Sadr City

Sadr City
مدينة الصدر
(Madinat aṣ-Ṣadr)
District of Baghdad
Sadr City

Al-A'amiriya in Iraq

Coordinates: 33°23′20″N 44°27′30″E / 33.38889°N 44.45833°E / 33.38889; 44.45833
Country Iraq
Governorate Baghdad Governorate
City Baghdad
Population
 • Total 3.500.000[1]

Sadr City (Arabic: مدينة الصدر‎ - Madinat aṣ-Ṣadr) formerly known as الثورة and Saddam City, is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. It was built in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim and later unofficially renamed Sadr City after Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr.

Sadr City (or more accurately Thawra District — Arabic: حيّ الثورة‎ - ħayy ath-Thawra) is one of nine administrative districts in Baghdad. A public housing project neglected by Saddam Hussein, Sadr City holds around 1 million residents.[1]

History

A local merchant operates a stall in the city's market

Sadr City was built in Iraq in 1959 by Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qassim in response to grave housing shortages in Baghdad. At the time named Revolution City (مدينة الثورة "Al-Thawra"), it provided housing for Baghdad's urban poor, many of whom had come from the countryside and who had until then lived in appalling conditions. It quickly became a stronghold of the Iraqi Communist Party, and resistance to the Baathist-led coup of 1963 was strong there.[2]

In 1982, the district was renamed Saddam City.[3] After the foreign occupation of Baghdad in April 2003, the district was unofficially renamed Sadr City after deceased shiite leader Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr.

2003

Main article: Iraq War

In April, 2003, the US Army 2d Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment established their headquarters at the abandoned Sumer cigarette factory located on the eastern side of Sadr City. In honor of the history of the factory, the military named their new camp Camp Marlboro. In addition to the 800 soldiers in the squadron, the camp housed 120 military police of the 549th Military Police Company, 3rd Platoon, Bravo Company of the 2-37th Armored Regiment (2-37 AR), two six man teams of civil affairs soldiers from the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, 1 platoon from the 51st Signal Battalion (Airborne), and the 411th Civil Affairs Battalion, and two three-man PSYOP teams from 361st PSYOP Company. Service Support for contingent of 800 Soldiers was provided by the 730th Quartermaster Company, a National Guard unit from Johnson City, Tennessee activated and assigned to the 13th Combat Service Support Battalion under 24th COSCOM. The Crusader Company of 2-37 Armor later replaced the 3rd platoon as they were sent to rejoin their company at Camp War Eagle. Cite Needed

A young girl walks through Sadr City.

During the fall and winter of 2003, American forces focused on rebuilding civilian infrastructure and training local leaders in democracy.[4] District and neighborhood councils were established, giving the residents of Sadr City representation in the new Iraqi government. The municipal building became the centerpiece of the reconstruction effort, and it was the site of a forward outpost of American soldiers that met daily with council members and citizens.[5] Progress was slow due to escalating tensions and violence, and attacks against the American military increased significantly in late 2003.[4]

On November 9, 2003, a violent confrontation erupted between the chairman of the District Council, elements of the 2d ACR, and a team from the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion. The chairman refused to surrender a pistol during security screening and became violent, forcing an American soldier to shoot the chairman in self-defense. The death of the chairman caused a serious setback to reconstruction efforts and led to increased violence.[4]

On December 17, 2003, the Mahdi Army ambushed an American convoy, inflicting multiple casualties. The convoy, made up of vehicles from the 2d ACR and the 490th Civil Affairs Battalion, was attacked with several improvised explosive devices and automatic weapons fire from surrounding rooftops.[6] The Mahdi Army attempted to capture several soldiers during the ambush, but they were ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts to obtain hostages.[6]

2004

In late March, 2004, Task Force Lancer, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Gary Volesky arrived at Camp War Eagle on the north-east corner of Sadr City, to assume responsibility for the governance and security of Sadr City. Task Force Lancer consisted primarily of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment from the 1st Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division under the command of Colonel Robert B. Abrams. Citation Needed

