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Mission 9 - Detail
Fallujah Abizaid Attack

With insurgent attacks on the rise, particularly in the Sunni Triangle stronghold of Fallujah, the ambush on four-star General John P. Abizaid is a stunningly close call. In what would have been a celebrated moment for anti-American forces, insurgents nearly succeed in taking out the very man who is running the war in Iraq.

Overall, Fallujah is one of the most violent cities in Iraq and has been steadfast in its opposition to coalition forces. Government officials liken Fallujah to the Wild West, a lawless region controlled by a lethal mix of regime loyalists, religious zealots, unemployed rogues, and terrorists. Here, killing is so commonplace that General Abizaid is described as unfazed by his own assassination attempt. He calmly questions a member of the Iraqi security force regarding the ambush and is told, "This is Fallujah. What do you expect?" Fallujah was a center for Saddam's power and a source for many of the officers of his feared Republican Guard and intelligence services.

While it is believe that US troops in Fallujah are primarily facing Saddam loyalists, elsewhere in Iraq the coalition is challenged by a number of independent threats. The first is Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian al Qaeda associate. In a 17-page letter intercepted by the government, al-Zarqawi appeals to al Qaeda leaders to help instigate a war between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in Iraq. By starting a large-scale internal conflict, al-Zarqawi expects to overwhelm both American forces and newly appointed Iraqi authority figures. He is a credible threat. Al-Zarqawi claims responsibility for more than 25 suicide bombings inside Iraq and numerous terrorist incidents throughout the world. In early April, the country of Jordan sentenced him to death in absentia and the United States has a $10 million bounty on his head.

Another significant threat is Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr inherited his position when Saddam Hussein's thugs assassinated his father - a noted cleric. With name recognition and the support of a relatively small, yet fiercely loyal, militia, Al-Sadr's group is compounding the unrest in Fallujah and neighboring Sunni cities with violence in Shiite areas throughout the country.

In February 2004, at the time of this mission, the 82nd Airborne is in charge of overseeing activity in Fallujah. Much of the patrolling and conflict resolution is left to the Iraqi Police, enabling Iraqis to take control of their own city and enforce the law themselves. But the newly formed, under-equipped IP has difficulties, leaving them vulnerable to well-armed and well-trained remnants of Saddam's army and intelligence services.