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 machine gun outside the city of Fallujah, April 5, 2004.
Date April 4, 2004–May 1, 2004 Location Fallujah, Iraq Result Insurgent victory
Belligerents
United States	Iraqi insurgents
Commanders
James T. Conway	Abdullah al-Janabi Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Omar Hadid
Strength
2,200[1]	20,000[2], 362[3]
Casualties and losses
27 killed, 90+ wounded[4],	184 insurgents, 616 civilians killed (from reports in major news sources only)[5]

v • d • e Battles and operations of the Iraq War Umm Qasr – 1st Basra – Nasiriyah – Baghdad – Debecka Pass – 1st Ramadan – Red Dawn – Spring 2004 – 1st Fallujah – Sadr City – 1st Ramadi – Husaybah – 1st Najaf – 2nd Fallujah – Mosul – Lake Tharthar – Al Qaim – Hit – Haditha – Steel Curtain – Tal Afar – 2nd Ramadi – Together Forward – Diwaniya – 2nd Ramadan – Sinbad – Amarah – Turki – Diyala – Haifa Street – Karbala – 2nd Najaf – Imposing Law – U.K. bases siege  - Black Eagle – Baghdad belts – Baqubah – Donkey Island – Phantom Strike – 2nd Karbala – Phantom Phoenix – 2008 Day of Ashura – Ninawa - Sun – Spring 2008 – 2nd Basra – 2008 Al-Qaeda Offensive

v • d • e Iraq War Invasion – Post-invasion (Insurgency – Civil war) Battles & operations – Bombings and terrorist attacks

As part of the occupation of Iraq, the First Battle of Fallujah, codenamed Operation Vigilant Resolve was an unsuccessful attempt by the United States Military to capture the city of Fallujah in April 2004.

The chief catalyst for the operation was the highly-publicized killing and mutilation of four Blackwater private military contractors,^[6] and the killing of 5 U.S. soldiers in Habbaniya a few days earlier.^[7]

Contents 1 Events before the battle 2 Blackwater deaths 3 The campaign 4 Aftermath and effects 5 Participating Units 6 Books 7 See also 8 References 9 External resources

Events before the battle

Although 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, his secular government was not popular in the city,^[8] which was one of the most religious and culturally traditional areas in Iraq.^[9]

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 a mistake, that led to the United States committing far too few troops to Fallujah from the start.^[10]

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. After their smoke gas canisters failed to disperse the crowd,^[11] four US soldiers stationed on the roof fired into the gathering, killing 17 and wounding more than 70 of the protesters. US forces said that the shooting took place over 30-60 seconds, while Human Rights Watch has concluded that it is more likely to have lasted approximately ten minutes.^[12]

Two days later, a protest at the former Ba'ath party headquarters decrying the American shootings was also fired upon by U.S. troops, this time the U.S. 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment, which resulted in three more deaths.^[13][14] Following both incidents, the US soldiers asserted that they had not fired upon the protesters until they were fired upon first. The soldiers involved became the subject of an After Action Review.

The 82nd Airborne troops were replaced by forces from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and 101st Airborne Division, and on June 4th the 3rd Armoured Cavalry was forced to request an additional 1,500 troops to help quell the growing resistance faced in Fallujah and nearby al-Habaniyya.^[15]

In June, U.S. forces began confiscating motorcycles from local residents, claiming that they were being used in hit-and-run attacks on US troops.^[16]

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, U.S. forces claimed that it was an accidental detonation by insurgents constructing bombs.^[17]

On February 12, 2004, insurgents attacked a convoy carrying General John Abizaid, commander of US Forces in the Middle East, and the 82nd Airborne's Major General Charles Swannack., firing on the vehicles from nearby rooftops with RPGs, after seemingly infiltrating the Iraqi security forces.^[18]

Eleven days later, insurgents diverted Iraqi police to a false emergency on the outskirts of the city, before simultaneously attacking three police stations, the mayor's office and a civil defence base. At least 17 police officers were killed,^[19] and as many as 87 prisoners released.^[20]

During this time, the 82nd Airborne were conducting regular "lightning raids" inside the city, where humvee convoys would destroy road barriers and curbs that could hide IEDs, and oversee searches of homes and schools, which frequently saw property damage, and led to shoot-outs with local residents.^[21]

In March 2004, Swannack transferred authority of the Al-Anbar province to the I Marine Expeditionary Force commanded by Lt. General Conway.

By early March 2004, the city began to fall under the increasing influence of guerrilla factions. The rising violence against the American presence resulted in the complete withdrawal of troops from the city, with only occasional incursions trying to gain and reinforce a "foothold in the city" being attempted.^[22] This was coupled with one or two patrols around the outer limits of FOB Volturno, the former site of Qusay and Uday Hussein's palace.^[23]

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^[24]

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. A mob then set their bodies ablaze, and their corpses were dragged through the streets before being hung over a bridge crossing the Euphrates.^[25][26]

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 Corps 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 guerrillas from Fallujah.

