. military underreporting violence Standards were used to keep
incidents down Example IEDs not against U.S. were not counted One day in July 05 U.S. officially reported 93 incidents Iraq Study Group found there were actually 1,100 incidents that day
Dec 6 Report Neoconservatives launched media campaign to discredit Iraq Study Group and
support troop surge instead
Dec 6 UK Intel report Said Sadr controlled majority of Mahdi Army Routinely attacked Coalition and
Sunnis Didn’t always follow Sadr’s orders but didn't mean they were breakaway units No organizational control of militia Acts of other militias usually blamed on Mahdi Army Sadr had to balance his desire for political power and using violence and militia Said other militias mostly responsible for attacks on UK in Basra Some of those militias trained funded supplied by Hezbollah and Iranian Revolutionary Guard Sadr accepted Iranian aid but didn’t trust Tehran Iran thought Sadr frustrating partner Sadrists joined militia for variety of reasons causing divisions Were Mahdi Army members in ISF especially police
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Dec 7 VP Cheney and Sec State Rice debated Iraq strategy at NSC Cheney argued against withdrawing Rice
still against surge of troops
Dec 8 NSC met to review Iraq strategy Sec State Rice said if Iraqis didn’t want to protect their own
people why should US do it Bush challenged Rice on what she wanted to do Rice said if Iraqis wanted to fight a civil war US couldn’t stop them Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace said US forces could not stand by during Iraq civil war Bush told NSC that US couldn’t wait for Iraqis to do more US had to act to reduce violence Bush said stakes too high to gamble on Iraqis controlling sectarian violence on their own Bush already decided on surge but hadn’t fleshed out details yet
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Dec 8 Bush brought up increasing US troops with Iraq cmdr Gen Casey
Dec 8 Bush told congressional leaders US needed new way forward in Iraq Wanted new tactics but
goal was still winning
Dec 8 Def Sec Rumsfeld memo to Bush and VP Cheney said US should accelerate transition to Iraqi control
Dec 8 Report Iraq Study Group found that Saudis were financing insurgency Much of it came
through religious donations Some money went to Sunni politicians and figures who then distributed it to militants Other money went directly to insurgency Saudis denied any money was going to Iraq but then set up monitoring group under US pressure to crackdown on religious donations
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Dec 8 Fred Kagan at Amer Enterprise Inst began 3 day planning session to come up with alternative
strategy for Iraq which included ex-Gen Keane Would lay down some of the main ideas of the Surge
Dec 9 NSC met Bush said Maliki was right when he complained didn’t have enough to do his job Said
US had to do more and take away excuses Wanted to win Said US goal in Iraq was victory Had to bring down violence so politics could work in Iraq US Cmdr Iraq Gen Casey told Bush Maliki agreed to go after militias that broke law Casey said working on new Baghdad security plan that would put ISF more in the lead Talked about alternatives to Maliki CENTCOM cmdr Gen Abizaid said Maliki had no backbone
Dec 9 After 3 Sunni families killed by Mahdi Army mass exodus of Sunnis began out of Baghdad’s
Hurriya
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Dec 9 Pres Talabani called US training program a failure Denounced plans to increase trainers as
putting ISF under foreign control
Dec 9 Report Chief Justice of Saudi Supreme Judicial Council was videotaped in govt mosque in
2004 calling on young Saudis to go fight US in Iraq because it was fighting Muslims
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Dec 9 Report Editorial by adv to Saudi Amb to US Said Saudis would back Sunnis against Shiites if US
withdrew
Dec 10 Sunni families continued to flee Baghdad’s Hurriya after Mahdi Army attack Dec 9 Mahdi
Army rep admitted that militia attacked Sunnis in neighborhood in retaliation for attacks upon Shiites
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Dec 10 Ret Gen Keane and Fred Kagan met at American Enterprise Institute to outline
civilian centric security plan/Surge idea to be presented to Bush
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Dec 10 Report members of governing coalition talked about replacing PM Maliki due to rising violence
Talks held to form new majority in parliament
Dec 10 US cmdr Gen Casey and Amb Khalizad met with Maliki He said improvement in ISF would make
militias unnecessary
Dec 11 Stephen Biddle Eliot Cohen Barry McCaffrey Wayne Downing Frederick Kagan Jack Keane briefed
Bush on options for Iraq Cohen said failure of Vietnam was not having a strategy debate Said Iraq cmdr Gen Casey needed to be replaced by Gen Petraeus McCaffrey and Downing were against Surge Biddle Kagan Keane argued for troop surge Said Bush’s national security team had failed on Iraq and should be replaced
