by Robin Moore
The Raid
The operation began on July 22, 2003, at precisely 1000 hours. The cordon was in place; the 101st’s 2nd BDE (Brigade) had a support-by-fire position on the south side of the building and a support-by-fire position on the northeast side of the building. There were additional troops situated on the road parallel to the target house.
The assault force from Task Force 20 was standing by, three buildings over, ready to move around and storm into the target house when the time came.
An interpreter with a bullhorn was used to contact the targets from a position right next to the garage, the entranceway to which was situated near the front door. Vacant lots were on either side of the house, and the Bashar Kalunder mosque was located diagonally to the house, across the street.
This was a wealthy neighborhood. From the air over Mosul, green lawns could be seen behind the high, gated stone and stucco walls that surrounded most of the houses. All of the houses had two stories, with patios on the flat, low-walled roofs. Also worth noting was the width of the streets, with large sidewalks and multiple lanes. This was a neighborhood of privilege.
The only people in the target house at the time of the assault were Uday and Qusay, the bodyguard, and Mustafa’s son. The owner of the property, Nawaf al-Zaidan, owned a total of five houses. He purportedly was a self-proclaimed cousin of Saddam Hussein; a lie that led to his being jailed years ago. But he did have business associations with the family, under the auspices of the UN Oil-for-Food program, which eventually led to Uday and Qusay seeking refuge in his house.
At 1010 hours, Task Force 20’s assault force came around the northern, rear side of the house, into the carport. They had just begun working their way into the building when they came under fire from either assault rifles or light machine guns.
Four soldiers were hit; three were Task Force 20 operators on the way up the stairs, and one was a 2nd BDE trooper in the street, felled by a round from the Hussein bodyguard, who fired from an upstairs bedroom window.
A Black Hawk medevac chopper dusted off from a nearby field to evacuate the four men wounded in the firefight. The first entry was botched.
At 1030 hours, the 101st opened up on the hideout with their vehicle-mounted, .50 caliber machine guns to soften the fugitives, so that Task Force 20 could attempt another entry. Again, the return fire from inside the house held them at bay.
At 1045, COL Anderson cranked up the heat. AT-4 rockets were eagerly pulled from rucksacks, and the air rang with the clacks of charging handles from the vehicle-mounted Mark-19 automatic grenade launchers that surrounded the residence. The Screaming Eagles started to “prep” the hideout a little more before TF 20 moved in for another go at it. Even light antitank rockets and 40mm HE grenades weren’t enough, however; return fire from the house continued.
By 1100, COL Anderson had called up a team of two Kiowa Warrior helicopters on the radio. The Kiowas flew from an airfield about an hour’s drive south of Mosul, zeroed in on the target house, and armed their weapons systems. The lightning-fast gunships came from southeast to northwest, screaming toward the house as they let four 2.75-inch rockets and their belt-fed .50s loose. One rocket struck pay dirt, while three arced wide and to the left, missing their mark.
“It was unusual for this many rockets to miss,” Anderson said. “But this is July, and they hadn’t fired any since April.”
Also, the Kiowa is very unstable when firing, because of its slight stature. Kiowa pilots prefer not to fire their weapons systems at all while hovering.
The Kiowas made one more gun run before the QRF (Quick Reaction Force) platoon was called in. A platoon from the “Widow Makers,” 3/502nd (3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade) of the 101st, was in position downhill by the river, and moved up at 1150 hours. A tactical Psychological Operations (PSYOPS) team and the Military Police’s QRF team were also on the move. Blocking positions were set up along the south of the house to hold back the crowds gathering to watch Targets Number Two and Number Three make their last stand. Later in the day, one of the people in the crowd fired at the American soldiers.
At noontime, shots rang out from a two-story pink building across the street, which had a store below and some apartments on top. Five minutes later, Task Force 20 made another move. They moved in the same way as before, and again took fire when they topped the stairs inside the house. This time, Task Force 20 retreated to the north, to a home across a parking lot.