The campaign

On April 1, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations for the US military in Iraq, promised an "overwhelming" response to the Blackwater deaths, stating "We will pacify that city,"^[27]

On April 3, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force received a written command from the Joint Task Force, ordering offensive operations against Fallujah. This order went against the wishes of the Marine Commanders on the ground who wanted to conduct surgical strikes and raids against those suspected of involvement in the Blackwater deaths.^[28]

On the night of April 4, the US forces launched a major assault in an attempt to "re-establish security in Fallujah" by encirling it with around 2000 troops.^[29][30] At least four homes were hit in aerial strikes, and there was sporadic gunfire throughout the night.

By the morning of April 5, headed by the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, American units had surrounded the city with an aim towards retaking it. 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.^[31]

It was estimated that there were 12-24 separate "hardcore" groups of insurgents, armed with RPGs, machine guns, mortars and anti-aircraft weapons, some of it supplied by the Iraqi Police.^[32] By April 6, military sources said that "Marines may not attempt to control the center of the town.".^[33][34]

In the opening days, it was reported that up to a third of the civilian population had fled the city.^[35]

The siege forced the closing of Fallujah's two main hospitals, Fallujah General Hospital and the Jordanian Hospital, which were re-opened during the ceasefire on April 9.^[36]

The resulting engagements set off wide-spread fighting throughout Central Iraq and along the Lower Euphrates, 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, the militia of Shiite 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 a Sunni rebellion in the city of Ramadi. During this period, a number of foreigners^[specify] were captured by insurgent groups. Some were killed outright, whilst 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 also turned on the Coalition forces or simply abandoned their posts.

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. Snipers became the core element of the Marines strategy, averaging 31 kills apiece in the battle, while PSYOPS tried to lure Iraqis out into the open by playing Metallica rock music.^[37]

After three days of fighting, it was estimated that the United States had gained control over only 25% of the city, although it was suggested that insurgents had lost a number of key defensive positions.^{[citation needed]}

The U.S. attacks were taking a toll on civilians as well as the insurgents however, and the Coalition faced growing criticism from within the Iraqi Governing Council, where Adnan Pachachi said, "these operations by the Americans are unacceptable and illegal."^[38]

Al-Jazeera reporter Ahmed Mansur, and cameraman Laith Mushtaq, the only two non-embedded journalists covering the conflict since April 3, reported that an unknown source stated that United States insisted that the reporters be withdrawn from the city, as a pre-condition to the ceasefire.^[39]

At noon on April 9, under pressure from the Governing Council, Paul Bremer announced that the U.S. 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^[40]

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]} Some US forces used this time to occupy and scavenge abandoned houses and convert them into de facto bunkers,^[41] while a number of insurgents did the same.^[42]

At this point, it was estimated that 600 Iraqis had been killed, at least half of whom were non-combatants.^[43] Although hundreds of insurgents had been killed in the assault, the city remained firmly in their control. U.S. forces had by then only managed to gain a foothold in the industrial district to the south of the city. 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, U.S. Marines fell under attack from insurgents located within a mosque. An airstrike destroyed the mosque, prompting a public outcry.^[44]

On April 15, an American F-16 aircraft dropped a 2000lb (900 kg) laser-guided bomb over the northern district of Fallujah.^[45]

On April 19, the ceasefire seemed to be consolidated with a plan to reintroduce joint US/Iraqi patrols in the city. Over time this arrangement broke down and the city remained a major center of opposition to the US 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.^{[citation needed]}

On April 27, insurgents attacked US defensive positions, forcing Americans to call in air support.^[46]

On May 1, 2004, the United States withdrew from Fallujah, as Lieutenant General James Conway announced that he had unilaterally decided to turn over any remaining operations to the newly-formed Fallujah Brigade, which would be armed with US weapons and equipment under the command of former Ba'athist 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 Hussein, US forces announced that Muhammed Latif would instead lead the brigade. Nevertheless, the group dissolved and had turned over all the US weapons to the insurgency by September,^[47] prompting the necessity of the Second Battle of Fallujah in November, which successfully occupied the city.

During the interim between the two battles, US forces maintained their presence at FOB Volturno, only a few miles outside the city limits.

Aftermath and effects

The largest combat mission since the declaration of the end of "major hostilities",^[48] the Battle of Fallujah marked a turning point in public perception of the on-going conflict. This was because 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.^[49]

The battle also pushed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi into the public spotlight as the best-known commander of anti-Coalition 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 hundreds of Iraqis, both civilians and insurgents.^[50] 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 and 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.^[51] 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.^[52]

Critics of the battle have contended that it contravened the Fourth Geneva Convention via the use of unguided munitions targeting civilian population centres.^{[53][54][55][56]}

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 Battalion, 16th Infantry, First Infantry Division (US Army)

• 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 Foces Group (Airborne)
• 1st SFOD-D

Books

• No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah, by Bing West (2005) (ISBN 9780553804027)
• Blood Stripes: The Grunt's View of the War in Iraq, by David J. Danelo (2007) (ISBN 0811733939)

See also

• Second Battle of Fallujah
• United States occupation of Fallujah
• 2004 in Iraq
• History of Iraqi insurgency
• Iraqi Insurgency

References

• Operation Vigilant Resolve at GlobalSecurity
• Iraq: The Siege of Falluja, Guardian Unlimited. Detailed interactive on the Fallujah battles.

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.