Mardini, Ramzy, Editor, Volatile Landscape, Iraq and Its Insurgent Movements, Washington D.C.: Jamestown Foundation, 2010
Full disclosure, I wrote a chapter for this book
Volatile Landscape, Iraq and Its Insurgent Movements is a collection of reports from the Jamestown Foundation’s Terrorism Monitor written by various authors. Like any anthology it is very inconsistent. The first half is about the Iraqi insurgency and has the most problems. The second part is much better about Iraqi politics.
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| (AP) |
1915 US consulate report on anti-Turk riot in Karbala
1921 Faisal arrived in Baghdad 1st time in preparation to be crowned king
(Musings On Iraq review Empires of the Sand, The Struggle For Mastery In The Middle East 1789-1923)
1923 Clerics Isfahani and Nayini arrived in Karbala in protest march against deportation of cleric
Khalisi for opposing parliamentary elections but only two other clerics joined them
1932 Assyrian leader Mar Shimun issued letter telling Assyrian Levies to stop resigning Not all listened
Over 400 still resigned
(Musings On Iraq review The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)
1947 Baghdad hung four of Barzani's lieutenants and arrested Sheikh Ahmed Barzani
(Musings On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings On Iraq review The Kurdish Revolt 1961-1970)
(Musings On Iraq review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
1948 PM Pachachi govt formed Maintained martial law using excuse of Arab-Israeli War Went after
opposition
1966 PM Bazzaz announced new deal with Kurds with decentralization instead of
autonomy Recognized Kurdish rights Ceasefire began Made against wishes of military
(Musings On Iraq review Journey Among Brave Men, Travels in Kurdistan)
1966 Some 10,000 killed and 80,000 displaced during fighting between Kurds and govt from 1961-1966
1966 Ex-Gen Razzaq attempted coup Seized air base and had 4th Division march on
Baghdad
1982 Iraq claimed it had withdrawn all its troops from Iranian territory Iraq still held border areas
between Qasr e-Shriin and Fakkeh in center across from Diyala
1988 Iraq continued push into Mawat Valley Sulaymaniya and then towards Iranian border
(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)
1991 Inspectors told Iraq it was obliged to divulge all info about its nuclear program
1992 Attempted coup by 4 officers in Republican Guard put down by Saddam 150 Republican Guard
officers executed and dismissed in aftermath
2003 Report Sec State Powell misrepresented recording of Republican Guard in Feb 03 UN speech to
make it seem like they were trying to hide WMD
2003 FmrAmb Wilson claimed it unlikely British intel didn’t receive CIA reporting that Iraq-Niger
uranium papers were fake Claimed he saw fake Iraq-Niger docs He didn’t Also had no knowledge of CIA-British intel sharing
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)
2003 1st UN inspector chief Ekeus OpEd said Iraq’s strategic rationale for WMD was Iran not the US or west
Said Iraq learned from Iran-Iraq War its chemical weapons quickly deteriorated Iraq changed its WMD policy after Gulf War to stop producing and focus upon design and engineering Iraq started just in time WMD program to work on infrastructure and then produce chemical weapons right before war Said Iraq’s WMD threat was in its research know how and production facilities Said letting Saddam stay in power with WMD know how was a threat
2004 New PM Allawi announced Saddam and 11 others would face trial for their crimes under Saddam’s
govt
2006 VP Cheney stood by his claim that the insurgency was in its “last throes” in 2005 Said people
would look back at 2005 as a turning point in Iraq Said US underestimated the insurgency and damage Saddam’s rule did to Iraq
2006 US military said most captured foreign fighters in Iraq came from Egypt, Syria, Sudan, Saudi Arabia
in that order
(Musings On Iraq The Saudi Role In The Iraqi Insurgency)
2007 Bush speech mentioned Al Qaeda 27 times Said Al Qaed attacked US on 9/11 and was now in Iraq
Part of White House media campaign to gain support for Surge US military press releases on Iraq mentioned Al Qaeda 33 times in a week
2007 Iraqi Accordance Front ministers boycotted cabinet Demanded investigation into
Culture Min who had warrant for attempted assassination of a politician
2008 PM Maliki promised Jabouri tribe limited autonomy in return for their support and joining Tribal
Support Council
2008 Female suicide bomber hit Sahwa council in Baquba Part of ISI campaign vs sahwa
(Musings On Iraq The Rise of Female Suicide Bombers)
(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)
(Musings On Iraq Behind The Revival Of The Islamic State in Iraq, Interview With Naval War College Prof Craig Whiteside)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
2008 US Army released history of 2003-05 occupation of Iraq Criticized Gen Franks for withdrawing
from Iraq right after invasion and turning over control to Gen Sanchez who didn’t have staff to manage war Army should’ve demanded better postwar planning but didn’t because made best case planning US didn’t have enough troops for occupation
2009 Iraq auctioned 8 oil and gas fields to international energy companies Rumaila only field
successfully auctioned Was considered a failure at 1st further hurting standing of Oil Min Shahristani that parliament was trying to remove
(Musings On Iraq 1st Oil Bidding Round Flops In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Continued Attempts To Develop its Oil Industry)
(Musings On Iraq Was The Iraq War About Oil?)
