2006 in Iraq explained

The following lists events that happened during 2006 in Iraq.

Incumbents

• President: Jalal Talabani
• Prime Minister: Ibrahim al-Jaafari (until 20 May), Nouri al-Maliki (starting 20 May)
• Vice President: Ghazi Mashal Ajil al-Yawer (until 22 April), Tariq al-Hashimi (starting 22 April), Adil Abdul-Mahdi
• Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (autonomous region)
  • President: Massoud Barzani
  • Prime Minister: Nechervan Idris Barzani (until 1 March)

Events

January

• January 4 – Suicide bomber struck a Shiite funeral in Karbala, killing 32 and wounding 40.^[1]
• January 5 – Iraq War
  • 50 people were killed and 80 wounded by a suicide bomb attack in the Iraqi city of Karbala.^[2]
  • 70 people were killed and 40 injured in a suicide attack on a line of police recruits in Ramadi.^[3]
  • Insurgent violence shut down Iraq's largest oil refinery.^[4]
• January 6 – Iraq War
  • Thousands of Shiites demonstrated in Baghdad after two days of bloodshed that claimed almost 200 lives.^[5]
  • A secret Pentagon study has found that at least 80 percent of the marines who have died in Iraq due to wounds to their upper body could have survived if they had worn extra body armor. The armor has been available since 2003.^[6]
  • Paul Bremer, who led the U.S. civilian occupation authority in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, has admitted the United States did not anticipate the insurgency in the country, as reported on NBC.^[7]
  • Demonstrations protesting against unemployment in the Iraqi town of Nasiriyah turned violent leaving two dead and two dozen injured.^[8]

February

• February 22 – The Al Askari Mosque bombing. Although no injuries occurred in the blast, the bombing was hugely offensive to Shi'ites and resulted in violence over the following days widely described as a civil war. The Iraqi government has stated that 379 people were killed in the subsequent attacks, although the Washington Post reported that over 1,300 people were killed.
• February 28 – A bomber blew himself up near a petrol station in one of the Iraqi capital's Shia areas just before curfew and hours after other blasts killed 35.^[9]

March

• March 12 – Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, a fourteen-year-old Iraqi girl was raped and murdered together with most of her family in the Mahmudiyah killings.
• March 23 – members of the Special Air Service recovered British and Canadian hostages ending the Christian Peacemaker hostage crisis.^[10]
• March 24 – Joint Center for Operational Analysis at United States Department of Defense on March 24, 2006, released a report compiled from captured Iraqi intelligence. The report stated that Russia aided Saddam's regime with correct information on the coalition invasion.^[11]
• March 25 – Iraq War
  • 40 people killed or wounded in gun battle near Mahmudiyah.^[12]
  • US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said on Saturday, March 25, that militias, many with strong ties to powerful Shiite leaders and well entrenched in security and police forces, are killing more Iraqis than terrorists.^[13]
• March 26–30 beheaded bodies found in Iraq.^[14]
• March 27 – Memo shows US president was firmly set on the path to war two months before the 2003 Iraq invasion.^[15]
  • 40 people were killed and 20 others wounded in recruitment centre suicide bomb attack.^[16]
• March 29 – Around 30–40 bodies are being found on the streets of Baghdad every day, morgue officials said.^[17]
• March 30 – Pentagon requests hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funds for military construction in Iraq.^[18]

April

• April 16 – B Squadron, 22nd SAS Regiment carried out Operation Larchwood 4 in Yusufiyah.^[10]
• April 19 – British brigadier attacks America's 'Hollywood' generals.^[19]

May

• May 10 – Iraqi President Jalal Talabani made a public announcement urging all political parties to "quell this bleeding" after figures showed sectarian violence killed 1,091 in Baghdad the prior month.^[20]
• May 5 – Iraq was listed fourth on the 2006 Failed States Index compiled by the American Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace think-tank. The list was topped by Sudan.^{[21] [22]}
• May 13/14 – As part of a series of operation in the "Triangle of Death" US forces took out an entire network in and around Latifiyah, the cell was led by Abu Mustafa who was responsible for shooting down a US Apache helicopter in early April. On May 13, US forces raided 4 houses used by Abu Mustafa network, quick exploitation of intelligence found in the raids resulted in US force hitting 3 more locations, the raids resulted in 15 "suspected al-Qaeda associates" as well as Abu Mustafa killed.^[23]

June

• June 5 – A U.S. Navy SeaBee convoy moving between Al Quim and Al Asad was ambushed by several IEDs. Two members of NMCB-25 were killed. Petty Officer First Class Equipment Operator Gary Rovinski and Petty Officer Second Class Hospital Corpsman Jamie Jaenke.
• June 7 – Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is killed by a U.S. air strike. Zarqawi was a Jordanian militant who had called for attacks against Shi'ites. Most Iraqis hoped his death will help ease sectarian bloodshed, much of which was masterminded by him.

