1932 - Mandate ends, Iraq becomes independent. The Islamic State of Iraq group says it was responding to alleged Iraqi Kurdish support for Kurds fighting jihadists in Syria. 1941 - Britain re-occupies Iraq after pro-Axis coup during Second World War. 0000003725 00000 n 1958 - The monarchy is overthrown in a left-wing military coup led by Abd-al-Karim Qasim. 1917 - Britain seizes Baghdad during First World War. 1996 September - US extends northern limit of southern no-fly zone to just south of Baghdad. The Way Forward: Iraq and the United States in the Aftermath of War The 2010s will mark a century since World War I, the global conflict that resulted in the construction of Iraq from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire and also stimulated the rise of the United States to great power status. Read about our approach to external linking. 1972 - Iraq nationalises the Iraq Petroleum Company. 2014 December - The Iraqi government and the leadership of the Kurdish Region sign a deal on sharing Iraq's oil wealth and military resources, amid hopes that the agreement will help to reunite the country in the face of the common threat represented by Islamic State. 1. What is happening in Iraq in 3500BCE. "A History of Iraq" is an excellent, readable narrative covering Iraq's modern period from its creation out of the Ottoman Empire through today. 2005 June - Massoud Barzani is sworn in as regional president of Iraqi Kurdistan. 2009 June - US troops withdraw from towns and cities in Iraq, six years after the invasion, having formally handed over security duties to new Iraqi forces. Before Saddam Hussein’s upset of the economy, the Iraqi Dinar had a stable exchange rate of almost $4.00 USD at its peak. Arrest warrant issued for vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi, a leading Sunni politician. Others tie Iraq’s “bloody history,” as many have described it, to the preponderance of groups vying for power. 2019 September-November - At least 400 people die in protests against unemployment and corruption in cities including the capital Baghdad, prompting Adel Abdul Mahdi to tender his resignation. Four years later, the British colonial government helped set up the Hashemite monarchy2 in Iraq. On May 28, 1958, the United States recognized the Arab Union that formed between Iraq and the … Located ten miles southwest of Nasiriyah, Ur is most famous as the hometown of Abraham. 0000003981 00000 n 1921 - After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Great Britain gains control of the … 2006 February onwards - A bomb attack on an important Shia shrine in Samarra unleashes a wave of sectarian violence in which hundreds of people are killed. In 1917, Iraq became a British protectorate1. Marr’s Modern History of Iraq avoids this temptation and presents readers with a highly informative and sensitive account that does justice to the country’s complicated political and social history. 1534 - 1918 - Region is part of the Ottoman Empire. Until 1968, Iraq was one of the countries which had witnessed coups most frequently, but after that year, no coups occurred. Let's start this lesson off by thinking about a cradle. By July the country is described as being yet again in a state of full-blown sectarian war. 2. 2002 September - US President George W Bush tells UN Iraq poses "grave and gathering danger". How do you weigh up the risks of the AZ vaccine? 1974 - Iraq grants limited autonomy to Kurdish region. trailer << /Size 650 /Info 624 0 R /Root 632 0 R /Prev 276528 /ID[<9deb2d77b17f6bc06f4247192f1812bf><1002f1f4764565f87ee17091a5d4df7c>] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 632 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 627 0 R /Metadata 625 0 R /Outlines 159 0 R /OpenAction [ 634 0 R /XYZ null null null ] /PageMode /UseNone /PageLabels 623 0 R /StructTreeRoot 633 0 R /PieceInfo << /MarkedPDF << /LastModified (D:20030606163332)>> >> /LastModified (D:20030606163332) /MarkInfo << /Marked true /LetterspaceFlags 0 >> >> endobj 633 0 obj << /Type /StructTreeRoot /RoleMap 163 0 R /ClassMap 166 0 R /K 491 0 R /ParentTree 534 0 R /ParentTreeNextKey 36 >> endobj 648 0 obj << /S 626 /O 714 /L 730 /C 746 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 649 0 R >> stream Kurdish forces, US and Iran assist government in repelling attacks. Evidence for a very advanced culture from Abraham’s day has been unearthed at Ur. April 9, 2003 — 10.00am. © 2021 BBC. After the war, the Soviets replaced weapons destroyed by Israel and offered the Iraqis financial aid, which helped establish Iraq as a military power. Tens of thousands flee amid atrocities. The Sumerians invented writing and started the first recorded history. 