Next, COL Anderson ordered “Prepping, Phase Two” on the holed-up Hussein sons—.50 calibers and Mark-19s were again on the menu. Fifteen minutes later, TOW (Tube launched, Optically tracked, Wire guided) missiles—among the heaviest weapons they had—were launched. Volley fires were aimed at the house, and eighteen TOWs flew in from every which way, impacting the mansion and punching holes through the structure’s two-foot-thick concrete walls.
The goal of the eighteen-missile volley was, according to COL Anderson, “A combination of shocking them if they were still alive, and damaging the building structurally so that it was unfeasible to fight in.”
Task Force 20 had reported that there had been a stronghold-type safe room near the bedroom, probably specially reinforced and designed with a “last stand” in mind. On their first entrance attempt, there was movement from a sitting room and a room by the corner. When Task Force 20 soldiers once again entered the house, there was no movement at all.
All four inside were dead. Blasted furniture was everywhere, and the walls were pockmarked and gouged with bullet holes, or completely blown out altogether by grenades, rockets, and missiles.
The house was bulldozed the next day, because the building was not structurally sound after all the explosions. Columns that had framed the front of the house were now skeletons of rebar and wire. Also, the razing of the structure would keep souvenir hunters out of the area, where they could potentially get hurt.
In a later interview with COL Anderson, he talked about the raid that resulted in the deaths of Uday and Qusay: “We had a tip they were in the house. But we had many tips like that before. I just knew we had some bad guys when our soldiers approached the house and they opened up from the balcony. They fired on some of our soldiers, wounding several.”
However, did the Coalition want to kill Uday and Qusay, or capture them alive? To this question, a senior officer in the 101st ABN (AASLT) replied, “We just kept ramping it up in response to them. They obviously were not going to give up. I had wounded men. They fired; we fired back. I brought in more and more soldiers. They fired more. I ramped it up more. Eventually, we put antitank missiles through the window. That was that.”
The officer also stated that violent raids such as the showdown with Uday and Qusay might have been a mistake by those above (i.e., Administrator L. Paul Bremer III) to attempt to very quickly alienate the former Ba’ath Party members. Many of them had felt disenfranchised by the new Provisional Authority. With no promise of a new future, Ba’athists eagerly helped in the insurgency. “The important question is, What are your intentions now?” Bremer had said. “Based on certain professions, there was a big pool of Ba’ath (like schoolteachers); you just can’t say the guy was Ba’ath. It’s, What does that mean now?” Bremer explained. “Were you a dues-paying member, or an active supporter of the [Saddam] regime?”
By the end of the year, Bremer had softened his stand on Ba’ath Party members, allowing them to join the new Iraq Army and the police force in what the United States dubbed the “de-Ba’athification” of Iraq.
A Touch of Home
The morale of the troops in any war zone is absolutely vital. It is said that an army marches on its stomach, but an army in good spirits can go hungry in a pinch, and can succeed where others would fail, often against overwhelming odds.
The war in Iraq had generated mixed reaction among the Democrats and Republicans, the liberals and the conservatives. But when the commander in chief makes the decision to put our soldiers’ lives on the line on a new front in the Global War on Terror, t
he public should be behind these brave servicemen and -women 100 percent. By their very nature, our troops are without opinion; they must follow orders, and do their best in the situation they have been given. Thus, troop morale is of the utmost importance.
The confidence of the troops can be raised in many ways—mail from back home, and care packages full of candy and treats do much to warm the spirits. But when mail call is held one day a month, if the troops are lucky, there is often the fearful anticipation of a “Dear John” letter, or none at all. Some soldiers would rather not hear from their loved ones at all, until they are home safe in the arms of those they cherish. It is often too much to bear, and too distracting when on the front lines of combat.
But one thing that the soldiers would never complain about is a good old-fashioned USO-style concert. Any celebrity who could entertain the troops while they are at war would boost their spirits and be burned in their fondest memories until their final day. And one of the toughest parts of being a soldier is the uncertainty of not knowing just when that final day will be.