On April 4, 2004 the Mahdi Army ambushed a U.S. Army patrol in Sadr City, killing eight American soldiers, and wounding 57 more.[7] This sparked fierce urban fighting between the Mahdi Army and newly arrived soldiers of the B Company 20th Engineer Battalion 2-5,C Battery 1-82 Field Artillery, 2-8 and 1-12 CAV of the 1st Cavalry Division (1CD); alongside the just-relieved 1st Squadron, 2d Armored Cavalry Regiment and elements from 2-37 AR of the 1st Armored Division. Citation Needed

In late 2004 the Mahdi Army enacted a cease-fire with U.S. troops, and offered to help repair and rebuild the city's main infrastructure which was leaving millions without electricity, water or sewage. On October 10, Camp Marlboro was hit by three mortars launched from within the city, which saw the U.S. beef up security and attach an additional 28 tanks and 14 Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the camp. The following day, on October 11, the Weapons Handover Program began in the city, which was designed to purchase weapons from militants.[8]

2005

On May 15, 2005 the bodies of 13 Iraqis were discovered in a shallow grave, each blindfolded, tied and shot multiple times in the back of the head. They had been hastily buried in a vacant lot. On May 18, gunmen shot and killed Ali Mutib Sakr, a Transport Ministry driver. On May 23, a car bomb exploded outside a crowded restaurant, killing eight Iraqis and wounding an additional 89.[9] On March 12 three car bombs exploded, killing thirty-five people. On July 1 a car bomb exploded in an open-air market killing 77 and wounding 96.[10]

In August 2005 the Iraqi government and the U.S. Army locked down Sadr City for three days to search houses for hostages and death squads. Some hostages were found and freed. Multiple death squad leaders were arrested. In these three days, the number of murders in Baghdad reached the lowest level ever comparing to the average of the previous months of the U.S.-led war.

2006

On October 24, 2006, the U.S. Army locked down Sadr City while searching for a kidnapped U.S. soldier. During the lock down, deaths dropped by 50%. When Prime Minister al-Maliki demanded the end of the blockade, the murder rate returned to previous levels.[11]

On November 23, 2006, a series of car bombs exploded, followed by mortar attacks, which killed at least 215 people. See 23 November 2006 Sadr City bombings for further details.

2007 Surge

As the U.S. began a surge of forces into Iraq, Operation Imposing Law was implemented in Sadr City.

2008 fighting

In March 2008, during the Battle of Basra, clashes erupted in Sadr City between the U.S. and the Mahdi Army. At that time, Sadr City was secured with the use of Strykers from the 1st Squadron, 2d Stryker Cavalry Regiment led by LTC Daniel Barnett. The fighting grew so intense that armored vehicles as well as M2A3 Bradley IFV and M1A1/2 Abrams MBT were called in for assistance. The Mahdi Army relied heavily in the use of improvised explosive devices allegedly smuggled from Iran [12] and engaged U.S forces with sniper fire and intense small arms engagements in the heavily congested urban area. The U.S. launched at least one air strike, killing 10 reported militants. As of March 29, 2008, about 75 Iraqis have been killed and 500 injured. The Iraq Health Ministry claims these are all civilians, but the U.S. disputes this.[13]

The Mahdi Army intensified rocket attacks on the Green Zone and other U.S. bases, killing at least three American soldiers and several civilians.[14] On April 6 Iraqi and U.S. forces moved into the southern third of Sadr City to prevent rocket and mortar fire being launched from the area. 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment then took control of southern Sadr City and hosted Charlie Company, 1-64 Armor, Bravo Company, 1-14 Infantry and Delta Company, 4-64 Armor along with U.S. combat engineers from the 3rd Brigade Heavy Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division who began construction of a concrete barrier along Al-Quds street to seal the southern third of the city off and allow reconstruction to take place. On May 1, 2008, C/1-64 and B/1-14 killed 28 Mahdi Fighters just north of the concrete barrier.[15] Over the next month, the Mahdi Army launched a number of attacks on the troops building the barrier, but sustained heavy losses. Heavy Engineer support for building the wall was provided by 821st Horizontal Engineer Company, 769th Eng. Bn., 35th Eng. Bde.[16] On May 3, 2008 soldiers from Charlie Company, 2-30 Infantry, 10th Mountain Division placed additional barriers along the eastern boundary of Sadr City to isolate the militants' stronghold, but met heavy resistance as Mahdi Fighters attacked the soldiers with RPGs, IEDs, and small arms fire. The Mahdi fighters were able to destroy two HMMWVs and two MRAPs, however, the unit responded with combined air and ground strikes and used tanks, attack helicopters, and heavy weapons to repel the assault while claiming the deaths of nearly 30 militants.[17][18]

