by Bing West
CHAPTER 9
gingerly . . . Douglas Jehl, “U.S. Says It Will Move Gingerly Against Sadr,” New York Times, April 7, 2004, p. 9.
miles per day . . . Major Martha G. Granger, “The 1st AD in Operation Iraqi Freedom,” Military Review, Nov–Dec 2004.
situation worsened . . . David E. Sanger and Douglas Jehl, “The Struggle for Iraq: War Policy; Generals in Iraq Consider Options for More Troops,” New York Times, April 6, 2004, p. A1.
more trusted . . . Anthony Shadid, “Iraqi Council Halts Arab TV Network’s News Broadcasts,” Washington Post, November 24, 2003.
channel called Al Iraqiya . . . Alan Sipress, “For Many Iraqis, U.S.-Backed TV Echoes the Voice of Its Sponsor,” Washington Post, January 8, 2004, p. 15.
closure of offices . . . Isabel Hilton, “Al-Jazeera: And now, the other news preferred Jazeera,” New York Times Book Review, March 6, 2005.
suspension of the network . . . Shadid, “Iraqi Council Halts Arab TV Network’s News Broadcasts.”
crew . . . Aljazeera online, “Aljazeera News Crew Inside the Town,” April 8, 2004.
the Israelis . . . Barbara Slavin, “Mosque Strike Seen Stoking Rage,” USA Today, April 8, 2004, p. 1.
for Fallujah . . . Karl Vick, “Shiites Rally to Sunni ‘Brothers,’ ” Washington Post, April 9, 2004, p.1.
for rebelling . . . Rajiv Chandrasekaran, “Anti-U.S. Uprising Widens in Iraq; Marines Push Deeper Into Fallujah,” Washington Post, April 8, 2004, p.1.
across the city . . . Pamela Constable, “Marines Fight for Control of Fallujah, Inch by Inch,” washingtonpost.com, April 7, 2004.
rallying point . . . Edward Wong, “Battle for Fallujah Rouses the Anger of Iraqis Weary of the US Occupation,” New York Times, April 22, 2005, p. A14
infidel occupiers . . . Karl Vick and Anthony Shadid, “Fallujah Gains Mythic Air,” Washington Post, April 13, 2004, p. A1.
175,000 stories . . . As of October 17, 2004, the count on Google was 713,000 stories about Fallujah.
initial impressions . . . Peter Braestrup, Big Story: How the American Press and Television Reported and Interpreted the Crisis in Tet 1968 in Vietnam and Washington (Novalo, Calif.: Presidio, 1994), p. 517.
is lying . . . BrigGen John Kelly, 1st MarDiv headquarters, May 9, 2004.
CHAPTER 11
morning of April 7 . . . Battalion 1/5 began the day by launching a raid across Highway 10. After studying a detailed overhead photo, an informant had pointed out the home of Qhalil Hawadi, an entrepreneur who sold rockets and mortars at bargain prices. First Lieutenant Josh Glover of Weapons Company—call sign Red Cloud—jotted down the ten-digit GPS coordinates, which would place him within ten meters of Target 204. At two in the morning, Glover pushed north across Route Michigan with a platoon mounted in four trucks. Racing up to the designated building, the platoon blew the locks on the courtyard gate, smashed in the front door, and burst into an empty store. Emerging sheepishly, Glover knocked on next door, politely inquiring through a translator about Hawadi’s whereabouts. A woman pointed to a nearby house, and again Glover knocked. A portly man in a white dishdasha answered, protesting that he was a car salesman. A quick search turned up several documents identifying him as Hawadi, and Glover drove with the prisoner back across Michigan before dawn with no shots fired.
Alpha and Bravo were working their way west toward 873 Easting or Phase Line Violet, a wide street two kilometers inside the city that ran perpendicular to Route Michigan. As Bravo Company approached Violet from the east, the volume of fire picked up. Glover’s platoon, Red Cloud, was mounted in two highback Humvees and four gun trucks, two Humvees with .50 cals and two with Mark 19s. When Red Cloud headed south on Violet to provide fire support for the infantry approaching from the east, they ran into a hornet’s nest of bullets and RPGs. Oil barrels were scattered at intervals on the west side of Violet as target reference points, and each time the Humvees passed a barrel, there would be a flurry of fire from nearby alleys and cross streets. Twenty minutes into the fight the front ends of the four gun trucks had been peppered, yet no Marine was seriously hit. A heavy slug had punched a hole the size of a silver dollar in the windshield of Glover’s command vehicle, inches from the head of Lance Corporal Charles Williams, who shrugged and grinned. The lead gun truck had ripped through 1,100 rounds of .50 cal, and the next truck in line had fired 800 rounds of 7.62 ammo. The radiators on both trucks were steaming and leaking from numerous hits, and Gunnery Sergeant William Paulino had them hauled off the street and into an alleyway.