0000002265 00000 n It is the first major summit to be held in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. � Z:t�J��8��e�^wp����Qeۢ�4�� 0000004586 00000 n The Modern History of Iraq is a remarkably readable account of the emergence of contemporary Iraq, placing in historical perspective the crises and upheavals that continue to afflict the country. Brief Overview of the History of Iraq. 3. Iraq had a stable history until the year 1980. 1991 April - Iraq subjected to weapons inspection programme. 2007 January - US President Bush announces a new Iraq strategy; thousands more US troops will be dispatched to shore up security in Baghdad. Read about our approach to external linking. ... * Mesopotamia was the name for the ancient region where modern Iraq now stands. 2011 December - US completes troop pull-out. Video, Covid-19: The disinformation tactics used by China, 'I can't change my gender unless I'm sterilised' Video, 'I can't change my gender unless I'm sterilised', 'Strong' evidence found for a new force of nature, Navalny 'losing sensation in legs and hands', Kardashian tries to get photo wiped off the web, Jabs 'breaking link' between UK cases and deaths, Beijing now has more billionaires than any city, Celebrity model arrested in Myanmar coup crackdown, Hong Kong citizens given 'support' to come to UK, What we know about India's coronavirus vaccines, Sri Lanka beauty queen injured in on-stage bust-up. 1991 April - UN-approved haven established in northern Iraq to protect the Kurds. Iraq leaves the pro-British Baghdad Pact. 2004 March - Suicide bombers attack Shia festival-goers in Karbala and Baghdad, killing 140 people. H����o�0���������S�C��j��[�N�4qO:�����AZe���8���x����|������ano�f�h2]rX�t�^P��H��h�py�����yY��k*���G�{za[Gwi4IS�M$u�:-�k�F3�!�G#���y͟H�.��C3�9�08 �%Ӛ�F^��j��0j 93��&��Q����i��B�0I�3�9�V��c�Nl�h&�5 ��拸X��7��}���*������l�x���S�E�$� ��ҝ�o�o��Mָ�"¢��-{�%�Z�t 2014 September - Shia politician Haider al-Abad forms a broad-based government including Sunni Arabs and Kurds. Establishment of the Arab Union, 1958. Pegged to either the British Pound or the U.S. dollar, the Iraqi Dinar was completely stable before the chaos of Mr. Hussein began.From 1980 to 2003, Iraq was terrorized by Saddam Hussein. 2012 March - Tight security for Arab League summit in Baghdad. The region that is now included in the somewhat artificial nation-state of Iraq has had a very important role in world history. 2008 November - Parliament approves a security pact with the United States, under which all US troops are due to leave the country by the end of 2011. Save. 0000001848 00000 n Just after explosions began to … 0000002505 00000 n History of Iraq. 631 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 634 /H [ 1228 642 ] /L 289278 /E 74912 /N 34 /T 276539 >> endobj xref 631 19 0000000016 00000 n In today's Republic of Iraq, where Islam is the state religion and claims the beliefs of 95 percent of the population, the majority of Iraqis identify with Arab culture. 2003 March - US-led invasion topples Saddam Hussein's government, marks start of years of violent conflict with different groups competing for power. 0000003028 00000 n In Arabic, the name Iraq means“deeply rooted, well watered; fertile.” The name has been in use since before the sixth century. 0000002235 00000 n Myanmar ambassador to UK 'locked out' of embassy1, 'Strong' evidence found for a new force of nature2, Navalny 'losing sensation in legs and hands'3, Kardashian tries to get photo wiped off the web4, Jabs 'breaking link' between UK cases and deaths5, Beijing now has more billionaires than any city6, Celebrity model arrested in Myanmar coup crackdown7, Hong Kong citizens given 'support' to come to UK8, What we know about India's coronavirus vaccines9, Sri Lanka beauty queen injured in on-stage bust-up10. Covid-19: The disinformation tactics used by China. 