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq Inside The Surge An Interview With Prof Peter Mansoor Former Executive Officer To Gen Petraeus)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Strongest Tribe, War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Dec 11 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey told Bush PM Maliki was more open to raids on militias Bush still
questioned Maliki’s resolve
Dec 11 Report US intel and Pentagon not investing resources to fully understand insurgency and
militias in Iraq
Dec 11 Saudi imams called on Sunnis around the world to mobilize against Iraqi Shiites
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Dec 11 Report Iraq not developing economy Ministries spent as little as 15% of investment budgets
Officials blamed anti-corruption codes for not signing contracts Iraq Study Group said most ministries just paid salaries
Dec 11 Bush was involved in talks to push Sadr out of govt US didn’t want PM Maliki to rely on Sadr Bush
met with Hakim and VP Hashemi Lobbied Saudis Jordan Egypt to get Accordance Front to back new governing coalition
Dec 12 Report US pushing for new ruling coalition that would exclude Sadr Would include Kurds
Accordance Front ISCI Maliki was standoffish because Sadr put him in office and was afraid new coalition would replace him as PM
Dec 12 Bush told NSC he was not going to announce Surge until Jan 07 Wanted new Defense Secretary
Gates in office
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Dec 12 American Enterprise Institute released report on war by Frederick Kagan Kenneth Pollack
Retired Gen. Keane Called for troop surge
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Dec 12 US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey presented his plan for accelerated transition to Iraqi control of security and
withdrawal to Bush again
Dec 12 Bush sent US cmdr Gen Casey and Amb Khalizad to meet PM Maliki to get him to issue more
assurances that he would back Surge
Dec 12 Out going US ground forces cmdr Gen Chiarelli said Iraq couldn’t be won militarily Was frustrated
that was only thing US focusing upon Said Iraqi police infiltrated more by militias then he thought and would take longer to remove them Said bringing down unemployment in Iraq should have been a US priority
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
Dec 12 Car bomb in central Iraq targeted day laborers killed 71 and wounded 236
Dec 13 Bush met with Joint Chiefs to talk about revising Iraq strategy Joint Chiefs head Gen Pace said US
should shift to advising and training Iraqis Said ISF could handle security Army chief of staff Gen Schoomaker argued against troop surge Said it wouldn’t change violence Warned that surge could break army Bush said breaking army would happen if it lost Iraq Bush told Joint Chiefs he was going to have a troop surge despite their objections Wanted to win Okayed arresting Iranians operating in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Dec 13 Army chief of staff Gen Schoomaker testified to Congress that a troop surge in Iraq would break the
army
Dec 13 Bush said that he would push PM Maliki to reach out to Sunnis
Dec 13 VP Hashemi in US said he talked to Bush about new Iraq strategy and backed surge idea Said
US wanted to help create new coalition behind PM Maliki
Dec 13 Speaker Mashadani responded to PM Maliki’s plan to have Iraqi forces take over security of
Baghdad Said it would only give militias control of city
Dec 13 Report Saudi King Abdullah told VP Cheney at end of Nov 06 that Saudis would back Sunnis
vs Shiites if US withdrew
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
Dec 14 Ret Gen Keane and Fred Kagan of Amer Enterprise Institute briefed VP Cheney on surge idea
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Dec 14 Frederick Kagan of Amer Enterprise Inst issued another paper arguing for troop surge in
Iraq to focus upon securing Iraqi civilians in Baghdad Would help author surge plan for Bush
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
Dec 14 Report US military said Kadhimiya Qadisiya Amiriya Ghaziliya most violent in Baghdad due to
sectarian fighting between militias and insurgents US military said Shiites being evicted from Ghaziliya and Adil Sunnis from Adhamiya and Fadhil National Security Adv Rubaie accused Islamic Party and Muslim Scholars Association of working with 1920 Revolution Brigade
(Musings On Iraq Spiritual Leader To Iraq’s Insurgency Harith Dhari Dies In Exile)
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Dec 14 Iraq think tank public opinion poll 95% believed security in Iraq worse than 2003 66% said
violence would decline if US forces left 38% were not confident in PM Maliki to improve Iraq Almost 90% said govt did poor job in fulfilling promises
Dec 15 Gen Odierno became new multinational force commander Was skeptical of US Iraq cmdr Gen
Casey’s transition strategy to turn over more security to Iraq so US could withdraw
Dec 15 Bush told Maliki to accept Surge as way to bring down violence Maliki said he would announce
