This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 9

1920 UK Foreign Sec Lord Curzon replied to US complaints about San Remo agreement saying US

would not be shut out of Iraq oil and was just business deal not treaty

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

1920 Railway line to Baghdad cut by tribal fighters in Diyala during 1920 Revolt

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

1933 Shammar and Jabour tribes attacked 60 Assyrian villages south of Dohuk Captured males given to

Iraqi army who executed 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)

1966 Col Naji Talib became premier Proved to be completely ineffective and was later removed

1983 Iran’s Op Wa al-Fajr 3 took hills around Mehran but failed to recapture city Iran took 60 sq mi

half in Wasit Iraq lost 10,000-17,000 casualties Iran lost 15,000-25,000 casualties

1988 Iraq held victory celebrations for end of Iran-Iraq War

(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)

1988 Military campaign in southern marshes ended 400 homes and 500 boats destroyed along with mass

arrests

1990 US forces arrived in Saudi Arabia to protect it from Iraq after invasion of Kuwait

(Musings On Iraq book review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)

1990 UN Resolution 662 said that Iraq’s annexation of Kuwait was illegal

1990 Turkey and Saudi Arabia closed pipelines to Iraq due to Kuwait invasion

2002 Def Sec Rumsfeld at White House meeting said that US would not occupy Iraq for a long time and

shouldn’t promote democracy

2002 After White House meeting UnderSecDef Feith told Def Sec Rumsfeld he should not be so critical of

creating a democracy in Iraq Rumsfeld said building democracy complex and not just holding an election

2002 Def Policy Board Perle said that removing Saddam would lead to more peaceful and stable Middle East

(Musings On Iraq book review Wanting War: Why the Bush Administration Invaded Iraq)

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

Tragedy)

2003 3 US army battalions added to 1^st Battle of Najaf

2003 Bremer said Ansar al-Islam escaped to Iran during invasion and were now returning to Iraq to carry

out terrorist attacks

2003 Protests in Basra over lack of electricity Threw rocks at British troops

2003 Mass robberies of oil tankers in Basra Police fled Czech and British troops fired on looters 2 killed 4

wounded

2003 AP story not much of Sec State Powell’s Feb 03 speech to UN on Iraq’s WMD proved true

2004 PM Allawi Def Min US generals had meeting Decided 2^nd Najaf Battle had to end quick over concerns

shrine might be damaged

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2005 Baghdad city council chief Makkia of SCIRI led group of Badr militiamen to oust Baghdad mayor

Tamimi and installed himself in office

(Musings On Iraq article on the history of Badr Organization)

2005 Def Sec Rumsfeld said weapons were being smuggled from Iran into Iraq Most senior US official to

accuse Tehran of arming militias in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2005 Suicide car bomb hit US convoy in Baghdad killing 7 and wounding more than 90

2015 PM Abadi announced reform program of ending quotas, cut bodyguards, anti corruption

commission dismissing VPs and Dep PMs in response to protests

(Musings On Iraq interview with Reidar Visser on PM Abadi’s reform program)

2015 Dep PM Araji resigned Was facing corruption investigation

2015 Cabinet voted to reduce number of members on provincial councils to save money sold as

reform

2015 VPs Nujafi and Maliki Speaker Jabouri and KRG said they supported Abadi’s reform program

2015 Maliki TV interview said protests were becoming anti-religious and could getout of control

2015 Chief of staff of Iranian military criticized protests in Iraq saying they were making govt look

bad

2015 Protests in Baghdad, Nasiriya, Maysan supporting Abadi’s reforms

2018 Sit in continued in Muthanna and West Qurna 2 field in Basra

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Iraq’s Oil Exports Hit Sustained Level

(Maritime Executive)

Iraq’s oil exports have reached a sustained level over the last three months. That’s likely because the country is cheating on its OPEC production quotas once again. At the same time, prices have settled as well since the start of the year.