2013 April - Sunni insurgency intensifies, with levels of violence matching those of 2008. Blood clot is 'very rare AstraZeneca side effect'. A Greek … ���L����Xs 2����H @h�YlN�cf��` �u��A���, ���B� �]��c. 0000035186 00000 n Army offensive drives back Kurdish forces in a move aimed at halting the regional government's moves towards an independent Kurdistan. 2010 March - Elections. 2016 November - Parliament recognises the Shia Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU) militia as part of the armed forces with full legal status. 2003 December - Saddam Hussein captured in Tikrit. 2008 March - Prime Minister Maliki orders crackdown on militia in Basra, sparking pitched battles with Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army. 2017 September - Kurds back independence in referendum staged by Kurdish regional government. 1963 - The Baathist government is overthrown, but seizes power again five years later. Its restored ziggurat, or temple tower, is often shown in news reports. He migrated from Ur to Haran in southern Turkey, the actual homeland of the Patriarchs, and then to Canaan (Genesis 11:31; 12:1-5). 2006 June - Al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, is killed in an air strike. 2006 November - Iraq and Baathist Syria restore diplomatic relations after nearly a quarter century. 2015-2016 - Government and Islamic State forces fight for control of Tikrit and Anbar Province. Iraq was under British rule for 17 years, and Ottoman rulefor centuries. 2004 November - Major US-led offensive against insurgents in Falluja. A temple to the moon god Nanna, or Sin, was situ… The political bloc of Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr wins most votes. Between 65,000 BC and 35,000 BC, northern Iraq was home to a Neanderthal culture, archaeological remains of which have been discovered at Shanidar Cave This same region is also the location of a number of pre-Neolithic cemeteries, dating from approximately 11,000 BC. Call My Agent star joins plea to reopen French theatres, A shrinking river sparks a fight for water access, ‘Please don’t lend Kenya more money’. Parliament approves new government of all major factions in December. It is the first Sunni province to be returned to to the Shia-led government. 1921 - Britain appoints Feisal, son of Hussein Bin Ali, the Sherif of Mecca, as king. In 1980, Iraq invaded neighboring Iran, and an eight-year long war caused egregious losses on both sides; a cease-fire was declared in 1988 and no clear winner emerged. 1990 - Iraq invades and annexes Kuwait, prompting what becomes known as the first Gulf War. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Iraq ordered to end all military activity in the area. 2005 December - Iraqis vote for the first, full-term government and parliament since the US-led invasion. 0000001087 00000 n H��V TSW�/�Bt�A��T�$܀�m !` ��Hm���i6� u�"����+W\�R\��u���Bպ�elu�N�.��]й���3��93gμw����������� � 2007 December - Britain hands over security of Basra province to Iraqi forces, effectively marking the end of nearly five years of British control of southern Iraq. 0000001228 00000 n A wave of pre-summit attacks kills scores of people. 2003 August - Suicide truck bomb wrecks UN headquarters in Baghdad, killing UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello. Commander of US forces says his troops face low-intensity guerrilla-style war. 2011 January - Radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr returns after four years of self-imposed exile in Iran. 1981 June - Israeli air raid destroys Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak near Baghdad. History of Iraq Great Britain gained control of Iraq, previously known as Mesopotamia, after the First World War. That war is one of the single largest unappreciated great events of modern Middle Eastern history. Are pay-by-the-minute booths the future of work? 2014 January - Islamist fighters infiltrate Falluja and Ramadi after months of mounting violence in mainly-Sunni Anbar province. 