| 1918 |
The British capture Iraq from the Turkish Ottoman Empire during World War I. |
| 1921 |
The British created a constitutional monarchy in Iraq and installed Fisal ibn Hussein as Meccan Prince. |
| 1932 |
Iraq formally became an independent state but British influence over Iraqi public officials continued for 26 years. |
| 1933 |
King Fisal died and Iraq experiences a series of coups until 1939. |
| 1958 |
In a military coup King Fisal II was assassinated and a new regime was established ending British influence in Iraq. |
| 1961 |
The Kurds launched an armed rebellion against the government, Persians fought a protracted conflict with Arabs, Turks fought with Kurds, and Shi'i fought with Sunnis. Out of this the Pro-Syrian Arab Socialist Resurrection Party (Ba'ath) established itself politically and seized control of the government. |
| 1963 |
Moustafa Barzani, leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party, breaks away from the KDP and formed his own army. |
| 1968 |
A coup brought the Ba'ath party back to power. |
| 1969 |
The Iraqi army attacked Kurdistan. A cease fire was signed in 1970. They feared foreign invasion through Kurdistan and a Kurd led military coup. Over 40,000 homes were allegedly destroyed and there were 60,000 casualties. |
| 1974 |
Barzani and the KDP led a new rebellion. |
| 1975 |
The KDP rebellion ended with a cease fire. In Iraq's military 10,000 were wounded and 7,000 died. In the KDP more than 2,000 died, 250,000 fled to Iran, and a total of 600,000 Kurds were displaced Jallal Talabani broke with the KDP and formed the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.. |
| 1979 |
Saddam Hussein became the Ba'athist President of Iraq. The United Nations and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) accused Iraq of 1) Execution of 150 Kurdish political prisoners 2) Forceful eviction of Kurds 3) Illegal land seizures by the government 4) Arabization of Kurdish areas 5) Using poison gas against civilians. |
| 1980 |
Iraq invades Iran with the objective of securing the long disputed Shatt al-Arab waterway and toppling the regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini. |
| 1987 - 1988 |
Iraq launches a series of attacks on Kurdish villages, burning them down and often using poison gas. Over 6,000 Kurds were killed and over 40,000 were displaced. |
| 1988 |
Iraq and Iran agree to a cease fire. |
| 1989 |
Hussein announced plans for Iraqi political reform. |
| Jul 20, 1989 |
The Iraqi News Agency reported that the Information and Cultural Ministry licensed Abd al-Wahhab al-Talbani, a Kurdish journalist and poet, to begin publication of Naso, a Kurdish language newspaper. |
| Sep 9, 1989 |
Election were held in Kurdistan for a 50 member Legislative Council. |
| Sep 27, 1989 |
A bomb exploded at the British Club in Baghdad. There were no casualties and an unnamed Kurdish underground group took responsibility. |
| Jan 30, 1990 |
The Government denied claims made by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) that Iraqi helicopters killed 60 Kurdish fisherman on January 20. |
| Mar 10, 1990 |
President Saddam Hussein orders a general amnesty for Iraqi Kurdish fighters, effective from April 11 through May 11. |
| May 12, 1990 |
President Hussein extended the amnesty offer to Kurds to June 11. So far 3,365 Kurds had taken advantage of the amnesty. |
| Jun 11, 1990 |
The amnesty was extended until July 11. |
| Dec 6, 1990 |
The Iraqi News Agency denied reports that the Iraqi Army had recently attacked the Kurds in the north. |
| Mar 4, 1991 |
In the worst civil unrest since the beginning of Saddam Hussein's rule, uprisings broke out in southern Shi'i areas and in northern Kurdish areas. Some 7,000 soldiers were moved from the Turkish and Iranian borders to protect Baghdad from the revolts. The rebellions began immediately after Iraq's defeat by the allies in the Gulf War, and many Kurds and Shi'i thought that they had the backing of the allies and especially the United States. |
| Mar 7, 1991 |
President Hussein reportedly offered both Shi'i and Kurdish groups separate deals giving them shares in the central government in exchange for loyalty. Both groups rejected the proposal. |
| Mar 9, 1991 |
Iraq denied that it was using chemical weapons in an effort to put down the uprisings that continued for a fifth day. |
| Mar 12, 1991 |
Refugees leaving Iraq accused the army of using napalm in its efforts to quell the uprising. |
| Mar 13, 1991 |
Shi'i, Kurds, and other anti-government groups protested in Baghdad as clashes between rebels and the Iraqi army continued. |
| Mar 14, 1991 |
By this date, Kurdish forces had taken control of large portions of northern Iraq. |
| Mar 18, 1991 |
Kurdish leader Rahman issued an international appeal for food and medicine on behalf of the opposition in Iraq. |
| Mar 19, 1991 |
The Bush administration accused Iran of sending arms to Kurdish rebels in the north. |
| Mar 21, 1991 |
The Iraqi government declared a state of emergency in Baghdad. |
| Mar 26, 1991 |
PUK leader Talabani and other exiled Kurdish leaders returned to Iraq to join the fighting in the north against Army forces. |
| Mar 28, 1991 |
Iraqi forces launched a massive attack on Kurdish forces who were in control of the town of Kirkuk. |
| Mar 29, 1991 |