This Day In Iraqi History - Aug 8

1933 Iraqi army began executing Assyrian males captured in Bekher Mountains and looting their

villages Mayor of Zakho began disarming Assyrians in town Kurds joined in looting in Zakho Head of Zakho went to Sumail and told Assyrians to disarm even though not in his district

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

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

1969 Iraqi army destroyed Kurdish village of Dakan near Mosul

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Kurds, A Modern History)

(Musings On Iraq book review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)

1979 5 members of Rev Command Council expelled coup plotters executed by Baath party leaders Saddam

led session

1979 Saddam appeared on TV to explain coup plot

1979 Assad protested and demanded to see evidence Syria behind coup plot Sent Foreign Minister and chief

of staff to Baghdad Rebuffed by Saddam Ended unity talks Saddam had opposed unity fearing that it would sideline him and give more power to Bakr

1984 Germany announced restrictions on sale of chemical manufacturing equipment to Iraq after reports

used to make WMD

(Musings On Iraq article on the origins of Iraq’s WMD programs)

1988 UN said ceasefire in Iran-Iraq War would start Aug 20 effectively ending the war

(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)

1988 Govt began military campaign in southern marshes to wipe out insurgents and anti-govt tribes in area

1990 Iraq announced merger of Kuwait and Iraq 

1990 Pres Bush said a line had been drawn in the sand at the Saudi-Kuwait border to stop anymore Iraqi

advances

(Musings On Iraq book review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)

1995 Govt cut phone lines to other countries Put Republican and Special Republican Guard on alert Put

units on Baghdad streets Saddam Fedayeen put on Jordan-Iraq highway after found out Hussein Kamal defected to Jordan

1995 Iraq claimed Hussein Kamal responsible for hiding weapons programs from UN inspectors after he

defected to Jordan Iraq admitted that it weaponized biological weapons to UN inspectors Hussein Kamal’s defection undermined Iraq’s program to hide its WMD and nuclear programs from UN inspectors

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)

1996 UN agreed to plan for Oil For Food Program

2002 House Majority Leader Armey said that if US didn’t have provocation it would not have international

support for action vs Iraq

2002 Iraqi opposition met in Washington to talk about political transition in post-Saddam Iraq INC wanted

exiles to endorse Chalabi as leader

2003 IAEA Found no Iraqi nuclear weapons program after 1991

(Musings On Iraq article UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

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

2004 Arrest warrant for murder issued for one of Saddam’s lawyers

2004 Arrest warrant for Ahmed Chalabi for counterfeiting dinars and nephew Salim Chalabi for murder of

Fin Min official

2005 Saddam fired his entire legal team at his trial

2005 Constitutional committee ended its work Negotiations over final draft began within leadership council

of committee Shiite and Kurdish members of constitution committee made more changes to constitution with Sunnis often excluded

(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)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)

2006 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 book review of Confronting Al Qaeda, The Sunni Awakening and American Strategy In Al Anbar)

(Musings On Iraq book review of The Marines Take Anbar, The Four-Year Fight Against Al Qaeda)

(Musings On Iraq book review Illusions of Victory, The Anbar Awakening And The Rise Of The Islamic State)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Sheriff of Ramadi, Nvy SEALS and the Winning of Anbar)

2007 2 studies found Saudis accounted for largest percentage of suicide bombers in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq article on Saudi role in insurgency)

2007 US said that militias becoming larger threat to US forces in Iraq 99 EFP attacks upon US forces

            in July 07 73% of US casualties in Baghdad in July due to militias Militias received EFPs fromIran

(Musings On Iraq interview with Galen Wright of Arkenstone blog on Iranian arms shipments to Iraqi militias) 

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2008 Report UN survey found only 4% of Iraqi refugees wanted to return to Iraq Was down from 14% in

Nov 2007 Were concerned with security

(Musings On Iraq article on refugee survey)

(Musings On Iraq book review Children of War, Voices Of Iraqi Refugees)

2014 US began air strikes against IS in Iraq

2018 Sit in continued in Muthanna Sit-in outside West Qurna 1 ended after meeting with local officials

who promised demands would be met March in north Muthanna

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Number of Displaced Returning Home In Iraq Cut In Half In 2019

The first six months of 2019 has seen a nearly 50% reduction in the number of displaced (IDPs) who are returning to their homes. While the vast majority of people have made the venture back there is still over one and half million IDPs. At the same time over 500,000 of those that have gone back are living in severe conditions. This highlights the lack of a government policy to deal with internal refugees, reconciliation and reconstruction.

This Day in Iraqi History - Aug 7

1933 Kurds began attacking and killing Assyrians in Dohuk and Zakho

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

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

1958 Gen Qasim supported march by Communists against federation of United Arab Republic of Syria and

Egypt Qasim opposed United Arab Republic because rival of Egypt’s Nasser

(Musings On Iraq interview with Prof Juan Romero on the Qasim govt)

(Musings On Iraq book review Red Star Over Iraq, Iraqi Communism Before Saddam)

(Musings On Iraq Interview with Prof Johan Franzen on the history of the Iraqi Communist Party)

1988 Iran accepted ceasefire and direct talks with Iraq after implemented in Iran-Iraq War

(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)

