This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 24

 

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

captured

(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)

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

call for Kurdish independence

(Musings On Iraq How The Ottoman Province Of Mosul Became Part Of Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq 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 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)

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

1990 DIA reported weaknesses in Iraqi logistics meant low chance Iraq would invade Kuwait

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

(Musings On Iraq Why Didn’t Bush Strike Zarqawi And Ansar al-Islam In 2002?)

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 Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)

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 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

2006 City wide battle started between Al Qaeda in Iraq ISF and US forces in Ramadi with insurgents

beaten back

2006 Karrada Baghdad attacked by insurgents and forced out most Shiites

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

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

accused US of occupation

(Musings On Iraq Iran’s Policy Towards Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq Overview of Iran’s Influence In Iraq)

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

(Musings On Iraq Demise of Al Qaeda In Iraq Update)

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

(Musings On Iraq 25^th Female Suicide Bomber of 2008)

(Musings On Iraq Motivations Behind Female Suicide Bombers)

(Musings On Iraq review Suicide Bombers In Iraq, The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom)

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 

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 review The Tragedy of the Assyrian Minority in Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

1954 PM Arshad resigned from office Regent asked Nuri al-Said to be premier again Agreed if new

parliament dissolved New elections held Parties dissolved Could end press licenses

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq Under General Nuri, My Recollections of Nuri al-Said, 1954-1958)

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

again

(Musings On Iraq review 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 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 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)

1990 British military attache told US Embassy in Baghdad that he’d seen thousands of military vehicles

            moving south towards Kuwait US intel thought troops were just for intimidation

1990 US Central Command ran war game on stopping Iraqi invasion of Kuwait US deployed airborne corps

and lost half its troops Led to reworking of plan that would be used in Gulf 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 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 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

(Musings On Iraq review Christianity in Iraq)

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

power in Kirkuk

(Musings On Iraq Conspiracy Theories Abound On Election Law Veto)

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 

Review In The Claws Of The Tomcat: US Navy F-14 Tomcats In Air Combat Against Iran And Iraq, 1987-2000

Cooper, Tom, In The Claws Of The Tomcat: US Navy F-14 Tomcats In Air Combat Against Iran And Iraq, 1987-2000, Warwick: Helion & Company Limited, 2021

 

In The Claws Of The Tomcat: US Navy F-14 Tomcats In Air Combat Against Iran and Iraq by Tom Cooper is a military history about the development and deployment of the F-14 jet fighter during the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War and the No Fly Zones over Iraq in the 1990s. It starts with Soviet and U.S. military doctrine during the Cold War which shaped the development of the F-14 and its MiG counterparts. It then covers the U.S. navy deploying to the Persian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq War which led to a brief confrontation between American and Iranian F-14s. Most of the book however is on the Gulf War with Cooper providing an account from both sides as he has spent extensive time studying the Iraqi Air Force. The conflict was a what if event as there were few actual run ins between Iraqi MiGs and F-14s. The author explains how this was the result of U.S. strategy and Iraqi air command.

This Day In Iraqi Histry - Jul 22

 

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

except for Hillah Babil

(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)

1920 TE Lawrence wrote British officials refused to give Iraq autonomy

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

(Musings On Iraq review Iran-Iraq War Volume 4: The Forgotten Fronts)

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 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)

1992 Iraq bombed southern rebels killing 30

1992 Report Sep 89 CIA told Sec Sate Baker Iraq working on nuclear bomb Bush admin did not put any

limits on tech going to Iraq that could help with program because policy was to improve relations Oct 89 Baker told Iraq’s Foreign Min admin would not put any export controls on tech sold to Iraq Nov 89 Baker played leading role in approving $1 bil in food aid to Iraq Some of that money used for weapons

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 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 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)

(Musings On Iraq How US Intelligence Created An Iraqi Nuclear Threat In 2002)

(Musings On Iraq review The WMD Mirage, Iraq’s Decade of Deception and America’s False Premise for War)

2003 Iraqi Governing Council took office

(Musings On Iraq Origins Of Iraq’s Ethnosectarian Quota System)

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

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq’s Dysfunctional Democracy)

(Musings On Iraq review Sectarianism In Iraq)

(Musings On Iraq review Iraq in Fragments, The Occupation and Its Legacy)

2003 CPA issued 57 page Strategic Plan and Vision for Iraq Was more of a list rather than actual strategy

(Musings On Iraq US Army History Of Iraq War Vol 1- Chapter 8 – Muddling Through August-October 2003)

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

(Musings On Iraq 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 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 Pentagon report acknowledged 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 1^st meeting of National Reconciliation committee with Pres Talabani PM Maliki Sunni and Shiite

         officials Talked about amnesty law

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 Shiites 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 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 Iraq’s Amnesty Law)

2009 Report State Dept wanted to cut back staff at US Embassy in Baghdad and end Provincial

Reconstruction Teams Another step back from Iraq by Obama admin

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 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 

Latest Dispute Over Control Of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan

Lahur Talabani (L) was pushed out of power within the PUK by his cousin Bafel Talabani (R) (NRT)

In July 2021 the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) went through its latest power struggle. Bafel Talabani ousted his cousin Lahur Talabani from being the co-chair of the party. The PUK has struggled with its leadership since founder Jalal Talabani fell ill and died.