U.S. troops at the northern-most observation point in Iraq reported watching Iraqi forces brutally attack civilian targets in the Kurdish town of Samawah on the 28th. |
| Apr 1, 1991 |
Massoud Barzani, head of the KDP, reported that 3 million Kurds had fled into the mountains of northern Iraq to escape attacks by government forces. |
| Apr 4, 1991 |
Turkish authorities claimed they did not have the resources to accommodate thousands of Kurdish refugees and refused to open the border with Iraq. About 10,000 people reportedly had crossed into Turkey and about 80,000 were being held at the border. |
| Apr 5, 1991 |
The UN Security Council approved resolution 688 condemning the Iraqi government's oppression of the Kurds. US president Bush ordered the US Air Force to airdrop food, medicine, and other supplies to Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq. Some Kurdish refugees began descending from the mountains in northern Iraq after Iraqi government forces broadcast an appeal asking them to do so. Turkish authorities admitted 80,000 Kurdish refugees who had been halted at the Turkish border |
| Apr 6, 1991 |
The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) estimated that about 750,000 Iraqi Kurds had fled to Iran, 280,000 had fled to Turkey, and 300,000 more had gathered at the Turkish border. |
| Apr 11, 1991 |
U.S. president Bush announced the establishment of safe havens in northern Iraq were aid would be disbursed to refugees. The US Department of State reported clashes between Iraqi forces and Kurds in the north and Shi'i in the south. |
| Apr 12, 1991 |
The U.S. military initiated Operation Provide Comfort, a relief aid campaign in northern Iraq intended to provide food and temporary shelter to more than 700,000 refugees. Iraq's permission to initiate the operation was not solicited. |
| Apr 17, 1991 |
U.S. forces began to take control of areas more than 60 miles into Iraq where they planned to build camps for Kurdish refugees. |
| Apr 18, 1991 |
The New York Times reported that according to the U.S. Department of State and international relief organizations, between 500 to 1,000 Kurds were dying each day along the Iraq Turkey border. |
| Apr 20, 1991 |
PUK leader Talabani and leaders from four other unnamed Kurdish groups met with President Hussein in Baghdad to negotiate a settlement to the Kurdish uprising. |
| Apr 24, 1991 |
Following 5 days of talks Talabani announced that an agreement had been reached in principle providing for the normalization of conditions in Kurdistan, the introduction of democracy in Iraq, the respect for Kurdish rights, and the preservation of Iraqi unity. |
| Apr 26, 1991 |
As Kurdish refugees began to leave the mountains of Turkey to make their way toward refugee camps, Kurdish guerrillas emerged from hiding in an effort to encourage them not to enter the area until it was clear of Iraqi forces. The government of Iraq granted amnesty to all Kurds that fled Iraq during the war. |
| Apr 28, 1991 |
Kurdish refugees began arriving at U.S. run refugee camps after allied forces had convinced Kurdish guerrillas that it was safe for them to do so. |
| May 4, 1991 |
The second round of peace talks between the Kurds and the Iraqi government were postponed because of differences of opinion between the PUK and KDP over the need for international guarantees to back the autonomy plan and an acceptable division of oil reserves between the Kurds and the Iraqis. |
| May 8, 1991 |
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said, in an interview with the Washington Post, that his government had made mistakes in dealing with the Kurds but that he expected that a settlement with the Kurds would be soon forthcoming once reforms to the government limiting the powers of the Ba'ath were passed. PUK leader Talabani continued in the peace talks with the Iraqi government. |
| May 13, 1991 |
About 500 Kurds in the town of Zakhu held a demonstration, broke into a police station, and attacked members of the secret police. |
| May 18, 1991 |
KDP leader Barzani, who had joined the negotiations with the Iraqi government, announced that firmer details about autonomy for the Kurds had been agreed to. Outstanding issues remaining were the exact borders of the proposed autonomy region, especially whether they would include the oil rich town of Kirkuk. |
| May 23, 1991 |
For the third time in 10 days, about 500 Kurds attacked the police station in Zakhu. |
| May 24, 1991 |
As many as 36,000 Kurds returned to Iraq from Iran and Turkey. |
| May 27, 1991 |
Kurdish rebels threatened to resume fighting if negotiations with President Hussein failed to produce an agreement. |
| Jun 1, 1991 |
U.S. forces closed the last Kurdish refugee camp in Turkey. |
| Jun 2, 1991 |
In the most violent and sustained clashes since the onset of Operation Provide Comfort, hundreds of Kurds demonstrated in the streets, attacking Iraqi police officers and calling on the U.S. forces to remain in northern Iraq to protect them. In Dahuk at least 5 people were killed during an attack on Ba'ath party headquarters. Demonstrations also took place in Irbil, Sulaymaniyya, and Diyabil. |
| Jun 3, 1991 |
Clashes erupted between Kurds and Iraqi government forces in three northern cities. In Dahuk, 4 Kurds and 2 Ba'ath party officials were killed. |
| Jun 14, 1991 |
More than 1,000 Kurds protested outside a U.S. military camp near Dahuk urging the forces to remain in the area to protect them from Iraqi retaliation. |
