Battle of Fallujah
Part of the Post-invasion Iraq
A building in Fallujah destroyed during the battle.
Date 07 November–23 December 2004 Location Fallujah, Iraq Result United States tactical victory
Combatants
United States Iraqi Security Forces	Iraqi insurgents Tawhid wal Jihad
Commanders
Maj. Gen. Richard F. Natonski	Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Strength
12,000	2,000 - 3,000
Casualties
92 KIA , 622 WIA (U.S) 8 KIA , 43 WIA (Iraqi Forces)	1,200 KIA, 700 - 1,000 captured

For other uses, see Battle of Fallujah (disambiguation).

The Battle of Fallujah (code-named Operation Al-Fajr - "The Dawn" in Arabic), and Operation Phantom Fury), sometimes referred to as the Second Battle of Fallujah in comparison to Operation Vigilant Resolve—was a joint U.S.-Iraqi offensive against rebel strongholds in the city of Fallujah, authorized by the U.S.-appointed Iraq interim government. The U.S. military called it "some of the heaviest urban combat Marines and Army infantry soldiers have been involved in since Vietnam." [1][2] Battle of Fallujah may refer to one of the following: Persian Gulf War bombing of Fallujah Iraq War Operation Vigilant Resolve - sometimes called the First Battle of Fallujah (April 2004) Operation Phantom Fury - most prominently known as the Battle of Fallujah; sometimes called the Second Battle of Fallujah (November-December... The Arabic language (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), or simply Arabic (Arabic: ‎ translit: ), 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. ... Combatants United States Iraqi insurgents Commanders James T. Conway Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Strength 1,200[1] 3,000 - 6,000 Casualties 83 KIA , WIA 90+ (U.S) [1] 615 military and civilian KIA Operation Vigilant Resolve, sometimes referred to as the First Battle of/for Fallujah was an abortive... United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ... Offensive may relate to In sports or combat, the team which is attacking, pitching or moving forwards In language or morals, terms and concepts which are unacceptable to some people, such as swearing and profanity. ... This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... The Iraqi Interim Government was created by the United States and its coalition allies as a caretaker government to govern Iraq until elections are conducted on January 30th, 2005. ... US Marines fight in the city of Fallujah during Operation Al Fajr (New Dawn) in November 2004. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Army (from French armée) can, in some countries, refer to any armed force. ... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ...

It was the second major operation in Fallujah; in April, Operation Vigilant Resolve was an abortive attempt to capture the city. That earlier operation was terminated when local leaders promised to curb the rebels. Combatants United States Iraqi insurgents Commanders James T. Conway Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Strength 1,200[1] 3,000 - 6,000 Casualties 83 KIA , WIA 90+ (U.S) [1] 615 military and civilian KIA Operation Vigilant Resolve, sometimes referred to as the First Battle of/for Fallujah was an abortive...

It was immediately followed by Operation Plymouth Rock. During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Operation Plymouth Rock was a major anti-insurgent sweep of an area south of Baghdad launched on 23 November 2004. ...

Timeline

Fallujah was one of the most peaceful areas of the country just after the fall of Saddam. There was very little looting and the new mayor of the city — Taha Bidaywi Hamed, selected by local tribal leaders — was staunchly pro-American.

• 28 April 2003. A crowd of 200 people defied the curfew and gathered outside a local school to protest the presence of foreign forces in the city. This developed into an altercation with U.S. troops in the city in which fifteen Iraqi civilians were killed by U.S. gunfire. There were no Coalition casualties in the incident.

• 1 May 2003: President Bush proclaims the end of "major combat operations in Iraq."

• 13 December 2003: Saddam Hussein is captured.

• 31 March 2004: Four American private military contractors are killed in the city, and images of their mutilated bodies are broadcast around the world.

• 4 April 2004: American troops launch Operation Vigilant Resolve.

• 28 April 2004: Operation Vigilant Resolve ends with an agreement that the local population would keep resistance fighters out of the city. A Fallujah Protection Force composed of local Iraqis was set up by the US led occupants to help fight the rising resistance.

• 7 November 2004: Operation Phantom Fury begins.

• 16 November 2004: American spokesmen describe fighting in the city as mopping up isolated pockets of resistance.

