Prices Rise But Oil Exports Dip For Iraq In April 2018

April saw Iraq’s lowest exports of 2018. Fortunately, prices were up to the highest mark in four years leading to a substantial monthly revenue.

This Day in Iraqi History - May 3

1921 Gertrude bell wrote Mid-Euphrates tribes perplexed why UK picked Faisal

            to be King of Iraq when he led revolt against them in Syria

1941 2^nd day British planes bombed Iraqi forces Destroyed 29 Iraqi planes in Baghdad

            and 13 more in Diyala

1941 Iraqi air force bombed Iraqi army in Ramadi by accident in night raid

1941 Churchill ordered British troops to march from Palestine to Iraq

1941 UK Cmdr for Mid East Gen Wavell given command of Iraq Complained no forces

            to spare and negotiations should be used instead

1941 UK Cmdr for Mid East Gen Wavell later said he could send a small force from

            Palestine to Iraq but would threaten security in region and called for talks again

1941 Gaylani told Italian ambassador Iraq needed German and Italian air support

to deal with British, financial aid and a German military mission to work with Iraq General Staff

1941 German Foreign Min Ribbentrop supported sending special representative to

            Baghdad along with military laison officers to set up arrival of German aid

1941 German Foreign Min Ribbentrop suggested sending fighter and bomber squadons

            to Iraq Hitler agreed

1964 New provisional constitution said Iraq a democratic-socialist government but

            power was still with Pres Arif

1982 Iraq counterattacked in Khuzistan ending Iran’s Op Bait al-Moqaddas Iran

            retook 300 sq mi

1983 Iraqi Op Salam launched in southern Iraq to capture and kill army deserters

1988 Start of 4^th Anfal campaign focused on Lesser Zab River, Sulaymaniya Kogtapa

            attacked with chemical bombs

(Musings On Iraq article on Anfal campaign)

1995 KDP told Turkey it would stop PKK activities in Kurdistan

2003 UK PM’s office said Iraq had WMD and they would be found

2003 White House said it was sure Iraq’s WMD would be found

2003 Bush said Iraq’s WMD programs would be found would just take time Was

            change from previous claims WMD stocks would be found

2003 UK intel said trailer found in Mosul could be mobile WMD lab

2003 CPA appointed Thamir Ghadban interim Oil Minister

2004 Mahdi Army attacked US base and a convoy in Najaf setting off hour long

            gun battles

2004 Heavy fighting between insurgents and US forces closed down road to Baghdad

            airport

2004 UN outlined plan to create Iraqi Election Commission to run 2005 voting

2004 US Marines said would replace Gen Latif head of Fallujah Brigade with Gen

            Saleh because Latif a Baathist

2005 PM Jaafari’s cabinet sworn in 2 deputy prime ministers and 7 important ministries

            vacant due to political disputes including Oil and Defense

2005 Shiite parties rejected Sunni candidates for ministries at last minute

2007 Anbar Awakening demanded all tribes in Anbar to stop supporting ISI

2008 Iraqi delegation to Iran presented evidence that Tehran was arming and training

            militias fighting govt Baghdad

2009 Baghdad said it would not extend deadline for US forces to be out of country’s

            cities by Jun 30 2009

2009 Arrest warrants issued for Trade Minister Sudani’s two brothers and other

            ministry officials for corruption

2009 2 Iraqi soldiers opened fire at U.S. troops at an outpost in Mosul killing 2