| Jun 15, 1991 |
The last Iraqi forces left Dahuk. |
| Jun 23, 1991 |
KDP leader Barzani announced that the Iraqi government had approved a draft agreement of general principles calling for election within three months to establish an autonomous government in Iraqi Kurdistan excluding Kirkuk. |
| Jun 24, 1991 |
Final acceptance of the autonomy plan was delayed by Iraqi conditions that Kurdish leaders break ties with the west and assist the governments in its efforts against Shi'i rebels. |
| Jul 4, 1991 |
The National Assembly passed a law that legalized opposition parties but restricted participation in the military to Ba'ath members. |
| Jul 15, 1991 |
The last U.S. forces withdrew from northern Iraq. |
| Jul 19, 1991 |
More than 100 people were reported dead after two days of fighting between Kurdish guerrillas and government forces. The fighting started after government forces fired tear gas and bullets into a group of Kurds demonstrating against the lack of food and denouncing the anniversary of the 1968 coup that brought the Ba'ath to power. |
| Jul 20, 1991 |
U.N. officials reported that Kurdish rebels had taken control of large parts of Sulaymaniyya in northern Iraq. Iraq accused Iran of aiding the rebels. |
| Jul 21, 1991 |
In an effort to reach agreement on a Kurdish autonomy plan, Iraqi Prime Minister met with Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) leader Massoud Barzani. |
| Jul 29, 1991 |
In London, PUK leader Jala Talbani warned that without a second international relief effort, the Kurds would face another catastrophe. |
| Aug 13, 1991 |
After a two week breakdown in talks, negotiation over Kurdish autonomy resumed between President Hussein and KDP leader Barzani. |
| Sep 3, 1991 |
The National Assembly legalized all opposition parties that defend Iraq, support the revolutions of 1958 and 1968, are not based on race, regionalism, sectarianism, or express anti-Arab positions. |
| Sep 9, 1991 |
The U.N. reported serious clashes between the Kurds and the Iraqi army in the North. Apparently 16 people were killed. |
| Sep 24, 1991 |
In an interview with the Washington Post PUK leader Talabani claimed that Iraqi soldiers were preventing 300,000 Kurds from returning home from their hiding places. |
| Oct 6, 1991 |
Clashes between government forces and Kurdish rebels resumed in Kalar. |
| Oct 7, 1991 |
In Sulaymaniyya Kurdish rebels shot and killed more than 60 unarmed government soldiers at point blank range. Another 50 people were killed in other fighting around northern Iraq. |
| Oct 8, 1991 |
Fighting between government forces and Kurdish rebels continued in Sulaymaniyya. Over 400 people were reportedly killed. Thousands of Kurdish civilians were reportedly fleeing to the mountains to escape the fighting. At the end of the day a cease fire was agree to under which Iraqi troops would withdraw from positions they had taken in the last 4 days. All prisoners were to be released by both sides. The KDP and PUK both condemned the assassination of the 60 Iraqi soldier 2 days prior. |
| Oct 22, 1991 |
The government informed thousands of Kurdish workers that in order to keep their job they would have to relocate to government controlled areas. |
| Nov 4, 1991 |
Kurdish rebels reported that the Iraqi army had sealed off the only roads that connect Kurdish areas with the rest of the country. |
| Nov 10, 1991 |
At pir Dawud near Irbil, government forces attacked Kurdish rebels after the rebels refused to retreat to Irbil. In the preceding two weeks the Kurdish rebels had been advancing as the government forces had been voluntarily withdrawing. |
| Nov 12, 1991 |
The government and the Kurds agreed to another cease fire. The Iraqis agreed to end the economic blockade of Kurdish controlled areas and the Kurds agreed to withdraw back to Irbil. |
| Nov 30, 1991 |
Talks resumed between Iraqi officials and KDP leader Barzani over Kurdish autonomy. |
| Dec 16, 1991 |
President Hussein agreed not to require members of the Kurdish regional assembly to swear allegiance to the Ba'ath. The KDP announced plans to hold elections for an assembly. |
| Jan 14, 1992 |
Kurdish rebels attacked the Ba'ath party headquarters in Baghdad and reportedly killed 36 people. |
| Feb 28, 1992 |
Iraqi troops attacked Kurdish rebels and seized control of the Kalak Bridge in Kurdish controlled areas. |
| Mar 2, 1992 |
Kurdish rebels retook the Kalak Bridge. Overall, over 60 people were killed in the fighting. |
| Mar 11, 1992 |
President Hussein announced that the Kurdish election could not proceed unless the Kurds relinquished the protection of allied forces. |
| Mar 24, 1992 |
Iraqi forces began to bomb the Kurdish town of Kifri with tanks and heavy artillery. |
| Apr 8, 1992 |
Kurdish officials announced plans to hold elections for legislative assemblies and a supreme leader on May 17. |
| May 16, 1992 |
The election was postponed until May 19. |
| May 19, 1992 |
In the Kurd controlled region in the north, elections were held for a 105 seat Kurdish National Assembly as well as for the leader of the Kurdish autonomous government. Seven parties registered lists for the election, and four candidates ran for the top position, including Massoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani. The primary electoral issue was whether or not the Kurds should negotiate with Baghdad. The PUK and KDP each won 50 seats and the Barzani and Talabani received an equal number of votes. A run off election between the two was scheduled for October 10. |