2009 Report ISF kidnapping Sahwa Holding them for ransom Baghdad Sahwa leader taken by ISF Held in
secret jail and told he had to pay $50,000 to be released Another Sahwa leader in Baghdad told by Def Min he would be arrested unless paid $15,000
2010 Fmr adv to Iraqi police in 2003 Brand testified to Chilcot Comm Said postwar plans for
Iraq’s police were unrealistic and lacked resources DeBaathification hurt rebuilding police US and UK didn’t prioritize effort
2010 Iraq approved $17 bil deal with Shell and Mitsubishi to exploit natural gas in Basra
2010 Report Foreign official said Um Qasr port worst in Mideast Ships lined up and waited No machinery
No service No system at work at port Oil companies struggled to get equipment to Iraq due to port Foreign companies complained about lack of capacity bad roads lack of infrastructure Govt had $6 bil plan for new port at Faw Never finished
2011 Report Def Sec Gates accused Special Groups of attacking US forces backed by Iran Said 40% of
US deaths since 2010 happened in last few months Said Iran and militias wanted to take credit for US withdrawal
2013 Report KRG 5 yr agricultural plan started in 09 failed Supposed to make KRG self-sufficient in
crops Fmr Agricultural Min said unqualified officials put in charge of planning Cabinet adv said KRG hadn’t funded program KRG remained oil dependent
2014 ISIS spokesman Adnani Promise of Allah statement said would form the caliphate under Caliph
Ibrahim/Abu Omar al-Baghdad Said that all Muslims had to give allegiance to the caliphate
(Musings On Iraq review The Caliphate At War, Operational Realities and Innovations of the Islamic State)
2014 ISF attacked Saqlawiya in Anbar Hashd attacked Bashir in Kirkuk ISF withdrew from Tikrit Attack
failed PM Maliki ordered op trying to retake Tikrit before parliament met to form new govt
2015 Report Anbar council accused Hashd of burning homes in Nukhaib Demanded Hashd
brigade removed from province
2016 US gave Iraq $2.7 bil line of credit to buy military equipment
2016 ISF aviation intercepted convoy of several hundred IS vehicles fleeing Fallujah US joined in
Destroyed most of the vehicles
2017 Nouri Mosque Mosul liberated by Iraqi forces where IS’s Baghdadi declared the caliphate in 2014
(Musings On Iraq Mosul Campaign Day 256 Jun 29 2017)
2017 Golden Div claimed 60 IS fighters killed taking Nuri Mosque in Mosul Golden Div cmdr Gen
Asadi then claimed 600 IS fighters killed Before ISF claimed only 300-400 IS fighters left in city Golden Div spokesman claimed all of Mosul freed with only sporadic fighting Battle for city would continue for few more weeks
2017 Doctor working with ISF said over 200 civilians killed in last weeks of fighting for Old City
in Mosul
2017 1st protest of summer over services led by Sadrists in Najaf Burned building Led to police shooting
at crowd 4 dead 20 wounded
2017 Report IS lost 80% of its revenue over last 2 yrs Went from $81 mil/mo in 2015 to $16
mil/mo in 2017 Lost oil fields in Syria Lost cities and populations
2017 Canadian court issued warrant to seize tanker with KRG oil after lawsuit by Iraq
2019 Dir Sunni Endowment in Ninewa said demographic change being forced upon city Said Shiite
Endowment taking over Sunni mosques
2019 Asaib Ahl Al-Haq’s Khazali claimed US using Basra protests to try to overthrow govt
and turn Iraq into next Libya
2019 Report activists calling for protests every Friday Sadr talking about protests in
Baghdad along with Communists
2019 Report Protest in Basra broken up by ISF Then went to homes of protesters and
arrested them
2020 Kataib Hezbollah members arrested for rocket attacks in Baghdad by Counter Terror
Service released by Hashd Security Directorate for lack of evidence
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s PM Gives Warning to Kataib Hezbollah To Stop Rocket Attacks In Baghdad)
2020 Activists house in Dhi Qar bombed
