Ar Rutba (Arabic:الرطب, also known as Rutba, Rutbah, or Ar Rutbah) is a small Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province. The population is approximately 25,000. It occupies a strategic located on Amman-Baghdad road, and Mosul-Haifa pipeline. Considered a "wet spot," it receives 114.3 mm (4.5 inches) of rain annually, and is located on a high plateau. The Arabic language (; , less formally, ) is the largest member of the Semitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family (classification: South Central Semitic) and is closely related to Hebrew and Aramaic. ... Main street in Bastrop, Texas, a small town In American English, a town is usually a municipal corporation that is smaller than a city but larger than a village. ... Al Anbar (Arabic: ) is a province in the nation of Iraq. ... Amman (Arabic عمان Ê¿Ammān), the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan, is a city of more than 1. ... Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Baghdad Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Province. ... Mosul (36°22′N 43°07′E; Arabic: , Kurdish: Mûsil, Assyrian: ܢܝܢܘܐ NînÄ›wâ) is a city in northern Iraq. ... For the Lebanese singer, see Haifa Wehbe. ...

History

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]. The Imperial Airways Empire Terminal, Victoria, London. ... Map of the Persian Gulf. ... Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Baghdad Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Province. ... Damascus by night, pictured from Jabal Qasioun; the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria. ...

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. In 2003, the 40-bed hospital in Ar Rutbah was destroyed by Coalition bombing. In January 2005 a Marine Super Stallion helicopter crashed outside of town, killing 30 United States Marines and one Navy corpsmen. Camp Korean Village, a Marine base, is located nearby. The base is located on the site of village used to house Korean construction workers working on the Amman - Baghdad highway (This is not verifiable). During Operation Iraqi Freedom I, the base was occupied by the Army's 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and was known as FOB Buzz. An Army Captian was charged and court-martialed for his actions in the city. [4] C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division The 1991 Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and a coalition force of approximately 30 nations mandated by the United Nations and led by the United States. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Polish missile wz. ... 2003 (MMIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Coalition of the Willing be merged into this article or section. ... 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in January • 29 Ephraim Kishon • 25 Philip Johnson • 23 Johnny Carson • 22 Parveen Babi • 20 Jan Nowak-Jeziorański • 17 Virginia Mayo • 17 Zhao Ziyang • 15 Ruth Warrick • 14 Rudolph Moshammer Recent deaths Ongoing events • Tsunami relief... Designated S-80E internally by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, the Marine CH-53E Super Stallion, and the Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon are the largest and heaviest helicopters in the United States military. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... A combat lifesaver is a soldier who has received rudimentary training in advanced first aid skills. ... Amman (Arabic عمان Ê¿Ammān), the capital of the Kingdom of Jordan, is a city of more than 1. ... Average temperature (red) and precipitations (blue) in Baghdad Baghdad (Arabic: ) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Province. ...

External links

• Aerial Photo of Ar Rutba from GlobalSecurity.org
• Town Information from GlobalSecurity.org