| Ar Rutbah Arabic: الرطبة |
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Ar Rutbah
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Province | Al-Anbar |
| Population | |
| • Total | 55,000 |
| Time zone | GMT+3 |
Ar Rutbah (Arabic: الرطبة, also known as Rutba, Rutbah, or Ar Rutba) is an Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province. The population is approximately 55,000. It occupies a strategic location on the Amman-Baghdad road, and the Mosul-Haifa oil pipeline. Considered a "wet spot", it receives 114.3 mm (4.5 inches) of rain annually, and is located on a high plateau.
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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] 16kilometers South off Rutbah (Rutbah Wells, in 1934), the famous aircraft, a winner off the MacRobertson Air Race the "Uiver" a DC-2 type from the KLM, now knows as Air France-KLM, crashed here on its first flight after the MacRobertson Air Race in December 1934 on its way to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). There were six people dead, including Dominique Willem Berretty, a Dutch media magnate.
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.
After the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, the base was occupied by the Army's 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment and was known as FOB Buzz. An Army Captain was charged and court-martialed for staging mock executions of Iraqi prisoners.[4]
In 2004, Marines from Regimental Combat Team 7 relieved the Army soldiers and took control of the city, resolving to engage the populace more proactively. By July 2004, Camp Korean Village, a Marine logistical support base, was established nearby. The base currently serves as a regional air field, convoy rest stop, shock trauma hospital and headquarters of the local Marine garrison. The base is supposedly located on the site of a 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 commanders in Iraq know the origins of the name.
On January 26, 2005, a Marine CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed outside of town, killing 30 Marines and one Navy corpsman. [5] This was the single deadliest day for American forces in the Iraq conflict. The cause of the crash was a severe wind storm that had come upon them expectantly.
By March 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. U.S. and Iraqi forces had built a 7-foot (2.1 m)-high and 20-foot (6.1 m)-wide berm in order to restrict access into the city from all but 3 guarded vehicle checkpoints.[6] 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.
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 3rd LAR in Rutbah.
In September 2006, Rutbah was once again handed over to 2nd LAR by 3rd LAR.[7]
In early 2007, the Rutbah government progressed in the transition to providing its own security. The town's efforts included recruiting approximately 200 men to send to an Iraqi Police training academy to increase counterinsurgency practices.[8]
In June 2009 the Marines transferred control of Camp Korean Village over to, C Co. 1-186 INF which is an Oregon ARMY National Guard unit. The Camp was handed over to the Iraqi Army on May 1, 2010.[9]
In addition to providing basic security, Coalition forces, especially US Marines, have recently focused on providing other aid to residents of Rutbah. This aid comes in a variety of forms, including food and water, as well as agricultural and educational needs.[10] The forces are also addressing infrastructure elements, such as repairing electrical power grids.[11] These efforts are designed to help citizens of the town to complete the transition away from reliance on Coalition forces.
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