People in the public eye may have ulterior motives for wanting to visit Iraq, and the American public is not blind—the crossed fingers of young soldiers while shaking the hand of Hillary Clinton can attest to that. Some people may have criticized President George W. Bush for landing on the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to announce the ending of open warfare against Saddam’s regime, but it will forever bring a smile to the faces of those who were there serving their country, and that is most important.
As this is being written, President Bush’s father has planned to parachute out of an airplane to celebrate his eightieth birthday. This won’t be the first time—the former president was shot down south of Japan in World War II and parachuted to safety, by necessity. But in 1997, thanks to publicist and media whiz Linda Credeur, Bush Sr. was inspired to do it once again, finally bringing closure to the bad memories. The former president’s eightieth birthday, on June 12, 2004, will hopefully mark the third jump he has made since his bailout during World War II.
Aside from publicity stunts and derring-do, what delights the average American serviceman and servicewoman is the opportunity to meet a blockbuster Hollywood star, there with the soldiers not for publicity or to promote a new film. He or she is there because they want to do their part and express their gratitude for our nation’s young, who have pledged to give the ultimate sacrifice when duty calls.
In Vietnam, the Special Forces had actress and comedienne “Colonel Maggie,” known to Stateside Americans as Martha Raye. She spent many a night in the A-camps and fire bases on the front lines, clad in tight-fitting tiger stripe fatigues and a well-worn green beret, cocktail in hand, and a joke at the ready. Her California mansion had open doors and was a welcome refuge for many SF troopers who needed a pit stop before going home, or had no home to go to at all. She truly cared and will never be forgotten.
A new breed of supporters has taken up the reins from Colonel Maggie, and have shown their support in any way they can. Actress Bo Derek has visited the wounded soldiers of Special Forces on many occasions, and has recently brought with her another enthusiast, eager to put a smile on the faces of the casualties of war, Jennifer Love-Hewitt.
Hewitt is a young, beautiful film and television actress and vocalist. Her photograph, taken while visiting Special Forces soldiers with Bo Derek, had made its way into The Drop, the official magazine of the Special Forces Association. Chris Thompson, my writing assistant and project coordinator, thought that she deserved credit on these pages, just as we applauded Bo Derek in The Hunt for Bin Laden, after we witnessed her being awarded her honorary Green Beret at the 50th Anniversary of Special Forces in 2002.
Another celebrity who has gone above and beyond the call of duty came to our attention while I interviewed COL Joe Anderson of the Strike Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). We came across a photograph of Bruce Willis, clad in desert BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform) with the Screaming Eagle patch, emblazoned with the Airborne and Ranger tabs above it, featured prominently on his shoulder. Bruce was singing on stage in Tallifar, Iraq, on September 25, 2003, with his blues band, the Accelerators.
We received permission from COL Anderson to reproduce a little-known photograph for the book, and to use quotes from the 101st’s newsletter while in their AO, called “Iraqi Destiny.” Bruce and his band’s appearance in Iraq was the realization of a dream for the actor/musician, who first tried to join the military during Operation DESERT STORM. He was informed that he was too old to enlist.
Bruce had lobbied tirelessly for several weeks to arrange for a visit to the troops; finally he got the go-ahead from the Defense Department. After a lunch with CSM Marvin Hill, Bruce and the band flew into Tallifar on a CH-47 Chinook helicopter. Bruce, clad in a white shirt, with a shaved noggin reminiscent of COL Joe Anderson himself, peered out the side window of the Chinook, watching the Iraqi landscape through dark sunglasses.
Soon after the chopper touched down outside of Mosul, Strike Brigade Commander COL Michael Linnington stepped onstage, and introduced the much-appreciated Hollywood star, honoring him with the presentation of a 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) flag.
COL Linnington then stripped off his uniform top, the name and rank were ripped off, and Bruce gladly donned it before heading onstage to the cheering crowd of several hundred 3rd BDE troopers. Bruce and the Accelerators played a one-hour set for the Strike Brigade. The songs were interspersed with commentary from Bruce, which sent the uniformed fans into a frenzy of applause.