2021 Report Sadrists got control of secretary gen of PM’s office May 2019 sec gen said all acting
officials would be replaced by permanent ones Replaced by Sadrists that gained deputy ministers senior officials heads of state bodies that control contracts budgets appointments
2021 Secretary of KRG’s cabinet said debt rose to $31 bil due to advances by oil traders and
unpaid govt salaries Oct 2021 debt was $28 bil
View the Iraq History Timelines
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| (Iraq Oil Report) |
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| (USAF) |
1914 Ottomans agreed to oil concessions for British and Germans in Mosul and Baghdad provinces Never
happened because WWI
1920 Was meeting in Mishkhab Najaf to plan for revolt against British
(Musings On Iraq review Reclaiming Iraq, The 1920 Revolution and the Founding of the Modern State)
(Musings On Iraq review Enemy On The Euphrates, The Battle For Iraq 1914-1921)
1940 Italian Amb told Iraq it wanted an independent Syria Lebanon and Iraq as well Ambassador
didn’t check with foreign office beforehand
(Musings On Iraq review Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)
(Musings On Iraq review Persian Gulf Command, A History of the Second World War In Iran and Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq And Syria 1941, The Politics and Strategy of the Second World War)
1946 Communist Anti-Zionist League organized march in Baghdad for Palestine Demanded UK troops
withdraw from Iraq Police fired into crowd Killed 5 PM Umari suspended opposition papers
1961 Kuwait brought up Iraq claims to Kuwait with UN Security Council
(Musings On Iraq review Unholy Babylon, The Secret History of Saddam’s War)
1961 British intel concluded that Iraq was going to invade Kuwait after Qasim claimed Kuwait part of
Iraq
1969 Baath created Dohuk province as part of 1966 June Declaration on Kurdish rights
(Musings On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings On Iraq review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
(Musings On Iraq review The Kurdish Revolt 1961-1970)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Since 1958, From Revolution To Dictatorship)
1973 Kurdish villages in Sheikhan forced to cede land to Arabs and population expelled
1981 Iraq offered Ramadan ceasefire but rejected by Iran
1982 Saddam dismissed all the members of the Revolutionary Command Council
1986 Iraqi planes attacked Sardasht Iran using mustard gas 1st civilian town attacked by WMD 133 killed
1987 Iran accused Iraq of killing and wounding 650 Kurdish civilians in mustard gas attack in northwest
Iran
1988 Iraq gained bridgehead in Iranian territory for 2nd time that year 3,000 Iranians dead 8,000
wounded 4,000 captured Defeat at Faw and Majnoon led to collapse of morale in Iran Revolutionary Guard asked govt to end war
(Musings On Iraq interview with Naval Postgraduate School’s Ostovar on history of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
(Musings On Iraq review Vanguard of the Imam, Religion, Politics, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard)
(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)
1991 UN inspectors denied access to Fallujah nuclear site while trucks took equipment out
(Musings On Iraq UN Inspectors Were Right Iraq Was Not A Threat)
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Rejection of UN Inspectors Led To Mistrust Over WMD and 2003 Invasion)
(Musings On Iraq review The Saddam Tapes)
1992 Report 2 yrs before Gulf War US intel was warning about Iraq’s WMD nuclear/missile programs Jan
89 Congress got briefing on Iraq’s weapons procurement programs Spring/summer 89 intel reports warned about Iraq’s networks Nov 89 CIA told Bush White House Iraq using front companies to buy tech for nuke program Had no effect on Bush’s policy to improve relations with Iraq
