Al-Karmah
Encyclopedia
Al-Karmah, also sometimes transliterated
as Karma, Karmah, or Garma (Arabic: الكرمة), is a city in central Iraq
located 16 km northeast of Fallujah
in the Al Anbar province.
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. The city's cement
factory was shell
ed by US artillery that month as the factory was being used as a rebel position.
During 2005, a massive vehicle borne IED
was driven into Observation Post 2 Alpha, injuring 3 U.S. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Fox Company 3rd Platoon, destroying two ISO containers filled with MREs and bottled water and damaging the Hesco barriers and concertina lines along the western wall. This resulted in more barricades and new speed bumps being placed in and around the roads leading to OP-2A and the other observation posts, and the re-installation of the ground-level M240G. In later raids on houses in the area, a video was found of the preparation and execution of this attack.
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 Donnica, although still housed a very strong anti-American presence of local insurgents. 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.
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.
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, frequently utilizing combined arms attacks with mortar attacks on the blast sites resulting in multiple American casualties. In late 2006, during a sniper attack in Al-Karmah, a series of iconic photographs were taken by New York Times photographer João Silva and reporter C. J. Chivers
. The attack involved Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines and Sgt. Jesse E. Leach, who became known as "The Iron Sergeant".
On February 7, 2007, a US Marine
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
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
. 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.
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 mortar
s that had targeted the police station in Karma.
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 interpreters were also killed in the blast. The aftermath of the attack was captured on film by photojournalist Zoriah Miller.
On February 8, 2009, the local police chief Lieutenant Col. Abd Al Salam was nearly killed by a 300 pound IED.
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
as Karma, Karmah, or Garma (Arabic: الكرمة), is a city in central Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
located 16 km northeast of Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
in the Al Anbar province.
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 Donnica, 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. The city's cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
factory was shell
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
ed by US artillery that month as the factory was being used as a rebel position.
During 2005, a massive vehicle borne IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
was driven into Observation Post 2 Alpha, injuring 3 U.S. Marines from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Fox Company 3rd Platoon, destroying two ISO containers filled with MREs and bottled water and damaging the Hesco barriers and concertina lines along the western wall. This resulted in more barricades and new speed bumps being placed in and around the roads leading to OP-2A and the other observation posts, and the re-installation of the ground-level M240G. In later raids on houses in the area, a video was found of the preparation and execution of this attack.
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 Donnica, although still housed a very strong anti-American presence of local insurgents. On July 8 of that year, an IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
struck a US convoy, before insurgents fired mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
on the damaged convoy, resulting in "many" wounded casualties.
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
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
attacks, frequently utilizing combined arms attacks with mortar attacks on the blast sites resulting in multiple American casualties. In late 2006, during a sniper attack in Al-Karmah, a series of iconic photographs were taken by New York Times photographer João Silva and reporter C. J. Chivers
C. J. Chivers
Christopher John Chivers is an American journalist and author who reports for The New York Times. In the summer of 2007, he was named the newspaper's Moscow bureau chief, replacing Steven Lee Myers. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 as part of a team of New York Times reporters and photographers...
. The attack involved Weapons Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines and Sgt. Jesse E. Leach, who became known as "The Iron Sergeant".
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
CH-46E Sea Knight from HMM-364
HMM-364
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-46E Sea Knight transport helicopters...
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
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
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
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
. 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.
On August 22, 2007, a safe house
Safe house
In the jargon of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
wired with explosives was destroyed in the city, believed to have been an arms cache as well as a launching point for mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
s that had targeted the police station in Karma.
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
2nd Battalion 3rd Marines
2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines is an infantry battalion in the United States Marine Corps based out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii consisting of approximately 1000 Marines and sailors...
(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 interpreters were also killed in the blast. The aftermath of the attack was captured on film by photojournalist Zoriah Miller.
On February 8, 2009, the local police chief Lieutenant Col. Abd Al Salam was nearly killed by a 300 pound IED.