US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Ch 4 “The Awakening Gathers Momentum”

Chapter 4 of the second volume in the U.S. army’s history of the Iraq War is about how the Anbar Awakening expanded in the province. That eventually led to other tribes and insurgent groups to turn against the Islamic State of Iraq across central Iraq in what became known as the sahwa.

 

The Awakening started in 2006 in the Ramadi district and spread across much of Anbar province in 2007. It had its origins with Sheikh Abu Risha who gained support from a local U.S. commander in Ramadi. This was questioned by the Multi-National Force West which had been talking to various sheikhs for years who had gone into exile in Jordan. It considered Abu Risha an insignificant tribal leader. He proved the Americans wrong and helped spread the Awakening westward to other tribes in Hit and Haditha.

 

In Fallujah the U.S. was able to make deals with the 1920 Revolution Brigade, Mohammed’s Army, and the Islamic Army who all turned against the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI).

 

These moves had a ripple affect across Anbar and central Iraq as more tribes and insurgent factions joined the fight versus ISI.

 

Baghdad and Babil provinces were the next areas to see various groups decide to align with the U.S. against ISI. The Triangle of Death for instance was an area bordering Baghdad and Babil that was considered one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. The Awakening in Anbar led some tribes in the Triangle to start fighting ISI. The result was that by July 2007 the Triangle of Death had largely been pacified as U.S. forces and their tribal allies now called the Sahwa had purged ISI.

 

The next area to see this trend was Baghdad itself. In Amiriya ISI tried to dominate the Islamic Army and attempted to assassinate its commander Abu Abed. That led him to attack ISI. In May a cleric told the U.S. unit in Amiriya that insurgents were going to assault ISI and the Americans should stay out. The next day mosques called people to arms and they defeated ISI. The Islamic State counterattacked the following day leading Abu Abed to ask the Americans for help. Together the two secured the district. By August there were no more attacks upon the U.S. in Amiriya.

 

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki had no problem with the Awakening as long as it was in Anbar but when the U.S. tried the same tactics in Baghdad he turned against it. In western Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib General Nasser Ghanam of the 6^th Iraqi army division sent his men against the Sahwa there hoping to break its alliance with the Americans. The U.S. would eventually believe that Ghanam was acting on Maliki’s orders. General Petraeus believed that the PM saw the sahwa as Baathists who were plotting to overthrow his government. This would lead to continued conflicts throughout the Surge.

 

SOURCES

 

Rayburn, Colonel Joel, Sobchak, Colonel Frank, Editors, The U.S. Army In The Iraq War Volume 2, Surge And Withdrawal 2007-2011, Strategic Studies institute and U.S. Army War College Press, 2019