| Jun 4, 1992 |
The new Kurdish National Assembly met for the first time and elected Jawhar Namiq Salim speaker. |
| Jun 4, 1992 |
The Kurdish National Assembly announced the members of its council of ministers. |
| Jul 29, 1992 |
U.S. Secretary of State James Baker met with PUK leader Talabani and KDP leader Barzani. The Kurdish leaders accused the Iraqi government of a series of car bombing against UN forces. |
| Aug 4, 1992 |
The Iraqi army bombed Kurdish positions in the Kirkuk. |
| Sep 15, 1992 |
After months of negotiation the PUK and the KDP agreed to merge their guerrilla forces into a unified force of almost 30,000 troops to be commanded by the Kurdish National Assembly. |
| Oct 16, 1992 |
The Turkish army launched an air and ground assault on members of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) who had retreated into Iraq. |
| Oct 21, 1992 |
Iraqi Kurds joined Turkish troops in their efforts to encircle the troops of the PKK. |
| Oct 27, 1992 |
Leaders of the PKK and leaders of the PUK and KDP signed a peace treaty. |
| Oct 30, 1992 |
Iraqi Kurds allowed members of the PKK to retreat further into Iraqi Kurd controlled territory on the condition that they cease military activities. |
| Nov 1, 1992 |
Turkish forces killed 14 Iraqi Kurds in an air attack. |
| Nov 13, 1992 |
Turkish troops began withdrawing from northern Iraq. |
| Nov 14, 1992 |
Iranian, Turkish, and Syrian leaders met in Ankara to discuss the Iraqi Kurd issue. The three denounced the de facto Kurdish state in northern Iraq and warned Iraqi Kurdish leaders that they would prevent any attempt to partition Iraq into separate states. |
| Dec 17, 1992 |
Iraqi troops were moved north and stationed within striking distance of Kurdish areas. The government maintained that they were there for military exercises. |
| Mar 12, 1993 |
Iraqi troops attacked Aweina, a Kurdish village in Kurdish controlled territory, killing 30 people. |
| Apr 15 - 30, 1993 |
Iraqi troops began attacking various Kurdish towns forcing 5,000 Kurdish families to flee their homes. |
| Apr 17, 1993 |
Iraqi forces reportedly arrested more that 7,000 Kurds including several members of the Kurdish National Assembly. |
| May 24, 1993 |
Iraq continued to build up its military forces along 280 miles of the border with Kurdish controlled areas. |
| Jul 24, 1993 |
For almost 2 months, Iran had been sporadically firing missiles into Iraqi Kurdish area in an attempt to destroy any Iranian Kurds who had fled into the area. On 24 July, the Iraqi Kurds threatened retaliation if the attacks continued. |
| Jul 31, 1993 |
The Iranian shelling of Iraqi Kurdish area continued. |
| May 1 - Jun 1, 1994 |
Fighting breaks out between KDP and PUK forces over a land dispute in the Kurdish town of Qala Dizel and the next month would spread to the Kurdish capital of Arbil, Sulaimaniyah, Dohuk, and Shaqlawa. Over 400 people were killed in the month long fighting. Most of the casualties were not civilians. Western observes reported viewing several demonstrations staged by "ordinary Kurds" protesting the violence and calling for unity. |
| Jun 1, 1994 |
Barzani and Talbani agreed to a 50-50 power sharing deal in which they would jointly fill the head offices of the Kurdish regional administration. |
| Jun 1 - 5, 1994 |
More than 600 people were killed in inter-Kurdish clashes between members of the KDP and the PUK. The most intense fighting took place in and around the northern city of Halabja where the two groups competed for control of the town. |
| Jun 12, 1994 |
By this date another 8,000 Iraqi Kurds who had fled to Turkey during the Persian Gulf War, fled back to Iraq to escape the escalating war between Turkish Kurds and the Turkish Army. (Hundreds of thousands had returned in 1991) |
| Jun 15, 1994 |
Guerrillas from the PUK and the KDP clashed at a funeral procession in the northern city of Sulaymaniyah leaving 12 members of the PUK dead and over 40 more injured. |
| Jul 4, 1994 |
KDP and PUK leaders Barzani and Talabani announced that their two organizations were still unified in their efforts against the Iraqi government. |
| Jul 19 - Aug 18, 1994 |
PUK and KDP forces clashed sporadically. |
| Aug 7, 1994 |
PUK forces clashed with those of the Kurdistan Islamic League (KIL) near the Iranian border. |
| Nov 5, 1994 |
11 people were killed in a clash between members of the PUK and members of the Kawamand tribe in Shamshamal near al-Sulaymaniyah. |
| Nov 24, 1994 |
KDP leader Barzani and PUK leader Talabani sign a cease-fire agreement. |
| Dec 13, 1994 |
Fighting broke out between PUK and KDP forces in a disagreement over tax collection. |
| Jan 1 - Feb 17, 1995 |
Fighting between PUK and KDP forces continued despite several attempts at cease fires. The worst of the fighting was over Arbil, the seat of Iraqi Kurdistan's government, now held by the PUK. Death estimates range form 500 into the thousands. |
| Feb 17, 1995 |
An informal cease fire between the PUK and KDP took affect. |
| Feb 20 - 22, 1995 |
Heavy fighting between PUK and KDP forces was reported near the town of Rawandaz. The town was held by the PUK but surrounded by the KDP. |
| Feb 27, 1995 |
A car bomb in the Iraqi Kurdistan city of Zakho killed 76. The PUK blamed the Iraqi government and the KDP blames the PUK. |