July

• July 1 – Attacks in the Shi'ite slum of Sadr City in Baghdad killed 66 people.
• July 9 – Shia gunmen allegedly massacred 40 Sunni Muslims in Baghdad after setting up fake security checkpoints a day after the Shi'ite Zahra mosque in the area was bombed.
• July 16 – An Iraqi general claims that a suicide bombing in a Shiite cafe in northern Iraq has killed 25 people.^[24]
• July 17 – British troops from the Brigade Reconnaissance Company of 20th Armoured Brigade, spearheaded by the SAS's HATHOR detachment captured Sajjad Badr Adal Sayeed, the leader of the Mahdi Army, in a raid on a building in Basra. Mahdi Army militia soon engaged the strike force cordon with assault rifles and RPGs, the engagement lasted for 2 hours resulting in 1 British soldier killed and at least 4 militiaman killed.^[25]
• July 18 – A car bomb killed 53 people in the holy Shi'ite city of Kufa.
• In July 2006, Baghdad's central morgue received 1,855 bodies, the most since the bombing of a Shia shrine in February prompted a wave of sectarian killings. The Iraqi government stated that 3,438 Iraqis died around the country that month.^[26]

August

• August – 70 Americans were killed in Iraq, 32 of them in Al Anbar province.^[27]

• August 20 – Sunni snipers shot and killed at least 22 Shiites during a pilgrimage in Baghdad.

September

• September 11 – The Washington Post reported that the commander of the Marine forces in Iraq filed "an unusual secret report" concluding that the prospects for securing the Anbar province are dim, and that there is almost nothing the U.S. military can do to improve the political and social situation there.^[28]
• September 27 – A WPO poll found that seven out of ten Iraqis want U.S.-led forces to withdraw from Iraq within one year. The perception that the U.S. presence in Iraq has a negative impact on security is widespread and is given some support by the British withdrawal from Basra which led to a 90% reduction in violence. Overall, 78% of those polled said they believed that the presence of U.S. forces is "provoking more conflict than it's preventing." 53% of those polled believed the Iraqi government would be strengthened if U.S. forces left Iraq (versus 23% who believed it would be weakened), and 71% wanted this to happen in 1 year or less. All of these positions are more prevalent amongst Sunni and Shia respondents than among Kurds. 61% of respondents said that they "approve" of attacks on U.S.-led forces, while 94% still had an unfavorable opinion of al-Qaeda.^[29]

October

• October 20 – The U.S. military announced that Operation Together Forward had failed to stem the tide of violence in Baghdad, and Shiite militants under al-Sadr seized several southern Iraq cities.^[30]

November

• November 7 – The United States midterm elections removed the Republican Party from control of both chambers of the United States Congress. U.S. voters' perceptions of failings in the Iraq War were cited as one of the main causes of the Republicans' defeat, even though the Bush administration had attempted to distance itself from its earlier "stay the course" rhetoric.^[31]
• November 23 – The deadliest attack since the beginning of the Iraq war occurred. Suspected Sunni-Arab militants used five suicide car bombs and two mortar rounds on the capital's Shiite Sadr City slum to kill at least 215 people and wound 257. Shiite mortar teams quickly retaliated, firing 10 shells at Sunni Islam's most important shrine in Baghdad, badly damaging the Abu Hanifa mosque and killing one person. Eight more rounds slammed down near the offices of the Association of Muslim Scholars, the top Sunni Muslim organisation in Iraq, setting nearby houses on fire. Two other mortar barrages on Sunni neighborhoods in west Baghdad killed nine and wounded 21, police said.^[32]
• November 26 – EFP(explosively formed penetrator) attack near Sadr City kills 3 US Army soldiers and injures at least 2 others. Among those lost this day are PFC Joshua C Burrows, 20, 1st Cavalry Division, 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, based out of Ft. Hood, TX. Josh was a lifelong resident of Bossier City, LA.
• November 28 – Another Marine Corps intelligence report was released confirming the previous report on Anbar stating that, "U.S. and Iraqi troops 'are no longer capable of militarily defeating the insurgency in al-Anbar,' and 'nearly all government institutions from the village to provincial levels have disintegrated or have been thoroughly corrupted and infiltrated by Al Qaeda in Iraq.'"^[33]

December

• December 12 – Controversy arose when former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced before the surge took place that there would have to be a draw down of troops by mid-2007.^[34]
• December 30 – The former president Saddam Hussein, was executed by hanging.

