Drawing The Iraq-Saudi-Kuwait Border In The Sand

A common belief about the Middle East was that it was carved up by England and France during World War I with the 1916 Sykes-Picot Treaty. The reality is much more complicated. One example is the creation of the Iraq-Saudi-Kuwait border. That was literally a straight line drawn by the British, but was only a rough demarcation, which took decades to define.

Ibn Saud of Najid with Sir Percy Cox British High Commissioner for Iraq during the Mandate period (Cricistan)

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 12

1968 New Baath government of Pres Bakr said it was committed to uniting Iraq

            and Egypt

1976 Soviet-Iraq arms deal announced worth over $1 bil included 600 T-62s

            and T-64 tanks, 100 Mig-23s, SAM-6 and SCUD missiles and more

1976 Soviet-Iraq arms deal included giving Russia secret access to Iraqi air bases
1986 Iraq air strike hit Iran’s main oil terminal in Sirri Island Iraq got air support

            from either Kuwait or Saudis

1988 Pres Khamenei speech claimed Iran won Iran-Iraq War

1990 Saddam said all occupations should end including Israel-Palestine &

            Syria-Lebanon to stave off criticism of Kuwait invasion

1990 Marches in Amman and Mafraq, Jordan, Sanaa in Yemen, Sidon in Lebanon

            in support of Iraq and Saddam after Kuwait invasion

1995 Saddam’s son-in-law Hussein Kamal held news conference in Jordan saying he

            would overthrow Saddam after defecting

2002 Iraq invasion plans leaked to Time Supported Rumsfeld’s ideas of a small force

            or supporting an Iraqi revolt

2004 US forces surrounded Mahdi Army in Imam Ali shrine and Najaf cemetery 2^nd

            Battle of Najaf

2004 Fighting between Iraqi and US forces vs Mahdi Army killed 68 civilians in Kut

            Wasit

2004 Wash Post said it ran many articles questioning Bush admin case for Iraq war but

            didn't get on front page

2015 Pres Masum said parliament should keep one VP since position is in constitution

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Post Mosul Liberation Day 31 Aug 10 2017

Workers removing explosives from Mosul (Reuters)

 Removing rubble from west Mosul’s Old City (Reuters)

 Shopping in an east Mosul market (Reuters)

 

Islamic State elements continued to be discovered, killed, and carry out attacks in Mosul. A gunman opened fire on the Victory bridge, the only connection between the two sides of the city leaving two dead and three wounded. The police claimed they killed 47 IS members since the city was liberated at the start of July, along with finding hundreds of weapons and explosives. These attacks, while low level, show that Mosul, especially the western half is still not secure. The number of IS elements appears to be small, but they are still spreading fear. The attacks are a major reason why many people have not returned or are leaving.

This Day In Iraqi History – Aug 11

1918 UK For Sec Balfour British war in Mespotamia should be

            justified by securing water that would also give it control of oil

1933 Assyrians in Zakho and Sumail were attacked by Iraqi army led by Gen

            Sidqi 300 killed

1933 Another 40 Assyrian villages attacked and 600 more killed mostly by Kurds

1937 Gen Bakr Sidqi head of 1936 coup was assassinated in Mosul after pan-Arab

            officers withdrew their support for him

1992 U.N. Iraq Rapporteur went to Security Council about Iraq draining southern

            marshes and new counterinsurgency campaign against rebels in south
1992 UK France US condemned Iraq campaign to clear southern marshes and warned of

            possible consequences

1995 Saddam gave speech denouncing son-in-law Hussein Kamal for defecting to

            Jordan

1995 Ali Hassan al-Majid issued statement saying Hussein Kamal was a traitor for

            defecting to Jordan

2005 SCIRI’s Hakim announced idea for southern federal region in Iraq

2005 Allawi govt announced ceasefire with Mahdi Army to hold talks with Sadr

            to end 2^nd Battle for Najaf

2007 ISCI governor of Qadisiya killed by an EFP in Baghdad laid by Mahdi Army

            Sadr vs Hakim rivalry

2014 IS attacked Jalawla, Diyala with suicide truck bomb and 12 suicide bombers

            dressed in Peshmerga uniforms

2015 Parliament approved PM Abadi’s reform program that included ending

            3 vice presidents

2015 Abadi said he wanted to cut cabinet to just 15 ministers and reduce local

            councils

2015 Protesters stormed Babil council building demanding better services

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This Day In Iraqi History – Aug 10

1920 Treaty of Sevres started the break-up of the Ottoman Empire after

            World War I Included ceding Mesopotamia to the British

1920 Treaty of Sevres included call for a Kurdish state

1933 Kurds and Arabs loot Assyrian farms south of Dohuk

1943 Mustafa Barzani started revolt against Iraqi govt lasting until 1945 when he and

            3,000 followers fled to Iran

1987 Iraq began bombing campaign against Iran’s Tabriz oil field Iran said it would

            make Persian Gulf a killing field in retaliation

1990 Arab League split over Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait

1992 Govt curfew in Najaf to try to stop march after death of Ayatollah Khoei

2003 Report British govt said it had independent intel to support Iraq-Africa uranium

            deal after US said story weak Story was false

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Post Mosul Liberation Day 29-30 Aug 8-9 2017

The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) were still concerned about violence in west Mosul. The Old City district was closed off and a curfew imposed on August 8 after reports of Islamic State fighters appearing from tunnels and basements in the area. According to the Federal Police insurgents were still a threat in the district, while a military spokesman told Reuters that the Old City was a military zone and off limits to civilians. On August 9, the police discovered an IS judge in a basement killing him in a gunfight. An IED led to the death a civilian in the west, and wounded another in the east. Combat has ended in the city, but there are still attacks by the militants. These are sporadic, and mostly occur in the west. There are also hundreds if not thousands of unexploded ordinance laying around that continue to cause casualties as well.  

Islamic State Terrorism And Hashd Intimidation Returns To Babil

Jurf al-Sakhr was once the Islamic State’s capital in Babil province. It gave the group access to southern Iraq, Baghdad province to the north, and Anbar to the west. In 2014, the district was liberated, the entire population expelled, and violence dramatically dropped off in the governorate afterward. This year, Babil is getting it from both sides. The Islamic State is picking up its terrorist attacks, while the Hashd is trying to drive out and intimidate people before the coming Ashura ceremony in September.