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My Book: Saddam, The Roots, the Rise and the Fall |
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Wednesday, 09 April 2008 |
On the 9th of April 2003 the Baathist regime in Iraq collapsed and Saddam has fled his presidential palace, the war against Saddam was a very short operation, it lasted twenty days, the following are short notes on a very small part of the military plan which resulted in toppling him and the dismantling of his regime, they are not a history of the war, that I am sure will be dealt with expertly by specialists in the history of the United State’s armed forces, these are rather a modest tribute to few American Soldiers of Task Force 1-64 Armor (who call themselves the desert rogues) of the Second Brigade of the Third Infantry Division. A fascinating group of young American men and women whom I had the good fortune to meet and befriend under an extremely perilous situation during the last war, a friendship which is still as pure as it was at the start in spite of the terrible course events has taken place in Iraq and the shocking ill feelings towards the Americans which have replaced the respect and good will of the early days, but all that has not affected my love and great respect of the rogues, they were and are still my friends.
Saddam Three: The fall
Part c: The road to Baghdad
During the last 25 years of the rule of Saddam we- myself and my family- were living in a house in al-Manor district in Baghdad next door to one of his plethora of security offices , this office was in fact five houses which belonged to people who were no viewed as loyal to the regime so they were evicted from their houses and those five were turned into a branch of one the most important security organization of the regime, [ the internal security], but when the regime collapsed on April 9 2003 everybody fled the place leaving everything behind including a huge amount of small weapons and various kinds of ammunitions- few tons of them- in the middle of a residential area, a huge time bomb which was really worrying , my daughter and a girl from the neighborhoods went out and brought back a number of American Soldiers who were patrolling the area who promised to come early next morning to take care of the stuff which they did and started removing it, at mid day a tall very tense man in the garb of an Iraqi police colonel burst into my house shouting and demanding o have the keys of the deserted place he said he has been made chief of Baghdad’s police [he didn’t say by whom] and he wanted to establish his headquarters in the office next door, I said the place is in the hands of the Americans and I have no keys so he very imperiously ordered me to bring the American in charge, the man was so tense and worrying I went out and brought the officer in charge who told him very bluntly that the keys were with him and he would not get them unless he brought him an order from the following four officers he left even more red face shouting and very abusive.
Next morning a short time after ten there were four uniformed Americans at the outside door of my house three young ones and a fourth who was a bit older who asked me politely and respectfully whether they could go into the house and they did. The older one said I am the commander of the Rogues and these are my operations officer and my sergeant major and then he said that he came to apologize for yesterday’s behavior of the red faced Iraqi police officer, he said that I have been very helpful to his people translating for them and helping them with the flood of petitions and requests for help and assistance, I said few thank you very much myself and they left after few minutes. Two days later the same four came back again inspect the work which has been done and now I asked them to come and have something with us, they came in we gave them small cups of tea. We had a nice discussion about what has happened and the hopes and dreams we had for the future of our country which they very genuinely and positively reciprocated. The clearing of the material next door lasted about ten days during which they came to inspect several times and every time they were around they came to us we had a cup of tea, few words and when they finally left the scene we were already very good friends and on a first name basis.
THE 1st Battalion 64th Armor is descended from the 78th tank battalion, which was activated on 13 January 1941 at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The Battalion was re-designated as the 758th Tank Battalion, and was the first tank unit composed entirely of black soldiers. One of these soldiers designed the unit crest, which is still worn by soldiers of the battalion-the rampant head of a black African elephant symbolizing the soldiers pride in their heritage and their mission of mobile, armored warfare. The 758th served distinction in the Italian campaign of world war 11 it earned the first three of the many campaign streamers on the battalion colors.
THE battalion next saw action in Korea, where it fought under colors of the 64th heavy tank battalion. there it participated in a total of eight separate campaigns, and fought from the intervention of the Chinese communist forces in November 1950 until the ease fire in 1953.