Notable deaths

• February 22 – Atwar Bahjat, 30, Iraqi journalist for al-Arabiya, abducted and killed in Iraq.^{[35] [36]}
• March 6 – Mubdar Hatim al-Dulaimi, 55, Major General in the Iraqi Army, shot by a sniper.^[37]
• March 12 – Hadeel Qasim Hamza, 6, murder victim (born 1999)
• April 21 – Jacob Kovco, 25, first Australian Defence Force serviceperson killed in Iraq.^[38]
• May 6 – Wing Commander John Coxen, 46, Royal Air Force, most senior British Officer killed in Iraq to date.^[39]
• May 6 – Flt Lt Sarah Mulvihill, 32, first British servicewoman to be killed in action in Iraq.
• May 29 – James Brolan, 42, CBS News sound technician, injuries sustained in car bombing in Iraq.^[40]
• May 31 – Ali Jaafar Ali, 39, Iraqi sports anchorman, shot dead by unknown gunmen in Baghdad.^[41]
• June 7 – Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, 39, leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, US military strike.^[42]
• June 7 – Sheik Abd-Al-Rahman, spiritual adviser for Al-Qaeda in Iraq, US military strike.^[43]
• October 11 – Raad Mutar Saleh, Iraqi Mandaean leader, shot.^[44]
• November 20 – Walid Hassan, 47, Iraqi television comedian, shot.^[45]
• December 30 – Saddam Hussein, 69, Iraqi President (1979–2005), execution by hanging.^[46]

