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History of Iraq (2011–present)

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August 27, 2019 military situation in Iraq and Syria:
  Controlled by Iraqi government
  Controlled by Islamic State
  Controlled by Iraqi Kurds
  Controlled by Syrian government
  Controlled by Syrian rebels
  Controlled by Syrian Kurds
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The departure of US troops from Iraq in 2011 ended the period of occupation that had begun with the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003. The time since U.S. withdrawal has been marked by a renewed Iraqi insurgency and by a spillover of the Syrian civil war into Iraq. By 2013, the insurgency escalated into a renewed war, the central government of Iraq being opposed by ISIL and various factions, primarily radical Sunni forces during the early phase of the conflict. The war ended in 2017 with an Iraqi government and allied victory, however ISIL continues a low-intensity insurgency in remote parts of the country.

ISIL forces seized the majority of Al Anbar Governorate,[1] including the cities of Fallujah,[2] Al Qaim,[3] Abu Ghraib[4] and (in May 2015) Ramadi,[5] leaving them in control of 90% of Anbar.[6][7] Tikrit, Mosul and most of the Nineveh Governorate, along with parts of Salahuddin, Kirkuk and Diyala Governorates, were seized by insurgent forces in the June 2014 offensive.[8][9] ISIL captured Sinjar and a number of other towns in the August 2014 offensive, but Sinjar became a contested city in December 2014.

Insurgency (2011–2013)

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Main article: Iraqi insurgency (2011–2013)

In February 2011, the Arab Spring protests spread to Iraq;[10] but the initial protests did not topple the government. The Iraqi National Movement boycotted Parliament for several weeks in late 2011 and early 2012, claiming that the Shiite-dominated government was striving to sideline Sunnis.

In 2012 and 2013, levels of violence increased and armed groups inside Iraq were increasingly galvanised by the Syrian Civil War. Both Sunnis and Shias crossed the border to fight in Syria.[11] In December 2012, Sunni Arabs protested against the government, who they claimed marginalised them.[12][13] During 2013, Sunni militant groups stepped up attacks targeting the Iraq's population in an attempt to undermine confidence in the Nouri al-Maliki-led government.[14] In 2014, Sunni insurgents belonging to the Islamic State terrorist group seized control of large swathes of land including several major Iraqi cities, like Tikrit, Fallujah and Mosul creating hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons amid reports of atrocities by ISIL fighters.[15] On 4 June 2014, the insurgents began their efforts to capture Mosul. The Iraqi army officially had 30,000 soldiers and another 30,000 federal police stationed in the city, facing a 1,500-member attacking force. The Iraqi forces' actual numbers were much lower due to "ghost soldiers", severely reducing combat ability.[16] After six days of combat and massive desertions, Iraqi soldiers received orders to retreat. The city of Mosul fell under ISIL's control. An estimated 500,000 civilians fled from the city.

War (2013–2017)

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Main article: War in Iraq (2013–2017)
See also: Northern Iraq offensive (June 2014), Northern Iraq offensive (August 2014), American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present), Timeline of the Iraq War (2014), and Timeline of the Iraq War (2015)

By mid-2014 the country was in chaos with a new government yet to be formed following national elections, and the insurgency reaching new heights. In early June 2014 the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) took over the cities of Mosul and Tikrit and said it was ready to march on Baghdad, while Iraqi Kurdish forces took control of key military installations in the major oil city of Kirkuk. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asked his parliament to declare a state of emergency that would give him increased powers, but the lawmakers refused.[17]

In summer 2014 U.S. President Obama announced a renewed military intervention in the form of aerial support, with the aim of halting the advance of ISIS forces and rendering humanitarian aid to stranded refugees and stabilize the political situation.[18]

Since June 2014, al-Maliki had faced growing pressure to resign, including from the United States.[19] In July 2014, the Kurdistan Region demanded his resignation,[20] and his own party (the Islamic Dawa Party) began looking for a new leader.[21]

On 14 August 2014, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki succumbed to the pressure at home and abroad to step down. Iraq's new president, Fuad Masum, appointed a new prime minister, Haider al-Abadi on 19 August 2014.[22] However, for the appointment to take effect, al-Abadi needed to form a government and be confirmed by Parliament, within 30 days.[23] After initially expressing opposition to al-Abadi's selection, al-Maliki endorsed al-Abadi and said he would not stand in the way.[24]

