First Battle of Fallujah

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First Battle of Fallujah
Part of the Post-invasion Iraq
A U.S. Marine from the 1st Marine Division mans an M-240G outside the city of Fallujah, April 5, 2004.
Date April 4, 2004–May 1, 2004 Location Fallujah, Iraq Result Insurgent victory
Combatants
United States	Iraqi insurgents
Commanders
James T. Conway	Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Strength
2,200[1]	8,000[2]
Casualties
27 killed, 90+ wounded[3]	184 insurgents, 616 civilians killed (estimated)[4]

Iraq War
Invasion – Post-invasion (Insurgency – Civil War) Battles & operations – Bombings and terrorist attacks

The First Battle of Fallujah, codenamed Operation Vigilant Resolve by the United States Military, was an unsuccessful attempt by US troops to pacify the city of Fallujah in April 2004, as part of the occupation of Iraq.

The chief catalyst for the operation was the highly-publicized killing and mutilation of four Blackwater private military contractors, ^[5] and the killing of 5 US soldiers in Habbaniya a few days earlier.^[6]

Contents 1 Events before the battle 2 Blackwater deaths 3 The campaign 4 Aftermath and effects 5 Participating Units 6 See also 7 References 8 External resources

[edit] Events before the battle

The people of Fallujah had generally benefited under Saddam Hussein, mostly due to the high number of police, military and intelligence officers hired by his administration. However his government was still not popular in the city. ^[7]

Following the collapse of the Ba'ath infrastructure in early 2003, local residents had elected a town council led by Taha Bidaywi Hamed, who kept the city from falling into the control of looters and common criminals. The town council and Hamed were both considered to be nominally pro-American, and their election originally meant that the United States had decided that the city was unlikely to become a hotbed of activity, and didn't require any immediate troop presence. This was an unfortuante mistake, that led to the United States committing far too few troops to Fallujah from the start.^[8]

Although Fallujah had seen sporadic air strikes by American forces, public opposition was not galvanized until 700 members of the 82nd Airborne Division first entered the city on April 23 2003, and approximately 150 members of Charlie Company occupied al-Qa'id primary school. On the evening of April 28, a crowd of approximately 200 people gathered outside the school, demanding that the Americans vacate the building and allow it to re-open as a school. Gun fire eventually erupted, killing 17 and wounding more than 70 of the protesters. It is a matter of dispute over if the crowd or members of the 82nd Airborne fired first. Regardless, what resulted from the shooting was increased anger towards the presence of US troops.

Two days later, on April 30, the 82d Airborne was replaced in the city by 2nd Troop (Fox) / U.S. 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment. The 3d Cavalry was significantly smaller in number and chose not to occupy the same location where the shooting had occurred two days earlier. However, on the same day a daytime protest in front of the Ba'ath party headquarters and mayor's office (which are adjacent to one another) led to the death of 3 more protesters. ^[9][10]

At the same time, city officials began registering complaints with the US forces, explaining that the population was growing agitated by growing reports that individual US soldiers were 'ogling' Iraqi women, and had handed out bubble gum to local children, with 'scantily-clad' women on the wrappers.^[11] Simple differences in culture and malicious false rumors (e.g. x-ray goggles for viewing Iraqi women) added to the town's ill will towards the US presence.

In June, US forces began confiscating motorcycles from local residents, claiming that they were being used in hit-and-run attacks on US troops.^[12]

On June 30, a large explosion occurred in a mosque in which the imam, Sheikh Laith Khalil and eight other people were killed. While the local population claimed that Americans had fired a missile at the mosque, US forces concluded that it was probably an accidental detonation by insurgents training recruits or constructing bombs.^[13]

In March, 2004, the 82nd Airborne's Major General Swannack transferred authority of the al-Anbar province to the I Marine Expeditionary Force commanded by Lt. General Conway.