• 16 November 2004: News footage shows a US Marine shooting a wounded Iraqi insurgent.

• 23 December 2004: Last pockets of resistance are neutralized, three Marines are killed in the last battle along with 24 insurgents.

• Late January, 2005: Operation Phantom Fury ends. American troops begin withdrawing.

April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... L. Paul Bremer flanked by private military contractors Private military contractors or private military companies (PMCs) are companies that provide logistics, manpower, and other expenditures for a military force. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Combatants United States Iraqi insurgents Commanders James T. Conway Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Strength 1,200[1] 3,000 - 6,000 Casualties 83 KIA , WIA 90+ (U.S) [1] 615 military and civilian KIA Operation Vigilant Resolve, sometimes referred to as the First Battle of/for Fallujah was an abortive... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Preparation for the battle

Before beginning their attack, American and Iraqi forces established checkpoints around the city to prevent anyone from entering the city and intercept insurgents attempting to flee.

In addition overhead imagery was used to prepare maps of the city for use by the attackers. American units were augmented with Iraqi translators to assist them in the planned fight. After a summer of withstanding frequent air strikes and artillery bombardment, the militants holed up in the city appeared vulnerable to direct attack, and the U.S. Marines were ready to finish the job they started that spring. An airstrike is a military strike by air forces on an enemy ground position, which depending on the selected tactics may or may not be followed up by artillery, armor, and/or infantry units. ... A 155 mm artillery shell fired by a United States 11th Marine regiment M-198 howitzer Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ... France Marines is the name of a commune in the département of Val dOise, France. ...

Conduct of the battle

Diversion: Ground operations began on the night of November 7, 2004 with the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion, 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, and Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines attacking from the west and south, capturing Fallujah General Hospital and villages opposite the Euphrates River along Fallujah's Western edge. The capture and closure of the hospital caused much controversy, concerning whether or not it was a contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention. November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Emblem of the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion. ... Official force name 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Other names 3rd LAR Wolfpack Tip of the Spear Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 1st Marine Division 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Description Light Armored Reconnaissance. ... 1st Battalion 23rd Marines (1/23) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout Texas and Louisiana consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Fourth Geneva Convention The Fourth Geneva Convention (GCIV) relates to the protection of civilians during times of war in the hands of an enemy and under any occupation by a foreign power. ...

The same unit, operating under the command of the U.S. III Corps then moved on the western approaches to the city securing the Jurf Kas Sukr Bridge. These initial attacks, however, were little more than a diversion, intended to distract and confuse the rebels defending the city. For the III Corps of the Union Army during the American Civil War, see III Corps (ACW). ... Stretching across the Euphrates in the tiny Iraqi village of Jurf Kas Sukr southwest of Baghdad, the Jurf Kas Sukr Bridge was a primary target of Operation Phantom Fury in November 2004. ... In the terminology of the DEA, diversion is the use of prescription drugs for recreational purposes. ...

Attack: American units consisting of four Marine Light Infantry battalions, and two Army Mechanized Cavalry battalions (with a large number of non-fighting American units following in trace) launched their attack along a broad front, jumping off from behind the railroad line that runs along the northern edge of the city. By daylight on November 8, the main train station had fallen to American troops. By the afternoon, under the protection of intense air cover, troops had entered the Hay Naib al-Dubat and al-Naziza districts. Shortly after nightfall on November 9, Marines were along Highway 10 in the center of the city. By dawn on the 13th most of the city was in American hands, and any formal defense organized by the militants had been broken. This article is becoming very long. ... Traditionally light infantry (or skirmishers) were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. ... The United States Army is the largest branch of the United States armed forces and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... Mechanized military units are otherwise slow-moving or immobile military units that have had trucks or other ground transport systems added to their formation to add to or improve their mobility. ... Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... The following highways are numbered 10: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ...

By November 16, after nine days of fighting, the Americans described the action as mopping up pockets of resistance, but sporadic fighting continued until December 23. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ...

The AP reported that military-age males attempting to flee the city were turned back by the U.S. Military.[3] Associated Press, or AP, is an American news agency, the worlds largest such organization. ...

