2004 Iraq KBR convoy ambush
Encyclopedia
The 2004 Iraq KBR convoy ambush was an attack by Iraqi insurgents
on April 9, 2004 during the Iraq War on a convoy of United States
(US) supply trucks near the Baghdad International Airport
. It happened in the midst of the Iraq spring fighting of 2004
, which saw intensified clashes throughout the country.
A convoy of 26 supply trucks operated by US defense contractor
KBR escorted by the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM), United States Army
. The troops were ferrying emergency jet fuel
to Baghdad Airport from Camp Anaconda, 60 miles away. En route, it was attacked by insurgents, believed to be from either Al-Qaeda in Iraq
, the Badr Organization
, and/or the Mahdi Army
. The attack damaged or destroyed numerous convoy vehicles and killed five civilian contractors and one US Army Soldier. One civilian contractor, Thomas Hamill, and a US Army soldier Keith Matthew Maupin, were captured. Hamill later escaped from his captors and was recovered by US forces. Maupin was held captive for an undetermined time before being executed.
The body of one contractor, William Bradley, was not found until 2005. Another civilian contractor, Timothy Bell, remains missing and is presumed dead. Fourteen other civilians or soldiers were wounded.
Family members of two of the wounded and one of the killed civilians later sued KBR, charging that the company had knowingly placed its employees in a battle zone in spite of promises not to do so. In April 2009 US District Judge Gray Miller ruled that the plaintiffs could continue their suit against KBR and allowed KBR to include Iraqi insurgent forces in the case. The court ruled that the US Army was not liable. KBR has asked retired US Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez
to testify on the company's behalf.
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
on April 9, 2004 during the Iraq War on a convoy of United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(US) supply trucks near the Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport
Baghdad International Airport, originally Saddam International Airport, , BIAP is Iraq's largest airport, located in a suburb about west of downtown Baghdad in the Baghdad Governorate...
. It happened in the midst of the Iraq spring fighting of 2004
Iraq spring fighting of 2004
The Iraq Spring Fighting of 2004 was a series of operational offensives and various major engagements during the Iraq War...
, which saw intensified clashes throughout the country.
A convoy of 26 supply trucks operated by US defense contractor
Defense contractor
A defense contractor is a business organization or individual that provides products or services to a military department of a government. Products typically include military aircraft, ships, vehicles, weaponry, and electronic systems...
KBR escorted by the 13th Corps Support Command (COSCOM), United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. The troops were ferrying emergency jet fuel
Jet fuel
Jet fuel is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is clear to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial aviation are Jet A and Jet A-1 which are produced to a standardized international specification...
to Baghdad Airport from Camp Anaconda, 60 miles away. En route, it was attacked by insurgents, believed to be from either Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
, the Badr Organization
Badr Organization
The Badr Organization previously known as the Badr Brigades or Badr Corps is an Iraqi political party headed by Hadi al-Amiri...
, and/or the Mahdi Army
Mahdi Army
The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia or Jaish al-Mahdi , was an Iraqi paramilitary force created by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003....
. The attack damaged or destroyed numerous convoy vehicles and killed five civilian contractors and one US Army Soldier. One civilian contractor, Thomas Hamill, and a US Army soldier Keith Matthew Maupin, were captured. Hamill later escaped from his captors and was recovered by US forces. Maupin was held captive for an undetermined time before being executed.
The body of one contractor, William Bradley, was not found until 2005. Another civilian contractor, Timothy Bell, remains missing and is presumed dead. Fourteen other civilians or soldiers were wounded.
Family members of two of the wounded and one of the killed civilians later sued KBR, charging that the company had knowingly placed its employees in a battle zone in spite of promises not to do so. In April 2009 US District Judge Gray Miller ruled that the plaintiffs could continue their suit against KBR and allowed KBR to include Iraqi insurgent forces in the case. The court ruled that the US Army was not liable. KBR has asked retired US Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez
Ricardo Sanchez
Ricardo Sanchez is a retired United States Army Lieutenant General and a candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for the Senate election in 2012 for the seat of retiring Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.-Early life and education:...
to testify on the company's behalf.
External links
- http://articles.latimes.com/2007/sep/03/nation/na-convoy3 Iraq convoy got go-ahead despite threat