1988 Iraq Interior Minister Wahab visited Kuwait to talk about resolving border between two countries

1990 Iraq declared Kuwait a republic

1990 Saddam victory speech Said Kuwait’s al-Sabahs didn't stand with masses but foreigners and got what

they deserved Said new day for Arabs had arisen from Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait

(Musings On Iraq review the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait)

1990 Saddam told aides that he didn’t fear war with US because all they would do is bomb and rally Arab

world behind Iraq

1990 Bush announced Operation Desert Shield US troops deployed to Saudi Arabia

(Musings On Iraq book review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)

1994 PUK fought with Kurdistan Islamic League along Iranian border

1995 Hussein and Saddam Kamal Saddam’s cousins and sons in law defected to Jordan along with wives

who were Saddam’s daughters Hussein ran Iraq’s WMD programs

(Musings On Iraq Chilcot Report Sec 1.1 UK Iraq Strategy 1990 To 2000)

2001 US Energy Dept said aluminum tubes Iraq tried to buy could be for centrifuges but probably for

rockets

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2002 VP Cheney said he was skeptical UN inspectors would find anything in Iraq Said Iraq could get a nuke

bomb soon

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

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

2003 Natl Sec Adv Rice said Saddam was a threat to the US and world

2003 White House said because Bush used Iraq-Africa uranium deal in State of Union rest of govt started

repeating it

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

2003 Zarqawi bombed Jordanian embassy in Baghdad killing 17 wounding 40

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

2004 PM Allawi issued amnesty for insurgents with no blood on their hands

2005 Protest in Samawa over lack of jobs, water and electricity turned into a riot outside governor’s office

Broken up by police

2006 US-Iraqi Op Together Forward II started to secure Sunni areas of Baghdad threatened by militias Only

2 of 6 Iraqi army battalions deployed Op failed

2006 Bush said US had strategy for Iraq Privately Bush thought wasn’t working and wanted new one

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

2007 Report Basra split between political parties and their militias Fadhila controlled governorship

provincial council Oil Police oil infrastructure and export terminals Sadrists controlled local police Facilities Protection Services Basra Port Authority Sadrists and Iraqi Hezbollah split customs police ISCI controlled intelligence service and police commandos Police said 3-10 political killings and kidnappings a day

2009 ISI document said that it negotiated contract with Communications Ministry to give deal to local

leader in Mosul In return ISI got % of the contract

2009 ISI bombed Turkmen Shiite mosque in Mosul Killed 38 wounded 140

(Musings On Iraq Political Parties Playing Into Hands Of Insurgent Attacks)

2012 KRG re-started oil exports for Baghdad to try to get a new revenue sharing deal with central govt

2012 Turkey’s Foreign Min Davutoglu visited Irbil and then Kirkuk 1^st Turkish visit to that city since 1976

2014 Pres Obama announced beginning of bombing campaign against IS in Iraq

2017 Parliament delayed Sep 2017 provincial elections until 2018 Voted to use 1.7% divisor to decide seat

allocations

2018 Sit ins continued at West Qurna 1 and 2 oil fields Basra and Dhi Qar and Muthanna Also marches in

Qadisiya Shatt al-Arab and Zubayr in Basra 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Review the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, Religion, Identity and Otherness in the Analysis of War and Conflict

Hassan, Hamdi, the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, Religion, Identity and Otherness in the Analysis of War and Conflict, London, Sterling: Pluto Press, 1999

Hamdi Hassan wrote an interesting but ultimately inconsistent book in the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, Religion, Identity and Otherness in the Analysis of War and Conflict. He argues that realist theory the main system of analysis for international relations provides an incomplete explanation for why Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Hassan argued that one most look at Arab culture, politics and discourse, what he labels Pan-Arabism to understand Iraq’s actions. He provides some original insights such as how Saddam was able to garner widespread support throughout the Middle East. His fault is that the book is based upon a thesis and he defines each major concept he brings up, and goes through the literature and theory around them. The book ends up getting lost in all these explanations as a result. In the end this leads to a wildly inconsistent read.