FOLLOWING the Korean War the 64th heavy tank battalion was reorganized as the 64th armor regiment a parent regiment under the combined arms regimental system. The 1st Battalion 64th Armor was born at this time, and with its three sister battalions helped to preserve freedom’s frontier in the Federal Republic of Germany.
IN 1987 the colors moved to Fort Stewart when 5th Battalion 32d Armor was re-designated as the 1st Battalion 64th Armor. In 1990 the Battalion deployed with the 24th Infantry Division [Mech.] as part of OPERATION DESERT SHIELD. During combat operations in Iraq, the battalion spearheaded the division attack against the forces of the Iraqi republican guard and advanced over 350 miles in only four days. During this action the unit earned its two most recent campaign streamers; the defense of Saudi Arabia and the liberation of Kuwait. Following the successful conclusion of the war the battalion redeployed to Fort Stewart.
IN October 1993 elements of the battalion as part of Task Force 1-64 AR to protect the United Nations operational Somalia force deployed to Africa for OPERATION CONTINUE HOPE. The task force conducted security missions in a hostile theater for six months before safely returning all soldiers home in March of 1994.
DURING the summer of 2002 the Desert Rogues deployed with their parent organization the 3rd Infantry Division in the north of Kuwait as part of OPERATION DESERT SPRING and remained there from the September 2002 to March 2003. Then they burst into southern Iraq after punching two big holes into the electrified wall separating Kuwait from Iraq which was built after the end of the Kuwait war marking the borders between the two neighbors immediately after the declaration of hostilities by President Bush on the night of the 19th of March with the announcement that the United States had launched what was being called a decapitation strike against a very sensitive regime leadership target which was later on as a meeting of Saddam with some the top of his government, he escaped but that meant that D-Day was scheduled to begin 24 hours earlier than was planed. And so on the 20th of March the Rogues began rolling for the border and were hurrying through desert terrain towards their primary target the Iraqi capital. The task force was the lead element for the brigade combat team and the 3rd Infantry Division in seven major combat operations to include the seizing of Baghdad the Iraqi capital. The following is an excerpt from the unit history summarizing their combat action:
From the period of 20 March to 15 April 2003 during OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM, TF 1-64 spearheaded the 2d Brigade Combat Team (2 BCT) and the 3d Infantry Division (3ID) through three weeks of intense combat operations in desert, river valley, and complex urban terrain. TF 1-64 led the 2 BCT across the southwestern Iraqi desert, navigating over 364 kilometers during daylight and limited visibility for over twenty hours. Within two hours of arrival at OBJECTIVE MARTIN south of Al Samywah, TF 1-64 reorganized, refueled, and then led the 2 BCT attack to seize OBJECTIVE RAMS west of An Najaf, 141 kilometers away. TF 1-64 received a fragmentary order on the move to seize critical nodes within OBJECTIVE RAMS, meeting stiff resistance with small arms and RPG fire. TF 1-64 fought through the night using direct fire, indirect fire, and close air support to secure critical terrain for the remaining BCT elements and following 3ID and V Corps enablers, destroying seventeen armed trucks and killing 150 dismounted enemy soldiers. While the remainder of the BCT continued to move north, TF 1-64 served as the 3ID tactical combat force to secure critical assets on OBJECTIVE RAMS, including the 3ID Main Command Post and V Corps Tactical Command Post, defeating several night dismounted attacks. On 26 March, during a period of extremely limited visibility and under mortar fire, TF 1-64 executed an attack through An Najaf to secure bridge crossing sites over the Euphrates River for 3-7 Cavalry Squadron’s rearward passage of lines. TF 1-64 suffered three WIAs and had numerous vehicles struck by RPG and small arms fire while destroying over thirty vehicles and eighty dismounts, enabling the 3ID Cavalry Squadron to pass over 400 vehicles to secure terrain on OBJECTIVE RAMS. TF 1-64 held their positions for three days until relieved by the 101st Air Assault Division and immediately moved forty kilometers north to