it next day Didn't
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Dec 15 US intel said Maliki against Surge Said he didn't like US forces and didn’t want more of them
in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Dec 15 Report US cmdr in Diyala said ISF making security situation worse in province Police accused
of corruption Army made mass arrests Were both almost all Shiite Commander said ISF driving tribes and politicians into hands of insurgents for protection
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
Dec 15 Report Around 100,000 bar/day in oil smuggled in Iraq Political parties vying for control of oil
industry Putting followers into oil companies
Dec 16 PM Maliki held reconciliation meeting Iraqiya National Dialogue Front Sadrists boycotted
Maliki called for Baath era soldiers to return to military Said reconciliation did not include Baathists and Takfiris Then said govt differentiated between Baathists that committed crimes and those that didn’t
Dec 16 Report head of UK sanctions and weapons inspection mission at UN said he never saw any
intel that Iraq posed threat to England Said UK officials pushed back against US talk of regime change arguing Iraq would fall into chaos afterward
(Musings On Iraq Review The Report of the Iraq Inquiry, Executive Summary)
Dec 16 KDP and PUK presented list of complaints against PM Maliki Accused him of conspiratorial thinking
and reliance upon his inner circle of Dawa followers without consulting with other parties
Dec 17 Men in army uniforms kidnapped 42 men from Red Crescent HQ in Baghdad
Dec 17 Insurgents shelled Taji in north Baghdad with mortars setting up checkpoints and burned
a house to try to drive residents out
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Dec 17 Insurgents took down 40 power towers from Baiji to Baghdad 42 towers from Baiji to Kirkuk All
lines from power plants in Musayib and Haditha to capital Part of campaign to deprive central Iraq of electricity
Dec 17 Former Sec State Powell said US losing war in Iraq Questioned troops surge asking what would
be the goal Said US army being broken by long deployments to Iraq
Dec 17 Fmr Electricity Min Samaraie fled Iraq to US after warrant issued for him over corruption
(Musings On Iraq interview with Special Inspector Gen for Iraq Reconstruction Bowen on corruption in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq interview with fmr anti-graft official Vincent Foulk on corruption in Iraq)
Dec 18 Sadr endorsed insurgent attacks on US forces claiming it was resistance to the west
Dec 18 Report Saudi Natl Sec Assessment Project Report said Shiites had created a state within a state in
Iraq Said Iran providing military support to militias Iranian charities setting up schools and hospitals in Iraq Iran supported politicians Said US had failed in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy, The Saudi Struggle For Iraq)
Dec 19 NSC meeting Bush told Maliki agreed to new Baghdad security plan
Dec 19 Maliki proposed Baghdad security plan to Americans Said he would support troop surge if US
only went after insurgents and not militias Said he would make a political deal with Sadr that would reduce Mahdi Army violence
Dec 19 Report Lawyer that investigated Diyala said that torture widespread in police Force full of
militias Death squads operated with help of police Sunni and Shiite religious leaders trying to get local sheikhs to sign pledge to stop violence Baquba mayor said Shiites had mostly been expelled from city by Sunnis ISF did not protect Sunnis in province Deputy police commander in Diyala said politicians were constantly interfering in his work
(Musings On Iraq Diyala Province Backgrounder)
Dec 19 Report insurgents and gangs taking down power towers to Baghdad Insurgents launching
campaign to deprive capital of electricity Gangs stripping towers of aluminum that they sell Electricity Min said Baghdad in crisis Mar 06 1-2 power lines to Baghdad down at one time Summer 06 6-7 lines down Fall 06 up to 12 power lines down July insurgents took down every power line to Baghdad in coordinated attacks across central Iraq
Dec 19 US raid on Taji north Baghdad province captured ISI docs Outlined Baghdad strategy Wanted to
secure Rusafa by sectarian cleansing and cutting off Shiite lines of communication into east Baghdad Hoped to overwhelm Iraqi govt with displaced Said most important battle was for control of Baghdad Belts areas around capitol
Dec 20 US military turned over 3rd province to Iraqi forces, Najaf
Dec 20 Report Ayatollah Sistani backed creation of new ruling coalition behind PM Maliki that would
exclude Sadr Orchestrated by US Maliki opposed idea afraid that new coalition would oust him
Dec 20 Bush said that US not winning but not losing in Iraq November he said US was absolutely
winning New line came from his military advisers
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
Dec 20 New Sec Def Gates arrived in Baghdad US Iraq cmdr Gen Casey lobbied against Surge Gates
