FALLUJAH AWAKENS
MARINES, SHEIKHS, AND THE BATTLE AGAINST AL QAEDA
BILL ARDOLINO
Naval Institute Press
Annapolis, Maryland
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
© 2013 by Bill Ardolino
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ardolino, Bill.
Fallujah awakens: Marines, sheikhs, and the battle against al Qaeda / Bill Ardolino. — 1
pages cm
Summary: “Attacks in the Fallujah peaked in 2006 when American and Iraqi government forces struggled with a reinvigorated insurgency and the prospect of premature withdrawal by U.S. forces. Fallujah Awakens tells the story of the remarkable turnaround that followed. Journalist Bill Ardolino explains how local tribal leaders and U.S. Marines forged a surprising alliance that helped secure the famous battleground. It is one of the few books to recount events from both American and Iraqi perspectives. Based on more than 120 interviews with Iraqis and U.S. Marines, Ardolino describes how a company of reservists, led by a medical equipment sales manager from Michigan, succeeded where previous efforts had stalled. Circumstance combined with smart, charismatic leadership enabled Americans to build relationships with members of a Sunni tribe who pushed al Qaeda and other insurgents from their notoriously rebellious area”— Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61251-129-0 (e-book) 1. Iraq War, 2003–2011—Campaigns—Iraq—Fallujah. 2. CounterInsurgency—Iraq—Fallujah. 3. Civil-military relations—Iraq—Fallujah. 4. Iraq War, 2003–2011—Civilian relief. 5. United States. Marine Corps—Civic action. 6. Tribes—Iraq—Fallujah. 7. Qaida (Organization) I. Title.
DS79.764.F35A74 2013
956.7044’345—dc23
2012047848
To the Iraqis and Americans who risked everything to defend others
To Ensign William H. Martin (RIP), Captain Daniel Eggers (KIA), Major Michael Mundell (KIA), Corporal Joshua Hoffman (WIA), First Lieutenant Travis Manion (KIA), and Sergeant William Cahir (KIA), for their examples of honor and sacrifice
List of Maps
Introduction
1 Dark
2 Chasing Shadows
3 COIN
4 Alliance
5 The Diya
6 Pulling Threads
7 Adilah
8 Civil Affairs
9 Wasta
10 A Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
11 Down by the River
12 Hawa
13 Score
14 “Because the Language They Use Is Killing”: Al Qaeda and the Sunni Insurgency
15 Gas
16 MassCas
17 Endgame
Afterword: A Note on COIN
A Note on Research Methodology
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author
Map 2. Morning Ambush, Albu Aifan, November 4, 2006
Map 3. Afternoon Ambush, Albu Aifan, November 4, 2006
Map 4. Marine Ambush along Route Boston, March 11, 2007
Fallujah is iconic in the history of the Iraq War. For most westerners, the “City of Mosques” conjures images of brutal house-to-house fighting, the killing and mutilation of American contractors, and the birth of an insurgency that prefaced years of chaos. Several authors have documented the two hard-fought U.S.-led offensives
