A Camp in Fallujah Desert

By Aylmer Ibrahim

This book is the true story of an Iraqi man born in London who became a British subject. He went back to his country to work for one of the companies newly established in Iraq after the American invasion in 2003. He stayed in a camp in the desert founded by the Americans near Fallujah. He dealt with the local people of the city to find work for them but faced a critical situation. He tried to find a solution through the Americans to prevent a looming disaster. Its a story of a struggle, as peace never took hold in Iraq.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Nov 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491884164

Book preview

© 2013 Aylmer Ibrahim. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 11/09/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8415-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-8416-4 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

About the Book

Prologue       Iraq’s Historical Background

1       Plan of Invasion

2       Baghdad Visit

3       Road to Fallujha

4       Rock Base

5       Saddam Hussein

6       Gravel Project

7       The Iraqi Commander

8       EODT

9       The Sheikh

10       Al Taqaddum Base

11       War Drums

12       The Cleric

13       Al-Qaida

14       Operation Dawn

15       The End

Conclusion

About the Book

T his book is the true story of an Iraqi man born in London who became a British subject. He went back to his country to work for one of the companies newly established in Iraq after the American invasion in 2003. He stayed in a camp in the desert founded by the Americans near Fallujah. He dealt with the local people of the city to find work for them but faced a critical situation. He tried to find a solution through the Americans to prevent a looming disaster. It’s a story of a struggle, as peace never took hold in Iraq.

You may reach the author at:

[e-mail]

Prologue

Iraq’s Historical Background

Location

Iraq has been one of the most important countries in the Middle East since its early days.

It is a meeting point between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The country has long borders with several Arab and non-Arab states.

Iraq became more important after its oil reserves were discovered. Iraq has the second-largest oil reserves in the world.

Shape and Climate

The compact shape of the country helped reduce travel difficulties; this shape became a point of assistance in economy, culture, and national unity.

Iraq has four seasons.

The main feature of the climate is a dry, hot summer season.

Iraq is cold and wet in winter.

Population

Iraq’s population has increased in the twentieth century by approximately 3 per cent.

In 1997, the population was more than 22 million, and in 2003 it was nearly 25 million.

The distribution of the people of Iraq is associated with the supporting capacity of the land.

The main populated areas are the centre of Iraq, Baghdad; the historical northern city of Mosul; and Basra, a port city in the South.

Mesopotamia

In ancient times, Iraq was known as Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. This is the cradle of civilization and the birthplace of empires that moved us from prehistory to history.

Advanced civilizations flourished in Mesopotamia long before Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Early Farming Communities (9000-5000 BC)

The time period from 9000-5000 BC saw the beginning of wheat cultivation, as well as the domestication of dogs and sheep.

Jamo is the oldest known settlement in Iraq; the houses there were built from mud.

The Sumerians (4000 BC)

The Sumerians developed the earliest writing system; the first written alphabet was invented by them.

They founded the first democratic assemblies, which gave the way to monarchies.

They invented the wheel in 3700 BC.

The Sumerians developed a maths system based on the number sixty and used early calendars.

Another important Sumerian legacy is the recording of literature (poetry and epic literature). The most famous Sumerian epic that survived is the epic of Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh was the king of the city state Ur around 2700 BC.

Sumerian society was matriarchal, meaning that woman were highly respected in Sumerian society.

The Sumerian land was cultivated; it was bountiful with fresh water.

Later the Sumerians had to battle another group of people in the Mesopotamia—the Akkadians.

Sargon al-Akkadi

In 2340 BC, the great Akkadian military leader Sargon invaded the Sumerian land and built the Akkadian Empire.

The Akkadian Empire stretched over most of the Sumerian empire and extended as far as Lebanon.

In 2125 BC the Sumerian City of Ur in southern Mesopotamia rose up in revolt, and the Akkadian Empire fell.

Ur

Ur is known as the Garden of Eden. Ur of the Chaldees (north of the site traditionally associated with the Garden of Eden) is where Abraham came from. Banking also originated in Mesopotamia (Babylon). It came from temple activities, and the temples became safe places for the storage of valuables.

King Hammurabi of Babylon (1792 BC-1750 BC)

King Hammurabi reunited the Sumerian people; he was a great lawmaker. He produced a code of law in the second year of his reign.

The majority of modern legal concepts were introduced by the Babylonians (Hammurabi’s Code, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth), many of which are still quoted today.

Assyrian Temple

The Assyrians were known to be warriors. They were located in the northern part of the Mesopotamia (the middle and southern part of Babylon). The first wars were fought here, and the land has seen many wars since.

The Assyrians started attacking Babylon after King Hammurabi’s death. They succeeded in their attacks and took control of Babylon.

The Assyrians experienced dramatic growth in science and mathematics. They invented the division of the circle into 360 degrees and were amongst the first to invent longitude and latitude for use in geographical navigation. They also invented sophisticated medical science.

In 626BC The Chaldeans helped the Babylonian king Naboplassar to take control back from the Assyrians in Babylon.

At the time, the Assyrians were under considerable pressure from the Medes of northern Iran. King Naboplassar allied with the Medes, and the Assyrians could not withstand this added pressure. As a result, Nineveh, the capital of Assyria fell in 612 BC.

The entire city, once a great capital of a great empire, was burned.

Babylon

During King Naboplassar’s reign (625-605 BC), the Mesopotamian civilization reached its zenith. King Naboplassar’s son, King Nebuchadnezzar II (604 BC-562 BC) built the legendary