(Musings On Iraq review The Outlaw State, Saddam Hussein’s Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis)
2004 CPA disbanded Iraqi sovereignty returned to interim govt led by Premier Allawi
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
2004 Bremer said CPA accomplished almost everything it set out to do including a peaceful democratic
and pluralistic society
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
2004 US created Multi National Security Transition Command Iraq to train Iraqi forces
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq US Army History of Iraq War Vol 1 – Chapter 13 The Changing Of The Guard, Again Spring-Summer 2004)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
2004 Ayatollah Sistani fatwa said no guarantee US process would create constitutional convention that
represented the Iraqi people
(Musings On Iraq review The Occupation of Iraq, Winning The War, Losing The Peace)
(Musings On Iraq review Patriotic Ayatollahs, Nationalism In Post-Saddam Iraq)
2005 Bush speech War in Iraq about fighting terrorism creating democracy advancing freedom in Mid
East Rejected timetable for withdrawal Said when Iraqi forces stood up US forces would stand down which was a withdrawal plan
(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)
(Musings On Iraq Overview of America’s Policy Towards Iraq: From The Clinton Years To The
Sectarian War of 2006)
(Musings On Iraq review Overreach, Delusions of Regime Change In Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review What Happened, Inside the Bush White House and Washington’s Culture of Deception)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq From War To A New Authoritarianism)
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)
(Musings On Iraq review The War Within, A Secret White House History 2006-2008)
(Musings On Iraq review The Endgame, The Inside Story of the Struggle for Iraq, from
George W. Bush to Barack Obama)
(Musings On Iraq review The U.S. Army In The Iraq War: Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil
War, 2003-2006)
2008 Accountability and Justice law amended to stop former ISF officers from being fired for Baathist past and those that quit could now get jobs with govt
(Musings On Iraq DeBaathification and Elections Update)
2008 PM Maliki met with Ibadah tribe Offered it limited autonomy in return for joining Tribal Support
Council to support him
2008 Baghdad-Irbil formed committee to work out oil law Nothing came of it
2008 ISF arrested head of Sadr office in Amara Maysan Part of PM Maliki’s crackdown on Sadrists
2008 Sahwa in Adhamiya Baghdad protested after army arrested their leader on kidnapping charges Part
of PM Maliki intimidation campaign vs Sahwa
(Musings On Iraq review Surge, My Journey with General David Petraeus and the Remaking of the Iraq War)
2008 Female suicide bomber in Baquba killed 13 wounded 30
(Musings On Iraq The Rise of Female Suicide Bombers)
(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
2009 Battalion from Iraqi army’s 7th Div moved towards Makhmour disputed area of Ninewa
Stopped by Peshmerga Led to 24 hr standoff Ended with US mediation
2010 Protests in Diyala and Babil over electricity shortages Some called for PM Maliki to step
down
2011 Report State of Law sources said PM Maliki ordered Dawa to use Tribal Support Councils to
suppress any protests
2012 Report Economic comm said Iran flooding Iraq with its products to get around sanctions
2012 Iraq signed deal to import 25 mil sq meters of natural gas per day from Iran to fuel power plants
for 5 yrs
2012 Leading Sadrist assassinated in Basra 2nd of 5 murders Believed to be part of tit for tat killings
between Sadrists and Asaib Ahl Al-Haq
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
2012 Sadrists said they never intended for a no confidence vote against PM Maliki Joined critics of
Maliki but backed him at same time
(Musings On Iraq What Does Iraq’s Sadr Want?)