Despite its success, the battle was not without its controversy. On November 16, NBC News aired footage that showed an American Marine (with 3rd Battalion 1st Marines) shooting dead a wounded Iraqi fighter. The Marine was heard exclaiming that the Iraqi was "playing possum". U. S. Navy investigators NCIS later determined that the Marine was acting in self-defense. [4]. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. Its current president is Steve Capus. ... Official force name 3rd Battalion 1st Marines Other names Thundering Third Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division Description Marine infantry battalion Readiness Capable of short notice world wide deployment. ... Playing Possum is singer-songwriter Carly Simons fifth studio album, released in 1975. ... NCIS Badge The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) is the United States Department of the Navys primary law enforcement agency to the former Naval Investigative Service. ...

By late January 2005, news reports indicated American combat units were leaving the area, and were assisting the local population in returning to their city.

U.S. soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division prepare to enter and clear a building during fighting in Fallujah.

Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division prepare to enter and clear a building during fighting in Fallujah, Iraq. ... Soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division prepare to enter and clear a building during fighting in Fallujah, Iraq. ... (Redirected from 1st Cavalry Division) Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division. ...

Aftermath of the battle

The city suffered extensive damage. Before the war, it was estimated that the city had 200 mosques. Some claim 60 of these had been destroyed in the fighting. Perhaps half the homes suffered at least some damage. About 7,000 to 10,000 of the roughly 50,000 buildings in the town are estimated to have been destroyed in the offensive ([5], [6]), and half to two-thirds of the buildings have suffered notable damage. It is also reported that 66 out of the city's 133 mosques were discovered holding significant amounts of insurgent weapons [7], a violation of Article 16 of the Geneva Convention. [8]

News reports indicate 92 Americans were killed in the fighting. Iraqi casualty figures are unreliable as an unknown number of residents fled before the fighting. Reliable news reports indicate that some 1,500 insurgents were killed and another 1,000 were captured. Also the Iraqi military suffered eight soldiers killed and 43 wounded.

Pre-offensive inhabitant figures are unreliable; the nominal population was assumed to have been 200,000-350,000. Thus, over 150,000 individuals are still living as internally displaced persons elsewhere in Iraq. Tailor in Labuje IDP camp in Uganda An internally displaced person (IDP) is someone who has been forced to leave their home for reasons such as natural or man-made disasters, including religious or political persecution or war, but has not crossed an international border. ...

Residents were allowed to return in mid-December after undergoing biometric identification, provided they wear their ID cards all the time. Reconstruction is only progressing slowly and mainly consists of clearing rubble from heavily-damaged areas and reestablishing basic utilities. This is also due to the fact that only 10% of the pre-offensive inhabitants had returned as of mid-January, and only 30% as of the end of March 2005 [9]. At Disney World, biometric measurements are taken of the fingers of multi-day pass users to ensure that the pass is used by the same person from day to day. ...

The re-capture of the city itself proved to be largely a success, with a large number of local insurgent fighters being killed, and the momentum the Sunni rebellion had gained from controlling the city being dashed in the face of overwhelming U.S. firepower. Furthermore, Al-Qaeda's foothold in Iraq had been seriously degraded, even though its leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi managed to escape. Insurgent elements almost immediately began to attempt to re-group their power base in the city, with limited results. Nevertheless the battle proved to be less than the decisive engagement that the U.S. military had hoped for, the majority of nonlocal insurgents were believed to have fled before the military assault along with Zarqawi leaving only local militants behind. Furthermore the insurgents countered in the immediate aftermath with successful attacks on the American supported Iraqi security forces. Subsequent U.S. military operations against insurgent positions were ineffective at drawing out insurgents into another open battle, and by September 2006 the situation had deteriorated to the point that the Anbar province that contained Falluja was reported to be in total insurgent control by the U. S. Marine Corps with the exception of only pacified Fallujah and the insurgent plagued Ramadi. [10] [11] Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. ... Al Anbar (Arabic: ) is a province of Iraq. ... 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. ... Mosque in downtown Ramadi Ramădī (الرمادي) is a city in central Iraq, about 100 kilometers west of Baghdad. ...

