Ar Rutba

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This article is about the town. For the district, see Ar Rutba (district).

Ar Rutbah (Arabic:الرطب, also known as Rutba, Rutbah, or Ar Rutba) is a small Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province. The population is approximately 25,000. It occupies a strategic located on Amman-Baghdad road, and Mosul-Haifa pipeline. Considered a "wet spot," it receives 114.3 mm (4.5 inches) of rain annually, and is located on a high plateau.

[edit] History

During British administration, Rutbah Wells, as it was then known, was a stopover for Imperial Airways on flights from Britain to India and the Gulf Region [1]. It was also a water stop on the overland drive from Baghdad to Damascus; travelers who stopped lodged in a fort [2] [3].

Due to Rutbah's strategic location, the town has played a role in later conflicts between the United States and Iraq. During the Persian Gulf War of 1991 it was reportedly a Scud launching location. In 2003, the 40-bed hospital in Ar Rutbah was destroyed by Coalition bombing. After the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, the base was occupied by the Army's 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and was known as FOB Buzz. An Army Captain was charged and court-martialed for his actions in the city. [4]

In January 2005 a Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed outside of town, killing 30 United States Marines and one Navy corpsmen.

Camp Korean Village, a Marine logistical support base, is located nearby. The base is located on the site of village formerly used to house Korean construction workers working on the Amman - Baghdad highway (This fact has not been proven. The base was named Korean Village by Americans; however, not even the top Generals in Iraq know the origins of the name). The base currently serves as a regional air field, convoy rest stop, shock trauma hospital and headquarters of the local Marine garrison.

As of March 2006, U.S. and Iraqi forces had built a 7-foot-high and 20-foot-wide berm in order to restict access into the city from all but 3 guarded vehicle checkpoints [5]. This was done to restrict weapons and explosives smuggling into the city and force insurgent elements to hide weapons caches in the open desert, as well as reduce the number of roadside bombs inside the populated areas. As of September 2006, the city was being guarded by elements of the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (LAR) and an Iraqi rifle company from the 3d Brigade, 7th Infantry Division, Iraqi Army.

In July 2006, increased violence and lawlessness in Baghdad, forced the transfer of the 4-14 Cavalry Squadron, U.S. Army, from the cities of Rawah and Anah in the northern Anbar province to Baghdad in order to augment security there. The gap in forces was replaced, initially, with personnel and resources from 3d LAR in Ar Rutbah. In September of 2006, transfer of authority for both garrisons at Rutbah and Rawah was effected from 3d to 2d LAR. [6]