2013 Report KRG moving ahead with independent oil pipeline to Turkey Said would allow KRG to be
paid directly Claimed it would share profits with Baghdad Didn’t happen
2013 Report Oil Min said it would earn $500 bil from natural gas by 2023 Govt planned on investing $40
bil into project Around 1000 cubic ft of gas burned a day costing around $7.3 bil/yr Project only partially completed
2014 Political financier Khamis Khanjar praised ISIS taking Mosul on Al-Arabiya TV
2014 Human Rights Watch report IS told 950 Shiite Turkmen from 2 villages in Ninewa they had to leave
Destroyed 7 Shiite shrines in Tal Afar Took 60 Turkmen hostage
2014 Report Supreme Court said oil dispute between Baghdad and Irbil had to be resolved politically
Didn’t rule on emergency injunction against independent KRG oil exports Said couldn’t ban exports until they were found illegal Oil Min sued KRG for its oil exports and contracts Went nowhere because KRG didn’t show up in court Asked for arbitration against Turkey that was helping KRG’s exports Threatened legal action against oil companies that work in KRG 2022 Supreme Court finally ruled KRG oil law and contracts unconstitutional
2014 Report Maliki govt claimed Tikrit freed Untrue Attacked Tikrit Univ Stalled due to IEDs Tikrit not
freed until Mar 2015 Maliki wanted a victory before parliament met to form new govt
2014 Latifiya south Baghdad Jurf al-Sakhr north Babil ISIS strongholds Continued fighting in Jurf al-Sakhr
despite govt claiming it was cleared twice
2015 PM Abadi said KRG not following budget Cut its oil exports for Baghdad to increase its own sales
2016 Anbar council voted to dismiss Gov Rawi from Iraqi Islamic Party Was trying to expand its
base Control reconstruction in Anbar Supported by Solution List of Karbuli Opposed by Sunni Endowment and Sheikh Abu Risha Rawi rejected dismissal
2017 KRG Pres Barzani wrote OpEd in Wash Post to lobby US to support KRG independence
referendum Said referendum would be binding Said not a threat to Mideast Would strengthen relationship between Arabs and Kurds in Iraq Went through Kurdish victimization in Iraq since its creation Said post-03 political system failed Said independence would be negotiated with Baghdad after vote
2017 Report UN began rebuilding east Mosul Had 200 projects
2019 Report US found May drone attack upon Saudi oil facility came from Iraq not Yemen
as originally believed US told PM Abdul Mahdi had to stop these attacks Govt questioned story Done by Kataib Hezbollah
2021 Electricity Min Hantoosh resigned over power outages Iran stopped electricity and natural
gas exports because Iraq owed $4 bil Led to huge drop in power output
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Electricity Grid Shuts Down During Summer Heat)
2021 Iraqi military spokesman condemned US airstrikes on Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayid al-
Shuhada Said breach of Iraqi sovereignty 4 Hashd killed Was response to Hashd attacks upon US forces in Iraq
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s PM Gives Warning to Kataib Hezbollah To Stop Rocket Attacks In Baghdad)
(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)
2021 Report Pro-Iran Hashd met in Baghdad Agreed to halt attacks upon US in Iraq Didn’t happen
2021 Report 2020 KRG sold oil for $28.10 per bar vs $41.96 Brent price Paid $1.76 bil to oil
companies $1.114 bil in fees tariffs interest to pipeline operators KRG made $2.345 bil
View the Iraq History Timelines
 |
| (BBC) |
1916 UK report on defeat at Kut published Led to Secretary of State for India Chamberlain to resign
Blamed India for mismanaging and never adequately funding war in Mesopotamia
1923 Persian clerics and businesses in Najaf protested deportation of cleric Khalisi for his
opposition to parliamentary elections
1923 Clerics Isfahani and Nayini led protest to Karbala trying to get clerics and
religious students to leave for Persia to protest deportation of cleric Khalisi
1954 New parliament suspended after only 1 meeting by Nuri al-Said Wouldn’t meet again until Nov 1954
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Under General Nuri, My Recollections of Nuri al-Said, 1954-1958)
1982 Regional Baath Party Congress concluded Saddam re-elected secretary general 7 members of Baath