In what was claimed to be revenge for the aerial bombing ordered by President Obama, ISIL, which by this time had changed their name to the Islamic State, beheaded an American journalist, James Foley, who had been kidnapped two years previously. Despite U.S. bombings and breakthroughs on the political front, Iraq remained in chaos with the Islamic State consolidating its gains, and sectarian violence continuing unabated. On 22 August 2014, suspected Shia militants opened fire on a Sunni mosque during Friday prayers, killing 70 worshipers. Separately, Iraqi forces in helicopters killed 30 Sunni fighters in the town of Dhuluiya.[25] A day later, apparently in retaliation for the attack on the mosque, three bombings across Iraq killed 35 people.[26]

Kurdistan Region has participated in fighting ISIL, while also taking other territory (such as Kirkuk).[27] Since August 2014, the U.S. has also been bombing ISIL positions.[28] In late January 2015, Iraqi forces recaptured the entire province of Diyala from the Islamic State.[29] On 2 March, Second Battle of Tikrit began.[30] and after more than a month of hard fighting, Iranians, Iraqis and Shiite militia overcame ISIL fighters and took Tikrit. This success was off-set in late May, by ISIL's capture of the provincial capital of Ramadi in Anbar Governorate.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi officially announced the liberation of the city of Mosul from the control of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on 10 July 2017.[31]

Parliamentary elections (2018)

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Main article: 2018 Iraqi parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held on 12 May 2018.[32] Kurdish politician, Barham Salih was elected as president by parliament in October 2018.[33] Former Finance Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi was selected to form a new government. The new government was approved by the Council of Representatives on 24 October 2018.[32][34]

2018–19 protests

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Main article: 2018–19 Iraqi protests

Protests over deteriorating economic conditions and state corruption started in July 2018 in Baghdad and other major Iraqi cities, mainly in the central and southern provinces. The latest nationwide protests, erupting in October 2019, had a death toll of at least 93 people, including police.[35]

2018-

[edit]

In March 2018, Turkey launched military operations to eliminate active Kurdish separatist fighters in the far north of the country.[36] Muqtada al-Sadr's political coalition won parliamentary election in May 2018.[37] Serious civil unrest rocked the country beginning in Baghdad and Najaf in July 2018 and spreading to other provinces in September as rallies to protest corruption, unemployment, and public service failures turned violent.[38] Protests started again on 1 October 2019, against corruption, unemployment and inefficient public services, before they escalated into calls to overthrow the administration and to stop Iranian intervention. The government at times reacted harshly, resulting in over 500 deaths by 12 December 2019. On 27 December 2019, the K-1 Air Base was attacked by more than 30 rockets, killing a U.S. civilian contractor and injuring others. The U.S. blamed the Iranian-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia. Later that month, the U.S. bombed five Kata'ib Hezbollah militia's positions in Iraq and Syria. On 31 December, dozens of Iraqi Shia militiamen and their supporters marched into the Green Zone of Baghdad and surrounded the U.S. embassy.

Baghdad street in 2022

Three days later, amid rising tensions between the United States and Iran, the U.S. launched a drone strike on a convoy traveling near Baghdad Airport, killing Qasem Soleimani, Iranian major-general and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Quds Force commander, the second most powerful person of Iran;[39] Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or PMU); four senior Iranian officers; and four Iraqi officers. Following months of protests that broke out across Iraq in October 2019 and the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi and his cabinet, Mustafa al-Kadhimi became a leading contender for the Premiership.[40] On 9 April 2020, he was named by President Barham Salih as prime minister-designate.[41] On 30 November 2021, the political bloc led by Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr was confirmed the winner of the October election.[42] A period of political crisis and near-deadlock of eleven months followed.[43][44]