This Day In Iraqi History - Jul 21

 

1920 Kufa was surrounded by rebels

(Musings On Iraq review of 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)

1932 Iraq sent letter to British High Commissioner Humphrie saying it recognized 1920 Iraq-Kuwait

border in order for Iraq to join League of Nations

(Musings On Iraq review Unholy Babylon, The Secret History of Saddam’s War)

1933 800 Assyrians left Mosul province for Syria asking for asylum from French because didn't

want to be part of Iraq Assyrian leader Mar Shimun denied he was involved Iraqi army sent to border crossing and told Assyrians they could only return to Iraq if they disarmed

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

(Musings On Iraq review State and Society in Iraq)

1958 Gen Qasim set up court to try “enemies of the people” meaning officials from monarchy

(Musings On Iraq interview with Western Kentucky’s Prof Romero on the Qasim govt)

1982 Iran made third attack as part of Op Ramadan in Basra Was stopped 10km into Iraq Iraqis

counter attacked and drove Iranians back

(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 Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986)

(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)

1990 Iraq announced that it had placed troops along border with 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)

1991 PM Hammadi met with Barzani to try to stop fighting and reach deal on Kurdish autonomy

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

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

1992 UN inspectors withdrew from outside Agriculture Ministry Had been outside for 2 weeks

(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)

1993 UNHCR spokesman said that 3,000 Shiites fled to Iran to avoid Iraqi army attacks on villages in

southern marshes

2003 UN-IOM convoy fired upon by insurgents in Babil 1^st attack on humanitarian group in Iraq

(Musings On Iraq review The Terrorists of Iraq, Inside the Strategy and Tactics of the Iraqi Insurgency 2003-2014)

2003 UN Sec Gen Annan approved Iraqi Governing Council

2003 NatlSecAdv Rice called MSBC’s Chris Matthews saying Fmr Amb Wilson’s story on Iraq-Niger

deal was part of a political campaign against the White House Said Wilson’s wife was open target and Wilsons were against Bush so White House against them

(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 US received intel that Uday and Qusay Hussein were in Mosul

(Musings On Iraq review Special Operations Forces in Iraq)

2005 Pentagon said half of 93,800 Iraqi police had finished basic training and were not ready for duty

yet

(Musings On Iraq Did the US Ever Have A Strategy To Win In Iraq Before the Surge?)

(Musings On Iraq interview with Jerry Burke police and Interior Min adviser on how US failed to develop the Iraqi police)

(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)

2005 Insurgents kidnapped 2 Algerian diplomats in Baghdad

2006 Natl Sec Adv Hadley began review of Iraq strategy would take 6 months to complete

2006 Report sectarian cleansing going on in Baghdad’s Ghaziliya and Sadiya neighborhoods Sunni

gunmen told Shiites to leave in Sadiya Inter Min police took away 10 Sunni men in Ghazilya Bodies later found

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

(Musings On Iraq Columbia University Charts Sectarian Cleansing Of Baghdad)

2006 UK Gen Shireff wrote Maysan not as good as reported by UK officials Basra lacked security UK

had to win battle of Basra by defeating Mahdi Army and death squads

2009 Report US Amb Hill told Iraqis that Obama admin wanted to have normal diplomatic

relationship with Iraq rather than be involved in all Iraqi affairs

2012 ISI leader Baghdadi announced the Breaking Walls Campaign in Iraq Was his first online statement

Said it was new phase of jihad Campaign sign IS had rebuilt after defeat

2013 ISIS attacked Abu Ghraib and Tikrit prisons Freed 500 prisoners from Abu Ghraib End of Breaking

Walls Campaign

2017 3^rd time Anbar council attempted to remove Governor Rawi on corruption charges

2017 Fmr Salahaddin Gov Jabouri received 2 yr prison sentence for corruption

2018 Protests in Baghdad Basra Najaf Qadisiya Most broken up by ISF Human Rights Comm in Basra

criticized govt for shutting down Internet to impede protests Qadisiya sheikhs rejected calls to end protests Activists in Baghdad claimed they were tortured after being arrested Protester in Basra died of wounds

2018 Report Qadisiyah intelligence going after demonstrators and monitoring them on social media ISF

claimed protests plotting to overthrow the govt

2018 Dawa member said protesters were trying to overthrow the govt by targeting airports businesses

and ports

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Baghdad Sends Money To KRG Without It Complying With 2021 Budget

(US Dept of Defense)

The Kazemi government has taken the controversial step of sending money to the Kurdistan regional Government (KRG) even though it hasn’t complied with the 2021 budget. Previous administrations have done the same which only encourages the Kurds to follow with their current policy of not fulfilling their obligations to Baghdad.