Party Regional Command replaced
1983 France agreed to lend Iraq 5 Super Etendard fighter bombers that Baghdad wanted to use to attack
shipping heading towards Iran
1988 Saddam agreed upon offensive to destroy Iranian army to prevent postwar threat
(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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)
1990 Iraq’s Revolutionary Command Council meeting gave Saddam okay to use force against Kuwait
(Musings On Iraq review The Saddam Tapes)
(Musings On Iraq review from storm to Freedom, America’s Long War with Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq review Out Of The Ashes, The Resurrection of Saddam Hussein)
(Musings On Iraq review Unholy Babylon, The Secret History of Saddam’s War)
(Musings On Iraq review The Outlaw State, Saddam Hussein’s Quest for Power and the Gulf Crisis)
2003 Cheney Chief of Staff Libby told Bob Woodward 2002 Natl Intel Estimate on Iraq included Iraq
trying to buy uranium from Africa Part of plan to counter fmr Amb Wilson who said Iraq-Niger deal didn’t happen It didn’t
(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Failed The Iraq-Niger Uranium Story)
(Musings On Iraq Review Hubris, The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, And The Selling Of The Iraq War)
2004 Bremer got OK from Bush to close CPA Jun 28 to try to fool insurgency
2006 Under pressure PM Maliki revised amnesty offer made 2 days before to include just those that had
not killed anyone
2007 UK intel report on ISF Maliki govt working on national security strategy but unlikely to change
situation without reconciliation Maliki govt had multiple committees on security that competed didn't cooperate and ineffective Army developing slowly Police full of insurgents and militias and probably unreformable Said ISF couldn’t operate without US support
(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how Badr took over Interior Ministry)
2008 Chief Justice Majeed assassinated in east Baghdad during spate of attacks upon judiciary in
capital
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s Judiciary Under Attack)
2011 Sadr’s Promised Day Brigade took responsibility for 10 rocket-mortar attacks on US bases in
Baghdad Ninewa Diyala Kirkuk Basra Maysan Dhi Qar Muthanna Also IEDs vs US patrols Admitted that ISF had been killed and wounded in attacks
2011 State Dept Iraq 2nd worst rank in human trafficking Cases going up Govt doing nothing Iraq both
source and destination for sex slaves and illegal workers Iraqi women/girls sent to Syria Lebanon Jordan Kuwait UAE Turkey Iran Yemen Saudi Arabia for prostitution/slavery Women told they are getting job and then put in sex trade 1 work agency raped women on film and used it to blackmail them into prostitution Others bailed women out of prison and told them they had to work off debt via prostitution Women from Iran China Philippines being sent to Iraq as prostitutes Illegal workers came from Bangladesh Thailand Pakistan Georgia Jordan Uganda to Iraq
2012 Human Rights Min said allegations of torture didn’t prove it happened Parliament’s human rights
comm visited prison and found torture Prisoners held for yrs with no court date Prisoners whose files were lost People who were supposed to be released but still held Committee had been working on abuse for yrs with no solutions
2012 Iraq produced record high in wheat 1.5 mil tons Need was 4 mil Difference would be imported
2012 Iraqi army 10th Div arrived in Zummar Ninewa disputed area Told Peshmerga to leave but refused
Led to week standoff
2013 Report Liwa Abu Fadhl al-Abbas Brigade in Damascus had 800-2000 Iraqi fighters from Asaib Ahl
Al-Haq Kataib Hezbollah Shuhada Brigade Badr and Sadr might also be sending fighters Asaib Ahl Al-haq and Kataib Hezbollah had been sending fighters to Syria since start of civil war in 2011
(Musings On Iraq Abu Fadhl Al-Abbas Brigade From Fighting In Syria To Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Asaib Ahl Al-Haq From A Breakaway Sadr Militia To Defenders Of Iraq)
(Musings On Iraq Badr Organization A View Into Iraq’s Violent Past And Present)
2014 Amnesty Intl found 50 prisoners executed in Tal Afar 13 prisoners killed in Mosul 50 prisoners