| Mar 2 - 15, 1995 |
Clashes between the PUK and Iraqi forces, including tanks and artillery, were reported. Iraqi troops are accused of machine-gunning civilians. The Iraqi National Congress (INC), an anti-Saddam Hussein group, joined in the fighting against Iraq. |
| Mar 11, 1995 |
A PUK suicide bomber detonated a bomb in the KDP headquarters in the town of Zakho. |
| Mar 20 - May 4, 1995 |
Turkey invaded Iraqi Kurdistan in order to stamp out the Turkish-Kurd PKK (People's Workers Party) rebels. Iraqi Kurdish groups initially condemned the invasion and charged that civilians were being targeted. Estimates of Iraqi Kurd refugees caused by the attack ranged from a few hundred to several thousand. |
| Mar 27 - 28, 1995 |
Clashes between PUK and KDP forces were reported in Arbil. At least 100 are killed. |
| Apr 8, 1995 |
The KDP called for a temporary truce with the PUK and the PUK accepted. Turkey was responsible for brokering the truce in hopes that Iraqi Kurds would act to prevent the Turkish Kurd PKK rebels from using Iraqi Kurdistan as a base for attacks upon Turkey. The main obstacle to a more permanent agreement between the PUK and KDP was the status of the city of Arbil, Iraqi Kurdistan's seat of government. This was one of many Turkish attempts to enlist Iraqi Kurds in its fight against Turkish Kurd PKK rebels. Humanitarian aid to Iraqi Kurds was used for the same purpose. |
| May 3, 1995 |
KDP leader Barzani agreed not to allow the Turkish Kurd PKK rebels to use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base for their attacks upon Turkey. The KDP controls most of the border between Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey. |
| May 27 - 28, 1995 |
KDP and PUK delegates met on neutral territory to keep alive the 105-member parliament. The delegates unanimously agreed to extend the regional assembly's mandate for one year. |
| Jul 4 - 11, 1995 |
Turkey invaded Iraqi Kurdistan in order to stamp out Turkish Kurd PKK rebels. About 3,000 Iraqi Kurdish civilians fled south for safety. |
| Jul 8, 1995 |
A 3-month cease fire ended with a new outbreak of fighting between the PUK and KDP. The fighting centered around the town of Arbil. |
| Jul 17, 1995 |
The PUK accused the KDP of joining Iraqi government forces in an attack on the PUK-held city of Arbil. The KDP denied the charges. |
| Jul 25, 1995 |
Reuters reported that PUK leaders met with an envoy from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in the past week. The topic of the discussions is unknown. |
| Aug 11, 1995 |
The PUK and KDP agreed to a cease fire at US-brokered peace talks in Dublin, Ireland. |
| Aug 25, 1995 |
Iraqi forces attacked a remote village in Iraqi Kurdistan. |
| Aug 27 - Sep 16, 1995 |
The Turkish Kurdish PKK rebels attacked KDP forces in order to break the KDP's uneasy truce with the PUK. The truce has greatly limited the PKK's ability to use Iraqi Kurdistan as a base for attacks on Turkey. |
| Sep 15, 1995 |
PUK and KDP leaders failed to reach a peace agreement in meetings in Ireland. (Reuters)1995 September 15: PUK and KDP leaders failed to reach a peace agreement in meetings in Ireland. (Reuters) |
| Oct 29, 1995 |
The Turkish parliament voted to prolong for three months the mandate of a multinational force in northern Iraq intended to protect Iraqi Kurds. (Reuters) |
| Oct 31, 1995 |
Iraqi Kurds blame Baghdad for the bombing of the offices of the Iraqi National Congress, which resulted in 25 deaths. (Reuters) |
| Nov 13 - 21, 1995 |
KDP and PUK officials resume US-sponsored peace talks but are unable to reach a settlement. Baghdad condemns the negotiation sessions. (Reuters) |
| Dec 16, 1995 |
Jordan's King Hussein offered to sponsor discussions among all Iraqi opposition groups to allow them to discuss the future direction of their country. (Reuters) |
| Mar 18, 1996 |
Iraqi Kurds agree to allow official technicians from Baghdad fix an oil pipeline broken during fighting between the two sides. (Reuters) |
| Mar 26, 1996 |
The PUK endorsed the idea of a peace settlement between the PUK and the KDP, although negotiations between the two sides had not yet been successful. (Reuters) |
| Apr 18, 1996 |
US State Department official Robert Deutsch traveled to northern Iraq to try to broker a settlement between the PUK and the KDP. (Retuers) |
| Apr 24, 1996 |
After meeting with KDP leader Massoud Barzani and PUK leader Jalal Talabani, US official Deutsch announces that progress has been made toward an agreement between the PUK and the KDP, but that no final resolution has yet been reached. (Reuters) |
| Apr 30 - May 7, 1996 |
KDP officials allege that Turkey launched a bombing campaign along the Iraqi border, forcing 150 Kurdish families to flee the area. (Reuters) |
| May 20, 1996 |
Iraq and the UN signed an agreement easing the embargo imposed on Iraq in 1990, allowing Iraq to resume the sale of oil in return for food and medicine. (Kaleidoscope) |
| May 29, 1996 |
PUK and KDP officials agree to extend the term of the assembly of their power-sharing parliament for another year in the hopes that the assembly would be able to resolve the PUK-KDP disputes. (Reuters) |
| Aug 9, 1996 |
PUK forces launched an artillery attack on a town near Arbil after the KDP had turned back a previous PUK attack on the town. Nine people died and 30 people were injured in the attack. (Reuters) |