See also

• Iraq War

Notes and References

1. News: Suicide bomb at Iraqi funeral kills 32 . Quinn . Patrick . January 5, 2006 . Deseret News . April 30, 2009.
2. News: Iraq suicide bomb blasts kill 120 . January 5, 2006 . BBC News . April 30, 2009.
3. News: Iraq's Bloodiest Day in Months Includes 11 U.S. Deaths . Oppel Jr. . Richard A. . January 7, 2006 . The New York Times . April 30, 2009.
4. News: Major Iraq Oil Refinery Closes Again After Blast. January 6, 2006. The Press of Atlantic City.
5. News: Iraqi Leaders: Government Almost in Place . January 7, 2006 . CBS News . April 30, 2009 .
6. News: Extra Armor Could Have Saved Many Lives, Study Shows . Moss . Michael. January 6, 2006 . The New York Times . May 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090425005008/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/politics/06cnd-armor.html?ei=5088&en=b13c10bd70ee9190&ex=1294203600&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&pagewanted=print . April 25, 2009 . live.
7. Web site: Bremer said he urged more postwar troops in Iraq . January 9, 2006 . AlertNet . May 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20060110193821/http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N06261100.htm . January 10, 2006.
8. Web site: US Propaganda vs. Iraqi Reality . Dahr . Jamail . January 8, 2006 . Dahr Jamail Mideast Dispatches . May 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091226013810/http://dahrjamailiraq.com/us-propaganda-vs-iraqi-reality . December 26, 2009 . dead . mdy .
9. News: Iraq bombs claim dozens of lives . February 28, 2006 . BBC News . May 1, 2009.
10. Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq, St. Martin's Griffin, 2012, p.17
11. Book: Woods, Kevin M. . Iraqi Perspectives Project . 2006 . U.S. Joint Forces Command . 156–157 . 978-0-9762550-1-7 . May 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090326061752/http://www.jfcom.mil/newslink/storyarchive/2006/ipp.pdf . March 26, 2009.
12. News: 40 Casualties in Mahdi Army clash with Sunni Arab guerrillas . March 25, 2006 . JuanCole.com . May 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080708225307/http://www.juancole.com/2006/03/40-casualties-in-mahdi-army-clash-with.html . July 8, 2008 . live . mdy .
13. Web site: Militias Kill More Iraqis Than "Terrorists": US Envoy . March 25, 2006 . Islam Online . May 1, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081203210334/http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2006-03/25/article06.shtml . December 3, 2008 . dead.
14. News: Many dead in Baghdad mosque raid . March 27, 2006 . BBC News . May 1, 2009.
15. News: Bush-Blair Iraq war memo revealed . March 27, 2007 . BBC News . May 1, 2009.
16. News: At least 40 killed, 20 wounded in Iraq army centre attack near Tal Afar . AFX News Limited . March 27, 2006 . Forbes . May 1, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080607214616/http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/afx/2006/03/27/afx2623314.html . June 7, 2008 .
17. News: Gunmen dressed as police kill 9 in Baghdad . al-Ibadi . Omar . March 29, 2006 . Reuters . May 1, 2009.
18. News: Iraq bases spur questions over US plans . Branford . Becky . March 30, 2006 . BBC News . May 1, 2009.
19. News: British brigadier attacks America's John Wayne generals . Harding . Thomas . April 19, 2006 . The Daily Telegraph . London . May 1, 2009.
20. News: Iraq head urges end to bloodshed . . May 10, 2006. October 27, 2008.
21. News: Sudan tops 'failed states index' . BBC News . May 2, 2006 . 23 May 2008 .
22. Web site: The Failed States Index Rankings . Foreign Policy . July–August 2005 . 23 May 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20051008063637/http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3100 . October 8, 2005 . live . mdy .
23. Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012,p153-154
24. http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiraq0717,0,5351222.story?track=rss (Newsday)
25. Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq, St. Martin's Griffin, 2012, p.188-190
26. Web site: July deadliest month in Iraq, tallies show – International Herald Tribune . International Herald Tribune . October 27, 2008.
27. Urban, Mark, Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the Secret Special Forces War in Iraq , St. Martin's Griffin, 2012, p178
28. News: Ricks . Thomas E. . Situation Called Dire in West Iraq . Washington Post . September 11, 2006 . 10 September 2008 .
29. http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/sep06/Iraq_Sep06_rpt.pdf The Pipa/Knowledge Networks Polll
30. News: Shiite militia briefly seizes Iraqi city . NBC News . October 20, 2006 . 16 June 2008 . mdy .
31. News: Bush's New Tack Steers Clear of 'Stay the Course' . Peter Baker . The Washington Post . October 24, 2006. 23 May 2008 .
32. News: Bombs, mortars in Shiite slum kill at least 161 . NBC News . November 23, 2006 . 23 May 2008 . mdy .
33. News: Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker . Washington Post . November 28, 2006 . Dafna . Linzer . Thomas E. . Ricks . April 22, 2010.
34. News: DeYoung . Karen . Powell Says U.S. Losing in Iraq, Calls for Drawdown by Mid-2007 . The Washington Post . 2006-12-18 . March 2, 2007.
35. Web site: Archived copy . October 4, 2010 . August 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210829180228/https://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/world/13946213.htm . dead .
36. Web site: Al-Arabia correspondent, two crew members killed in Iraq . https://web.archive.org/web/20080323235216/http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=832270 . March 23, 2008 . Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
37. https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060306/ts_nm/iraq_general_dc Yahoo! Search – Web Search
38. News: First Iraq casualty to be Honoured on Anzac Day . The Age . Melbourne, Australia . April 24, 2006. 4 October 2010 .
39. News: Basra crash victims named by MoD . BBC News . May 8, 2006 . 4 October 2010 .
40. https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060529/ap_on_re_mi_ea/journalists_killed_15 Yahoo! Search – Web Search
41. http://english.people.com.cn/200605/31/eng20060531_270087.html People's Daily Online – Iraqi TV sport anchorman shot dead in Baghdad
42. News: U.S. military: Al-Zarqawi was alive after bombing . CNN . June 9, 2006 . 4 October 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100620205000/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/06/08/iraq.al.zarqawi/index.html . June 20, 2010 . live . mdy.
43. News: Zarqawi death a 'significant blow' to al-Qaida . London . The Guardian . June 8, 2006 . 4 October 2010 .
44. News: Bombings as religious minority leader killed . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090916125519/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C23599%2C20565787-401%2C00.html . September 16, 2009 . 23 April 2013 .
45. http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/11/20/news/ME_GEN_Iraq_Killed_Comedian.php Search – Global Edition – The New York Times
46. News: Saddam Hussein executed in Iraq . BBC News . December 30, 2006. 4 October 2010 .