executed in Baquba Killed by ISF and Hashd
2016 Report Homes burned and looted during end of battle for Fallujah Govt blamed IS Anbar
police blamed Hashd and Federal Police Hashd not supposed to enter city but were in Federal Police
2016 Report Badr’s Amiri said 1500 Federal Police and Rapid Response Forces were Hashd and
fought in Battle of Fallujah Cmdr 4th Badr Brigade said it fought alongside Interior Min forces in city PM Abadi said Hashd not supposed to enter Fallujah Other Hashd besides Badr also said to be involved
2018 Abadi govt approved $19 mil to rebuild Mosul’s Old City Was fraction of what was needed
2018 Shell left Majnoon oil field and West Qurna 1 Said wanted to focus on gas projects
2018 Sadr said suspending his Saraya al-Salam for 2 yrs to try to stop Hashd interfering with ISF in Basra Fired his militia cmdr in Basra
2021 Biden admin carried out retaliatory strikes upon Kataib Hezbollah and Kataib Sayid al-
Shuhada sites said to house drones in Anbar and eastern Syria 4 Shuhada fighters killed in Anbar
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s PM Gives Warning to Kataib Hezbollah To Stop Rocket Attacks In Baghdad)
(Musings On Iraq Instrument Of Iran’s Power In Iraq And Syria Kataib Hezbollah)
2021 KRG Court of Appeals upheld 6 yr sentences for 5 journalists and activist for 2nd time Were
arrested for reporting and taking part in protests Another journalist give 7 yrs in prison even though didn’t go to court Also arrested for covering protests
View the Iraq History Timelines
parliamentary elections
1925 Abdul Sadoun became PM for 2nd time Would be PM 4 times Formed Al-Taqadum
Party Ordered to hold elections for new parliament
(Musings On Iraq review The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies)
1940 PM Gaylani asked Italy to become involved in Syria to block Turkey occupying it Came after
Syria joined Vichy France
(Musings On Iraq review Rashid Ali al-Gailani, The National Movement in Iraq 1939-1941)
(Musings On Iraq review Persian Gulf Command, A History of the Second World War In Iran and Iraq)
1948 Muzahim al-Pachachi asked to become PM and form new govt
1954 New parliament met 1st and only time because suspended afterward by Nuri al-Said so he could
negotiate Baghdad Pact without opposition in parliament
1966 Arif govt announced amnesty for Kurds involved in revolt
(Musings On Iraq review The Kurds, A Modern History)
(Musings On Iraq review Kurds of Iraq, Tragedy and Hope)
(Musings On Iraq review The Kurdish Revolt 1961-1970)
(Musings On Iraq review Journey Among Brave Men, Travels in Kurdistan)
1985 Iran Op Al Quds 2 started north of Majnoon Islands in Maysan Ended with nothing gained
1988 Iraq recaptured Majnoon Islands in Basra from 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 review The Iran-Iraq War 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War, The Lion of Babylon, 1980-1988)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War)
(Musings On Iraq review The Longest War, The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 1: The Battle for Khuzestan, September 1980-May 1982)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 3: Iraq’s Triumph)
(Musings On Iraq review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)
1989 Iraq said it was clearing all civilians from 20 mil border area with Iran and Turkey in Kurdistan
relocated 200,000-5000,000 Kurds
1993 Pres Clinton ordered cruise missile attack on Iraq’s intel HQ in Baghdad for attempted
assassination of ex-Pres Bush in Kuwait 8 killed
1996 Iraqi govt rounded up 120 in failed CIA-Iraqi National Accord coup plot Executed most of them
Iraqi intel captured satellite phone from INA agent Uncovered plot Used captured phone to tell CIA to go home
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq In The Eye of the Storm)
1997 ABC news ran feature on Chalabi and INC Chalabi talked about his revolt plot in 1995 and
claimed CIA sabotaged it
(Musings On Iraq review The Man Who Pushed America To War, The Extraordinary Life, Adventures, and Obsessions of Ahmad Chalabi)
(Musings On Iraq review Arrows of the Night: Ahmad Chalabi and the Selling of the Iraq War)
1997 Jim Hoagland OpEd in Wash Post wrote about how Chalabi’s revolt in 1995 was betrayed by