2007 September - Controversy over private security contractors after Blackwater security guards allegedly fire at civilians in Baghdad, killing 17. 2006 December - Saddam Hussein is executed for crimes against humanity. Hundreds are killed. During the same year, Britain VideoCovid-19: The disinformation tactics used by China, India ignores Covid surge to hold IPL cricket tournament, 'I can't change my gender unless I'm sterilised' Video'I can't change my gender unless I'm sterilised'. What happens to your body in extreme heat? 2005 May onwards - Surge in car bombings, bomb explosions and shootings: government puts civilian death toll for May at 672, up from 364 in April. The EU's medicines regulator finds the benefits of the Covid-19 vaccine outweigh the risks. Invaders, allies, occupiers, guests: A brief history of U.S. military involvement in Iraq . 2008 September - US forces hand over control of the western province of Anbar - once an insurgent and Al-Qaeda stronghold - to the Iraqi government. 2018 May - Parliamentary elections. )v�/�RGЛ@��, &��h"��bRҀ1%P4A���l��ll��a �Ŗ��@�HC0����9К~�� ��r`����8n1~eZ���ΰ3��%W��U�;�72\Q�g��0�ሥ Ýpy�n ������ͫ�4(-�f�c`э���30��```X�� _߭ endstream endobj 649 0 obj 512 endobj 634 0 obj << /Type /Page /Parent 626 0 R /Resources << /ColorSpace << /CS0 635 0 R /CS1 636 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS0 645 0 R /GS1 643 0 R >> /Font << /TT0 638 0 R /TT1 642 0 R >> /ProcSet [ /PDF /Text ] >> /Contents 639 0 R /MediaBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /CropBox [ 0 0 612 792 ] /Rotate 0 /StructParents 0 >> endobj 635 0 obj [ /ICCBased 646 0 R ] endobj 636 0 obj /DeviceGray endobj 637 0 obj << /Type /FontDescriptor /Ascent 891 /CapHeight 656 /Descent -216 /Flags 34 /FontBBox [ -558 -307 2034 1026 ] /FontName /BCNEJH+TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT /ItalicAngle 0 /StemV 160 /XHeight 0 /FontFile2 644 0 R >> endobj 638 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /FirstChar 32 /LastChar 146 /Widths [ 250 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 500 500 0 333 0 0 0 0 0 0 722 667 722 0 667 611 0 778 389 0 778 667 0 722 778 611 0 722 556 667 722 0 1000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 500 556 444 556 444 333 500 556 278 0 556 278 833 556 500 556 556 444 389 333 556 500 0 500 500 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 333 ] /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding /BaseFont /BCNEJH+TimesNewRomanPS-BoldMT /FontDescriptor 637 0 R >> endobj 639 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 640 0 R >> stream Ibrahim Jaafari, a Shia, is named as prime minister. 2005 October - Voters approve a new constitution, which aims to create an Islamic federal democracy. 2014 April - Prime Minister Al-Maliki's coalition wins a plurality at first parliamentary election since 2011 withdrawal of US troops, but falls short of a majority. This text weaves together several important themes, including the search for a national identity, the struggle to achieve social and economic development, the changes in political dynamics, and the impact of … history.state.gov 3.0 shell. Iraq was transformed beyond recognition socially and in lots of other ways. 0000032429 00000 n Capital and Major Cities. The citizens were horrifically abused, the economy failed and Hussein stole from the banks. 1998 December - US and British Operation Desert Fox bombing campaign aims to destroy Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes. One of the most important developments in world history is taking place in Mesopotamia.Here, on the flood plains of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, the fertile soil brought down from the mountains by the great rivers has given rise to much denser populations than anywhere else in the world. Myanmar ambassador to UK 'locked out' of embassy, Covid-19: The disinformation tactics used by China. 0000032508 00000 n The recent history of Iraq is fraught with almost unabated military conflict, at a great cost to the Iraqi government and people. 