This Day in Iraqi History - Aug 6

1920 UK Cabinet decided to send Sir Percy Cox to Baghdad to help deal with 1920 Revolt

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

1921 Gertrude Bell wrote that Iraq might be the best chance England had to straighten out

            the Mideast and if it worked it would change relations between Europe and Asia

(Musings On Iraq book review of Gertrude Bell And Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq book review Gertrude Bell, Explorer of the Middle East)

1933 Assyrians captured by Kurds trying to return form Syria turned over to army and executed Gen Sidqi

said retaliation for Assyrian attack on army camp Rumors spread that Assyrians had blown up bridges and poisoned water

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

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

1981 Cuba China India Zambia PLO sent delegation to Tehran to try to end Iran-Iraq War

1983 Iranian forces attacked hills around Mehran Iran during Op Wa al-Fajr 3

1986 Iraq air strike hit 5 of Iran’s 11 tankers at Kharg Island Iran’s main oil terminal

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraqi Mirages, The Dassault Mirage Family In Service With The Iraqi Air Force, 1981-1988)

1988 Saddam said he would accept ceasefire to end Iran-Iraq if Iran would hold direct

talks Iran said no Saddam was trying to add his own demands to UN proposal

(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)

1990 U.N. Resolution 661 placed economic sanctions on Iraq for its invasion of Kuwait

1990 Iraq issued statement saying reports about its forces heading towards Saudi border were false

1990 Saddam met with US Charge De’Affaires Wilson Said he respected US interests

            and was not going to attack Saudi Arabia

1990 US delegation convinced King Fahd to invite US troops to Saudi Arabia after

            Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait

1990 Bush authorized Def Sec Cheney to start deploying troops to Saudi Arabia

1990 Bush met Thatcher Both agreed to confront Iraq

(Musings On Iraq book review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)

1991 Iraq told UN weapons inspectors that it worked on anthrax and botulin toxin as

            part of its biological weapons program

(Musings On Iraq article UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)

(Musings On Iraq article Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)

(Musings On Iraq book review The Saddam Tapes)

1999 Jim Hoagland in WashPost reported Clinton Natl Sec Adv Berger told Iraqi

            opposition president wanted Saddam removed by end of his term

(Musings On Iraq book review The United States And Iraq Since 1990: A Brief History with Documents)

2002 Nat Sec Adv Rice called Sec State Powell and told him he did a great job with Bush Said there should

be more discussions on what Iraq policy should be

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

2002 White House Chief of Staff Card called Sec State Powell asking for same briefing on Iraq he’d given

Bush day before

2002 Natl Sec Adv Rice paper Liberation Strategy for Iraq Said when US overthrew Saddam couldn’t act

like an invader Had to pose war as a liberation of the Iraqi people Same time US would have to stay in Iraq for many years

2002 Gen Franks told his commanders to switch to Hybrid War plan which could start immediately

(Musings On Iraq book review of Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)

2003 US Iraq Cmdr Gen Sanchez said limiting arrests and raids looking for Baathists Said few returns and

angering Iraqis

2004 After 2 days of fighting in Najaf US claimed killed 300 Mahdi Army fighters

(Musings On Iraq article on 2^nd battle of Najaf)

(Musings On Iraq book review Battle For The City Of The Dead)

(Musings On Iraq book review US Marines in Battle An-Najaf August 20014)

2004 Report US intel officers were involved in Abu Ghraib prison abuse

2006 Report ISF not able to secure Baghdad and US doubling troops in city from 7200 to 14200 to help

Iraqis

2007 Iraqiya’s 4 ministers started boycott of cabinet Were now 17 ministers total not going to Maliki

cabinet

2007 US audit found couldn’t account for 190,000 rifles and pistols it gave to the ISF

2008 KRG moved 2 Peshmerga brigades outside Kirkuk city Baghdad sent Defense Minister to check on

situation Was protest over provincial election law that called for power sharing in Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq article on Kurdish protests over election law)

(Musings On Iraq book review Iraq After America, Strongmen, Sectarians, Resistance)

2008 US Govt report Iraq revenues up and could take more responsibility for reconstruction but most of

budget going to salaries and benefits and barely spending investment money Only 23% in 2005 19% in 2006 28% in 2007 Iraq was now outspending US however on reconstruction

(Musings On Iraq article on US and Iraqi reconstruction spending)

2008 Iran and Iraq signed trade agreement to create free trade zone Tehran one of Iraq’s top 2 trade partners

(Musings On Iraq article on trade deal)

(Musings On Iraq article on Iran’s Iraq policy)

2008 Govt gave squatters 1 month to leave or be sued or arrested Would be given limited compensation Part

of PM Maliki’s displaced program to force people to return home Complaints that govt had no real plan or funding for program

(Musings On Iraq article on govt return program)

2015 Protests in Karbala, Najaf, Baghdad, Basra, Hillah, Nasiriya and Rumaitha, Muthanna demanding

reform

2018 9^th day of sit in protest in Muthanna also demos at Safwan border crossing and West Qurna 1 oil field

in Basra Baghdad

View the Iraq History Timelines