The Battle of Fallujah (2004, November)

In the fall of 2004, US forces launched a large-scale operation against rebel forces in the Sunni Triangle . In early October, after a three-day battle, the city of Samarra was taken. After that, all forces were thrown to capture the cities of Fallujah and Ramadi . Fallujah was blocked, and at the same time massive bombing attacks were carried out on it. The Americans first of all demanded that the city authorities give them Abu Musaba al-Zarqawi , whose head the Pentagon estimated at $ 25 million.

The Falluji assault was carried out for one and a half to two weeks in mid-November. The operation was carried out to stop the escalation of violence and provide the conditions for the elections on January 25, 2005 . To solve this problem, the Iraqi authorities introduced a state of emergency in the country for a period of 60 days.

The operation, codenamed Phantom Fury (Ghost Rage), was attended by 10,000 US troops (including 5,000 members of private military companies) and 2,000 members of the new Iraqi army under the command of Lieutenant General Thomas Metz.

The rebel group consisted of 4 thousand militants.

• November 8th attack on Fallujah. The two regimental tactical groups of the Marines of the 1st Marine Division and the 2nd Brigade of the 1st US Cavalry Division , supported by tanks, made up the strike group. The attack was repelled and a massive shelling of the defending positions with the help of aircraft, helicopters, artillery and tanks began.
• On November 9, militants shot down an American helicopter.
• On November 10, the US command announced the capture of most of the city.
• On November 11, Americans confirm the death of 18 of their soldiers. The militants shot down 2 Cobra helicopters.
• On November 12, Americans confirm the death of 22 of their soldiers.
• On November 13, Americans report the end of the Fallujah operation.
• By November 20, the rest of the partisans were driven out of Fallujah, the city was taken. ^[one]

The use of white phosphorus by the American troops as incendiary ^[2] / chemical ^[3] weapons was noted. Initially, the American command stated that phosphorus lighting bombs were simply incorrectly used and called all reports of victims “a common myth” ^[4] , but later under pressure from journalists who showed photographs of children and adults with burns characteristic of white phosphorus ^[5] , a representative The Pentagon, Lt. Col. Barry Venable, admitted that the US Army deliberately used white phosphorus against an “armed enemy” ^[2] . According to eyewitnesses, the used ammunition destroyed all life in a radius of 150 meters ^[4] . The head of the Pentagon, Donald Rumsfeld, said that "white phosphorus is a legitimate military tool" and the US army will use it at its discretion ^[2] . The use of any incendiary weapon in places of concentration of civilians is prohibited by the UN Protocol III to the Convention on Conventional Arms ^[6] , but the United States has not ratified this document and is not formally bound by its implementation obligations ^[4] . The use of toxic substances against people is prohibited by the UN Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons ^[7] ( lethal dose of white phosphorus for humans is 0.1 g ^[8] ). Reports of the use of phosphorus bombs against humans have provoked a negative reaction in the world. The Italian channel "RAI News 24" on this issue made the film "Fallujah - a hidden carnage" ^{[9] [10]} .

In September 2010 , Scottish MP Bill Wilson submitted to his colleagues a proposal to publicize the consequences of the use of weapons of mass destruction by the United States and Great Britain during the Fallujah assault in 2004. He said: “The consequences are still felt: studies have shown fourfold the growth of various types of cancer , a twofold increase in cancer by children under 14 years of age, and a 38-fold increase in leukemia diseases. For comparison: in survivors of the Hiroshima bombing, the incidence of leukemia increased by 17 times. And most importantly, because of this, local doctors advise women not to have children ” ^[11] .

The Fallujah operation is also known for a major scandal that erupted in the press after war journalist Kevin Sites made public the fact of the massacre of wounded Iraqi prisoners of war in a mosque. This episode is described in detail in his book, War Syndrome .

The Mujahideen’s Advisory Council on November 18, 2004 issued a press release informing ^[12] that the opposing forces managed to shoot down two F-16 planes, 11 combat helicopters, five unmanned reconnaissance planes, and a transport helicopter Chinook with 60 troops on board, knock out 11 Abrams tanks and 22 military vehicles. The document also claims that the militants managed to capture 126 American soldiers, 123 Iraqi troops and 15 British troops. The Americans lost 400 people killed, the Iraqi National Guard - 140. In addition, the statement says that one American officer with a subordinate unit went over to the side of the rebels. However, no factual evidence specified in the press release of the losses was provided.

• Fallujah
• First Battle of Fallujah (2004)
• Kyle Chris

• Fallujah fights don't stop
• Politico-Military Situation in Iraq (November 2004)
• Falluja: children and white phosphorus
• Operation without anesthesia. Fallujah has become a dead city
• Iraqi Stalingrad (inaccessible link)