They were still taking RPGs from a house at an intersection two hundred meters to the south. Glover called up a tank, designated the house by its color—gray with a blue air conditioner—and pulled his platoon into a side alley while the tank’s main gun blew in the side of the house, piece by piece.
accurately reported . . . Tony Perry and Edmund Sanders, “The World; U.S. Bombs Mosque in Fallouja; Military Says Site Was Used to Launch Strikes; Troops’ Tours May Be Extended,” Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2004, p. 1.
Marine losses . . . Jeffrey Gettleman and Douglas Jehl, “Up to 12 Marines Die in Raid on Their Base as Fierce Fighting Spreads to 6 Iraqi Cities,” New York Times, April 7, 2004, p. A1.
fights were raging in Ramadi . . . Not wanting the insurgents to think they had free rein, Kennedy ordered Golf Company to send a combat patrol downtown. It was mid-morning when First Lieutenant Eric Quist and 2nd Platoon reached the market, which was almost empty. With machine guns mounted on four Humvees in support, the dismounted platoon then walked south across Michigan to the cemetery where Hesselbeck had fought the day before. Men were flocking early to the mosques, children were being shooed inside, and shop owners were pulling down their metal storefront shutters and hastening away. The store owners told Quist, who had no interpreter, that it was time for “lunch.”
“Okay,” PFC Abbit said to his platoon leader, “here we go.”
Within minutes, fighting erupted—a repeat of the day before. Quist’s squads were hit from all sides and dodged inside courtyards, climbing onto the roofs to form three strongholds. No ordinary civilian traffic was moving in the midst of this firestorm, but ambulances and police cars were zipping around and the Marines saw them dropping off fighters as well as picking up the wounded and the dead. From a rooftop, Quist watched men ducking out the back gate of a small mosque three blocks away. When LCpl Cantu was hit by shrapnel from an RPG, Quist called for the Quick Reaction Forces and a medevac. Dobb’s platoon from Weapons Company, a platoon from Fox, and a platoon from Golf, accompanied by Bronzi, responded. PFC Marby, a quiet, highly respected Marine who never complained, was walking around a corner when hit three times in the chest by machine-gun bullets. Lieutenant Dobb’s platoon fought through two ambushes, picked up the wounded, and evacuated them to Hurricane Point. Cantu pulled through, but Marby died.
Bronzi led them, as he had the prior day, east to west, along the same streets. Once more, the four-lane width of Easy Street was swept with grazing fire, and Fox Company took seven wounded, the intensity of the fight easing only when Dobb brought up a mounted .50 cal and hammered the houses Fox pointed at. Quist came up, spotted the flicker of a machine gun, grabbed an AT-4 rocket, and fired. The rocket team muttered about “Corporal Quist,” upset they hadn’t seen the machine gun. Quist handed over the rocket launcher. There would be more targets. Cars were dropping off gunmen a few blocks away, while the orange and white taxis drove across alleyways, men firing out the windows.
The Marines were quicker than they had been the prior day to employ the Mark 19 to dislodge shooters on rooftops, and the insurgents weren’t as tenacious. Bronzi led the force south down Easy Street to the soccer stadium, repeating in reverse his fight of the day before. Separate fire teams cleared any house suspected of harboring rebels. It was tedious, unrewarding work. Almost always the fleeter Iraqis had escaped out the back, sometimes leaving behind a few dead. No rebel group stayed behind to fight to the death, and firefights insi
de a house were rare. Near the stadium a flurry of RPG rockets from a roof hit an electric transmission box, setting off a spectacular shower of hissing red sparks. Bronzi took the handset from his radio operator, Corporal Jesse W. Gonzalez, to warn the Humvees to stay away. An insurgent ran into the street, his AK pointed at the unsuspecting company commander. Gonzalez fired a long burst as a startled Bronzi flinched, then looked behind him.
“Gonzo, you fucking blew that guy’s head off,” Bronzi said.
Within minutes he and Lt Stevens had led Mobile Assault Platoon 2 in seven Humvees through the city, heading north up Route Apple, a narrow, paved rural road, clogged with traffic and flanked in close by rows of cement courtyard walls and scruffy little shops. Farther off the road stretched a series of open fields separated by deep irrigation ditches.
Inside the city at the stadium Bronzi with the 3rd and 4th Platoons had one final stiff fight. The insurgent fire was inaccurate but heavy, and he had to shelter his vehicles. With one machine gun spotted three blocks to his south and another to the east, he called to the Cobras hovering overhead to strafe the building.
“There are no friendlies south of the ninety-nine grid line,” he said. “I’ll talk you on.”
“Negative,” the pilot said. “We need an eight-digit grid and a mark on target.”
