This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 25

1920 Karbala joined 1920 Revolt Tribal fighters beat British at Raranjiya

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1961 Gen Qasim claimed Kuwait as part of Iraq for 2^nd time

1985 Congress agreed to State Dept request to remove Iraq from list of states supporting terrorism Was

            part of Reagan’s move towards Iraq

1990 OPEC agreed to raise oil prices and follow quotas allaying Iraq complaints Kuwait and UAE

overproducing and lowering prices

1990 Saddam met US Amb to Iraq Glaspie saying he wanted meeting to be message to Bush Saddam said

that US and Iraq didn’t have close understanding of each other that could lead to problems and misunderstandings Claimed US was plotting against him Said UAE and Kuwait forcing down oil prices which was an attack upon Iraq Said US supporting Gulf States at expense of Iraq Said US had to choose sides Said that he would not threaten Kuwait if it forgave debt agreed to OPEC quotas Saddam said he would talk to Kuwait but would not sit and wait while Kuwait waged economic war on Iraq Said that Gulf States refused to renegotiate Iraq’s debt and this was conspiracy led by Kuwait Claimed he would talk with Kuwait about dispute if they didn’t give into Iraqi demands he would act

1990 Amb Glaspie told Saddam Bush wanted better Iraq-US relations Apologized for bad press on Iraq

Asked why Saddam had placed troops near Kuwait border Told Saddam US had no opinion on Iraq-Kuwait border dispute but warned not to use force

1990 US Defense Special Assessment said Iraq trying to pressure Kuwait to give into its demands and

didn’t think it would use military force

1990 Sec of State Baker told Commerce Dept export controls needed on US technology going to Iraq that

could be used for weapons programs

1990 Asst Sec State for Near East Kelly cancelled interview with Voice of America that would have warned

Iraq about troops buildup along Kuwait border

1990 Pres Mubarak called Saddam worried about Iraq putting troops on Kuwait border Claimed Saddam

promised not to attack Kuwait Saddam later denied that

2003 Sadr held rally in Najaf saying that he would form his own army to oppose US occupation

2003 Japan authorized largest deployment of troops since 1945 to be sent to Iraq

2005 New US Amb Khalilzad said security was his top priority

2005 Sunni members of constitutional committee ended boycott after member assassinated

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

2006 Op River Falcon to secure Sayifiya south of Baghdad started

2007 Report Iran gave PM Maliki his own personal jet

2009 KRG held parliamentary and presidential elections

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

2018 Protest in Dhi Qar Called for removal of governor

2018 Report Iraq Election Comm warned that using electronic voting machine could undermine trust in

vote Told machines had major problems South Korean company would not properly audit vote

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review Bradley vs BMP, Desert Storm 1991

Review Guardia, Mike, Bradley vs BMP, Desert Storm 1991, Oxford, New York: Osprey Publishing, 2016

Bradley vs BMP, Desert Storm 1991 was the second in Osprey’s Duel series to deal with the Gulf War. This one focuses upon the armored fighting vehicles (AFV) of the American and Iraqi forces the Bradley and BMP respectively. Like all the Duel books this one follows the same format. First it breaks down the two vehicles, then the opposing forces, and then the combat. Author Mike Guardia’s main argument was that this was the first time modern American equipment was tested against its Soviet counterparts. It should have been that a developing country like Iraq with twenty year old vehicles was no match for a superpower with the latest technological innovations.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 24

1915 British forces captured Nasiriya Ottomans had 2000 casualties British 500 casualties

1920 British regiment driven from Kifl during 1920 Revolt after losing 180 men killed and 160

captured

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1923 Turkey signed Treaty of Lausanne agreeing to League of Nations deciding future of Mosul 

(Musings On Iraq article on how Mosul province became part of Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Creation of Iraq 1914-1921)

(Musings On Iraq book review Supremacy And Oil, Iraq, Turkey, and the Anglo-American World Order, 1918-1930)

1983 Saddam and Adnan Khairallah went to Kurdistan Khairallah took control of defenses against Iran

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1986 Saddam said unwise to clash with rising Islamism in Arab World but Iraq should be ready to strike

against it if threatened

1986 Saddam decided to reach out to Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan

1990 US military exercise with UAE Spokesman said US committed to defending its friends in the Gulf

Saddam said he felt betrayed by US forces moving through the Persian Gulf

1990 White House said it was concerned about Iraqi troop buildup along Kuwait’s border

1990 State Dept US had no defense treaties or special relationship with Kuwait Did support Gulf States

right to self defense

1991 Operation Provide Comfort II started to enforce northern fly zone and contain Saddam

1993 Kurds threatened retaliation if Iran didn’t stop shelling of border region trying to hit Iranian Kurdish

groups

2002 Kurds claimed Iraq coordinating with Ansar al-Islam and Al Qaeda in pre-invasion propaganda

campaign

2003 Spain Foreign Min Palacio said no evidence Iraq had a nuclear bomb program

2004 Zalmay Khalilzad became new US ambassador to Iraq Wanted to defeat insurgency not withdraw

which was existing plan

(Musings On Iraq article on pre-Surge US Iraq strategy)