thought Casey’s plan of turning over security to Iraqis so US could withdraw was working Gates told Bush he supported Casey’s plan
Dec 20 Report Gen Dempsey in charge of ISF training said target was 325,000 ISF by end of yr Said
National Police needed overhaul Said ¼ of them had been weeded out All 9 National Police Brigades being retrained Said goal was by Jun 07 all army divisions would be under Baghdad’s command
Dec 20 US Special Forces arrested 4 Iranians included military attache outside ISCI HQ in Baghdad
Dec 21 8 Marines charged with executing Iraqi civilians in Haditha None were convicted
Dec 21 US arrested Gen. Mohsen Chirazai commander of Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force’s
Dept 600 and 5 other IRGC members at home of Badr head Hadi Amiri Chirazai and 1 other released next day under pressure from PM Maliki and Pres Talabani Other 4 turned over to Iraqis Dec 28 and released the next day House had maps showing sectarian breakdown of Baghdad Docs on Iranian arms shipments to Badr
(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)
Dec 22 Ret Gen Keane told NatlSecAdv Hadley US needed 5 brigade troop surge in Iraq not less
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Dec 22 Maliki spokesman said that Dawa and SCIRI close to agreement to crackdown on militias Were
also going to send delegation to Najaf to get Sadr back in govt
(Musings On Iraq A Divided Sadr Trend)
Dec 22 US Intel report Mahdi Army was planning to kidnap US soldiers in Baghdad to undermine
Maliki’s reconciliation program Were using Mahdi Army commander who had been trained in Iran by Hezbollah and IRGC
(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Hezbollah’s Role In Iraq)
Dec 23 Report Baladiyat Zayun Ghadir Nariya neighborhoods in Baghdad almost all Shiite now 400
Shiite families fleeing Baquba settled in Nariya and New Baghdad Iraqi army helped Shiite families move into Adil Mahdi Army moved into Sabi al-Bour northern Baghdad town to secure it Public Works Ministry proposed land grants to victims of Saddam and insurgents in 6 Sunni towns known for being insurgent bases Was believed to be move by Maliki govt to move Shiites into those areas
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Dec 24 Acting upon warrants issued by Basra judge for 62 police officers UK forces raided HQ of Serious
Crime Unit in Basra city Found 127 prisoners 80% were tortured Some Basra councilman protested against raid Interior Min Bolani said he would disband Serious Crime Unit PM Maliki Basra Gov Waili and sheikhs all supported raid Crime Unit responsible for death squads attacks on UK criminal activity ties to Mahdi Army
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Inquiry Section 9.5 June 2006 To 27 June 2007)
Dec 24 Interior Min reported 12,000 police killed since 2003 Avg 10 per day
Dec 25 British destroyed Jamiat police station in Basra HQ of Serious Crimes Unit run by Mahdi Army
infamous for arrests torture corruption Found 127 prisoners who’d been tortured Arrested policemen from Crime Unit for running death squads
(Musings On Iraq US Army History Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 22 – The Failed Transition)
Dec 26 Appeals court upheld Saddam’s death sentence
Dec 27 Frederick Kagan and Ret Gen Jack Keane wrote OpEd in Wash Post arguing for troop Surge in
Iraq that they conceived
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Gamble, General David Petraeus And The American Military Adventure In Iraq, 2006-2008)
Dec 28 Report Mahdi Army moving block by block across Ghaziliya Baghdad forcing out Sunnis Many
displaced Sunnis moved to center of district where sheikh set up militia to protect them from Mahdi Army
(Musings On Iraq review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)
(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)
Dec 28 New Def Sec Gates met with Bush Proposed 2 brigade troop surge Bush rejected idea Wanted more
troops Finally said he was going to send 5 brigades
Dec 28 NSC agreed that Gen Petraeus would be new Iraq commander for Surge
(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Mansoor on the Surge)
(Musings On Iraq interview with New America Foundation’s Ollivant On Reassessing the Surge)
Dec 29 Military Times did poll of its military subscribers Found 50% thought success possible in Iraq
Down from 83% in 2004 42% said they disapproved of Bush’s handling of the war versus 35% who approved 41% said U.S. should have gone to war with Iraq in the first place Down from 65% in 2003 13% said U.S. should have no troops in Iraq
Dec 30 Iraqi govt hanged Saddam Hussein while Sadrists taped it and chanted Moqtada Afterwards they
kicked and spit on the body
(Musings On Iraq review The Prisoner in His Palace, Saddam Hussein, His American Guards and What History Leaves Unsaid)
Dec 30 Naqshibandi insurgent group formed by Baathists
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Resurgent Insurgency Interview With Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi)
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