0000001870 00000 n 2003 July - US-appointed Governing Council meets for first time. 2004 April-May - Photographic evidence emerges of abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US troops at Abu Ghreib prison in Baghdad. Sunni bloc boycotts parliament and cabinet. [ �H�@�d��,�����s����\����Z�F2�a C�L!���Ca��ǰ/� In June 1967, Iraq sent a token force to the Jordanian front. It has been ruled by the Babylonians, the Hittites, the Kassites, the Chaldeans, the Greeks, the Romans, the Iranians, and finally the Muslims who began their conquest in the early 7th century. P�g! Arab Influence. War in Iraq begins. The region of Mesopotamia came under Arab influence in 636 AD and it was the Arabs who were first to call the country “Iraq” meaning “the fertile”. The 2003 U.S. military invasion of Iraq and the extended occupation that followed were certainly the most dramatic and significant events in the long history of U.S. relations with Iraq. Baghdad imposes punitive measures. Major cities: Mosul, 3,000,000 Basra, 2,300,000 Arbil, 1,294,000 Kirkuk, … 0000003747 00000 n Car bomb in Najaf kills 125 including Shia leader Ayatollah Mohammed Baqr al-Hakim. The very important event which follows the revolution is the eight-year-long war between Iran and Iraq that began in 1980. Unity government faces disarray. The modern nation-state of Iraq was created following World War I (1914–18) from the Ottoman provinces of Baghdad, Basra, and Mosul and derives its name from the Arabic term used in the premodern period to describe a region that roughly corresponded to Mesopotamia (ʿIrāq ʿArabī, “Arabian Iraq”) and modern northwestern Iran (ʿIrāq ʿAjamī, “foreign [i.e., Persian] Iraq”). �fr��ȉ��ȣ�Vz LX�4r�%Ca�a��!�PXlb0B��X2!���{ �Ň:%�j=N�) ��b�����y���sU$h��%�^�t"�����$O�Lܴ�����h����}^�d9̋�������g���Q�^;�K�L�fU{�G�._�J��eU�*j#�B��������#�P���()��X�ʱU�6?��}���� ��� endstream endobj 640 0 obj 617 endobj 641 0 obj << /Type /FontDescriptor /Ascent 891 /CapHeight 656 /Descent -216 /Flags 34 /FontBBox [ -568 -307 2028 1007 ] /FontName /BCNEMI+TimesNewRomanPSMT /ItalicAngle 0 /StemV 94 /XHeight 0 /FontFile2 647 0 R >> endobj 642 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /TrueType /FirstChar 32 /LastChar 150 /Widths [ 250 0 0 500 500 833 778 180 333 333 0 0 250 333 250 278 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 500 278 278 0 564 0 444 0 722 667 667 722 611 556 722 722 333 389 722 611 889 722 722 556 722 667 556 611 722 722 944 722 722 611 333 0 333 0 500 0 444 500 444 500 444 333 500 500 278 278 500 278 778 500 500 500 500 333 389 278 500 500 722 500 500 444 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 333 444 444 0 500 ] /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding /BaseFont /BCNEMI+TimesNewRomanPSMT /FontDescriptor 641 0 R >> endobj 643 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /SA false /OP false /op false /OPM 0 /BG2 /Default /UCR2 /Default /TR2 /Default /HT /Default /CA 1 /ca 1 /SMask /None /AIS false /BM /Normal /TK true >> endobj 644 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 27544 /Length1 45532 >> stream First US-Iraq war. This video shows how Iraq Went from a Pro-British Hashemite Dynasty to a modern Republic Facing Conflict from the Foreign Nations that had intervened in Iraq for a Century. A brief history of Iraq. 2005 April - Amid escalating violence, parliament selects Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as president. A massive US-led military campaign forces Iraq to withdraw in February 1991. 2016 April - Supporters of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr storm parliament building demanding new government to fight corruption and end allocation of government posts along sectarian lines. A massive US-led military campaign forces Iraq to withdraw in February 1991. Iraq … 1995 April - UN allows partial resumption of Iraq's oil exports to buy food and medicine in an oil-for-food programme. 1920 - League of Nations approves British mandate in Iraq, prompting nationwide revolt. Arabs were the first people to call the country "Iraq" meaning "the fertile." 1920: Iraq comes under British mandate after the fall of the Ottoman empire in 1918.. 1921: Faisal I becomes king of Iraq (Aug. 23).. 1932: Iraq achieves independence from Britain (Oct. 3).. 