Start Of The Tal Afar Battle

PM Abadi and his military staff announcing start of Tal Afar operation (Al Noor News)

US 82^nd Airborne troops manning anti-tank missile outside Abu Ghaddur during Tal Afar operation (AP)

Belgium Special Forces operating anti-tank missiles next to the US troops (AP)

The Tal Afar operation finally began just over a month after Mosul was freed. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of the campaign on TV stating that the Islamic State could either surrender or die. The Iraqi Air Force dropped leaflets over Tal Afar telling people the battle had begun.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 21

1921 King Faisal was coronated

1950 Nuri al-Said threatened to revoke license of transport company if didn’t fill quota

            of shipping 500 Jews out of Iraq per day

2003 Powell asked UN Security Council to pass resolution encouraging foreign

            countries to provide troops for Iraq

2003 Ali Hassan al-Majid “Chemical Ali” captured by US forces

2006 2^nd trial started for Saddam accused of genocide during Anfal campaign
2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq killed Sheikh Ataymi of Albu Jassim in Anbar who aligned with

            U.S.

2007 ISI killed Sheikh Alayawia of Abu Jassim tribe of Ramadi for supporting

            govt

2007 ISI blew up new police station in Jazeera, Anbar

2015 Protests in Baghdad Maysan Dhi Qar Wasit Diyala Basra Kirkuk Qadisiyah

Salahaddin Najaf Karbala Babil Diwainiya demanding reform

2015 Police attacked reporters from 3 TV stations trying to cover day’s protests

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Musings On Iraq In The News

I was mentioned in “Is Donald Trump to Raqqa and Mosul what Assad was to Aleppo?” by Alastair Sloan for Middle East Monitor.

Security In Iraq Aug 8-14, 2017

Violence in Iraq remained incredibly low during the second week of August 2017. There were only 88 incidents reported in the media. There were 20 in Ninewa, 18 in Baghdad, 15 in Diyala, 11 in Anbar, 8 in Kirkuk and Salahaddin each, 3 in Babil, 2 in Maysan, and 1 each in Dhi Qar, Karbala, and Irbil. For years, there have regularly been over 100 incidents per week in the country. Since Mosul was liberated, and the Islamic State has been thrown on the defensive the number of attacks has fallen off considerably.  

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 20

1987 Dawa set off car bomb in Baghdad killing 20

1988 Ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War announced 350 UN peacekeepers deployed along border

1995 Iraq admitted to UN inspectors that its crash program to build a nuclear bomb failed

1996 PUK attacked KDP positions in Sulaymaniya with Iranian artillery and helicopter support

1997 Iraq agreed to allow Iranian pilgrims to go to Najaf and Karbala as way to get around UN 

           sanctions

2002 Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld said Al Qaeda operatives were in Iraq and that US needed to 

            launch pre-emptive strike because couldn't wait for Iraq to get stronger

2003 Bush at NSC meeting said US had to re-evaluate enemy in Iraq after Zarqawi bombed UN in 

            Baghdad

2003 UN said bombing of its Baghdad offices wouldn't stop reconstruction of Iraq

            UN would withdraw most of its staff

2004 PM Allawi called for Sadr to give up Imam Ali shrine in Najaf or face US-Iraq assault 2nd 

            Battle of Najaf

2007 ISCI governor of Muthanna assassinated by Sadrists 2nd ISCI governor killed in a month

2012 US warned that oil companies signing deals with Kurds without Baghdad’s

            approval were taking risks 

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When The US Decided On A Long Term Occupation Of Iraq

The original U.S. plan for Iraq was to go in and out as quick as possible. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was opposed to nation building, and he was given control of postwar Iraq. He wanted the American forces to withdraw as soon as the invasion was over. President Bush had campaigned against the U.S. attempting to rebuild countries as well, and signed off on the Pentagon’s plan for Iraq. When Jay Garner and the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA) the first group in charge of postwar Iraq looked like it was overwhelmed, the Bush administration turned to Paul Bremer and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Bremer had a completely different philosophy wanting time to not only rebuild, but restructure Iraq’s institutions. When he was chosen to run Iraq was when the U.S. committed to a long-term occupation.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 19

1984 France agreed to refinance $1.4 bil in debts Iraq owed it France biggest

            western backer of Iraq

2003 Zarqawi bombed UN headquarters in Baghdad killing 23 and injuring

over 100 including UN Rep de Mello

2004 Allawi wrote Bush saying Iraq was more dangerous and unstable than a year ago

2004 Interim govt called for Sadr to disband Mahdi Army and leave Najaf shrine

2004 Sistani’s office said it was open to Sadr’s offer to turn over keys to Najaf shrine

2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay was rebuked by NSC staffer for criticizing NSC

            to Congress on WMD

2004 Iraq Survey Group head Kay said Rice more interested in being Bush’s friend

            than being National Security Adviser

2009 ISI set off 3 car bombs in Baghdad hitting Finance & Foreign Ministries and

Rashid Hotel killing 101 and wounding 565

2009 Maliki blamed Baathists and Syria for Baghdad bombings even though it was ISI

2014 IS posted video of beheading of journalist James Foley 

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