CIA Hoagland was Chalabi ally
2002 Gen Franks met with commanders in Germany and told them to switch from original war plan to
new Running Start Would begin war before all forces in theater
(Musings On Iraq review Shaping the Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Role of Military Intelligence Assessment)
2002 INC memo to Senate Approp Comm said group had led to 108 articles from Oct 01-May 02
and White House officials had received those products
(Musings On Iraq review Leap of Faith, Hubris Negligence, and America’s Greatest Foreign Policy
Tragedy)
2003 UN terrorism committee draft report found no Iraq-Al Qaeda links
2003 Report quoted State Dept memo that too early to tell whether captured Iraqi trailers were mobile
WMD labs They didn’t exist
(Musings On Iraq How Iraqi Defector CURVEBALL Became Basis For US Claims That Iraq Had WMD)
2005 Def Sec Rumsfeld said US conducting secret talks to try to split Iraqis from foreign insurgents
(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Sunni Insurgency)
2006 Al Qaeda in Iraq robbed $7 mil from Rafidain bank branch in Ramadi
2007 US general in charge of advisers warned ISF years away from being able to handle security Warned
against early withdrawal of US forces as a result
2007 Culture Min Hashemi from Accordance Front had warrant issued for him in
connection with 05 assassination attempt on politician Hashemi went into hiding
2008 ISI suicide bomber hit tribal council meeting Killed 26 including Garma mayor and Awakening
sheikhs
(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)
2008 Iraqi intel said Mahdi Army done after Charge of Knights and op in Maysan Said 2000 militiamen
killed 1300 fled to Iran Said in future group would only have 100-200 men Were wrong
2013 Ninewa Gov Nujafi escaped another assassination attempt Also assassination attempt on
Salahaddin governor
2014 Report US deployed armed drones out of Kuwait to attack ISIS in Iraq PM Maliki later denied this
2014 Report KRG Natural Resource Min Hawrami claimed KRG oil exports would reach 1 mil/bar/day in
2015 Would require deal with Baghdad Said KRG would share revenue None of that happened
2014 ISF said Tikrit Univ Alam Salahaddin Latifiya Baghdad Mansuriya Diyala all freed Latifiya not
freed PM Maliki wanted victories before parliament met to form new govt
2016 Fallujah finally freed of insurgents
2017 Report Abadi govt planning 10 yr $100 bil rebuilding plan Wanted to counter IS ideology
Wanted to rebuild Mosul Set up education and religious program Set up security in Ninewa Govt never implemented plan Never allocated much money
2017 Badr’s Amiri said PM Abadi had double standards Disrupted Hashd by not allowing it to
operate
2018 PM Abadi promised to rebuild everything destroyed during war vs IS Didn’t have plan Mostly locals provincial govts and NGOs did reconstruction
2018 KDP MP said 200 families fled Daquq dist south Kirkuk over 2 weeks due to IS attacks Diyala councilman said 14 families fled Khanaqin dist in Diyala
2020 Detained Kataib Hezbollah members turned over to Hashd Security Directorate after
political negotiations Kataib Hezbollah threatened to punish PM Kazemi
(Musings On Iraq Iraq’s PM Gives Warning to Kataib Hezbollah To Stop Rocket Attacks In Baghdad)
2020 Pro-Iran Hashd attacked PM Kazemi as a US puppet Spread rumors that US forces helped
during raid to arrest Kataib Hezbollah members and they were given to Americans Said Kazemi involved in deaths of Abu Muhandis and Iran’s Gen Suleimani
2021 Report ISF in Interior and Defense Ministries would use their positions to support candidates
in 2022 elections in exchange for favors Happened every election
2021 Report 1 day after protests started Oct 2019 Iran’s Gen Suleimani arrived in Baghdad Told
Abdul Mahdi govt needed to deal with demonstrations Led campaign by Hashd vs activists Many people fled to Turkey and KRG as a result
(Musings On Iraq Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ Commander General Suleimani And His Role In Iraq, An Interview With The New Yorker’s Dexter Filkins)
View the Iraq History Timelines
1914 Sheikh of Islam called for jihad against British and French during WWI Call was repeated in all Sunni mosques in Mosul, Baghdad a...