In June 2022, all 73 members of Parliament from the Sadrist Movement resigned, which is considered to be a move of Muqtada al-Sadr to deligitimise the remaining, rivalling, Shia parties still in the Parliament and demonstrate his rejection of the muhasasa (quota-based) system established in 2003 by the US occupation.[45] On 27 July 2022, the parliament building was stormed by protesters for the second time in a week.[46] In October 2022, Abdul Latif Rashid was elected as the new President of Iraq after winning the parliamentary election against incumbent Barham Salih, who was running for a second term. The presidency is largely ceremonial and is traditionally held by a Kurd.[47] And on 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, close ally of former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, took the office to succeed Mustafa al-Kadhimi as new Prime Minister of Iraq.[48]

In July 2023, vast swathes of southern and western Iraq were left without electricity after a fire broke out causing an explosion at a power station south of Basra. The country's electrical grid faces systemic pressures due to climate change, fuel shortages, and an increase in demand.[49][50] Corruption remains endemic throughout all levels of Iraqi governance while the US-endorsed sectarian political system has driven increased levels of violent terrorism and sectarian conflicts within the country.[51][52] Climate change is driving wide-scale droughts across the country while water reserves are rapidly depleting.[53] The country has been in a prolonged drought since 2020 and experienced its second-driest season in the past four decades in 2021. Water flows in the Tigris and Euphrates are down between 30 and 40 percent. Half of the country's farmland is at risk of desertification.[54] Nearly 40 percent of Iraq "has been overtaken by blowing desert sands that claim tens of thousands of acres of arable land every year."[55] It is believed the Iraq war has changed the country forever.[56]