Bronzi said he could see the house, but the pilot refused to fire. The Rules of Engagement protected civilians as much as Marines. Exasperated, Bronzi sent a squad backed by a Humvee with a Mark 19 in each direction to silence the guns. When the gunners saw the Marines closing on them, they ceased fire and pulled out, leaving the Marines in charge of the critical downtown thirteen square kilometers, extending from the Government Center east to the stadium. Joker had lost one Marine killed and eight wounded. They had apprehended about thirty males and were tired of estimating how many they had killed.
In the street fighting, most of the riflemen could remember most of the Iraqis they hit and saw go down, but at the end of the day not too many cared. The first day, if the platoon hadn’t lost anyone, stories were swapped. Did you see that dude I hit in the head? He was all messed up. The second day (April 7) there were many fewer stories. Far removed from the press assembled in Fallujah, shooting insurgents in Ramadi was becoming routine.
support . . . Alan Cowell, Clifford J. Levy, Richard Bernstein, Emma Daly, Eric E. Arvedlund, and Joel Brinkley, “The Struggle for Iraq: Overseas; Turmoil in Iraq Jangles Nerves in Allied Capitals, and Bush Works to Shore Up Support,” New York Times, April 8, 2004, p. A7.
had objected . . . Patrick E. Tyler, “The Struggle for Iraq: Allies; Blair to Visit Bush Next Week for Talks Dominated by Iraq,” New York Times, April 6, 2004, p. A13.
high-handedness . . . Alex Russell, “Britain and US ‘Divided on Iraq Policy,’ ” London Daily Telegraph, April 14, 2004, p. 1.
this insurgency . . . Tony Perry and Nicholas Riccardi, “The World; Thousands in Fallouja Flee; Council Totters; A Cease-fire in the City Crumbles After Less Than Two Hours. Five More U.S. Troops Die in Iraq in the Coalition’s Deadliest Week Since Hussein’s Ouster,” Los Angeles Times, April 10, 2004, p. A1.
Krepinevich . . . Tom Squitieri, “Fear of Losing Control Drives Assault,” USA Today, April 7, 2004, p. 10.
mob reaction . . . Ibid.
dealing directly . . . Tony Perry and Edmund Sanders, “The World; U.S. Bombs Mosque in Fallouja; Military Says Site Was Used to Launch Strikes; Troops’ Tours May Be Extended,” Los Angeles Times, April 8, 2004, p. 1.
engaged to the daughter of King Abdullah . . . Jim Hoagland, “Obsessed with Iran,” Washington Post, May 28, 2004, p. A23.
threatened to quit . . . Tony Perry and Nicholas Riccardi, “The World; Thousands in Fallouja Flee; Council Totters,” Los Angeles Times, April 10, 2004, p. A1.
suicide vests . . . 1st MarDiv Press Release #04-99, April 8, 2004.
explosives discovered . . . Darrin Mortenson, “Marines Deploy Heavy Firepower in Fallujah,” North County Times, April 9, 2004.
finish the fight . . . Briefing to Deputy Secretary of Defense at MEF HQ, June 19, 2004.
fighting well . . . Sergeant First Class Pinkham, interview by author, 1st MarDiv HQ, April 14, 2004.
Iraqi desertions . . . Channel News Asia broadcast summary, June 30, 2004.
had deserted . . . Ibid.
chain of command . . . Interview on NBC Meet the Press, September 26, 2004.
quit . . . John F. Burns, “The Struggle for Iraq: Insurgency: Fighting Halts Briefly in Fallujah; U.S. Convoy Hit Near Baghdad,” New York Times, April 10, 2004, p. A1.
illegal . . . Michael Rubin, “Losing the Shia,” Middle East Quarterly [online], August 19, 2004.
wounded . . . Aljazeera.net., “Doctor Reveals Falluja’s Toll,” April 9, 2004.
one big Fallujah . . . Alissa J. Rubin and Doyle McManus, “Why America Has Waged a Losing Battle on Fallouja,” Los Angeles Times, October 24, 2004, p. 1.
Los Angeles Times . . . Ibid.
9/11 Commission . . . David E. Sanger, “Threats and Responses: News Analysis; Sticking to Their Scripts,” New York Times, April 9, 2004, p. A1.
CPA announcement . . . globalsecurity.org, June 14, 2004.
objectives . . . Eric Schmitt, “Marines Battle Insurgents in Streets of Falluja,” New York Times, April 9, 2004.
weeks ahead . . . www.presidency.ucsb.edu, April 10, 2004.
aghast . . . Nicholas Riccardi and Tony Perry, “The World; Iraqi Leaders, Insurgents Have Hope for Cease-Fire,” Los Angeles Times, April 11, 2004, p. A 1.