            and wounding 3 Americans

2009 Iraqi forces arrested Dhuluiya, Salahaddin Sawha leader Claimed he

            attacked Dujail during civil war

2009 Sahwa in Iskandiriya walked off job for not being paid in months

2010 Abu Abdullah al-Shafi emir of Ansar al-Sunnah was captured in Baghdad

2010 Baghdad started recount requested by Maliki after came in 2^nd in election to

Allawi

2011 National Reconciliation Ministry said Asaib Ahl Al-Haq was joining

            reconciliation process Didn’t happen

2011 KRG parliament passed law to unite PUK and KDP Peshmerga Never completed

2013 Police told AFP they had orders from Interior Ministry to use fake bomb

            detectors even though knew they didn’t work

2013 Friday prayers at Fallujah protest site urged people to stay peaceful and

            demanded Maliki resign

2013 Friday prayers at Kirkuk protest site warned that Baghdad had ignored

            their demands and could lead to civil war

2013 Samarra and Mosul protest sites demanded either Maliki resign or Salahaddin

            and Ninewa would become federal regions

2014 Ansar al-Sunna declared war on ISIS in Diyala

2015 Protests in Basra over lack of electricity

View the Iraq History Timelines 

April 2018 Large Drop In Violence In Iraq

April 2018 saw a decided change in security. From October 2017 to March 2018 the number of incidents remained relatively stable. Then in April they suddenly dropped. Despite that the types of attacks the Islamic State carried out showed that the group had made a shift from the hit and run tactics it carried out in previous months, and was operating more openly and challenging the government more directly.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 2

1854 riot in Mosul versus Ottoman reforms Attacked Christians and Jews for

            businesses they ran and control of taxes that caused resentment

1935 Feisal II future king of Iraq born

1941 British commander at Habaniya base Anbar consulted London and got permission

            to attack Iraqis surrounding camp Bombed Iraqis starting Anglo-Iraq War/WW2

1941 Iraq launched air strike upon Habaniya base in retaliation Shelled air field

            damaging 40 planes British lost 13 dead and 20 wounded

1941 Grand Mufti in Baghdad declared jihad against British after attack on Iraqi forces

            in Habaniya

1941 Iraqi forces took British fort at Rutba, Anbar

1941 British troops broke up angry mob of Iraqis at Zubeila, Basra

1941 Iraqi govt asked Germany for diplomatic relations to be restored and military aid

            including planes

1941 UK Chiefs of Staff ordered Mid-East Commander Gen Wavell to make plans to

            destroy Iraq’s pipelines

1941 Iraq’s 1^st Inf Brigade ordered from Baghdad to Ramadi to block British troops from

Transjordan being sent to Habaniya Air Base 11^th Inf Brigade sent to Habaniya air base

1941 British took Iraq out of Sterling zone and had foreign banks close to impose

            economic sanctions on Gaylani govt

1948 Port of Basra protested against Anglo-Iraq Treaty

1953 King Faisall II became of age to directly rule Iraq replacing Regent al-Ilah

1983 Iran and Iraq exchanged 55 prisoners of war in Turkey

1991 Shiite rebels claimed to have killed 180 Iraqi soldiers in 9 different attacks in

            south

1995 Saddam held meeting to discuss whether Iraq should continue to cooperate with

            UN weapons inspectors

2003 Oil Ministry re-opened after invasion Thamir Ghabban announced as new Oil

            Minister

2003 ORHA report many ministry buildings in Baghdad had been taken over by

            different groups

2003 UK DefMin Hoon told Rumsfeld ORHA had to deliver in Iraq

2003 Sadr said Christians in Iraq had to follow Islamic Law not sell alcohol women

            had to be covered

2003 Ayatollah Jannati Sec Gen Iran’s Council of Guardians called on Iraqis to carry

            out martyrdom ops to drive US from Iraq

2007 Islamic Army Mujahedeen Army faction of Ansar al-Sunna and al-Fatihin Army

            formed Reformation and Jihad Front to fight ISI

2007 Karki and Shimour tribes signed peace deal in Diyala promised to fight ISI

2008 Insurgents beheaded 11 police officers in western Anbar

2008 Sadr refused to meet with Iraqi delegation in Iran to end Charge of Knights

2009 Sadr made first public appearance in 2 years in Turkey to meet followers Had

            fled Iraq over fear of US assassination during Surge

2010 Pres Barzani said he believed in dividing Iraq into 3 federal areas along

            ethnosectarian lines

2010 Iran Iraq announced deal to develop 5 oil fields that straddle two countries

2011 Basra and Najaf tribes joined protest in Anbar against extending US troop stay

            in Iraq past end of year

2011 Parliament investigation of Jan ISI prison break in Basra said had help from 2

intelligence officers

2011 Fallujah Waste Water plant started partially working Work started 2004 after

            1^st Battle of Fallujah

2012 Supreme Court issued decision weakening parliament’s ability to question

            ministers

2013 Fake bomb maker Jim McCormick got 10 yrs prison for fraud in making detectors

2013 Parliamentary investigation said ISF used excessive force when attacked Hawija

            protest site

2014 Zawahiri said that ISIS had always pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda

2014 Naqshibandi and ISIS fought in Diyala for 3 months Report Naqshibandi okayed

            killing ISIS members in Diyala

2015 Report IS controlled most of Baiji refinery and 200 ISF trapped inside

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Another Successful Oil And Gas Field Auction In Iraq

