Review The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986

Hooton, E.R., Cooper, Tom & Nadimi, Farzin, The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2: Iran Strikes back, June 1982-December 1986, West Midlands: Helion & Company Limited, 2017

The Iran-Iraq War Volume 2 covers the middle of the conflict. Saddam Hussein had attacked Iran in 1980 with not much of a plan. Things quickly went wrong, and by 1982 Iran was on the offensive invading Iraq. That period is what is covered in this second of four volumes. The book is in large format with small font, which means it packs a lot even though its only 80 pages long.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 4

1920 Churchill wrote PM George that his desire to hold Mosul and Mesopotamia was

compromised by his anti-Turk policy that was threatening Mosul

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

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

1924 Sir Henry Dobbs wrote Colonial Secretary Said King Faisal a foreigner who didn’t have any

support Said authority of Iraqi govt depended upon British backing and its military might

1997 UN Res 1143 extended Oil for Food Program for 3^rd time

1998 Under pressure from Russia France China UN inspectors began weekly reports They wanted

inspections done by end of year

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2001 CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Franks briefed Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Meyers on

revised Iraq invasion plan Franks revised 1990s Op Plan 1003 Cut troops from 500,000 to 400,000 to be deployed in 6 instead of 7 months Franks said couldn't scrap Op Plan 1003 because never knew what would be needed Said would take a long time to revise Iraq war plan Rumsfeld said Afghanistan showed US didn’t need such a large and long invasion plan for Iraq Rumsfeld wanted a battle plan that could be executed in a very short time not months Franks agreed with Rumsfeld but said Op Plan 1003 only thing they had at moment Rumsfeld told Gen Franks goal of any military action against Iraq would be removing Saddam Franks given one week to revise plan Angry that Rumsfeld went from plan not important to it being urgent

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

2001 Blair told Bush Iraq was a threat because it had WMD could export it and violated UN

resolutions

2001 Blair paper to Bush said that they had to consider regime change in Iraq

2002 UN Res 1447 extended Oil for Food program

2004 PM Allawi attacked while visiting Imam Ali shrine in Najaf

2005 Report 1500 suspects arrested around Ramadi in last five months all Iraqis not foreigners like

White House claimed

2006 UN Sec Gen Annan said violence in Iraq worse than Lebanese civil war Said worse than life

under Saddam Said Iraqi govt unable to provide security

2006 Paul Bremer said Pentagon ignored calls for more troops to maintain order in Iraq after

invasion Said military slow to develop counterinsurgency strategy Said military thought iSF could take over security in Iraq quickly US and Iraqi govts failed to counter rise of Sadr and Mahdi Army Not providing security biggest failure of US in Iraq

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Large Drop In Violence In Iraq November 2018

(Shafaaq News)

There was a large drop in reported incidents from October to November 2018. The number of incidents dropped roughly 30% between the two months. The number of casualties likewise went down as well. The bad weather which has caused flash flooding through much of northern and central Iraq might have played a role.

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 3

1914 Start of Battle of Qurna between British and Ottoman British attacked but beaten back

1967 Arif govt issued new press law restricting freedom of the media

1996 Iran admitted to Iraq smuggling oil through its territory violating UN sanctions and promised

action against it

1999 UN Res 1280 extended Oil for Food program

2001 Blair told Bush he was not opposed to removing Saddam

2002 Iraq officials cooperated with UN inspectors at surprise search of one of Saddam’s Baghdad

palaces

2004 3 members of Ansar al-Islam arrested for planning to assassinate PM Allawi

2004 Bush called speech writer Gerson saying he wanted to change US foreign policy to promoting

democracy Iraq at forefront

2006 Report doctor at Baghdad hospital said staff had been infiltrated by Mahdi Army Patients were

mysteriously dying and then records lost or changed Thought they were being murdered and orders were coming from Sadr controlled Health Min

2006 Report Rumsfeld memo said that US strategy in Iraq not working and needed new one Said

administration had to lower public expectations of what US could do in Iraq Was frustrated with Iraqis Said Iraq needed to do more Laid out plans for either withdrawing troops or redeploying them within Iraq Said US should think of setting benchmarks for Iraq Went against public statements of US govt against withdrawals and benchmarks

2008 Presidential Council passed Status of Forces Agreement with US setting withdrawal date for

US forces 12/31/11

2008 Baghdad-Irbil oil talks broke down KRG refused to cancel its oil contracts and demnded share

of oil revenues Oil Min Shahristani refused

(Musings On Iraq article on break down of Baghdad-KRG oil talks)

2011 Maliki accused Turkey of meddling in Iraqi affairs as relations deteriorate between two

countries 

View the Iraq History Timelines 

Musings On Iraq In The News

Musings On Iraq was cited in “Irak: Ninewa provins – sikkerhetssituasjonen per oktober 2018,” by Landinfo.

