Chronology of Events in Iraq, July 2003*
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* Chronology of Events in Iraq, July 2003 July 1 Explosion rocks mosque in Al-Fallujah. (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty RFE/RL Iraq Report) An explosion at a mosque in Al-Fallujah left at least six Iraqis dead and several wounded. A U.S. military spokesman said that the military did not know the cause of the blast, which he said came from an adjacent building. A U.S. rapid-response team found minimal damage to the mosque but significant damage to the building next to the mosque. Clerics warn against killing Iraqis cooperating with coalition forces. (London- based newspaper Al-Sharq al-Awsat) The Religious Scholars Association in Al-Fallujah has recommended that people not respond to recent calls to kill everyone who cooperates with the coalition forces. The association said it is not in the interest of the Iraqi people to spark fighting. Islamist group issues black list in Al-Fallujah. (London-based newspaper Al- Sharq al-Awsat) In a statement issued by an Islamist group, the group listed 33 names whose blood was sanctioned. The list includes the city's governor, two former members of the Iraqi Ba'th Party who used to be division commanders, a member of the former National Assembly, five religious scholars, and a number of government employees. The group did not sign the statement with a specific name. Al-Tikriti tribal chief assassinated in Iraq. (Al-Jazeera satellite TV) The governor of the Tikrit town has announced that unknown assailants assassinated Abdallah Mahmud al-Khattab, the chieftain of the Al-Tikriti tribe in the town to which former president Saddam Hussain is affiliated. Following the fall of Baghdad, al-Khattab denounced president Saddam Hussain and his regime although he had been very close to him for over 30 years. July 2 Iraqi tribal chiefs in central Euphrates region set up a council. (Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan newspaper Al-Ittihad) An administrative council for central Euphrates' tribes was set up in Karbala Governorate. Shaykh Yahya al-Ka'bi said the idea of setting up this council was * Disclaimer: Reports contained in this document are selected from publicly available resources and edited by country experts. The information provided here is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country of origin surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim. Further information may be obtained from BO Ankara. Chronology of Events in Iraq UNCHR Ankara COI Team July 2003 Page 1 16/02/2004 drawn up by five figures, among the most important shaykhs of central Euphrates: Shaykh Khalaf al-Ka'bi, Shaykh Alaywi Sa'dun al-Hasnawi, Shaykh Ala Kamil Mansur al-Mas'udi, Shaykh Sabir al-Kanani, and Taha al-Husayni. The Council commits itself to “the establishment of a free and independent Iraq, away from fanaticism and racism, and work seriously to serve Iraq from the north to the south and from its east to west”. July 3 Kurdistan Satellite TV journalist killed in Mosul. (Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party newspaper Khabat) The head of the Kurdistan Satellite TV office in Mosul, Ahmad Karim, was killed in clashes which occurred on the evening of 2 - 3 July in the city of Mosul. His assistant, Hoshyar Ahmad, was injured. July 4 Travellers to Amman ambushed in west Iraq. (Al-Jazeera TV) Several cars travelling to Amman down the Baghdad-Amman road have been ambushed by a gang of robbers. The robbers have stopped a number of cars and stolen their contents near the town of Al-Ramadi, west of Baghdad. Turkoman Front office in Suleimaniya disarmed. (Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan newspaper Kurdistani Nuwe) The coalition forces in Sulaimaniya disarmed armed men at the Turkoman Front Liaison Office in Ashti District, following a visit to the headquarters in the afternoon. July 5 RPG fired at IOM office in Mosul. (Agence France Presse / AFP) A rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at the office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Mosul, slightly wounding one person. Two cars were damaged and a local guard was slightly injured. July 6 Alleged Saddam's Fedayeen arrested in Kirkuk after attack on offices. (Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party newspaper “Khabat”) A group of armed men allegedly affiliated to the deposed Ba'ath regime attacked “Khabat” office and offices of the Kurdistan Students Union, Kurdistan Youth Union and Kurdistan Women Union with hand grenades, pistols and knifes, at Andalus Street in the centre of Kirkuk in the afternoon. The guards of these offices immediately responded to the attacks. After a confrontation, the guards arrested three alleged Saddam's Fedayeen, a spokesperson from Kirkuk Police Department said. Chronology of Events in Iraq UNCHR Ankara COI Team July 2003 Page 2 16/02/2004 July 7 Gunmen fire