Since the US military operation of November 2004, the number of insurgent attacks has gradually increased in and around the city, and although news reports are often few and far between, several reports of IED attacks on Iraqi troops have been reported in the press. Most notable of these attacks, was a suicide car bomb attack on 23 June 2005 on a convoy that killed 6 Marines. Thirteen other Marines were injured in the attack. However, insurgents are no longer able to operate in the city in any significant numbers.

White phosphorus controversy

A US M-109A6 self-propelled howitzer fires at insurgent positions in Fallujah

On 9 November, 2005 the Italian state-run broadcaster RAI ran a documentary titled "Fallujah, The Hidden Massacre" depicting what it alleges was the United States' use of white phosphorus (WP) in the attack causing insurgents and civilians to be killed or injured by chemical burns . The effects of WP are very characteristic. The resulting bodies were partially turned into what appears to be ash, but sometimes the hands of the bodies had skin or skin layers peeled off and hanging like gloves instead. The documentary further claims that the United States used incendiary MK-77 bombs (similar to napalm). The use of incendiary weapons against civilians is illegal by Protocol III of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (1980), however the US is not a signatory. Moreover, the 1983 Chemical Weapons Convention (signed by the US) prohibit the use of the chemical properties of white phosphorus against personnel. The documentary stated: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1842x1200, 650 KB) An M-109A6 howitzer from Alpha Battery, 3rd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, sends a round down range during combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1842x1200, 650 KB) An M-109A6 howitzer from Alpha Battery, 3rd Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, sends a round down range during combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq, Nov. ... The M109 during operations in the Balkans The M109 self-propelled 155 mm howitzer was first introduced in the early 1960s. ... Loading a WW1 British 15 in (381 mm) howitzer A howitzer or hauwitzer is a type of field artillery. ... RAI (RAdiotelevisione Italiana and previously known as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the Italian public service broadcaster. ... Ex US soldier Jeff Englehart talking about the use of white phosphorus against Iraqi civilians in Fallujah. ... It has been suggested that White phosphorus use in Iraq be merged into this article or section. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... The Mark 77 bomb (MK-77) is a US 750-lb (340-kg) air-dropped incendiary bomb carrying 110 gallons (415 litres) of a fuel gel mix which is the direct successor to napalm. ... A Napalm airstrike in Vietnam. ... The United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), concluded at Geneva on October 10, 1980 and entered into force in December 1983, seeks to prohibit or restrict the use of certain conventional weapons which are considered excessively injurious or that have indiscriminate effects. ... Chemical Weapons Convention Opened for signature January 13, 1993 at Paris Entered into force April 29, 1997 Conditions for entry into force Ratification by 50 states and the convening of a Preperatory Commission Parties 170 The Chemical Weapons Convention is an arms control agreement which outlaws the production, stockpiling and...

"WP proved to be an effective and versatile munition. We used it for screening missions at two breeches and, later in the fight, as a potent psychological weapon against the insurgents in trench lines and spider holes when we could not get effects on them with HE. We fired 'shake and bake' missions at the insurgents, using WP to flush them out and HE to take them out... We used improved WP for screening missions when HC smoke would have been more effective and saved our WP for lethal missions."

The US State Department initially denied using white phosphorus as a munition, a claim later contradicted by the Department of Defense when bloggers discovered a US Army magazine had run a story detailing its use in Fallujah. The US government maintains its denial of use against civilians, while trying to justify the offensive use of WP against enemy combatants. However, according to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, quoted by the RAI documentary, WP is allowed as an illumination device, not as an offensive weapon, for which its chemical properties are put to use. An article in Washington Post exactly a year before also pointed out the use of White Phosphorus in the battle, but attracted little attention. Munition is often defined as a synonyn for ammunition. ... The bayonet is used as both knife and spear. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Unlawful combatant. ... The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is not an agency of the United Nations. ... ...

Wikinews has news related to:

Chemical weapons used in Iraq by US military, says Italian documentary

Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ...

Participating units

Regimental Combat Team 1 (RCT-1) built around the 1st Marine Regiment: Official force name 1st Marine Regiment Other names 1st Marines Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 1st Marine Division Description Marine infantry regiment Readiness Capable of short notice world wide deployment. ...