2004 500 marched in Sulaymaniya demanding an independent Kurdistan

2005 Allawi’s Iraqiya threatened to boycott constitutional commission because it wasn’t taken seriously the

concerns of Sunni delegation

(Musings On Iraq interview with constitutional scholar Zaid al-Ali on Iraq’s constitution)

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

2006 Report US 4^th Div carried out mass incarcerations abused Iraqi prisoners while stationed in Salahaddin

03-04

2006 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

2007 US-Iran held 2^nd talks about Iraq US accused Iran of sending weapons and training militias Iran

accused US of occupation

2008 US Amb Crocker said insurgency had lost most of its relevancy

(Musings On Iraq article on decline of insurgency)

2008 Female suicide bomber killed Sahwa leader and 7 others 24 wounded in Baquba

(Musings On Iraq article on Baquba suicide bombing)

2014 IS attacked State Company for Pharmaceutical Supplies in Ninewa to capture bomb supplies

2017 Ammar Hakim announced he was leaving Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq and forming new Hikma

Party

2017 Protesters in Babil cut Babil-Baghdad highway over lack of water due to drought

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Security In Iraq Jul 15-21 2019

(Shafaaq News)

Attacks in Iraq have returned to pre-Revenge of the Levant levels in July. That means they are back in the teens raising questions about the state of the Islamic State.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 23

1933 Iraq asked France to impose treaty between two to remove Assyrians from Syrian border and

disarm them

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review State and Society in Iraq)

1982 Iran Op Ramadan made fourth attack into Basra Iraq counterattacked pushed Iranians back

again

(Musings On Iraq book review of Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

1986 US briefing said that Iraq might need more US help because facing setbacks in Iran-Iraq War

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1987 Iraq For Min Aziz wrote UN saying Iraq welcomed ceasefire proposal UN Res 598

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

2002 Blair cabinet meeting John Scarlett head of Joint Intel Com said Saddam could only be

removed by invasion Sir Dearlove head of MI6 said Washington decided war was inevitable Bush wanted to justify invasion via terrorism and WMD Said that intelligence and facts were being used to justify invasion Blair’s foreign policy adviser said Iraq was fourth most dangerous country with WMD behind North Korea Iran and Libya Defense Staff head Sir Boyce gave 3 options for British in Iraq 1 Offer bases to US 2 Add air navy special forces 3 40,000 troops for invasion

(Musings On Iraq article Chilcot Report Volume 2 Sec 3.3 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options April to July 2002)

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Section 3.4 Development of UK Iraq Strategy and Options, Late July to 14 September 2002)

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

2003 Bush said deaths of Qusay and Uday Hussein showed that the old regime was gone and would

not return

2003 US released photos of Uday and Qusay to prove they were killed in face of Iraqi rumors they were

alive

2003 Bremer said only matter of time before Saddam was captured

2004 Ayatollah Sistani spoke against attacks on Christian churches

2008 Kurdish List got Pres Talabani to veto draft provincial election law that included equal division of

power in Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq article on veto of election law)

2012 ISI carried out 30 car bombs and other attacks across 20 cities as part of new Breaking Walls

Campaign that killed more than 115

2018 Protesters blocked highway in Dhi Qar and march in Qadisiya broken up by ISF before it started

2018 Basra councilmen asked province to become autonomous region in response to demonstrations

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Hikma’s Calls For National Protests In Iraq Fizzle

HIkma protesters in Najaf (Al Mirbad)

Ammar Hakim’s Hikma party went into the opposition in June 2019. This was part of growing criticism of Prime Minister Adil Mahdi’s government. In a test of its new found position the party called for national protests on July 19. Those did not turn out as well as hoped for.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 22

1920 Albu Hassan took Kifil from British 1920 Revolt All of Mid-Euphrates under tribal control

except for Hillah Babil

1920 TE Lawrence wrote British officials refused to give Iraq autonomy

(Musings On Iraq book review of Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)

1923 UK Minister to Tehran arrived in Baghdad to discuss deportation and immigration of Iraqi opposition

figures to Persia Iraqi govt said they could return after elections for assembly held

