Al-Karmah

Infobox Settlement
name = Al Karmah
native_name = الكرمة


subdivision_type1 = Country
subdivision_name1 = Iraq
subdivision_type2 = Governorate
subdivision_name2 = Al Anbar
population_as_of = 2008
population_footnotes=
population_note =
population_total = 116,000
latd = 33
latm = 23
lats = 59
latNS = N
longd = 43
longm = 54
longs = 32
longEW = E

Al-Karmah or Karma or Garma (Arabic: الكرمة) Located 16km northeast of Fallujah in the Al Anbar province, is a city in central Iraq.

Invasion of Iraq

For most of 2005 to 2007 it was considered the most violent city in Iraq. Unlike neighboring Fallujah, it has no wall around the city, so anti-American insurgents were able to move freely in and out of the areas. Attacks on coalition forces were a daily occurrence in this city, with aerial mortar attacks, as well as small arms attacks almost daily on coalition patrols, convoys, and the FOB's (Forward Operating Bases) of Camp Delta, OP (Observations Post) 2, OP 2A and OP 3.

During the Second Battle of Fallujah, residents of Karma funneled weapons and medical aid into the besieged city, proudly proclaiming their allegiance to the insurgency. [ [http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ad3f7d52-3295-11d9-8498-00000e2511c8.html FT.com / In depth - ‘Every town will become a Falluja’ ] ] The city's cement factory was shelled by US artillery that month as the factory was being used as a rebel position. [ [http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/resist/2004/1108curfew.htm Allawi Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Fallujah Offensive - UN Security Council - Global Policy Forum ] ]

During 2005, a massive vehicle borne IED was driven into Observation Post 2 destroying the entire compound. This resulted in greater baracades and new speed bumps being placed in and around the city.

In early September 2005, it was the site first establishment of the New Iraqi Army's operations in the area, operating at Observation Post 3 and Camp Delta, although still housed a very strong anti-American presence of local insurgents. [http://www.fumento.com/military/fallujah2006.html Michael Fumento: Back to Fallujah ] ] On July 8 of that year, an IED struck a US convoy, before insurgents fired mortars on the damaged convoy, resulting in "many" wounded casualties. [ [http://www.williambowles.info/gispecial/2006/0706/090706/gi_4g9_090706.html GI SPECIAL 4G9 - 9/7/06 ] ] In November 2005, the first Iraqi Police station was established in Karmah. It was met with violence from the local population, who strongly opposed any coalition forces, although it was willing to withstand numerous coordinated attacks it still operates and is working in coordination with the New Iraqi Army as well as coalition forces.

In late September 2005, the local insurgency overtook the local school baracadding themselves and conducting a coordinated attack on American forces killing several US Marines. Soon after the attack security was tightened with a larger American presence was established to attempt to maintain control of the city.

During 2006 the city was seeing a greater Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police presence, at which time violence continued at a steady rate using multiple small arms ambushes on both foot and vehicle patrols, and IED attacks, frquently utilizing combined arms attacks with mortar attacks on the blast sites resulting in multiple American casualties.

On February 7 2007, a US Marines CH-46E Sea Knight from HMM-364 was shot down by a shoulder-fired missile, killing all 7 on board. Three of the US Army Engineers sent to secure the wreckage were also killed by an IED [ [http://members.forbes.com/global/2007/0423/032.html Light Warfare - Forbes.com ] ] [ [http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ec7d3ccc6&p=1 LiveLeak.com - Video of Islamic State of Iraq Shooting Down an American Chinook Helicopter in Al-Karma ] ] 13 days later, US forces raided a "car bomb factory" where they discovered five vehicles, three 55-gallon barrels of chlorine, three barrels of nitroglycerine, artillery rounds and bombs. One man was detained, and the US stated that the factory was likely run by al-Qaeda. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSPAR44485120070224 U.S. says Iraq chlorine bomb factory was al Qaeda's | Reuters ] ] On March 17, insurgents attacked an army foot patrol, killing two of them. Eleven days later, a National Guard humvee was reported destroyed, with insurgents claiming all aboard were killed. Two days later, a less successful bomb destroyed a humvee, with no casualties. On April 2, another humvee was reported destroyed, with all aboard once again reported killed. [ [http://www.iraq-war.ru/article/123937 Defiant Fallujah Remains Hot As Mujahideen Log Near Daily Attacks Against The Occupiers ] ]

On August 22 2007, a safe house wired with explosives was destroyed in the city, believed to have been an arms cache as well as a launching point for mortars that had targeted the police station in Karma. [ [http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13553&Itemid=128 Multi-National Force - Iraq - Karmah terrorist safe house destroyed following Iraqi Scout, U.S. Special Operations Forces raid ] ]

On May 2, 2008 four Marines were killed in a roadside blast in Lahib, a farming village just east of Karmah.

On June 26, 2008, three Marines from 2nd Battalion 3rd Marines (including the battalion's commanding officer), as well as twenty Iraqi sheiks and the mayor of Karmah, were killed when a suicide bomber dressed as an Iraqi Policeman detonated an explosive vest at a meeting of tribal sheiks. Two intepreters were also killed in the blast.cite news
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title =Suicide bomber kills 3 Hawaii Marines - Battalion commander among suicide bomber's victims
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date =2008-06-28
url =http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080628/NEWS08/806280336/1001/LOCALNEWSFRONT
accessdate = 2008-06-28] [ [http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=12025 DefenseLink News Release: DoD Identifies Marine Casualties ] ]

References