• 3rd Battalion 1st Marines (Infantry)(*Main Effort*)
• 3rd Battalion 5th Marines (Infantry)
• 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (Mechanized)(Armored)
• 3rd Battalion 14th Marines— Battery "M" (Artillery)
• 1st Battalion 5th Cavalry (US Army)(Armored)
• 2nd Battalion 7th Cavalry (US Army)(Armored)
• Company C, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, (Armored)
• 2nd Tank Battalion — Co C
• TOW Platoon (-), 23rd Marines
• Company A, MP Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group, 4th Marine Division
• Company B, (reinforced), 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, 2nd Marine Division
• 4th Civil Affairs Team, 4th Civil Affairs Group
• Shock Trauma Platoon, 1st Marine Logistics Group
• Company B, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines
• Company B, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines

Regimental Combat Team 7 (RCT-7) built around the 7th Marine Regiment: Official force name 3rd Battalion 1st Marines Other names Thundering Third Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 1st Marine Regiment 1st Marine Division Description Marine infantry battalion Readiness Capable of short notice world wide deployment. ... 3rd Battalion 5th Marines (3/5) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... Official force name 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion Other names 3rd LAR Wolfpack Tip of the Spear Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 1st Marine Division 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Description Light Armored Reconnaissance. ... 3rd Battalion 14th Marines (3/14) is a reserve artillery battalion comprised of three firing batteries and a headquarters battery. ... The 5th Cavalry Regiment is a regiment of the United States Army. ... 7th Cavalry Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia The 7th United States Cavalry Regiment is a United States Army cavalry regiment, whose lineage traces back to the mid-19th century. ... The 8th Cavalry Regiment was organized as a regiment on 21 September 1866 at Angel Island, California. ... Official force name 2nd Tank Battalion Other names 2nd Tanks Iron Horse Motto N/A Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 2nd Marine Division 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Description Provide armored forces in support of 2nd Marine Division. ... The 23rd Marine Regiment (23rd Marines) is an infantry regiment of the United States Marine Corps. ... The 4th Marine Logistics Group (4th MLG) is a logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at New Orleans, Louisiana. ... The U.S. 4th Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps. ... 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps. ... The U.S. 2nd Marine Division is a division of the United States Marine Corps, which forms the ground-force component of the II Marine Expeditionary Force. ... 1st Marine Logistics Group is located aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton California. ... 1st Battalion 4th Marines (1/4) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Camp Pendleton, California consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... 1st Battalion 23rd Marines (1/23) is a reserve infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps located throughout Texas and Louisiana consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... Official force name 7th Marine Regiment Other names 7th Marines Motto No Better Friend, No Worse Enemy. ...

• 1st Battalion 3rd Marines (Infantry)
• 1st Battalion 8th Marines (Infantry)
• 2nd Battalion 2nd Infantry (US Army)(in Reserve)
• 1st Battalion 12th Marines — Battery "C" (Artillery)
• 2nd Tank Battalion — Co A (Armored)
• Company C, 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion
• 44th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division
• Company C, 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion (Armored)
• Company B, MP Battalion, 4th Marine Logistics Group
• Combat Engineer Company, Combat Assault Battalion, 3rd Marine Division
• 2nd Force Recon Company
• 2nd Platoon, Company C, 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion

2nd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division 1st Battalion 3rd Marines (1/3) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and Sailors. ... Official force name 1st Battalion 8th Marines Other names 1/8 or One Eight The Beirut Battalion Motto N/A Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 8th Marine Regiment 2nd Marine Division Description Marine infantry battalion Readiness Capable of short notice world wide deployment. ... 1st Battalion 12th Marines (1/12) is an artillery battalion comprised of three firing batteries and a Headquarters Battery. ... Official force name 2nd Tank Battalion Other names 2nd Tanks Iron Horse Motto N/A Branch United States Marine Corps Chain of Command 2nd Marine Division 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Description Provide armored forces in support of 2nd Marine Division. ... 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion is a combat engineer battalion of the United States Marine Corps. ... A military division: Infantry Australian 2nd Division British 2nd Division (World War I) British 2nd Infantry Division Canadian 2nd Infantry Division Soviet 2nd Rifle Division US 2nd Infantry Division Airborne German 2nd Parachute Division Cavalry British 2nd Mounted Division US 2nd Cavalry Division Armour US 2nd Armored Division This is... 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion is a mechanized battalion of the United States Marine Corps. ... The 4th Marine Logistics Group (4th MLG) is a logistics unit of the United States Marine Corps and is headquartered at New Orleans, Louisiana. ... Combat Assault Battalion is a mechanized battalion of the United States Marine Corps. ... The U.S. 3rd Marine Division is a unit of the United States Marine Corps, one of three active divisions. ... Official Name USMC Force Reconnaissance Force Recon Marines Branch United States Marine Corps Command Structure MARFORPAC; MEF I, III; MEU(SOC) 11, 13, 15, 31 MARFORLANT, MEF II; MEU(SOC) 22, 24, 26 MARFORRES, Reserves Description MEU(SOC) Deep Recon Capability, Special Operations Capability Readiness Any shore in the world... 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion is a mechanized battalion of the United States Marine Corps. ... (Redirected from 1st Cavalry Division) Shoulder sleeve patch of the United States Army 1st Cavalry Division. ...

