Fighting for Fallujah: A New Dawn for Iraq

Military Review,  July-August, 2006  by Dennis S. Burket

• E-mail
• Print
• Link

FIGHTING FOR FALLUJAH: A New Dawn for Iraq, John R. Ballard, Praeger Security International, Westport, CT, 2006, 184 pages, $44.95.

Written by John Ballard, commander of the Marine Corps' 4th Civil Affairs Group in Iraq, Fighting for Fallujah is a first-hand account of how Marine-led Coalition forces retook the city of Fallujah from insurgent elements in November 2004. Much deeper than just a story about the most intense urban combat Marines have participated in since Hue, Ballard's insider narrative educates readers on how Coalition forces learned from early mistakes and were then able to gain the support of the Sunni population despite destroying their city.

The book begins by taking readers through the events leading up to the fight, including the gruesome murders of three Blackwater contractors, Fallujah I, and An Najaf, illustrating how Coalition forces continued to learn from their missteps and then applied the lessons they learned to the upcoming fight. Using informative charts and endnotes, Ballard explains how the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), with the mission to destroy the terrorist elements and then restore the city to its residents, planned and then executed the retaking, resettlement, and reconstruction of Fallujah.

Ballard moves back and forth easily among the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Planning considerations for interagency coordination, information operations, civil affairs operations, and the integration of coalition forces and their important contributions are all covered in detail. The effects of political requirements on MEF planning and execution are framed around Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's need to demonstrate that his fledgling government would not allow insurgents to dominate one of their cities and that it could care for its people. With the hope that others can learn from the MEF experiences, the book concludes with lessons learned about the full spectrum of operations currently ongoing in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Ballard acknowledges that the changing situation in Iraq makes it hard to claim a lasting success in Fallujah or any other battle, but he offers as proof of the MEF's success the large number of Sunnis in Fallujah--more than in any other city--who turned out to vote in January 2005.

Written in a style that is both educational and easy to read, Fighting for Fallujah is an important contribution to understanding the complexity of urban operations in Iraq.

LTC Dennis S. Burket, USA, Retired, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas

COPYRIGHT 2006 U.S. Army CGSC
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning