Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

US Navy to name ship after Marine battles in Fallujah, Iraq

US Navy to name ship after Marine battles in Fallujah, Iraq

The Navy’s next amphibious assault ship will be named after the city of Fallujah, which saw some of the bloodiest battles in the Iraq war when US Marines fought Al-Qaeda extremists in deadly house-to-house combat.
Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said the USS Fallujah will commemorate what have become known as the “First and Second Battles of Fallujah,” following the tradition of naming the assault ships after Marine Corps battles or other early sailing ships and aircraft carriers.

“It is an honor to memorialize the Marines, soldiers, and coalition partners that fought valiantly and those that sacrificed their lives during both battles of Fallujah,” Del Toro said in a statement Tuesday.

Located about 65 kilometers from Baghdad, the city became the base for an anti-government Sunni insurgency after the US-led invasion in 2003 toppled Saddam Hussein. Al-Qaeda militants, who rose up against the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad, fought two bloody battles with US troops in Fallujah in 2004 that killed more than 100 Americans and wounded more than 1,000.

The first battle of Fallujah was triggered by increasing violence in the city including the deaths of five US soldiers hit by a roadside bomb, and four security contractors working for Blackwater USA. The contractors were killed and their bodies set on fire. Two of the corpses were hung from a bridge, and photos of the carnage were distributed to media.

In response, Marines battled for days to get control of the city, and in a turning point, a Marine vehicle was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade fired from a mosque, wounding five Marines. US forces converged on the mosque and eventually fired a Hellfire missile at the base of its minaret, and an F-16 fighter jet dropped a 500-pound bomb, killing dozens and fueling anti-American sentiment. Within a month, however, US forces withdrew from Fallujah and turned control over to local Iraqi security forces.

The second battle came in November 2004, and was a massive air and ground offensive by US forces, along with British and Iraqi troops, to take control of the city. Dozens of Americans and hundreds of militants were killed and large sections of the city were damaged and destroyed.

An Iraqi journalist in the city at the time said, “People are afraid of even looking out the window because of snipers. The Americans are shooting anything that moves.”

Gen. Richard Myers, who is now retired but was chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff during that time, said that “hundreds and hundreds of insurgents” had been killed and captured. He said the Fallujah offensive was “very, very successful” but wouldn’t finish the insurgency.

“If anybody thinks that Fallujah is going to be the end of the insurgency in Iraq, that was never the objective, never our intention, and even never our hope,” he said.

A decade later, the city once again became a deadly hotbed of insurgency as the Daesh group swept control, starting its dramatic blitz across Iraq. It took nearly two years, and the entry of US forces back into the country to rebuild the Iraqi military, to retake the city in a crucial step toward ousting Daesh militants from major Iraq cities.

In addition to announcing the ship’s name, Del Toro said the sponsor for the future USS Fallujah will be Donna Berger, who is the wife of Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
×