April 25, 2018 the Oil Ministry held its latest auction for oil and gas fields. 11 were up for bid and were located along the Iranian and Kuwait border with one in the Persian Gulf. 26 companies were pre-qualified for bids, and 14 took part.

This Day In Iraqi History - May 1

1919 War Min Churchill wrote PM George that British army was overstretched

            with new additions like Mesopotamia

(Musings On Iraq article on Churchill’s views on Mesopotamia/Iraq)

1938 Iraqi constitution Article 89a criminalized communism

1941 PM Gaylani went to Turkish Amb to Iraq saying British violating 1930 treaty and

            expected English air strikes any time

1941 PM Gaylani asked Turkish ambassador to contract British and try to stop conflict

            Message was passed to British ambassador to Iraq

1941 Iraqi police opened fire on British workers in Rutba, Anbar England responded by

            sending forces from Transjordan to town

1941 British bombers sent from Egypt to Shaiba air base in Basra

1941 1^st Battalion of Iraq’s 11^th Inf Brigade sent from Baghdad to Fallujah to confront

            British

1948 Iraqi volunteers defeated by Jewish forces in Battle of Katamon in 1^st Arab Israeli

            War

1959 500,000 Communists marched demanding role in Gen Qasim’s govt

1969 Iraq became 1^st Arab country to recognize East Germany as part of alliance

            with Soviet Union

1989 Talabani and PKK’s Ocalan signed cooperation agreement in Damascus

1991 Saddam said that fighting spirit of Iraqis led Bush to call a cease-fire in Gulf War

1991 Report 68,000 displaced caused by uprising following Gulf War

1994 Land dispute in Qala Dizel began civil war between PUK and KDP 400 killed

            in fighting over next month

1997 Turkey with support of KDP started new campaign against PKK in northern

            Kurdistan Claimed killed over 2000 PKK fighters KDP lost 200

2002 FBI and CIA told media 9/11 hijacker Atta did not meet Iraqi intel in Prague April

            2001

2002 Bush told Press Sec Fleischer he didn’t like “motherfuckers” like Saddam who

            gassed their own people “assholes” who lied to the world

2002 Bush told Press Sec Fleischer he was going to kick Saddam’s ass

2003 Bush gave Mission Accomplished speech declaring victory against Iraq Linked

invasion to 9/11 Said war eliminated ally of Al Qaeda Now terrorists could not get WMD from Iraq

2003 White House officials gave briefings that they thought Saddam had been killed

            during start of invasion

2003 British memo said it supported ORHA but that organization was not delivering

            in Iraq and lacked strategy

2003 Grenades thrown into US base in Fallujah wounding 7 soldiers

2004 Bush announced that Bremer would select Iraqi transitional government

2004 Reports of British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners

2004 Secret report leaked that provided evidence of Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse and US

            military leadership didn’t stop it

2005 Memo leaked that Blair was looking for justification for war in Jul 2002 which

            he denied it at the time

2006 Sen Biden and Council on For Rel head Gelb published OpEd arguing for

            federalism in Iraq based upon Sunnis Shiia Kurds regions

2011 KRG Dep Inter Min Karim said govt would not allow any protests without

            permission after crackdown in Sulaymaniya

2013 Maliki said he would take on armed protesters in Anbar

2013 Kurdish alliance said new deal with Maliki would end their boycott of cabinet

            Maliki didn’t follow through

2013 Maliki-Kurd deal included dealing with disputed areas, amending budget paying

            peshmerga distributing revenues

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Apr 22-28, 2018

The last two weeks of April was the first time in 2018 that there were consecutive weeks with a low number of incidents. That resulted in low casualty figures as well.