The Battle of Fallujah

1016 Words3 Pages

On the month of April in 2004, in the city of Habbaniyah, Iraq, a brutal and terrible act took place which ignited one of the bloodiest battles in the history of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Four Black Water security members were killed and publicly maimed. The resulting battle left a high casualty rate as well as hundreds of American service members being wounded. This is the story of the events that took place after the events in the city of Habbaniyah.

On the 31st of March, 2004, a convoy was an attacked. This is known as the Fallujah ambush. Four Americans from the Black Water contracting company were delivering for a catering company when it happened. Scott Helvenston, Mike Teague, Jerry Zovko and Wesley Batalona were killed in the ambush. Their bodies were burned and hung on a bridge in the streets of the city. It was aired nationally and created an outcry among their families as well as many other Americans to see such brutality (pbs.com, n.d.).

U.S. Military Commanders promised an overwhelming response. On the morning of Sunday, the 4th of April, 2004, platoons of Marines began to position themselves around the city. The following day the fighting began and quickly intensified. This day was the start of what is known as Operation Vigilant Resolve. It was an operation set to take back control of Fallujah from the insurgents (McCarthy, 2004).

U.S. forces experienced terrible attacks on their positions that consisted of things such as mortar fire and rocket propelled grenade fire. The source of the attacks came from areas all around them. Insurgents attacked from moving vehicles, civilian houses and mosques. The U.S. forces were attacked intensely with small arms direct fire as well as grenades. The ...

... middle of paper ...

...onger fighting Saddam Hussein loyalists, but instead we began to fight with what became known as the insurgents.

Works Cited

Pbs.com, (n.d.). Frontline, Contractors, The high risk contracting business, Private warriors.

Retrieved November 7, 2013 from http://www.pbs.com.

Web.archive.org, (2004). Fallujah. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from

http://www.web.archive.com.

Kaplan, R. (2004). Five days in Fallujah. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from

http://www.theatlantic.com.

Kessler, G. (2007). Weapons given to Iraq are missing. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from

http://www.washingtonpost.com.

Cnn.com, (2006). Marines, Iraqis join forces to shut down Fallujah. Retrieved November 7, 2013, http://www.cnn.com.

McCarthy, R. (2004). Uneasy truce in the city of ghosts. Retrieved November 7, 2013, from

http://www.theguardian.com.

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