Insurgent Full Movie Dailymotion

[Shinyoung Gedris]

On the morning of January 26, 2005, a Marine convoy raced into the Sunni stronghold of Haqlaniya, where the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit was pursuing an insurgent leader into a part of Iraq that was under insurgent control. As the Marines left their raid location, they were enveloped by an ambush. Four Marines, members of Charlie Company, were killed. Ambush at the River of Secrets pays tribute to the sacrifices of these Marines and the other Americans who have died in Iraq.

1. How does Ambush at the River of Secrets compare to other accounts of the war in Iraq that you may have seen? Do you think that it is important to tell the stories of individuals who have served and died in combat? Explain.

2. What are some of the different reasons that the Marines featured in this program chose to serve in the military? What challenges did they face while serving in Iraq? How did their deployment affect their loved ones back in the United States? What sacrifices did the Marines and their loved ones make in the defense of freedom?

3. Do you think that it is important for people to serve their country? Why or why not? What are some of the different ways that young Americans can serve? Of these types of service, which do you think require the greatest personal sacrifice, and why? If you were to serve your country, what type of service might you perform and why?

5. Has someone close to you ever died? If so, how did their death impact you? What emotions did you experience? Did you feel grief at the loss? If so, how did you deal with your grief? Did your feeling of grief change over time? If so, how? If not, why not? How do you think people should respond to someone who has recently experienced the death of a loved one? What words or actions might the person find consoling?

7. In your view, what is a hero? What are some qualities that heroes display? Give examples of real-life heroes or fictional ones. Do you consider any of the people featured in Ambush at the River of Secrets to be heroes? Explain.

8. In general, what role do embedded journalists play in covering the war in Iraq, and how is their perspective on the war unique? What role did the embedded journalists play in covering the ambush on the banks of the Euphrates River? Why do you think that a journalist or cameraperson would choose to be embedded, despite the risks that come with the assignment?

Generate a class discussion about the sacrifices that U.S. military personnel and their loved ones have made and continue to make in the defense of freedom. Organize a class project in which students host an event that demonstrates their appreciation for local veterans and their families. To get students started, pose the following questions for class discussion:

• What are some of the ways that Americans pay tribute to the U.S. armed forces and those who serve in combat zones? (e.g., awarding of medals such as the Purple Heart, celebrating days of remembrance, displaying yellow ribbon magnets on cars, building memorials, etc.)

Have students conduct research on what is being done locally, statewide or nationally to honor and help active and deployed U.S. servicemen and women and their families. Next, have students draw upon their research to brainstorm a list of meaningful ways that they might pay tribute and/or provide assistance to these American servicemen and women and their families. Examples of actions they could take include:

Operation Phantom Fury was the second major coalition effort in Fallujah. Earlier, in April 2004, coalition forces fought the First Battle of Fallujah in an attempt to capture or kill insurgent elements who were considered responsible for the 2004 Fallujah ambush, which resulted in the deaths of four private military contractors of Blackwater. When the coalition fought their way into the center of the city, the Iraqi Interim Government requested that the city's control be transferred over to an Iraqi-run local security force, which then began stockpiling weapons and building complex defenses across the city through mid-2004.[24] The battle is notable for being the first major engagement of the Iraq War that was fought solely against insurgents as opposed to the government military forces of the former Ba'athist Iraq.

Within days, U.S. Marine Corps forces launched Operation Vigilant Resolve (5 April 2004) to take back control of the city from insurgent forces. On 28 April 2004, Operation Vigilant Resolve ended with an agreement where the local population was ordered to keep the insurgents out of the city.[24] The Fallujah Brigade, composed of local Iraqis under the command of a former Ba'athist officer named Muhammed Latif, took control of the city.[30]

Insurgent strength and control began to grow to such an extent that by 24 September 2004, a senior U.S. official told ABC News that catching Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said to be in Fallujah, was now "the highest priority," and estimated his troops at 5,000 men, mostly non-Iraqis.[31] However, the stated purpose of the military operation in Fallujah was to weaken the insurgency in preparation for the planned Iraqi elections in January 2005.[32]

Before beginning their attack, U.S. and Iraqi forces had established checkpoints around the city to prevent anyone from entering, and to intercept insurgents attempting to flee. In addition, overhead imagery was used to prepare maps of the city for use by the attackers. American units were augmented by Iraqi interpreters to assist them in the planned fight. After weeks of withstanding air strikes and artillery bombardment, the militants in the city appeared to be vulnerable to direct attack.