Governing Council . . . Ibid.
unacceptable . . . Rowan Scarborough, “Iraqi Politicians Called Obstacle to U.S. Force,” Washington Times, April 15, 2004, p.1
CHAPTER 13
36th Iraqi National Guard Battalion . . . Tony Perry, “At Least One Iraqi Battalion Is Ready to Help U.S.,” Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2004.
from the city . . . Christine Hauser, “Iraqi Claims U.S. and Falluja Foes Agree to a Deal,” New York Times, April 11, 2004, p. 1.
CHAPTER 14
inexcusable . . . Peter Johnson, “U.S. Says Al-Jazeera Putting Troops at Risk,” USA Today, April 19, 2004, p. 4D.
for ambush . . . Patrick Graham, “Beyond Fallujah,” Harper’s Magazine, June 2004, p. 37.
northeast of Fallujah . . . Jeffrey Gettleman, “Marines Use Low-Tech Skill to Kill 100 in Urban Battle,” New York Times, April 15, 2004, p. 1.
Glover . . . This section about Red Cloud is drawn from interviews in April 2004 at Fallujah with LtCol Byrne, Maj Farnum, Lt Glover and his platoon, and later discussions with Farnum. See also “1/5 Laydown: Battalion Summary of Actions” (April 14, 2004) and April 14, 2004, report from 81 Mortar Platoon Commander to CO, 1/5.
picnic . . . E-mail from Lance Corporal Victor Didra, “WhiskeyD,” March 4, 2005.
to their fifties . . . “Marines Fight for Life in Lion’s Den,” www.spacewar.com, April 16, 2004.
the Marines . . . Pamela Constable, “A Wrong Turn, Chaos and a Rescue,” Washington Post, April 15, 2004, p. 20.
CHAPTER 15
represented the CPA . . . Tony Perry, “Firing Up New Weapon in Fallouja: The Bulldozer,” Los Angeles Times, April 15, 2004.
finish the job . . . Willis Witter, “Iraqi Snipers Work in Teams to Hit Marines,” Washington Times, April 12, 2004, p. 1.
Marines were dying . . . Sewell Chan and Pamela Constable, “Attacks Test Truce in Fallujah,” Washington Post, April 15, 2004, p. 22.
for long . . . Ibid.
attacking our Marines . . . Sewell Chan, “General Calls Insurgency in Iraq a Sign of U.S. Success,” Washington Post, April 16, 2004, p. A10.
civilians dead . . . John Daniszewki, “Britain Seen Backing US Request on Troops,” Boston Globe, October 19, 2004, p. A16.
weapons unsuited . . . Letter to the Editor, “Sir Graham Boyce and 51 Others,” Guardian, April 27, 2004.
heavy-handed . . . AP Online, “00:29,” April 17, 2004.
redouble our efforts . . . Associated Press, “U.K. Paper Publishes Alleged Iraq Memo,” May 23, 2004.
fact of life . . . Michael Evans, “Army Chief Admits Friction with US Commanders,” Times (London), April 21, 2004, p. 1.
important work . . . President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair, “Bush, Blair Discuss Sharon Plan; Future of Iraq in Press Conference,” Office of the Press Secretary, April 16, 2004.
CHAPTER 16
plans . . . The plans for each attack by Task Force Ripper were actually as extensive as the preflight checklist for the pilot of a 747 aircraft. “Assume everyone you question is lying to you. Believe no one,” Stuka said. “Whenever you can, use the tanks against hard points. Inside the town, if you can’t see your adjacent units, employ indirect fires only as a last resort.”
Before leaving on the operation, the battalion chaplain, Lieutenant Mike Foskett, held a brief service attended by about fifteen Marines.
“Most Marines aren’t regular church-goers. They all come, though, for the memorial service when we lose a Marine,” Foskett said. “Marines are functional atheists who believe in God. They pray, but they pick which rules to follow. Religion is based on relations—whether I can relate to them—rather than on doctrine. The word fuck is an adjective, noun, verb, and burp. After two years in the battalion, I catch myself using it. Hey, what kind of minister would I be if I didn’t relate to my flock?”
main highway . . . Separate from Task Force Ripper, Mattis had sent his assistant division commander, Brigadier General John Kelly, to command a force opening the highway south of Baghdad. While driving to the link-up location, Kelly’s command group of twenty Marines was ambushed. After an IED disabled the lead Humvee, Kelly’s other vehicles had to remain in the kill zone to extract the wounded. The insurgents were firing from a berm about 200 meters away, and PFC Chance Phelps stood in the turret of a Humvee, laying down suppressive fire with a 240 Golf machine gun until a bullet struck him in the eye, killing him instantly. (LtCol M. R. Strobl USMC wrote a moving story about bringing PFC Phelps home.)