| Aug 18, 1996 |
PUK and KDP forces engaged one another in the most serious fighting since the 1995 cease-fire between the rival groups. KDP's Barzani claimed that the PUK started the attack. At least seven people--a combination of fighters and civilians--died in the fighting. (Reuters, 18 August; Reuters, 20 August) |
| Aug 19, 1996 |
The PUK accuses the KDP of working with the Iraqi government, while the KDP accused the PUK of collaboration with Tehran. (Rueters) |
| Aug 23, 1996 |
Barzani announced that the KDP successfully had stopped an offensive by 1000 PUK fighters. The KDP captured or killed approximately 400 PUK rebels during the clash in northern Iraq. (Reuters) |
| Aug 28, 1996 |
Leaders of PUK and KDP agree to a new, US-brokered cease-fire and to work towards a more comprehensive settlement between the two groups. (Reuters) |
| Aug 31, 1996 |
PUK leader Jamal Talabani announced that the KDP, along with 12,000 Iraqi soldiers and using Iraqi artillery, were attempting to take over a PUK stronghold in northern Iraq. Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz confirmed Iraqi involvement in the fighting near the Kurdish capital of Arbil. (Rueters) |
| Sep 1, 1996 |
Iraq and KDP troops were patrolling Arbil after successfully overwhelming PUK forces. Between 150 and 180 people died during the fighting, but few civilians were hurt. Baghdad announced that its troops would soon retreat out of the Kurdish region. The US responded to Iraq's actions by launching 44 curise missiles over Baghdad. (Reuters, September 1; Reuters, September 4) |
| Sep 3 - 13, 1996 |
The US launches air strikes on Iraq in response to the aid Saddam's regime provided to the KDP attacks in the Kurdish enclave of Iraq. Iraq responds by firing missiles at American, British, and French planes patrolling the no-fly zone in northern Iraq. (The Economist, September 7; September 21) |
| Sep 7, 1996 |
PUK officials announce that 200 Iraq tanks were preparing to enter Sulaimaniya, the last PUK-controlled region in northern Iraq. (Reuters) |
| Sep 8, 1996 |
KDP officials objected to Turkish plans to establish a security zone in northern Iraq to protect itself against PKK attacks. (Reuters) |
| Sep 9, 1996 |
PUK forces offer no opposition when KDP forces enter Sulaimaniya, ceding control of the city to its rival. (Reuters) |
| Sep 10, 1996 |
Following the KDP's campaign, 70,000 to 75,000 Iraqi Kurds headed from northern Iraq to the Iranian border seeking refuge. The Kurds cited the hesitancy of the US and the rest of NATO to resist Saddam Hussein's aggression as the cause of their insecurity within the Iraqi territory. (Reuters. September 10; Reuters, September 14) |
| Sep 18, 1996 |
Eleven Iraqi Kurds died, and 30 others were injured, in an attack on an Iranian refugee camp home to Iraqi Kurd refugees. Both Iranian officials and refugees blamed the KDP for the attack, but KDP denied responsibility for the incident. (Reuters)18 September 1996: Eleven Iraqi Kurds died, and 30 others were injured, in an attack on an Iranian refugee camp home to Iraqi Kurd refugees. Both Iranian officials and refugees blamed the KDP for the attack, but KDP denied responsibility for the incident. (Reuters) |
| Sep 26, 1996 |
The KDP announced that it would form a 16-person cabinet to govern the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. Unlike in previous arrangements, the PUK would be granted no representation in this group. Not surprisingly, the PUK denounced the arrangement. (Reuters) |
| Oct 13, 1996 |
PUK forces retook two more towns following their recapture of Sulaimaniya from the KDP. The KDP repeated claims that the PUK was working with the Iranian government in this mission. (Reuters) |
| Oct 23, 1996 |
Following several clashes between the PUK and the KDP continue, the US secures another cease-fire between the two groups. Negotiations between the two sides on a comprehensive agreement follow. (Reuters) |
| Nov 13, 1996 |
Officials from Doctors without Borders reveal that urgent assistance is needed from the international community for Iraqi Kurds in Iranian refugee camps. (Reuters) |
| Dec 6, 1996 |
Twenty-eight Iraqi Kurds were massacred by an unknown paramilitary group in a region known for fighting between Turkey and the PKK. (Reuters) |
| Jan 16, 1997 |
During peace talks arranged by the US, UK, and Turkey, the PUK and KDP agreed to work to improve the situation for civilian Kurds. Each side will stop evacuating supporters of rival groups from towns it controls and will allow displaced persons to return to their homes. (Reuters) |
| Mar 11, 1997 |
The murder of a local KDP leader led to a temporary breakdown of peace talks between the KDP and the PUK, although PUK denied responsibility for the killing. (Reuters) |
| Apr 30, 1997 |
Following clashes between the PUK and the KDP-backed Islamic Movement, senior officials of the PUK and the KDP renew their cease-fire. (Reuters) |
| May 1 - Jun 30, 1997 |
Turkish officials report that its soldiers, working with the KDP, killed over 2000 PKK rebels, while the KDP lost about 200 men in clashes throughout Kurdistan. (AFP, September 25) |
| May 19, 1997 |
KDP fighters aligned with Turkish forces to fight PKK rebels in northern Iraq, near Arbil, resulting in the deaths of 53 KDP fighters and 58 PKK rebels. (Reuters) |
| Jun 1 - 11, 1997 |