U.S., Iraqi and British forces totaled about 13,500. The U.S. had gathered some 6,500 Marines and 1,500 Army soldiers that would take part in the assault with about 2,500 Navy personnel in operational and support roles.[6] U.S. troops were grouped in two Regimental Combat Teams: Regimental Combat Team 1 comprised 3rd Battalion/1st Marines, 3rd Battalion/5th Marines, and U.S. Army 2d Battalion/7th Cavalry. Regimental Combat Team 7 comprised the 1st Battalion/8th Marines, 1st Battalion/3rd Marines, U.S. Army 2d Battalion/2d Infantry, 2d Battalion/12th Cavalry[33] About 2,000 Iraqi troops assisted with the assault.[6] All were supported by Marine fixed and rotary-winged aircraft, Navy and Air Force fixed-wing aircraft; and USSOCOM Sniper Elements.

The 850-strong 1st Battalion of the Black Watch was ordered to help U.S. and Iraqi forces with the encirclement of Fallujah.[34] As part of Task Force Black, D Squadron of the British SAS prepared to take part in the operation, but British political nervousness about the possible scale of casualties stopped any direct UK involvement in the ground battle.[35]

In April, Fallujah was occupied by about 500 "hardcore" and 1,000+ "part time" insurgents. By November, it was estimated that the numbers had doubled.[36] Another estimate put the number of insurgents at 3,000; however, a number of insurgent leaders escaped before the attack.[37]

Fallujah was occupied by virtually every insurgent group in Iraq: al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI), Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI), Ansar al-Sunna, Army of Mohammed (AOM), the Army of the Mujahedeen and the Secret Islamic Army of Iraq. Three groups, (AQI, IAI and the National Islamic Army (1920 Revolution Brigade)) had their nationwide headquarters in Fallujah. An estimated 2,000 insurgents were from the Army of Mohammed (made up of ex Fedayeen Saddam fighters), Ansar al-Sunna and various smaller Iraqi groups.[38]

Unlike what most cities in Iraq saw, the Battle of Fallujah did not have internal disputes between insurgents. The fighters consisted of both Sunnis and Shi'as; Soldiers of the Mahdi army fought alongside Sunni and Ba'athist groups against the United States.[39][40]The Iraqi insurgents and foreign Mujahideen present in the city prepared fortified defenses in advance of the anticipated attack.[24][41] They dug tunnels, trenches, prepared spider holes, and built and hid a wide variety of IEDs.[24][41] In some locations, they filled the interiors of darkened homes with large numbers of propane bottles, large drums of gasoline, and ordinance, all wired to a remote trigger that could be set off by an insurgent when troops entered the building. They blocked streets with Jersey barriers and even emplaced them within homes to create strong points behind which they could attack unsuspecting troops entering the building.[42] Insurgents were equipped with a variety of advanced small arms,[43] and had captured a variety of U.S. armament, including M14s, M16s, body armor, uniforms and helmets.[42]

They booby-trapped buildings and vehicles, including wiring doors and windows to grenades and other ordnance. Anticipating U.S. tactics to seize the roofs of high buildings, they bricked up stairwells to the roofs of many buildings, creating paths into prepared fields of fire which they hoped the troops would enter.[42]

With Navy SEAL and Marine Recon Snipers providing reconnaissance and target marking on the city perimeter, ground operations began on the night of 7 November 2004. Attacking from the west and south, the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion with their U.S. Army Special Forces advisers, 1st and 2nd Platoon Charlie Company, Manchu 1st Battalion 9th Infantry Regiment Mechanized, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division (U.S. Army) served as the main effort on the peninsula and supported by 3rd Platoon Alpha Company 2/72nd Tank Battalion (U.S. Army), and 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, reinforced by Bravo Company from the Marine Corps Reserve's 1st Battalion, 23rd Regiment, and supported by Combat Service Support Company 122.

2nd Infantry Division, Manchu, Charlie Co 1-9 Infantry Mechanized with 1st and 2nd platoons, (US Army) SEAL Sniper Task Elements from Naval Special Warfare Task Group Central and the U.S. Marine Corps Scout Platoons, captured Fallujah General Hospital, Blackwater Bridge, ING building, and villages opposite of the Euphrates River along Fallujah's western edge.[48] Marines from 1/3 fired 81mm mortars in an operation in south Fallujah. The same unit then moved to the western approaches to the city and secured the Jurf Kas Sukr Bridge.[48] These initial attacks, however, were a diversion intended to distract and confuse insurgents holding the city, preceding the all-out offensive. Two Marines died in the initial attacks when their bulldozer fell into the Euphrates River. 42 insurgents were killed along the Fallujah riverside.

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