1933: Faisal I dies and is succeeded by his son, Ghazi. �I��Z��a-ve����õ�!��D���Ҽ1j2�PT�z5>����hSQr��m �H瘸N�:)��%��L=���Y�N�n�Ť�H;�h葰cO58�;��� 1963 - Prime Minister Qasim is ousted in a coup led by the pan-Arab Baath Party. 2013 September - Series of bombings hits Kurdistan capital Irbil in the first such attack since 2007. %PDF-1.3 %���� 1992 August - A no-fly zone, which Iraqi planes are not allowed to enter, is set up in southern Iraq. Iraq remained part of the Arab coalition seeking to destroy Israel. In March 2003, U.S. forces invaded Iraq vowing to destroy Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and end the dictatorial rule of Saddam … On March 19, 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiates war on Iraq. 2017 November - Government forces with Shia and Kurdish allies drive Islamic State out of all but a few redoubts. The land of Iraq is often called the "Cradle of Civilization" because the oldest civilization in the world, the Sumerians, was formed here. He appoints Adel Abdul Mahdi as prime minister, with the support of the Shia majority of MPs. History of Iraq. Britain retains military bases. 2007 August - Kurdish and Shia leaders form an alliance to support Prime Minister Maliki's government, but fail to bring in Sunni leaders. 2013 October - Government says October is deadliest month since April 2008, with 900 killed. The most important of the world's agricultural revolutions took place in the mountains to the north of the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers Valley somewhere around 6000 BCE. 2015 March - Islamic State destroys Assyrian archaeological sites of Nimrud and Hatra. 2002 November - UN weapons inspectors return to Iraq backed by a UN resolution which threatens serious consequences if Iraq is in "material breach" of its terms. Iraq has been a hotbed of political turmoil throughout its history. 2012 November - Iraq cancels a $4.2bn deal to buy arms from Russia because of concerns about alleged corruption within the Iraqi government. 1988 March - Iraq attacks Kurdish town of Halabjah with poison gas, killing thousands. In the medieval era, Iraq was the name of an Arab province that made up the southern half of the modern-day country. It gained independencefrom Britain on October 3, 1932. 0000002194 00000 n 0000004793 00000 n H�b```f``9��d�32 � +�0pl2fvV6Rtd`d ��$M�q��P����x@�{s)�?r ,*�CֱMf��X����젢!��k���I�!��]A�]� �6~���Q׶�r8�m��ۺ���\������ ��n\Ue�rOwrȄN��[SX�%Ŏ�T�;�����3�� 2006 April - Newly re-elected President Talabani asks Shia compromise candidate Nouri al-Maliki to form a new government, ending months of deadlock. 0000000731 00000 n Kurdish leadership agrees to put independence referendum on hold. 1968 - A Baathist led-coup puts Ahmad Hasan al-Bakr in power. 2004 June - US hands sovereignty to interim government headed by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. 2010 August - Seven years after the US-led invasion, the last US combat brigade leaves Iraq. 1998 October - Iraq ends cooperation with UN Special Commission to Oversee the Destruction of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction. Government forces recapture Ramadi but face entrenched rebels in Falluja. 1991 Mid-March/early April - Southern Shia and northern Kurdish populations - encouraged by Iraq's defeat in Kuwait - rebel, prompting a brutal crackdown. 1980-1988 - Iran-Iraq war results in stalemate. 2005 January - Elections for a Transitional National Assembly. By the year-end the UN estimates the 2013 death toll of civilians as 7,157 - a dramatic increase in the previous year's figure of 3,238. 2004 August - Fighting in Najaf between US forces and Shia militia of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr. 2018 October - Parliament elects veteran Kurdish politician Barham Salih as president. 1979 - Saddam Hussein takes over from President Al-Bakr. That may seem like a strange way to start a history lesson, but think about what it is - a place where a baby sleeps, right? 2014 June-September - Sunni rebels led by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant surge out of Anbar Province to seize Iraq's second city of Mosul and other key towns.