Four suicide bombings by PKK forces kill 55 members of the KDP. (Agence France Presse) |
| Jul 9 - 10, 1997 |
KDP officials accuse PUK fighters of breaking the 3-month-old cease-fire by attacking unsuccessfully a KDP position, with the help of PKK rebels. (AFP) |
| Aug 14, 1997 |
PUK leader Talabani accuses Hussein of practicing ethnic cleansing in oil-rich sections within the Kurdish provinces, while denying PUK cooperation with PKK forces. (AFP) |
| Aug 19, 1997 |
Talabani denies charges by Hussein that the PUK had arrested more than 700 members of the KDP within the territory it controls. (AFP) |
| Sep 1997 |
Fighting between the PKK and the KDP results in 'considerable losses' for the KDP. (AFP, September 25) |
| Oct 4, 1997 |
PUK officials accused the Turkish government of arming and funding the KDP in return for its assistance in Turkey's latest offensive against PKK forces in northern Iraq. Talabani warned that this would disrupt a delicate balance of power in Kurdistan. (AFP) |
| Oct 13, 1997 |
The PUK and the KDP resumed fierce clashes, breaking the year-old cease-fire between the rival groups. Both sides accused the other of initially breaking the cessation of hostilities. (AFP) |
| Oct 18, 1997 |
After five days of fighting, in which more than 100 people were killed, PUK and KDP leaders agreed to a US-brokered cease-fire. The signing of the agreement was followed by some skirmishes, in which members of both sides were killed. (AFP) |
| Oct 24, 1997 |
The PDK launched an offensive against PUK positions, as fighting resumed between the rival factions in Kurdistan. (AFP) |
| Oct 26, 1997 |
Over 700 Kurds reportedly died in the two weeks since the year-long cease-fire was broken. (AFP) |
| Nov 9, 1997 |
After a weather-inspired slowdown in fighting, conflicts resume, and 67 PUK fighters and 30 KDP members are killed. (AFP) |
| Nov 24, 1997 |
As fighting continues between PUK and KDP, the KDP announces a unilateral cease-fire. Although the KDP allegedly broke the cease-fire on the next day by attacking PUK regions, the KDP confirmed its desire for a truce, and PUK officials unofficially said their group would respect the truce. (AFP) |
| Jan 1 - Feb 28, 1998 |
Saddam Hussein's refusal to grant UN arms inspectors access to suspected weapons sites in Iraq causes increased tension, as the US threatens to launch the most severe air strikes since the Gulf War against Iraq in order to force its compliance with UN demands. Russia objected to the US strategy and pursued independently a diplomatic approach to dealing with Baghdad. |
| Feb 12, 1998 |
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz confirmed his country's opposition to the establishment of a Kurdish state in northern Iraq. (AFP) |
| Feb 23, 1998 |
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan brokers a deal with Saddam Hussein, insuring UN weapons inspectors access to all suspected weapons caches in Iraq. The conclusion of this deal ended the threat of another round of US air strikes on Iraq. (New York Times; The Economist, February 28) |
| Jul 20, 1998 |
US State Department officials invite leaders of both the PUK and KDP to the US for negotiations on a final comprehensive peace settlement. (AFP) |
| Aug 4, 1998 |
Reports that PUK and KDP leaders met to discuss potential government and security arrangements within northern Iraq proved to be unfounded, but officials from each side noted continued progress in negotiations. (AFP) |
| Sep 1998 |
As a sign of good faith, the PUK and the KDP exchanged more than 200 prisoners from the conflicts between these two factions. (AFP, September 8) |
| Sep 9, 1998 |
The PUK sent a delegation to Turkey in an effort to normalize the group's relationship with the country following clashes in 1997. (AFP) |
| Sep 17, 1998 |
PUK's Talabani and KDP's Barzani met in Washington and agreed to a power-sharing agreement which establishes a regional assembly for Kurdistan. (AFP) |
| Oct 23, 1998 |
The US Congress passed the Iraq Liberation Act, a bill allotting $97 million for weapons, training, and financing Iraqi opposition groups. This represents the first public move by the US to pursue the ouster of Saddam Hussein, a goal it has apparently been unable to achieve working clandestinely. (Christian Science Monitor) |
| Dec 16 - 20, 1998 |
The US and Great Britain launch air strikes on 89 different targets in Iraq after UN arms inspectors reported Iraq's refusal to grant inspectors access to suspected weapon sites. Russia and China objected to the attacks. (New York Times; The Economist, December 19) |
| Dec 28, 1998 - Sep 30, 1999 |
The US launches a series of attacks on air defense systems and communication networks in northern Iraq. Between late December and early March, bombs were dropped on 30 different days. (New York Times) |
| Jan 8, 1999 |
Leaders from each of the Iraqi Kurdish factions met in northern Iraq to discuss implementation of their peace plan. (AFP) |
| Dec 31, 2003 |
Three died and 20 were injured after Arab and Turkmen in Kirkuk stormed the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan to protest Kurdish control of the city. (Lasseter, Tom and Hannah Allam, 1/1/2004, “Baghdad blast kills five, shattering a holiday fete,” The Philadelphia Inquirer; Agence France Presse, 1/1/2004, “Three dead as ethnic violence rages in Kirkuk”) |
| Jan 1, 2004 |