on car of Iraqi Central Bank governor, another official killed. (AFP) Gunmen fired on the car of Iraqi Central Bank governor Faleh Daud Salman in Baghdad. Salman escaped unharmed, but two other passengers were wounded. In an other attack, the head of Iraq's taxation department, Abdullah Mahmud al-Amin, was shot dead by unknown gunmen who stopped his car. July 8 Some Ba'ath Party members allowed to go back to work. (Iraqi newspaper Al- Adwa) Instructions have been issued allowing members of the dissolved Ba'th Party from the ranks of working members, group members and section members, to return to their job sites and to resume work. Some employees at the Ministry of Justice said the ministry had told those who come under these instructions to go back to their jobs. However, the instructions excluded members of the Special Security Service, the Saddam Fadayeen, the security forces, and the execution and assassination squads affiliated with the Intelligence Service. Sabotage and killing reported in northern town of Kirkuk. (Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan newspaper Kurdistani Nuwe) Regarding the security situation in Kirkuk in the past three days, a city police source reported that a citizen was shot dead on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road. Furthermore, several gunmen fired at a number of citizens and killed five people in Azadi District. Two former regime members in US custody. (RFE/RL Iraq Report) Two more former members of the deposed regime of Saddam Hussein have been taken into coalition custody. Mizban Khadr al-Hadi, identified as a high-ranking member of the Ba'ath Party's regional command and the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), was 23rd on CENTCOM's list of the 55 most-wanted Iraqis. He reportedly turned himself in to coalition forces in Baghdad. Coalition forces reportedly also captured Former Iraqi Interior Minister Mahmud Dhiyab al-Ahmad, although CENTCOM did not offer details of his detention. He was 29th on the CENTCOM list. July 10 Kidnapped Iranian opposition figure released. (Iranian Baztab web site) An opponent of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Nader Mohsen Mobaraki, has been released after having been kidnapped by unknown people from his house in Baghdad on 16 June. Mobaraki is responsible for Radio Baluchestan which broadcast programme against Iran from Baghdad. He said he was blindfolded and transferred to the Salman-Pak region, in south of Baghdad, and detained there for 15 days. During this period, the kidnappers reportedly tried to obtain information about Iraq's intelligence and security elements from him. Chronology of Events in Iraq UNCHR Ankara COI Team July 2003 Page 3 16/02/2004 Islamic Group leader arrested by US forces. (Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan newspaper Kurdistani Nuwe) The coalition forces arrested the emir of Islamic Group in Iraqi Kurdistan, Mamosta Ali Bapir and a number of the group's members on the Dukan-Sulaymaniyah road. The coalition forces stopped the traffic on the road and arrested the emir of the Islamic Group and his comrades after having disarmed them. The group included the head of the group's information office and Komal newspaper's chief editor, Mamosta Tawfiq Karim; Mamosta Dara Muhammad; Abd-al-Rahman Ahmad; and a number of guards were also arrested by the coalition forces. July 11 Political parties in Kurdish region surrender heavy weapons to coalition. (Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party satellite TV) The heavy weapons surrendered by the political parties and forces at police stations in northern Iraq, in accordance with a decree passed by the Kurdistan National Assembly and a similar decree by the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, were handed over to the coalition forces. July 13 Governing Council issues statement after first meeting. (Al-Jazeera satellite TV) The members of the Iraqi Governing Council have been named following its first meeting held in the former Military Industrialization Organization buildings in Baghdad. The first resolution issued by the Governing Council red as follows: “1. Cancelling all official holidays associated with the deposed dictatorial regime and the dissolved Ba'th Party. “2. April 9, the day the regime fell, shall become a national day for Iraq and an official holiday.” The names of the 25-man Governing Council are as follows: 1. Mr Ahmad al-Barrak, 2. Dr Iyad Allawi, 3. Mr Mas'ud Barzani, 4. Dr Muhsin Abd-al-Hamid, 5. Dr Adnan al-Pachachi, 6. Mrs Sungul Chabuk, 7. Dr Raja Habib al-Khaza'i, 8. Mr Nasir Kamil Chadirchi, 9. Mr Hamid Majid Musa, 10. Mr Samir Shakir, 11. Mr Abd-al-Karim al- Mahmadawi, 12. Mr Abd-al-Aziz al-Hakim, 13. Mr Muhammad Bahr al-Ulum, 14. Mr Jalal Talabani, 15. Dr Ahmad al-Chalabi, 16. Dr Muwaffaq al-Ruba'i, 17. Mr Ghazi Ajil al-Yawir, 18. Mr Salah al-Din Muhammad Baha-al-Din, 19. Mr Judge Wa'il Abd-al-Latif, 20.