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| {{Short description|Attack on a US private military company convoy during the Iraq War}} | |||
| {{Infobox military attack | {{Infobox military attack | ||
| |title |
| title = 2004 Fallujah ambush | ||
| | image = <!-- Deleted image removed: ] --> | |||
| |image= | |||
| | caption = In this famous ] photograph, an Iraqi mob hangs the bodies of four dead Americans from ] on a bridge across the ]. | |||
| |caption= | |||
| |location=], ] | | location = ], ] | ||
| |target=] personnel | | target = ] personnel | ||
| |date={{Start date|2004|03|31}} | | date = {{Start date|2004|03|31}} | ||
| |time= | | time = | ||
| |timezone= | | timezone = | ||
| |type=Ambush | | type = Ambush | ||
| |fatalities=4 | | fatalities = 4 | ||
| |injuries= | | injuries = | ||
| | instigator = ] | |||
| |instigator=] | |||
| |conflict=] | | conflict = the ] | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| {{Campaignbox Iraq War}} | {{Campaignbox Iraq War}} | ||
| {{Campaignbox Al Anbar campaign}} | |||
| The '''] ] ] ambush''' saw ] in ] ambush a convoy containing four ] ] from ] ], who were allegedly guarding food caterers ].<ref></ref> | |||
| The '''2004 Fallujah ambush''' occurred on March 31, 2004, when ] attacked a convoy containing four American contractors from the ] ] who were conducting a delivery for food caterers ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contractors - The High-Risk Contracting Business {{!}} Private Warriors {{!}} FRONTLINE {{!}} PBS |url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/contractors/highrisk.html |access-date=2023-05-10 |website=www.pbs.org |archive-date=2012-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215011831/http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/warriors/contractors/highrisk.html |url-status=live }}</ref> | |||
| The four armed contractors, ], ], ] and ], were dragged from their cars, beaten, and set ablaze. Their burned corpses were then dragged through the streets before being hung over a ] crossing the ].<ref></ref> | |||
| ==The ambush== | |||
| ⚫ | Photos of the event were released to ] worldwide, |
||
| The four armed contractors—], Jerry Zovko, Wesley Batalona and Mike Teague—were killed and dragged from their vehicles. Their bodies were beaten, burned, dragged through the city streets, and hung from a ] bridge.<ref>{{cite book|title=No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah|author=Bing West|author-link=Bing West|publisher=Bantam Books|isbn=978-0-553-80402-7|year=2005|pages=|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/notruegloryfront00west/page/3}}</ref> | |||
| ==Response== | |||
| This led to a US operation to occupy the city in the ] that was halted at midpoint for political reasons, and a later successful attempt seven months later in the ]. | |||
| ⚫ | Photos of the event, showing jubilant Iraqis posing with the charred corpses, were released to ] worldwide, which caused a great deal of indignation in the United States. | ||
| The ambush led to the ], a U.S.-led operation to retake control of the city. The battle was halted mid-way for political reasons, an outcome that commentators have described as insurgent victory.<ref>West xxii. "The Second Phase began in March 2004, when four American contractors were killed and the bodies mutilated in broad daylight in the heart of the city. The US Marines were ordered to seize the city, but then, due to international outrage over televised reportage of the assault, were told to stop. For six weeks the Marines engaged in fierce but inconclusive siege warfare."</ref><ref>LeBleu, Joe. "Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan", p. 201. "In mid-April 2003, President Bush decided not to secure Fallujah...laying the groundwork for later U.S. failure there."</ref><ref>Scahill, Jeremy. "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army", p. 205. "The horrors unfolding in Fallujah, coupled with the U.S. failure to take control of the city, and the bold resistance of Fallujah's residents was encouraging other Iraqis to rise up."</ref> Seven months later, in November 2004, a second attempt to capture the city, the ], proved successful. | |||
| ⚫ | The families of the victims filed suit (]) against Blackwater USA for wrongful death in |
||
| Intelligence reports concluded that the attack was planned by ]. He was captured by ] in 2009, five years later.<ref>{{cite news|title = Navy SEALS tragedy in Afghanistan chronicled in new film, "Lone Survivors"|first = Tom|last = Deignan|date = December 22, 2013|accessdate = November 28, 2016|url = http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/others/navy-seals-tragedy-in-afghanistan-chronicled-in-new-film-lone-survivors-236927721-238264231|newspaper = IrishCentral|archive-date = January 26, 2017|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170126142747/http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/others/navy-seals-tragedy-in-afghanistan-chronicled-in-new-film-lone-survivors-236927721-238264231|url-status = live}}</ref> al-Isawi was held for a time by the United States intelligence community, including at Camp Schwedler. In 2010, he testified at a ] of SEALs he accused of mistreating him.<ref>{{cite news|title = Navy SEAL not guilty of charges in Iraq|author = ((CNN Wire Staff))|date = April 22, 2010|accessdate = November 28, 2016|newspaper = ]|url = http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/04/22/navy.seal.verdict/|archive-date = November 29, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161129021003/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/04/22/navy.seal.verdict/|url-status = live}}</ref> He was subsequently handed over to Iraqi authorities for trial and ] by ] some time before November 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title = Persecuting Our Heroes|first = Ray V.|last = Hartwell|newspaper = ]|date = November 26, 2013|accessdate = December 7, 2016|url = https://spectator.org/56777_persecuting-our-heroes/|archive-date = December 20, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220073334/https://spectator.org/56777_persecuting-our-heroes/|url-status = live}}</ref> | |||