1929 Iraq High Commissioner Sir Gilbert Clayton said giving Iraq concessions was best way to maintain

good relations with Iraq and bad negotiations would have opposite effect

1931 Shiite leaders told Yasin Hashemi they would back him for PM if they got majority of cabinet posts

1979 Televised session of Baath meeting Former Revolutionary Command Council secretary general

Mashadi claimed there was a Syrian backed coup Said Syria wanted to remove Iraqi leadership so that two countries could unite

1979 66 accused coup plotters had names read and then taken from Baath party meeting Party members

began praising Saddam Accused coup plotters included 5 of 21 from Revolutionary Command Council Former Oil Min Hadithi who helped nationalize Iraq Petroleum Company

1979 Another accused plotter Adnan Hussein al-Hamdani deputy prime minister and head of president’s

office who had been close aide to Saddam

1979 Court made up of 7 members of Revolutionary Command Council created to try 66 coup plotters 

1983 Iran’s Op Wa al-Fajr 2 took Piranshahr pass Attacked Haj Omran KDPI HQ and Rayat Mount

Kerman Advanced 10 mi into Iraqi Kurdistan

1988 Iraq Op Tawakalna ala Allah 4 in Qasr e-Shirin in center and Hoveyzah in south to push Iran

into direct talks Saddam didn’t believe Khomeini committed to UN Res 598 ceasefire Just wanted break and return to war Saddam also wanted one last try at victory in Iran-Iraq War with new offensive Iraqi forces turned back in Kurdistan and Basra but gained 40 mi in Khuzistan province Iran

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Anthony Tucker-Jones on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq interview with author Tom Cooper on Iran-Iraq War)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Iran-Iraq War)

1992 Iraq bombed southern rebels killing 30

2002 DIA officer told to start making secret intelligence briefings to Rumsfeld on Iraq-Al Qaeda ties based

upon request by Deputy Def Sec Wolfowitz

(Musings On Iraq book review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy

Tragedy)

2002 US Energy Dept assessed Iraq trying to buy magnets meeting with scientists Niger uranium story

showed that Iraq restarted nuclear program

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

(Musings On Iraq article on how poor US intel work led to claim Iraq rebuilt its nuclear weapons program)

2003 Iraqi Governing Council took office

2003 U.S. forces killed Saddam’s sons Uday and Qusay Hussein in raid in Mosul

(Musings On Iraq book review Special Operations Forces in Iraq)

2003 UN report said Iraqis becoming frustrated at US plans for returning sovereignty because would take

too long

2003 Bush speechwriter Gerson found 2 CIA memos from Oct 02 on why Iraq-Niger uranium story should

not be used in Bush speech Gerson’s discovery came just after White House blamed CIA Dir Tenet for why Niger story was used in Bush’s Jan 03 State of Union

(Musings On Iraq article on Iraq-Niger uranium story)

2004 Pentagon report acknowledge abuse of Iraqi prisoners including sexual and physical assault and deaths

2004 9/11 report 1994 or 95 Al Qaeda and Iraqi officials met Al Qaeda asked for aid and training camps Iraq

didn’t reply Al Qaeda worked with Ansar al-Islam in Iraqi Kurdistan

2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said PM Maliki took no responsibility for anything Tried 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

2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said PM 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

2006 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey said US had no political strategy for Iraq since Dec 05 elections

2006 US Iraq Amb Khalizad said Sunnis and Shiite not accepted each other as equals not willing to

cooperate

2006 NatSecAdv Hadley told Bush US had no security strategy for Baghdad

(Musings On Iraq book review Voices From Iraq, A People’s History, 2003-2009)

2008 109,087 pardoned under Amnesty Law Govt originally claimed only had 26,000 prisoners

(Musings On Iraq article on Amnesty Law)

2012 ISI head Baghdadi announced it had returned to its strongholds that it was driven out of by by Surge

2013 ISIS issued paper arguing that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was fit to be the next caliph

(Musings On Iraq book review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)

2017 Anbar council voted 3^rd and final time to dismiss Governor Rawi on corruption charges

2018 Protests in Baghdad Basra Qadisiya and Wasit for jobs water electricity Dhi Qar and Muthanna

demonstrators called for governor to step down

2018 Communications Minister said govt had blocked certain websites because they were being abused by

demonstrators

2018 PM Abadi said he needed more time to meet demands of protesters so soon after war with Islamic

State ended

2018 Iraqi Observatory for Human Rights said Iraqi forces were making arrested protesters sign pledges not

to demonstrate again in order to be released from jail

View the Iraq History Timelines