See also

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References

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  2. ^ "Al Qaeda-linked militants capture Fallujah during violent outbreak". Fox News Channel. 4 January 2014.
  3. ^ "Militants kill 21 Iraqi leaders, capture 2 border crossings". NY Daily News. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  4. ^ "Iraq Update #42: Al-Qaeda in Iraq Patrols Fallujah; Aims for Ramadi, Mosul, Baghdad". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. ^ "Isis seizes Ramadi". The Independent. May 18, 2015.
  6. ^ "Iraq: Shiite Gov't faces Mammoth Task in taking Sunni al-Anbar from ISIL". Informed Comment. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Islamic State overruns Camp Speicher, routs Iraqi forces". Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Insurgents in Iraq Overrun Mosul Provincial Government Headquarters". Voanews.com. Reuters. 2014-06-09. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  9. ^ "Iraqi city of Mosul falls to jihadists". CBS. 10 June 2014.
  10. ^ Sly, Liz (12 February 2011). "Egyptian revolution sparks protest movement in democratic Iraq". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  11. ^ Salem, Paul (29 November 2012). "INSIGHT: Iraq's Tensions Heightened by Syria Conflict". Middle East Voices (Voice of America). Archived from the original on 19 June 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  12. ^ "Iraq Sunni protests in Anbar against Nouri al-Maliki". BBC News. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  13. ^ "Protests engulf west Iraq as Anbar rises against Maliki". BBC News. 2 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
  14. ^ "Suicide bomber kills 32 at Baghdad funeral march". Fox News. Associated Press. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2012.
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  16. ^ al-Salhy, Suadad. "Iraq forces rebuilding the troops". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Iraq crisis: Isis gains strength near Baghdad as Kurdish forces seize Kirkuk". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  18. ^ "Obama Authorizes Air Strikes in Iraq". The New York Times. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  19. ^ Solomon, Jay and Carol E. Lee (June 19, 2014). "U.S. Signals Iraq's Maliki Should Go". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  20. ^ Rubin, Alissa J. and Alan Cowell (July 10, 2014). "Kurdish Government Calls on Maliki to Quit as Iraqi Premier". The New York Times. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  21. ^ Morris, Loveday (July 28, 2014). "Maliki's party in search of alternative candidate to lead Iraq". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  22. ^ Madi, Mohamed (11 August 2014). "Profile: Haider al-Abadi, Iraqi PM in waiting". BBC. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  23. ^ Ashton, Adam (August 11, 2014). "Haider al Abadi named to replace Maliki as troops take to Baghdad's streets". McClatchyDC. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  24. ^ Al Jazeera English (14 August 2014). "Maliki steps down as Iraqi prime minister". Al Jazeera English. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  25. ^ "Attack on Sunni Mosque in Iraq kills dozens". Al Jazeera. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  26. ^ "UN calls for immediate action to prevent new ISIS massacre in Iraq". Reuters. 23 August 2014. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  27. ^ "Kurds take oil-rich Kirkuk amid advance of ISIL insurgency in Iraq". Al Jazeera America. Al Jazeera. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  28. ^ Nissenbaum, Dion and Julian E. Barnes (August 8, 2014). "U.S. Launches Airstrikes in Iraq". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  29. ^ "Iraq forces 'liberate' Diyala province from IS". Yahoo News. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  30. ^ "Iraq 'seizes districts from IS' in Tikrit advance". BBC News. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
  31. ^ "Tasnim News Agency – Iraqi PM Congratulates Army after Defeat of Daesh in Mosul". Tasnim News Agency. Retrieved 2017-07-11.
  32. ^ a b "Outgoing UN official praises Iraq's 'exemplary peaceful transfer of power' at the top". UN News.
  33. ^ "New Iraq President Barham Saleh names Adel Abdul Mahdi as PM". BBC.
  34. ^ "ISHM: October 19 – 25, 2018".
  35. ^ Alkhshali, Hamdi; Tawfeeq, Mohammed; Qiblawi, Tamara (5 October 2019). "Iraq Prime Minister calls protesters' demands 'righteous,' as 93 killed in demonstrations". CNN. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  36. ^ "Turkey will drain 'terror swamp' in Iraq's Qandil, Erdogan says". Reuters. 11 June 2018.
  37. ^ "Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc wins Iraq election". Reuters. 12 May 2018.
  38. ^ Al Jazeera and News Agencies. (5 October 2019). "Iraq protests: All the latest updates." Al Jazeera website Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  39. ^ (in Dutch) 'VS doden topgeneraal Iran, vrees voor escalatie groeit' (US kill top general Iran, fear for escalation grows). NRC Handelsblad, 3 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  40. ^ "Iraqi spy chief Mustafa al-Kadhimi rumoured to be prime ministerial contender". The National (Abu Dhabi). 29 December 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  41. ^ "Iraq names its third prime minister in 10 weeks". Reuters. 9 April 2020. Archived from the original on April 10, 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  42. ^ Yuan, Shawn (30 November 2021). "Muqtada al-Sadr bloc confirmed big winner of Iraq's election". www.aljazeera.com.
  43. ^ "Iraqi MPs from Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc resign". aljazeera.com. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
  44. ^ Wilson, Audrey (7 November 2019). "Why Iraq's Protesters Are Still in the Streets". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 8 March 2022.
  45. ^ Yuan, Shawn. "Sadrists quit Iraq's parliament, but al-Sadr isn't going away". www.aljazeera.com.
  46. ^ Baghdad, Associated Press in (30 July 2022). "Protesters storm Iraq parliament again amid unrest over Iran-backed groups". the Guardian. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  47. ^ National, The (14 October 2022). "Who are Iraq's new president Abdul Latif Rashid and PM nominee Mohammed Shia Al Sudani?". The National.
  48. ^ "Iraq gets a new government after a year of deadlock – DW – 10/28/2022". dw.com.
  49. ^ "Blasts at power station fire cut off electricity in much of scorching Iraq". NBC News. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  50. ^ "Iraq substation fire causes major power outage – DW – 07/30/2023". Deutsche Welle. 30 July 2023. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  51. ^ Rubin, Alissa J. (18 March 2023). "20 Years After U.S. Invasion, Iraq Is a Freer Place, but Not a Hopeful One". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  52. ^ Karam, Patricia (16 June 2023). "Sudani's Premiership Is Failing in the Iraqi Fight Against Corruption". Arab Center Washington DC. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  53. ^ Lukas, Stefan (26 July 2023). "Iraq is running out of water". ips-journal.eu. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  54. ^ Rodgers, Winthrop (25 July 2023). "The Cradle of Civilization Is Drying Up". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  55. ^ Rubin, Alissa J.; Denton, Bryan (30 July 2023). "A Climate Warning from the Cradle of Civilization". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  56. ^ D'Agata, Charlie (2023-03-22). "How Iraq has changed, and how the war changed people, 20 years after the U.S.-led invasion - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2024-04-30.
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