rejoin 2 BCT in OBJECTIVE SPARTANS. Within twenty-four hours, TF 1-64 attacked north to establish a screen along PHASE LINE TOPEKA to protect the north flank of the 3ID. On 2 April, TF 1-64 attacked north to ASSAULT POSITION GARTH along RTE VENEZUELA, following TF 1-15. After several TF 1-15 vehicles became mired and with darkness looming, it became apparent the route was impassable; TF 1-64 was ordered to attack west and north of Karbala and move along RTE COSTA RICA. Soon after initiating their attack, TF 1-64 came into enemy contact, destroying seven BMPs and eight armed trucks, clearing a new BCT route and leading 1-9 Field Artillery Battalion back to a passable route. TF 1-64 completed the seventy kilometers night movement and closed into GARTH in time to attack fifty kilometers across the Euphrates River and through urban areas to seize critical terrain west of OBJECTIVE SAINTS near the main highway exchange south of Baghdad on 3 April. Later that afternoon, TF 1-64 conducted an armored raid into Al Mahmudiyah, destroying five tanks, two armored personal carriers, and over 100 dismounted enemy soldiers. On 4 April, TF 1-64 attacked south thirty kilometers down HWY 8, destroying ten tanks, fifty-six trucks, over thirty air defense and artillery pieces and numerous dismounted personnel. On the morning of 5 April, TF 1-64 conducted a solo armored raid into Baghdad along HWY 8, executing close quarters mounted combat in complex urban terrain labeled by some as the most intense fighting since WW II. TF 1-64 suffered one KIA, five WIA, and lost one tank to enemy fire, but destroyed over fifty vehicles, twenty-five guns, and at least 800 enemy dismounted soldiers and captured an Iraqi Colonel. One CENTCOM Officer described the raid as “…gaining the momentum back in the war.” Following a one day rearm and refuel, TF 1-64 led the 2 BCT attack up HWY 8 to the center of Baghdad on 7 April. While fighting the Special Republican Guard and under continuous adjusted mortar fire, TF 1-64 seized key road intersections and sites critical to the regime, directly contributing to the fall of Baghdad. During the following week, TF 1-64 seized numerous weapons caches, expanded local security in the downtown area, and conducted several significant special escort missions for SOF, enabling the transition to SASO. In three weeks of combat the TF attacked over 750 kilometers, destroyed over fifty armored vehicles, 150 trucks and technical vehicles, more than 100 artillery and air defense guns, killed at least 1100 dismounted soldiers, destroyed thousands of weapons and rounds of ammunition hidden in caches, and captured over fifty EPWs while suffering a .5% casualty rate and maintaining at least a 91% move, shoot and communicate readiness rate for combat vehicles. TF 1-64 led the 2 BCT or 3ID in nearly every attack, with its Soldiers shouldering more than the average share of combat exposure, demonstrating the professional excellence, dedication and devotion to duty of the Desert Rogues. TF 1-64 clearly contributed to the success of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM in a manner fitting of the highest recognition.
The Desert Rogues served for a year in Kuwait and Iraq. The last few months were in Fallujah where they served with honor and distinction, they were always fair and respectful of the Iraqis, towards their cultural, values, and their religion, after that they returned to the United States where the unit was reorganized, the senior officers were promoted and were given other jobs, they returned to Iraq for a second tour of duty two years later but I did not meet them the second time, by that time things in Iraq had degenerated into the mess it is in now and we –myself and my family- were in the throes of the agony which resulted from the shooting of my son who is still in a very serious and critical condition as a result that tragic incident, but I will never forget the Rogues they were and are still my friends in spite of the agony and the suffering.
I am very grateful to my friend Rick Nussio who was when the above happened the executive officer of the unit, Major Nussio , for his excellent contribution to this piece, he was promoted to the rank of LTC after returning to the United States and was given a different task, Ricky was and is still one of my best and most treasured friends.
Najeeb Hanoudi
Tuesday April 8, 2008
Berkley/Michigan
Email: najeeb
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