By early March 2004, the increasing violence against the American presence in the city resulted in the complete withdrawal of troops from the city. The city began to fall under the increasing influence of guerilla factions led by former members of the Iraqi Army.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Blackwater deaths

On March 31, 2004 - Iraqi insurgents in Fallujah ambushed a convoy containing four American private military contractors from Blackwater USA who were conducting delivery for food caterers ESS^[14]

The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerko Zovko, Wesley Batalona and Michael Teague, were killed by grenades thrown through the window of their armoured vehicle. Their bodies were set set ablaze. and their corpses dragged through the streets before being hung over a bridge crossing the Euphrates.^[15]

Photos of the event were released to news agencies worldwide, causing a great deal of indignation and moral outrage in the United States, and prompting the announcement of an upcoming "pacification" of the city.

The intended Marine strategy of foot patrols, less aggressive raids, humanitarian aid, and close cooperation with local leaders was suspended on orders to mount a military operation to clear guerillas from Fallujah.

[edit] The campaign

On April 4, the United States launched a major assault in an attempt to control the city. At least four homes were hit in aerial strikes, and there was sporadic gunfire throughout the night. By the morning of April 5, American troops blockaded roads leading into the city, with humvees and concertina wire, and took over a local radio station, and handed out leaflets urging residents to remain inside their homes, and help American forces identify insurgents and any Fallujans who were involved in the Blackwater deaths.^[16]

On April 6, the U.S. commanders announced that it would not be necessary to penetrate and hold the entire city.^[17][18]

After three days of fighting, it was estimated that the United States had control 25% of the city, although it was suggested that insurgents had lost a number of key defensive positions.^{[citation needed]} The seige closed down Fallujah's two main hospitals, Fallujah General Hospital and the Jordanian Hospital, but was reopened during the ceasefire on 9 April.^[19]

In the opening days, it was reported that up to a third of the civilian population had fled the city.^[20]

Headed by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, American units surrounded the city with an aim towards restoring law and order. This set off wide-spread fighting throughout Central Iraq and along the Lower Euphrates, starting on the morning of 7 April 2004.

At noon on April 9, Paul Bremer announced that the US forces would be unilaterally holding a ceasefire, stating that they wanted to facilitate negotiations between the Iraqi Governing Council, insurgents and city spokespersons, and to allow government supplies to be delivered to residents^[21]

However, US General Mark Kimmitt insisted that as a condition to the ceasefire, Arabic media Al-Jazeera had to order the withdrawal of its reporter Ahmed Mansur and his cameraman Laith Mushtaq as the only two non-embedded journalists covering the conflict, who had been broadcasting from the city since April 3.^[22]

The resulting fighting spread throughout the country with various elements of the Iraqi insurgency taking advantage of the situation and commencing simultaneous operations against the Coalition forces; this period marked the emergence of the Mahdi Army militia of Shiite firebrand cleric Muqtada as-Sadr as a major armed faction which at that time actively participated in anti-Coalition operations, the happenings were also punctuated by a surge of Sunni rebellion in the city of Ramadi. During this period, a number of foreigners were captured by insurgent groups. Some were killed outright, others were held as hostages in an attempt to barter for political or military concessions. Some elements of the Iraqi police and Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (the militia set up by the Coalition to form the core of a future Iraqi Army) also turned on the Coalition forces or simply abandoned their posts. Other Iraqi units fought side-by-side with their American counterparts.

The rebels in Fallujah held on as the Americans tightened their noose on the city. Air bombardments rained on insurgent positions throughout the city, Lockheed AC-130 gunships attacked targets with their gatling guns and howitzers a number of times. and U.S. snipers kept insurgents at bay, their night vision technology providing them with an important tactical edge.

The U.S. attacks were taking a great toll on civilians as well as the insurgents however, and faced growing criticism from within the Iraqi Governing Council , where Adnan Pachachi said, "these operations by the Americans are unacceptable and illegal."^[23]

On April 9, US forces, which had by then only managed to gain a foothold in the industrial district to the south of the city, declared a unilateral ceasefire under pressure from the Governing Council. As a consequence, much-needed humanitarian relief which had been held up by the fighting and blockade finally managed to enter the city, notably a major convoy organized by private citizens, businessmen and clerics from Baghdad as a joint Shi'a-Sunni effort.^{[citation needed]}

Although hundreds of insurgents had been killed in the assault, the city remained firmly in their control. The end of major operations for the time being led to negotiations between various Iraqi elements and the Coalition forces, punctuated by occasional firefights.