• 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment
• 759th Composite MP Battalion
• 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion

3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion (2nd Recon Bn) is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps. ... (Redirected from 1st Infantry Division) For usage in sport, see First Division. ...

• 2rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment
• F Troop, [4th Cavalry] (Brigade Reconnaissance Troop)

Iraqi Forces

• 1st Specialized Special Forces Battalion (Iraqi National Guard), Companies D and B
• Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion
• Iraqi Counterterrorism Force
• Emergency Response Unit (Iraqi-Ministry of Interior)
• 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, Iraqi Intervention Force (ICDC)
• 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, Iraqi Intervention Force (ICDC)
• 4th Battalion, 1st Brigade, Iraqi Intervention Force (ICDC)
• 5th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, Iraqi Intervention Force (ICDC)

Emblem of the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion. ...

See also

• 2003 Invasion of Iraq
• Mark 77 bomb
• United States occupation of Fallujah
• White phosphorus use in Iraq

Thois article covers invasion specifics. ... The Mark 77 bomb (MK-77) is a US 750-lb (340-kg) air-dropped incendiary bomb carrying 110 gallons (415 litres) of a fuel gel mix which is the direct successor to napalm. ... The US occupation of Fallujah began in April 2003, one month following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. ... There are at least four cases in which white phosphorus (WP) has reportedly been used as an antipersonnel weapon in Iraq: March 1988: According to an undated ANSA article quoted by the RAI documentary, White phosphorus was used by Saddam Hussein during the Halabja poison gas attack: (transl. ...

External links

• Operation Phantom Fury, October 5, 2004 - ?
• (French) Les Fantômes furieux de Falloujah "Opération AL-FAJR/PHANTOM FURY" (juillet-novembre 2004), Centre de doctrine d'emploi des forces, Ministère of the Défense, France, format PDF, book of 120 pages

• U.S. ground forces hit Fallujah - Jim Krane, Associated Press
• U.S. Forces Hold 70 Percent of Fallujah - Edward Harris, MyWay News, November 10, 2004
• The real fury of Fallujah - Criticism of the operation from Asia Times Online, Nov 10, 2004
• Operation al-Fajr (Dawn) - GlobalSecurity.Org
• US forces 'used chemical weapons' during assault on city of Fallujah - The Independent, Nov 8, 2005
• Charges the US used Chemical Weapons Democracy Now
• The Phantom Fury Gallery - A gallery of images gathered from news reports at the time of the operation
• U.S. Broadcast Exclusive - "Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre" on the U.S. Use of Napalm-Like White Phosphorus Bombs "interviews with U.S. soldiers, Iraqi doctors and international journalists on the U.S. attack on Fallujah" (Democracy Now, 08 November 2005)
• George Monbiot: Behind the phosphorus clouds are war crimes within war crimes We now know the US also used thermobaric weapons in its assault on Falluja, where up to 50,000 civilians remained (The Guardian; November 22th, 2005)
• Shootout: Fallujah - History Channel documentary about the Battle of Fallujah
• Channel 4 News : Eyewitness Fallujah : A British TV Cameraman's account of Operation Phantom Fury

Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional weapons by using atmospheric oxygen, instead of carrying an oxidizer in their explosives. ...