Full Musings On Iraq citations

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 2

1920 US Consul in Baghdad said England hadn’t taken any serious steps to create an

independent Iraqi govt

1928 UK High Comm for Iraq Dobbs wrote conscription in Iraq would cause revolt Was already

problem in Basra Said authority of Iraqi govt depended upon British backing and military might

1932 King Faisal speech praised his rule in Syria Said if he was still king there Syria would be

independent like Iraq

1948 Baghdad told oil companies they should not employ Jews after creation of Israel

1980 Saddam accused US of helping Iran during Iran-Iraq war

1981 Iranian Op Tariq al-Quds Revolutionary Guard began 1^st human wave attacks in war in Bostan

Suffered heavy losses

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

2001 Powell said no reason to believe Iraq didn’t have WMD

2001 USA Today article said Iraq supported bin Laden when he was in Sudan in 1990s

2001 Ex-CIA Dir Woolsey said he believed Iraq involved in 9/11

2002 Bush Cheney DepSecDef Wolfowtiz gave speeches across US saying that Iraq would not

cooperate with weapons inspectors

(Musings On Iraq article on UN weapons inspections)

2002 White House spokesman said if Saddam said he had no WMD proved he was lying if he said he

had WMD he violated UN resolutions

2002 White House spokesman said Iraq bought aluminum tubes for its nuke program

(Musings On Iraq article on the aluminum tubes story)

2002 White House officials told US News & World Report they were making extensive plans for

postwar Iraq

2002 UK issued dossier on human rights abuses in Iraq Amnesty Intl attacked report as

opportunistic and selective

2003 Dep Sec State Armitage said US should not oppose Ayatollah Sistani who was pushing for

elections for new Iraq parliament

2005 Def Sec Rumsfeld told CENTCOM Cmdr Gen Abizaid and US Iraq Cmdr Gen Casey CIA

found insurgents infiltrating Iraqi army in Anbar

2005 Gen Dempsey in charge of US training mission for ISF said 100 Iraqi army battalions 33

operating on own 40 in the lead Said 27 Federal Police battalions on duty Said major problem was police were recruited locally and many were from militias

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

2008 US and Iraqi officials met about Sahwa Maliki said he agreed with Americans organizing Sunni

tribes but southern Iraq was off limits Said southern tribes could threaten Shiite parties Came after US Marines were organizing Sahwa in Qadisiyah to counter militias  

(Musings On Iraq article on Maliki govt cancelling US forming Sahwa in southern Iraq)

2008 Oil Min Shahristani demanded KRG void its oil contracts in return for deal to allow it to export

            oil

(Musings On Iraq article on Baghdad-KRG oil talks)

2011 Mobs attacked Christian and Yazidi businesses in several towns in Dohuk province

View the Iraq History Timelines 

This Day In Iraqi History - Dec 1

1918 UK PM George asked Fr PM Clemenceau to renegotiate Sykes-Picot giving Mosul to

British England got France to agreed to give it most of Mosul in return France got stake in Iraqi oil and Syria

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

1971 Iraq broke relations with Iran and UK Expelled Iranian nationals Turned to Soviet Union for

support Iraq argued with Iran over Shatt al-Arab and Tehran funding and arming Kurds in alliance with US and Israel

1987 Iran attacked Fakeh area north of Basra

1997 Weekly Standard special issue on removing Saddam featured neoconservative writers like

Wolfowitz Khalilzad Kagan

2000 UK Intel report Iraq contained but if sanctions ended Saddam would start rebuilding WMD

programs

2001 Rumsfeld issued order to Joint Chiefs to begin revising war planning for Iraq

2001 CENTCOM cmdr Gen Franks was only given 3 days to revise Iraq war plan and present it to

Rumsfeld

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

2001 NY Times article quoted DepSecState Armitage saying US was going to force Iraq to allow

UN inspectors to return Said White House looking into options to support Iraqi opposition groups

2003 Iraq physicist book claimed Iraq never rebuilt nuclear program after 90s and US exaggerated

threat Said Iraq never close to building a nuclear bomb

2004 KDP and PUK announced Kurdistan Coalition for Jan 2005 elections

2004 Report Army warned Dec 03 that military-CIA Task Force 121 searching for WMD abused

Iraq prisoners

2004 US announced it would increase troops from 138,000 to 150,000 for Jan 2005 elections

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

2005 Kurdistan Islamic Union sent letter to Dohuk govt saying they wanted security for

            planned KDP demonstrations at their offices

2006 Report State Dept proposed dropping reconciliation because not going to happen and US

should just focus upon Shiites and Kurds Amb Khalilzad and US military opposed proposal Said bringing insurgents into poltical process critical and US couldn’t be seen as taking sides in civil war

View the Iraq History Timelines