2004 Forward Operating Base Marez bombing
2004 Islamist attack on a US base in Mosul, Iraq
36°18′09″N 43°07′20″E / 36.302433°N 43.122342°E / 36.302433; 43.122342
| Attack on Forward Operating Base Marez | |
|---|---|
| Part of Iraqi insurgency (2003–2006) in Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) | |
| Location | Mosul, Iraq |
| Date | December 21, 2004; 19 years ago (2004-12-21) |
| Target | Forward Operating Base Marez |
Attack type | suicide bombing |
| Deaths | 14 U.S. soldiers 4 U.S. civilians 4 Iraqi soldiers |
| Injured | 72 (including 51 U.S. soldiers) |
| Perpetrators | Army of Ansar al-Sunna |
| Motive | Occupation of Iraq |
- v
- t
- e
List of bombings during the Iraq War
‡ indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.
- 2003
- 1st Baghdad
- 2nd Baghdad
- Najaf
- 3rd Baghdad
- 1st Nasiriyah
- 1st Karbala
- 2004
- ‡ 1st Erbil
- ‡ Ashoura
- 1st Basra
- 1st Mosul
- 4th Baghdad
- 5th Baghdad
- Karbala & Najaf
- 1st Baqubah
- Kufa
- Marez
- 2005
- Suwaira bombing
- ‡ 1st Al Hillah
- 2nd Erbil
- ‡ Musayyib
- 6th Baghdad
- ‡ 7th Baghdad
- 1st Balad
- Khanaqin
- 2006
- ‡ Karbala-Ramadi
- 1st Samarra
- 8th Baghdad
- 9th Baghdad
- ‡ 10th Baghdad
- 2007
- 11th Baghdad
- 12th Baghdad
- ‡ 13th Baghdad
- 14th Baghdad
- 15th Baghdad
- ‡ 2nd Al Hillah
- ‡ 1st Tal Afar
- 16th Baghdad
- 17th Baghdad
- 2nd & 3rd Karbala
- 2nd Mosul
- ‡ 18th Baghdad
- Makhmour
- Abu Sayda
- 2nd Samarra
- 19th Baghdad
- ‡ Amirli
- 1st Kirkuk
- 20th Baghdad
- 21st Baghdad
- § Qahtaniya
- Amarah
- 2008
- 22nd Baghdad
- 2nd Balad
- 23rd Baghdad
- 4th Karbala
- 24th Baghdad
- Karmah
- 2nd Baqubah
- Dujail
- Balad Ruz
- 2009
- 25th Baghdad
- 26th Baghdad
- Baghdad-Muqdadiyah
- Taza
- 27th Baghdad
- 2nd Kirkuk
- 2nd Tal Afar
- ‡ 28th Baghdad
- ‡ 29th Baghdad
- ‡ 30th Baghdad
- 2010
- 31st Baghdad
- 32nd Baghdad
- 3rd Baqubah
- 33rd Baghdad
- 34th Baghdad
- 35th Baghdad
- ‡ 1st Pan-Iraq
- 36th Baghdad
- 37th Baghdad
- 2nd Pan-Iraq
- 38th Baghdad
- 39th Baghdad
- ‡ 40th Baghdad
The Forward Operating Base Marez bombing took place on December 21, 2004. Fourteen U.S. soldiers, four U.S. citizen Halliburton employees, and four Iraqi soldiers allied with the U.S. military were killed by a suicide bomber in a dining hall at the Forward Operating Base next to the main U.S. military airfield at Mosul.[1]
Pentagon report
The Pentagon reported that 72 other personnel were injured in the attack carried out by a suicide bomber wearing an explosive vest and the uniform of the Iraqi security services. The Islamist insurgent group Army of Ansar al-Sunna (partly evolved from Ansar al-Islam) released an internet message taking credit for the attack.[2] The bomber entered the mess tent and approached a large group of U.S. soldiers, detonating himself and killing 22 people. It was the single deadliest suicide attack against the US military in Iraq.
After attack
Weeks before the attack, soldiers from the base intercepted a document that mentioned a proposal for a massive "Beirut"-type attack on U.S. forces.[3] The reference was apparently to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing in which 241 U.S. service members were killed. Following the discovery of the papers, commanders at the base — which is about three miles (5 km) south of Mosul and is used by both U.S. troops and the interim Iraqi National Guard forces — ratcheted up already tight security.
Ansar al-Sunnah said the suicide bomber was a 24-year-old man from Mosul who worked at the base for two months and had provided information about the base to the group.[3]
The AP reported that the bomber was a twenty-year-old medical student from Saudi Arabia.[4] A US Army report identified a different Saudi national as the suicide bomber and said he got help from Iraqi troops working at the base.[1]
The dead
- Fallen soldiers from 133rd Engineer Battalion (Maine); Sergeant Thomas Dostie of Somerville, Maine, Sergeant Lynn R. Poulin Sr. of Freedom, Maine
- Fallen soldier from 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment "Bobcats", Ft Lewis, WA); SSG Julian S. Melo
- Fallen soldiers from Deuce Four Infantry (1/24- Ft Lewis, WA); CPT William Jacobsen, SSG Robert Johnson, SPC Johnathon Castro, PFC Lionel Ayro
- Fallen Soldiers from C276 Eng (Virginia National Guard, West Point, VA); Sgt Nick Mason, Sgt David Ruhren
- Fallen Soldier from 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment; SSG Darren Vankomen
- Fallen Sailor from NMCB-7; Chief Petty Officer Joel Baldwin
- Fallen Soldier from US Army Intelligence and Security Command, Sergeant Major Robert Daniel Odell[5]
- Iraqi Army Chief Warrant Officer Majdee Yousef Aziz, Iraqi Army 1st Lt. Mushtag Satar Jabar, Iraqi Army Sgt. Ahmad Hashem Mahdi, Iraqi National Guardsman Sherzad Kamo Bro
See also
- Battle of Mosul - Iraq War
- Iraq War
References
- ^ a b Redmon, Jeremy (2020-12-02). "The inside story of the deadliest attack on a U.S. military base during the Iraq War". Task & Purpose. Archived from the original on 2023-03-15. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ Fleishman, Jeffrey (2005-01-28). "Displaced Militants Adapt, Widen Their Scope". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2021-09-12. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ a b "U.S. Military Had Warning of Planned Mosul Attack". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2023-02-15. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ Archives, L. A. Times (2005-01-04). "Bomber of Mess Hall Was Reportedly Saudi". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
- ^ https://t2t.org/gold_star_family/robert-daniel-odell/
External links
- Deadly Attack on U.S. Military Base Fox News
- "A Few Unforeseen Things", by Elliott Woods, Virginia Quarterly Review, Fall 2008. Video interviews with the families and comrades of two victims of the attack.