On May 10, a ceasefire was ordered by Muqtada Al-Sadr, allowing Iraqi troops into all of Sadr City. On May 20, in an entirely Iraqi-planned and executed operation, six battalions of Iraqi troops, including troops from the 1st (Quick Reaction Force) division stationed in Al-Anbar and armored forces from the 9th Division based in Taji, operating without the involvement of U.S. ground forces, pushed deep into Sadr City. The Iraqi Security Forces met little resistance in moving through Sadr City and took up positions formerly occupied by the Mahdi Army, including the Imam Ali and Al-Sadr hospitals and Al-Sadr's political office.[19] Sadr City then became the main base for Shi'a Insurgent group Kata'ib Hezbollah, an offshoot of the Mahdi Army.[20]

Recent history

After a year of relative calm, Sadr City was struck by a massive bomb blast on June 24, 2009 when a bomb-laden vegetable cart or motorcycle was detonated in the Muraidi Market of the town, killing at least 69 civilians and wounding over 150.

Voters in Sadr City allowed the Iraqi National Alliance to make huge gains in provincial elections in 2009 and parliamentary elections in 2010.[21]

Reconstruction efforts

In 2010, Turkish contractors won the bid to rebuild Sadr City in Baghdad. A Turkish consortium won the bid for construction of Baghdad’s Sadr City, offering to complete the massive project for $11.3 billion. The project involves construction of a modern city of 75,000 housing units to accommodate up to 600,000 people.[22]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Summary results of the census of buildings and installations and families in 2009 - the Iraqi Ministry of Planning, the Central Bureau of Statistics
  2. ↑ Marr, Phebe; “The Modern History of Iraq”, page 172
  3. ↑ Baghdad (Iraq) - Encyclopædia Britannica
  4. 1 2 3 The Christian Science Monitor. "Democracy from scratch". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  5. ↑ John Pike. "Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq". Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  6. 1 2 D Magazine, "The Mayor of Fallujah", Nov. 21, 2007
  7. ↑ "CNN.com - Seven U.S. troops die in Baghdad fighting - Apr 4, 2004". April 5, 2004. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  8. ↑ CNN https://web.archive.org/20041013061739/http://edition.cnn.com:80/2004/WORLD/meast/10/10/iraq.main/index.html. Archived from the original on October 13, 2004. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ "Zarqawi is reported hurt", International Herald Tribune, May 25, 2005.
  10. ↑ Roug, Louise/Salman, Raheem. "Massacre at Market in Iraq", Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2006.
  11. ↑ Kukis, Mike. "At Baghdad's Ground Zero", Time, January 19, 2007.
  12. ↑ Raghavan, Sudarsan (March 2008). "19 Tense Hours in Sadr City Alongside the Mahdi Army". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
  13. ↑ "Iraq: More US Air strikes on Basra". AP/Google. March 2008. Archived from the original on October 30, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-29.
  14. ↑ Time https://web.archive.org/20090221101837/http://www.time.com:80/time/world/article/0,8599,1728286,00.html?xid=rss-topstories. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ↑ "US troops kill 28 Mahdi fighters in Sadr City". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  16. ↑ http://newsblaze.com/story/20080530201223tsop.nb/topstory.html/
  17. ↑ http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/05/us_troops_kill_28_ma_1.php/. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  18. ↑ "Mahdi Army takes a hit in Baghdad, Basrah". The Long War Journal. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  19. ↑ Gordon, Michael R.; Farrell, Stephen (May 21, 2008). "Iraqi Troops Take Charge of Sadr City in Swift Push". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  20. ↑ http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/12/airforce_uav_hack_121809w/
  21. ↑ "Strong showing for anti-U.S. cleric in Baghdad slum". Reuters UK. March 8, 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  22. ↑ "ECONOMY - Turkish contractors to rebuild Sadr City in Baghdad". Retrieved 13 August 2015.

External links

Coordinates: 33°23′20″N 44°27′30″E / 33.38889°N 44.45833°E / 33.38889; 44.45833

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