| == Daily Kos Comments == | |||
| ==2005 lawsuit== | |||
| ] attracted some controversy in April 2004 by publishing comments (written by ]) about the killings of four ]s in ], ] that many considered to be insensitive: | |||
| {{Main|Helvenston v. Blackwater Security}} | |||
| :Let the people see what war is like. This isn’t an Xbox game. There are real repercussions to Bush’s folly. That said, I feel nothing over the death of mercenaries.{{sic}} They aren’t in Iraq because of orders, or because they are there trying to help the people make Iraq a better place. They are there to wage war for profit. Screw them.<ref>{{cite web|author=kos|url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/4/1/144156/3224#16|title=Every death should be on the front page|date=]|work=Daily Kos|accessdate=2006-10-04}}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | The families of the victims filed suit ('']'') against Blackwater USA for wrongful death in January 2005. | ||
| The post was widely criticized on a number of blogs. ]'s official blog removed a link to his blog in response.<ref>"Murderous rhetoric", ''], April 10, 2004. See also {{cite web | url = http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,64113,00.html | title = John Kerry and the Lost Kos | author = Adam L. Penenberg | work = Wired News | date = ] | accessdate = 2006-11-12 }}</ref> In a subsequent article, Moulitsas attributed his remarks to anger that the ] employees in Fallujah were given more attention than the five Marines who were killed on the same day, as well as to childhood memories of warfare in ]. <ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/4/2/175739/8203 | title = Mercenaries, war, and my childhood | author = kos | work = Daily Kos | date = ] | accessdate = 2006-10-04 }}</ref> | |||
| == |
==References== | ||
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Latest revision as of 23:05, 24 December 2024
Attack on a US private military company convoy during the Iraq War| 2004 Fallujah ambush | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Iraq War | |
| Type | Ambush |
| Location | Fallujah, Iraq |
| Target | Blackwater USA personnel |
| Date | March 31, 2004 (2004-03-31) |
| Executed by | Joint operation between Al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic Army in Iraq |
| Casualties | 4 killed |
| Battles and operations of the Iraq War in Anbar Province | |
|---|---|
The 2004 Fallujah ambush occurred on March 31, 2004, when Iraqi insurgents attacked a convoy containing four American contractors from the private military company Blackwater USA who were conducting a delivery for food caterers ESS.
The ambush
The four armed contractors—Scott Helvenston, Jerry Zovko, Wesley Batalona and Mike Teague—were killed and dragged from their vehicles. Their bodies were beaten, burned, dragged through the city streets, and hung from a Euphrates River bridge.
Response
Photos of the event, showing jubilant Iraqis posing with the charred corpses, were released to news agencies worldwide, which caused a great deal of indignation in the United States.
The ambush led to the First Battle of Fallujah, a U.S.-led operation to retake control of the city. The battle was halted mid-way for political reasons, an outcome that commentators have described as insurgent victory. Seven months later, in November 2004, a second attempt to capture the city, the Second Battle of Fallujah, proved successful.
Intelligence reports concluded that the attack was planned by Ahmad Hashim Abd al-Isawi. He was captured by Navy SEALs in 2009, five years later. al-Isawi was held for a time by the United States intelligence community, including at Camp Schwedler. In 2010, he testified at a court-martial of SEALs he accused of mistreating him. He was subsequently handed over to Iraqi authorities for trial and executed by hanging some time before November 2013.
2005 lawsuit
Main article: Helvenston v. Blackwater SecurityThe families of the victims filed suit (Helvenston et al. v. Blackwater Security) against Blackwater USA for wrongful death in January 2005.
References
- "Contractors - The High-Risk Contracting Business | Private Warriors | FRONTLINE | PBS". www.pbs.org. Archived from the original on 2012-02-15. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- Bing West (2005). No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah. Bantam Books. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-0-553-80402-7.
- West xxii. "The Second Phase began in March 2004, when four American contractors were killed and the bodies mutilated in broad daylight in the heart of the city. The US Marines were ordered to seize the city, but then, due to international outrage over televised reportage of the assault, were told to stop. For six weeks the Marines engaged in fierce but inconclusive siege warfare."
- LeBleu, Joe. "Long Rifle: A Sniper's Story in Iraq and Afghanistan", p. 201. "In mid-April 2003, President Bush decided not to secure Fallujah...laying the groundwork for later U.S. failure there."
- Scahill, Jeremy. "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army", p. 205. "The horrors unfolding in Fallujah, coupled with the U.S. failure to take control of the city, and the bold resistance of Fallujah's residents was encouraging other Iraqis to rise up."
- Deignan, Tom (December 22, 2013). "Navy SEALS tragedy in Afghanistan chronicled in new film, "Lone Survivors"". IrishCentral. Archived from the original on January 26, 2017. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- CNN Wire Staff (April 22, 2010). "Navy SEAL not guilty of charges in Iraq". CNN. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- Hartwell, Ray V. (November 26, 2013). "Persecuting Our Heroes". The American Spectator. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 7, 2016.
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