On April 13, US Marines fell under attack from insurgents located within a mosque. An airstrike destroyed the mosque, prompting a public outcry.^[24]

On April 15, an American F-16 aircraft dropped a 2000lb (900 kg) laser-guided bomb over the northern district of Fallujah.^[25]

On April 19, the ceasefire seemed to be strengthened with a plan to reintroduce joint US/Iraqi patrols into the city. Over time this arrangement broke down and the city remained a major center of opposition to the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Interim Government. Additionally, the composition of the armed groups in Fallujah changed during the following months, shifting from domination by secular, nationalist and ex-Ba'athist groups towards a marked influence of warlords with ties to organized crime and groups following a radical Wahhabi stance.

On May 1, 2004, the United States withdrew from Fallujah, and Lieutenant General James Conway announced that he had unilaterally decided to turn over any remaining operations to the Fallujah Brigade, under the command of former Baathist Army General Jasim Mohammed Saleh. Several days later, when it became clear that Saleh had been involved in military actions against Shi'ites under Saddam Hussin, US Forces announced that his role would instead be turned over to Muhammed Latif.

[edit] Aftermath and effects

The largest combat mission since the declaration of the end of "major hostilities"^[26], the Battle of Fallujah marked a turning point in public perception of the on-going conflict, as suddenly insurgents, rather than Saddam loyalists, were seen as the chief opponents of US forces. It was also judged by both military and civilian agencies, that reliance upon US-funded regional militias, such as the failed Fallujah Brigade, could prove disastrous.^[27]

The battle also pushed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi into the public spotlight as the best-known commander of anti-US forces in Iraq, and brought public attention to the concept of a Sunni Triangle which might prove to be un-winnable for US forces.

The battle saw 27 American soldiers killed in and around Fallujah, as well as approximately hundreds of Iraqis, both civilians and insurgents.^[28] Many of the Iraqis killed were buried inside the city's former football stadium, which became known as the Martyrs' Cemetery.

Widespread media and independent reports that the United States had used incendiary weapons such as white phosphorus or napalm in the First and Second Battle of Fallujah were rebuffed by US sources, who admitted that Mark-77s had been used in the war the year prior, but no similar weapons had been employed in Fallujah.^[29] Several days later, this was contradicted by the admission that white phosphorus had been used in Fallujah, though only for "illumination", "screening" and "psychological" purposes.^[30]

Critics of the battle have contended that it contravened the Fourth Geneva Convention, by the use of unguided munitions targeting civilian population centres.^{[31] [32][33] [34]} This contention remains even though the convention states that 'the presence of a protected person may not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations."

[edit] Participating Units

• 1st Marine Division

1st Battalion, 5th Marines

2nd Battalion, 1st Marines

3rd Battalion, 4th Marines

1st Tank Battalion

1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion

3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion

1st Combat Engineer Battalion

2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines

2nd Combat Engineer Battalion

2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion

1st SFOD-D

• Combat Service Support Battalion 1
• HMM-161
• HMLA-775
• HMLA-167
• VFA-131
• 505th Iraqi Civil Defense Corps (ICDC)
• 30th Iraqi Commando Battalion, Iraqi Special Operations Brigade
• Iraqi Counter Terrorist Force (ICTF)
• 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)

[edit] See also

• Second Battle of Fallujah
• United States occupation of Fallujah
• 2004 in Iraq
• 2nd Lieutenant Ilario Pantano
• History of Iraqi insurgency
• Iraqi Insurgency

[edit] References

• Operation Vigilant Resolve at GlobalSecurity

• Iraq: The Siege of Falluja, Guardian Unlimited. Detailed interactive on the Fallujah battles.

[edit] External resources

• "U.S. Launches 'Vigilant Resolve'", Associated Press, April 5, 2004. News article published at the start of the operation.

• Hardball with Chris Matthews, April 7, 2004. MSNBC transcript of a television report providing information on Operation Vigilant Resolve and the rest of the spring uprisings.

• Vigilant Resolve: Remembering the First Siege of Fallujah with Dahr Jamail . An op-ed highly critical of US media treatment of the operations which provides some details on the 2003 developments.

• "Private Warriors", PBS Frontline.