Arab gunmen, thought to be Sunni, shot and killed one Kurd in Kirkuk. A shootout with police then ensued, leading to the death of two of the gunmen. (Associated Press, 1/2/2004, “Arabs kill Kurd, police reportedly kill two Arabs in ethnic clashes in Kirkuk”) |
| Jan 1, 2004 |
Armed Arabs shot and killed one Kurd and injured another after they were found walking in an Arab neighborhood. (Barzanji, Yehia, 1/2/2004, “Arabs kill Kurd, police reportedly kill two Arabs in ethnic clashes in Kirkuk,” Associated Press) |
| Jan 3, 2004 |
US and Iraqi forces raided the offices of both the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), arresting at least one KDP leader. (Xinhua General News Service, 1/5/2004, “US troops arrest Iraqi Kurdish official in raids”) |
| Jan 24, 2004 |
More than 7,000 Kurds held a demonstration in support of federalism in Iraq (Associated Press, 1/24/2004, "Thousands of Kurds demand federalism in Iraq") |
| Feb 2004 |
Ansar al-Sunnah Army, a Sunni organization, claimed responsibility for bombings that targeted the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. More than 100 died in the attacks. (BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 6/27/2005, "Iraqi police arrest two over attacks on Kurdish party offices") |
| Feb 29, 2004 |
Kirkuk was placed under a curfew after street fights between Kurds and Turkmen injured two. (Associated Press, 2/29/2004, “Kurds, Turkomen clash in northern city of Kirkuk, prompting curfew”) |
| Mar 9, 2004 |
Three died and 20 were injured after clashes between Kurds and Turkmen and Arabs. (BBC Monitoring Middle East – Political, 3/9/2004, “Three Iraqis die after Arabs, Turkomans clash with Kurds in Kirkuk”) |
| Apr 14 - 19, 2004 |
Govenment forces arrested 20 members of the radical Kurdish organization Ansar al-Islam. (Agence France Presse, 4/22/2004, "20 members of Ansar al-Islam arrested for planning attacks in Iraq") |
| Jul 24, 2004 |
In Suleimaniya, an estimated 500 Kurds participated in a demonstration demanding an independent Kurdistan. (Agence France Presse, 7/24/2004, "Iraqi Kurds demonstrate for independent Kurdistan") |
| Oct 2, 2004 |
Hundreds of Kurdish residents in Kirkuk demonstrate, calling for an independent Kurdish state with Kirkuk as its capital. (Agence France Presse, 10/2/2004, “Iraq Kurds demonstrate for independence”) |
| Oct 24, 2004 |
Insurgents from Ansar al-Sunnah assassinated a Kurdish police officer in Irbil (Associated Press, 10/24/2004, “Sunni militant group claims responsibility for killing police official, warns Kurdish leader”) |
| Oct 25, 2004 |
Hundreds of Kurds demonstrated in Kirkuk, calling for Kurdish control of that city. (Agence France Presse, 10/25/2004, "Kurds take to streets to demand Kirkuk form part of Iraqi Kurdistan") |
| Nov 16, 2004 |
Arab insurgents attack Kurdish areas in Mosul with mortars and other weaponry, with deaths on both sides. (Glass, Charles, 11/17/2004, "US and Kurds attack insurgents in Mosul," Belfast Telegraph) |
| Dec 17, 2004 |
In Kirkuk, thousands of Kurdish, Arab, Turkoman, and Cheldo-Assyrian demonstrators protested for the repatriation of displaced citizens prior to elections. (BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 12/17/2004, "Iraq: Demonstration calls for postponement of elections in Kirkuk") |
| Jan 31, 2005 |
Kurds in Bashiq protested against exclusion from voting in Kurdistan, because the town lies outside of the region's boundaries. (BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 1/31/2005, "Iraq: Kurds from Ninawa towns protest against exclusion from voting") |
| Aug 14, 2005 |
Thousands of Kurds demonstrate in Arbil, Kirkuk, Dohuk and Sulaiymaniya, calling for a Kurdish right of self-determination, a redefinition of the borders of the Kurdish region, and Kurdish control of Kirkuk (Turkish Daily News, “8/15/2005, “Iraqi Kurds Rally for Kirkuk, Right to Self-Determination”). |
| Dec 6, 2005 |
Five died and more than 20 were injured after hundreds of Kurdish youths supporting the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party attacked the Kurdistan Islamic Union Party's headquarters. (BBC Monitoring International Reports, 12/7/2005, "Five Reported Dead in Kurdish Clashes in Northern Iraq") |
| Mar 10, 2006 |
Kurdish peshmergas were suspected of attacking a Turkmen village, killing two (Turkish Daily News, 3/14/2006, "Iraqi Turkmen Complain of Kurdish Attacks") |
| Jun 28 - Aug 13, 2006 |
Hundreds of Kurds engaged in a series of protests over lack of services throughout Kurdistan, surrounding the houses of government officials and government buildings. (BBC Monitoring International Reports, 7/6/2006, "Hundreds Protest Against Lack of Basic Services in Iraqi Kurdish Town"; BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 8/7/2006, "Demonstrations spread in Iraqi Kurdish north over lack of services"; BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 8/8/2006, "Demonstrations spread to another Iraqi Kurdish town"; BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 8/13/2006, "Demonstrations spread to stable Iraqi Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah") |
| Oct 25 - 26, 2006 |
Fighters from Ansar al-Islam attacked a peshmerga base of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. (BBC Monitoring Middle East - Political, 11/1/2006, "Clashes erupt between Ansar Al-Islam, Iraqi Kurdish party forces") |