Willis offered one million dollars in cash to any soldier who could place Saddam’s head on his doorstep. The brawny star of Tears of the Sun and Die Hard also told the soldiers of the 101st, in quite inventive language, exactly what he would do if he had “four minutes with Saddam.”
It was apparent to all present that Bruce Willis was genuinely glad to be with the troops. “I didn’t see enough people coming out here and supporting the troops,” Willis said. “Back home, the news is manipulated … by people who would like the American people to believe the war is unpopular. It’s not unpopular, especially with the Iraqi indigenous people that are being helped. This is the War on Terrorism; it’s worth fighting for.”
Bruce Willis and the Accelerators ended their show with a simple message: “Stay safe, and God bless you all.”
In his personal journal, entitled “Notes from Life,” Willis described in his own words what the trip to Iraq meant to him. Bruce wrote the entry on October 2, 2003, a week after his return from Iraq. The following is an excerpt that seems to sum things up:
… We live in a great country, and I feel that now more than ever …
… It was a life-changing experience for me, and one I will never forget. But I do not look at myself as a hero. I wanted to help remind the men and women overseas that they are the Real heroes, and I got a chance to do that, for which I will be eternally grateful …
… Regardless of how these men and women feel about their situation, I never heard one complaint. Not one. And believe me, there were some things there that warranted complaints …
Thanks, Bruce.
Ali Baba and the Five Critical Basic Needs
LTC John E. Novalis Jr., the Brigade (BDE) XO (Executive Officer) for the 4th BDE of the 101st Airborne Division, discussed with me some of the major factors in rebuilding Iraq, and listed the vital needs of the Iraqi people in order of priority, something he called the “Critical Basic Needs.”
According to Novalis, the first concern for the Iraqi people is electricity. You can’t live in the twenty-first century without electricity, the type that goes on and stays on all the time. With electricity comes safety and security, which are vital in such a volatile environment.
Security is of high importance. Iraq is a country with perhaps the richest per capita oil supply in the world. One of the biggest refineries is Bashi, about twenty miles north of Baghdad. Crude oil from Turkey travels to Iraqi refine
ries to be processed into fuel. Hundreds of tanker trucks are escorted by the 4th BDE all the way from Turkey to Baghdad every day.
“There are still a lot of ‘Ali Babas’ out there … who are out there just to steal things,” Novalis explained. “They are corrupt; they don’t have any other jobs, so that’s all they can do.”
Terrorists and hard-line Ba’ath Party Saddam loyalists don’t only target the Coalition military; they also target the NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) that are working in Iraq. They want to slow down the process of rebuilding. Add people who are just plain criminals and bandits to the mix, and the rebuilding of Iraq becomes a virtual powder keg.
The black market was a huge economic force in prewar Iraq, and the power brokers in contraband were at the top of the criminal food chain. When Coalition forces first entered Baghdad, there were a lot of reports of illegal roadblocks and checkpoints set up by the bandits and black marketeers. They would stop all vehicle traffic, and steal everything they could find. Strict Darwinism blossomed in the vacuum of occupation. “Take their wares and send them on their way,” Novalis described.
After electricity and security needs comes fresh water. Along with fresh water come the collateral issues of sanitation and sewage.
Medicine was fourth on LTC Novalis’s list. Good, clean medical facilities and routine health care are necessary. Even now, flight surgeons from the 4th BDE go out to various Baghdad health clinics once a week. “Some of the things that they find in those clinics, the things that those guys work on … if they weren’t there, those guys would have died,” Novalis explained.
Simple ailments such as intestinal infections are often fatal, if left untreated for seven or more days. A Coalition doctor can deliver laxatives, anti-diarrhea medications, and/or antibiotics all in one exam. The patient can be cured quite easily with the correct diagnosis and treatment in a dedicated full-time medical clinic. These clinics are new to much of Iraq, and are something “they just never had before,” Novalis added.