Qualla: Battle of Al Faw (2003) https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003 en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:31 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_res/siteimages/rsslogo.png Qualla: Battle of Al Faw (2003) https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003 Battle of Al Faw (2003): Introduction https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003/ At 2200 hours on 20 March 2003, a B-52 bomber released sixteen precision-guided munitions onto Iraqi positions along the Al-Faw Peninsula. Five minutes later, A-10 Thunderbolts arrived to suppress air defenses but found their targets obscured by the dust cloud the bombs had just created. They circled and waited. Somewhere below, in the dark and the settling debris, the opening act of the Iraq War's southern campaign was about to begin -- not with a march on Baghdad, but with a fight over oil platforms, pipelines, and a shallow waterway that only minesweepers could navigate.

Read more: Battle of Al Faw (2003) on Qualla

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/t/j/6/6/battle-of-al-faw-2003-wp/tj66-battle-of-al-faw-2003-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full Battle of Al Faw (2003): The Stakes on the Peninsula https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003/ The Al-Faw Peninsula held the keys to Iraq's oil economy. Ninety percent of the country's oil exports flowed through the peninsula via two offshore gas and oil platforms just miles from its coast. Coalition planners feared Iraq would sabotage the infrastructure, reprising the eco...

Read more: Battle of Al Faw (2003) on Qualla

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/t/j/6/6/battle-of-al-faw-2003-wp/tj66-battle-of-al-faw-2003-the-stakes-on-the-peninsula.mp3 0:06 2 full Battle of Al Faw (2003): Night Assault https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003/ The assault unfolded as a tightly choreographed sequence. U.S. Navy SEALs from SEAL Team 3 struck first, landing by MH-53 helicopters to seize the monitoring and metering station and the export pipelines. Simultaneously, Special Boat Team 22 inserted SEAL Teams 8 and 10 to captur...

Read more: Battle of Al Faw (2003) on Qualla

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/t/j/6/6/battle-of-al-faw-2003-wp/tj66-battle-of-al-faw-2003-night-assault.mp3 0:06 3 full Battle of Al Faw (2003): Tragedy in the Dust https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003/ The second wave did not go as planned. At 2225 hours, 42 Commando launched its assault, preceded by artillery fire from batteries positioned on nearby Bubiyan Island and naval bombardment from HMS Richmond, HMS Marlborough, HMS Chatham, and HMAS Anzac. Visibility was terrible -- ...

Read more: Battle of Al Faw (2003) on Qualla

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/t/j/6/6/battle-of-al-faw-2003-wp/tj66-battle-of-al-faw-2003-tragedy-in-the-dust.mp3 0:06 4 full Battle of Al Faw (2003): Tanks on Highway 6 https://qualla.com/battle-of-al-faw-2003/ By 24 March, the battle had shifted from commando raids to armored combat. Fourteen Challenger 2 tanks from the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards linked up with 40 Commando and pushed up the peninsula toward Basra along Highway 6. The road was defended by the Iraqi 6th Armoured Division...

Read more: Battle of Al Faw (2003) on Qualla

]]> Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/t/j/6/6/battle-of-al-faw-2003-wp/tj66-battle-of-al-faw-2003-tanks-on-highway-6.mp3 0:06 5 full